Swords, Dublin
Swords (from Irish: Sord Cholmcille) is the county town of Fingal in Ireland. It is about 13 km north of Dublin city centre and is part of its commuter belt. The name "Swords" may also be applied to the townland, the civil parish or to the local electoral area. At the 2011 census the total urban population of greater Swords was 42,738.
Fingal County Council's Strategic Vision for Swords is to create a sustainable new city. They have referred to Swords as an "emerging city" and project that the population of Swords will rise towards 100,000 by the year 2035.
In 2012, Swords was named the third best town in Ireland to live in. The survey conducted by Retail Excellence Ireland took into account safety, retail, dining, entertainment, events, car parking and overall attractiveness of the town. Since the mid 1990s Swords has seen improvements in shop fronts, public buildings and footpaths and the restoration of Swords Castle. In 2003 the Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) Survey scored Swords the worst litter blackspot in the country. Following a huge improvement to litter in the town, in their 2011 survey Swords was declared the second cleanest town in Ireland.
Read more about Swords, Dublin: History, Shops, Features and Historical Attractions, Economy, Notable Residents and References in Popular Culture