Early history The lands of Baldoyle, on which Clongriffin, and most of Donaghmede as a whole, are situated, formed part of a large tract of
high mediaeval monastic grange farmland, sometimes called the "Grange of Baldoyle." A reminder of this is the small church now called "
Grange Abbey" to the south of Clongriffin. In 1166, the lands were assigned to
All Saints Priory, on whose site
Trinity College Dublin was later built, by
Diarmait Mac Murchada,
King of Leinster. In 1369,
parliament was held in the small church, called by Sir William de Windsor. In the late
1530s, at the beginning of the
Tudor conquest of Ireland, the entire settlement was invaded and seized at the behest of
King Henry VIII of England, who in 1538 bestowed it on the
Corporation of Dublin.
Modern history Until 2003, most of the lands on which Clongriffin is being built were farmland. In July of the same year
Dublin City Council granted planning permission for a mixed-use development to be called "Clongriffin at Grange Road, Donaghmede" Management plans were completed in 2004 and the development, comprising houses and apartments, started in 2005 and was planned to have educational, retail and service facilities, including a multi-screen cinema. Clongriffin was part of the
Northern Fringe Development (along with
Belmayne in
Balgriffin and estates on the former Baldoyle Racecourse and in northern Coolock) and was approved by the local authorities to provide new accommodation for Dublin on
green belt land, and was to complete the development of north Donaghmede. Clongriffin's early component developments comprised Grange Lodge, Beau Park, Station Point, Marrsfield, Parkside, and Belltree. Nearby, but across the main Donaghmede-Portmarnock road, was the Priory Hall development. For further history and general notes, see also the
Donaghmede and
Baldoyle articles.
Provision of services No area of the estate has yet been taken in charge by
Dublin City Council and the council maintains that it has made no commitment in this respect.
Pyrite settlement and remediation In early 2008, it was alleged that the mineral
pyrite was found in the stone hardcore used in the construction of some homes in various housing estates in north Dublin, including Beaupark in Clongriffin. Pyrite remediation of affected ground level dwellings is underway after a settlement was reached in March 2011 in a Commercial Court case. Menolly Homes and The Lagan Group accepted responsibility for the defective infill used, and have set up a
trust fund to cover costs for remediation of all homes affected by pyrite in Clongriffin. Remediation began in May 2011.
Development pause and resumption Development stalled in the late 2000s, owing to such factors as the downturn in the
Irish economy, developer financial problems, and reduced demand. As a result, some areas of Clongriffin remained enclosed by construction hoarding for years. In the meantime, Dublin City Council formulated a Local Area Plan for Clongriffin and Belmayne (the North Fringe) as part of the Dublin City Development Plan 2011–2017, and provision continued in the new City Development Plan. The developer stayed engaged with the community during the hiatus. In 2017, development resumed, and Clongriffin is now undergoing a second phase of development to enhance amenities and construct further housing. == Transport and access ==