Finglaswood House, or King James's Castle, 1906
A view of Finglaswood House from Weston St. John Joyce's book The Neighbourhood of Dublin. The house was built in the late 1500s. It was also known as King James's Castle, as James II occupied it for a period of time subsequent to his defeat at the Battle of the Boyne. It is no longer standing.
Finglaswood House, or King James's Castle, 1906
Finglaswood House, or King James's Castle, 1906
A view of Finglaswood House from Weston St. John Joyce's book The Neighbourhood of Dublin. The house was built in the late 1500s. It was also known as King James's Castle, as James II occupied it for a period of time subsequent to his defeat at the Battle of the Boyne. It is no longer standing.
Up until about 1845 Finglas was famous for its May Sports, which were bigger than any similar event in all of Dublin. A maypole was set up in the middle of the village. It was painted white with blue stripes, much like a gigantic barber's pole.
During the sports, prizes were attached to the top of the pole, which was then covered in grease. The goal was to climb the greasy pole and claim a prize.
There were many other attractions, such as foot, sack and ass races. One sport involved catching a pig that had been shaved and covered in soap. The soap made the pig's skin slippy, and as a result it was very difficult to catch.
Like Donnybrook Fair, the May Sports in Finglas often descended into violence. The public houses charged a penny for a glass of whiskey and did a roaring trade. The May Sports were discontinued in about 1845, despite the efforts of some of the local residents to revive them.