Killiney Hill

An obelisk on Killiney Hill bears the inscription:"Last year being hard with the poor, walks about these hills and this were erected by John Mapas, June 1742."

Killiney Hill(Irish:Cnoc Chill Iníon Léinín) is the southernmost of the two hills which form the southern boundary ofDublin Bay,the other beingDalkey Hill.These two hills form part ofKilliney Hill Park.

Crowned by amonument,Killiney Hill is 153 metres high and has views over the surrounding areas:Dublinto the northwest; theIrish Seaand the mountains ofWales(on a clear day) to the east and southeast; andBray Headand theWicklow Mountainsto the south. The hill was higher in the past but material was removed from the summit for the construction of the pier atDún Laoghaire.The obelisk was completed in 1742 and commemorates the victims of theIrish Famine of 1740-41.

History

Killiney Hill, c. 1840

Killiney Hill stands in the former townland of Mount Mapas, or Scalpwilliam, first mentioned under that name in the beginning of the 17th century. Former residents included Captain Edward Maunsell, who served as theHigh Sheriff of County Dublinin 1755, followed by Colonel the Hon.Henry Loftus,MP forBannowinCounty Wexford.Loftus planted the hill and built nearby roads. In 1790Lord Clonmelllived here and constructed a park which he filled with deer.

Killiney Hill and Dalkey Hill are both part of 'Killiney Hill Park', a small public park overlooking the villages ofDalkeyto the north andKillineyto the west. In 1887 it was dedicated to public use byPrince Albert Victor of Wales,in memory ofQueen Victoria's Jubilee,and called Victoria Hill. The park is crossed by a number of walking tracks, and with views in all directions, is used by walkers and hikers from the surrounding areas.

In early times this area was included in the lands of Rochestown and Dalkey Commons and belonged for many centuries to the Norman family of Talbot (the same Talbot of Malahide Castle) and through them the property passed eventually to Colonel John Malpas who, in the early eighteenth century, built a brick house for himself at Rochestown.

The "Wishing Stone" of Killiney Hill is located to the north-east of the obelisk, alongside a smaller obelisk, known locally as "Boucher’s Monument" -‘A tourist in 1796 mentions that a memorial was about to be placed on the hill, in pursuance of the will of the last Mr. Mapas, who left a large sum for the erection of a monument to his family.’

Obelisk Hill halt

Obelisk Hill Halt
General information
Location	Vico Road,Killiney,County Dublin, Ireland
Coordinates	53.2699°N 6.0973°W/53.2699; -6.0973
Platforms	1
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
History
Pre-grouping	Dublin and Wicklow Railway
Key dates
10 July 1854	Station opens
31 December 1857	Station closed

Obelisk Hill Halt was located betweenDalkeyandBallybrack stationson a section of theDublin and Wicklow Railway'scoastal branch.The station was named after the nearby obelisk, located on the hill above the bay. The Dublin and Wicklow Railway opened the station one year after constructing their line fromDún LaoghairetoBrayin 1854. The station only had one platform located on the down side of the line, as the line between Dalkey and Killiney was originally built as single track. The station also featured a footbridge, and was accessed from the parallel Vico Road above the railway. A walled pathway also existed on the seaward side, giving access to a small cove. This allowed sea bathers continued access to the shore, which the new railway would otherwise have prevented. Obelisk Hill closed on 1 January 1858 and was replaced by the originalKilliney railway stationat Strathmore Rd. Today, only one of the footbridge piers at the former station site remain, as does the now crumbling walled pathway on the seaward side. At the southern end of the station site is a footbridge over the railway at Whiterock beach, while at the northern end is the southern portal of Dalkey Tunnel. The line between Dalkey and Killiney was eventually doubled in 1882.

Preceding station	Historical railways			Following station
Dalkey Line and station open		Dublin and Wicklow Railway Coastal line		Ballybrack Line open, station closed

Gallery

• 
  Killiney Hill 22 May 2009
• 
  Dalkey Island and Killiney Bay 25 April 2022
• 
  Bray and Environs from Killiney Hill 25 April 2022
• 
  Wishing Stone 25 April 2022

External links

• The history of Killiney Hill Park
• The history of Killiney Hill Obelisk