Harold's Cross - History

History

Much of the local industry during the 19th century revolved around the old mills which were located on the River Poddle which passes through the area, with part of its flow diverted into the "City Watercourse" culvert at "The Tongue" or "Stone Boat". A paper mill was located at Mount Argus where there was a small rural village at that time, and also a flour mill was near the gates of Mount Jerome cemetery. At Mount Jerome the Poddle goes underground for much of the rest of its journey to the Liffey. During the 20th century the old mill at Mount Argus, disused at this stage, was adopted by the local Boy Scout troop the 45th Mount Argus as a boxing club, as a result of which the troop became commonly known as "the fighting 45th" troop in Dublin scouting circles. The troop was founded by Rev. Fr. Cronin C.P. of Mount Argus church.

Harold's Cross Green was a key meeting point for members of the Society of United Irishmen just before the 1798 Rebellion, rebels such as Thomas Cloney and Myles Byrne meet the commander Robert Emmet to discuss tactics for pending uprising.

Irish Nationalist leader Robert Emmet was captured near Harold's Cross. He lived for a period in a house in Harold's Cross so he could be near his sweetheart Sarah Curran of Rathfarnham. He led an abortive rebellion against British rule in 1803 and was captured, tried and executed. The Grand Canal bridge linking Harold's Cross Road and Clanbrassil Street was named in his honour, where a plaque commemorates him (the bridge was formerly called Clanbrassil Bridge, and is known locally as Harold's Cross Bridge).

The father of Pádraig Pearse, James, was a stonemason for Mount Argus Church. The Pearse family had a long association with the Passionists and Mount Argus. Both Pádraig and Willie Pearse came for confessions on the day of the Easter Rising. Mrs Pearse and Padraig himself also taught Irish language lessons in the community Scout hall next to the church. The 1916 Volunteers, who had a training ground in nearby Kimmage, are said to have paid a visit to Mount Argus Church to pray just before taking part in the 1916 Easter Rising.

O'Connor's Jewellers on Harold's Cross Road is noted for being the victim of one of the two famous robberies carried out by the notorious Dublin criminal Martin Cahill (who is also buried in Mount Jerome Cemetery).

Honour Bright, prostitute (real name Elizabeth (Lily) O'Neill), who lived in Harold's Cross, was murdered in June 1925, and her body found in the mountains. Dr Patrick Purcell, a medical doctor in County Wicklow, and Leopold J. Dillon, a Garda, were put on trial charged with the murder, but were acquitted. The murderer was never traced.

There was a well established community of Quakers in Harold's Cross that operated a number of industries in the locality including Cotton, paper and flour milling during the 19th century. They also ran a number of orphanages locally. Among these industries was the Greenmount Spinning manufacturing powered by the River Poddle, owned by the well-known Pim family. James Pim was commonly known as the "Quaker father of Irish railways.

Quaker brothers Thomas Pim and Robert Goodbody decided to relocate Goodbody Tabacco manufacturing to Greenville near Harolds Cross after a disastrous fire in their Tullamore premises in 1886; as a result most of their employees were also relocated to the area, where red brick terrace housing were built in the area by the Dublin Artizans' Dwellings Company, in which the Pim family were prominent members.