placenamesBohernabreena
Bóthar na Bruíne
Bohernabreena links the Dodder valley’s waterworks with Saint Anne’s Church and a sports club whose pavilion also served as a community meeting place.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- Bóthar na Bruíne · Irish · main form · validated name
- Bohernabreena · English · main form
Place & story
Two reservoirs with different jobs
The Bohernabreena reservoirs were constructed between 1883 and 1887 to supply drinking water to Rathmines and maintain reliable flows for mills along the Dodder. South Dublin Libraries records 45 mills dependent on the river, including fifteen flour mills and industries ranging from paper-making to tanning. Clear runoff from stony ground entered the upper reservoir. Peaty water from the mountain bogs bypassed it through a separate channel. The lower reservoir stored compensating water for the mills, allowing the scheme to serve domestic consumers and industrial users separately. [2]
Saint Anne’s Church
The foundation stone of Saint Anne’s Church was laid in 1868, and the Archdiocese of Dublin records its opening and blessing on 14 August 1870. The church continued to serve Bohernabreena as the surrounding parish expanded. Another church serving the parish, Holy Rosary at Oldcourt Avenue in Firhouse, opened on 1 November 2009. The two buildings reflect the parish’s foothill setting and its later growth into the urban districts below. [3]
Founding Saint Anne’s GAA
Saint Anne’s GAA club grew from a meeting at Callaghan’s Bridge near the waterworks entrance, encouraged by the curate, Father George Henry. The inaugural general meeting on 10 June 1937 elected Albert West as chairman and affiliated a team to the Dublin Junior Football Board. Supporters paid sixpence a week towards the venture. When Beasley’s estate was divided, the club successfully applied to the Land Commission for a pitch, which became its home in March 1938. Blue and white were chosen as its colours. [4]
A pavilion for more than football
The club’s first pavilion was completed by 1940 after Jimmy Maher’s £280 tender. Sunday dances drew cyclists from Glencree and Rathfarnham, while the local defence force used the hall for training and first-aid classes during 1942–45. It also accommodated agricultural, carpentry and cookery classes, the Irish Countrywomen’s Association and the local ladies’ club. During refurbishment of Bohernabreena church in 1980, Mass and baptisms took place there. The hall supplied space for much of the valley’s shared life. [4]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Bohernabreena. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Bohernabreena Waterworks, then and now, 17 April 2013 · South Dublin Libraries Local Studies
- Bohernabreena parish history · Archdiocese of Dublin
- Saint Anne’s Bohernabreena: Club History · Saint Anne’s GAA club
- Bohernabreena Lower Reservoir valve tower illustration: based on a Bohernabreena Lower Reservoir Valve Tower by JP. AI-assisted watercolour and ink adaptation; cream paper margins added, incidental clutter omitted and fine details simplified. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2021-03-30. How this page was prepared.