Killester Garden Village Committee
The Killester Garden Village is the largest Irish WW1 ex-servicemen housing estate in Ireland.
The Killester Garden Village Committee wishes to remember the Irish WW1 ex-servicemen of the Killester Garden Village and in remembrance of the Killester men who died in WW2.
ABOUT
The Killester WW1 Memorial Campaign was founded in 2013 by local residents of the Killester Garden Village in initial efforts showcase and make awareness of the unique and interesting history of Killester.
The campaign then went on to campaigning to the save the old Legion Hall of Killester from being demolished by developers in 2014.
In 2022 we officially formed the Killester WW1 Memorial Campaign.
Today the Killester WW1 Memorial Campaign holds an annual Remembrance Ceremony in Killester in honour and in memory of the Irish soldiers, sailors and airmen who lived here in the Killester Garden Village with their families after WW1.
Our campaign is also to honour the men from Killester who died in WW2, many were the son's of the original Killester ex-servicemen.
The Killester Garden Village is the largest military ex-servicemen housing estate in Ireland built from 1920-1923 by the Irish Soldiers and Sailors Land Trust a UK trust established by the Irish Land Act(Provisions for Soldiers and Sailors)Act of Parliament in 1919.
Our current project is to create a community garden as a permanent memorial garden for the benefit of all in the Killester community and wider afield as a place of reflection, reconciliation and inclusion.
We are proposing the site of the community garden to be at the green at Abbeyfield adjacent to the Legion Hall.
Our second project is in researching the Killester ex-servicemen and families to create a single compiled resources or booklet of all the original Killester ex-servicemen and families.
The Killester Garden Village Committee:
Founder: Mr Aaron Crampton
Chair: Ms Avril Stephenson
Vice-Chairman: Mr Gerry Leigh
Treasurer: Mr Kevin Martin
Secretary:
Our Aims:
The Killester Garden Village Committee has three main aims:
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To create a heritage garden at the green in Abbeyfield adjacent to the Legion Hall in honour of the Irish WW1 ex-servicemen who lived in Killester and in recognition of the Killester ex-servicemen housing estate itself. We will also honour the Killester men who died in WW2 and the families themselves.
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To protect and preserve the Legion Hall in Killester, to refurbish it into its original state and return the Legion Hall into public ownership and to set it up as a community centre -named the ‘Killester Community Centre’ which was its original purpose since its foundation by the Royal British Legion in 1932.
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To promote and make awareness of Killester’s unique hidden history and heritage and advocate its importance to the community and wider afield in relation to social history, military history and peace and reconciliation. We have ongoing research into the Killester ex-servicemen and families and can also organise walking tours.
OUR VALUES
What We Believe In
REMEMBRANCE
Honouring the sacrifice the Irish soldiers sailors and airmen made in WW1 and WW2 who lived in the Killester Garden Village with their families.
Recognising the unique history and heritage of the 'Killester Colony'.
Our local centenary of the Killester Garden Village is apart of the Decade of Centenaries.
We believe the shared history of the Irish participation should be remembered, and in our position remember those that survived too.
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PEACE AND RECONCILIATION
Being inclusive and respectful as the Killester Garden Village has ex-servicemen of different religions, beliefs and politics.
Killester veterans and families included both Catholics and Protestants, Nationalists and Unionists and of all walks of life, but had one thing in common all being ex-servicemen.
We believe in the efforts of peace and reconciliation and every community on the island has a part to play. We have made relationships across the island and across the border in our efforts.
COMMUNITY
Supporting the community by creating the Killester Community Garden for as a much needed amenity for the community for both old and young.
The green space at Abbeyfield , Killester beside the old Legion Hall is the site for the Killester Heritage Garden.
We wish to bring the community together with our events for young and old!
GET INVOLVED
We Need Everyone
JOIN OUR CAMPAIGN
If you are interested in joining the Killester Garden Village Committee, whether you be a local resident, descendent of an original ex-servicemen, local business, community group or sports group or a currently serving or veteran of the military, please do get in touch to join us and support the campaign.
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Image credit: British Pathe News
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HELP US RESEARCH
If you have information to provide on a relative or just in general of the Irish WW1 ex-servicemen of the Killester Garden Village or those who served in WW2 or about the women, children and families of the Killester Garden Village please do get in touch.
If you have any old photographs, videos, documents, maps etc. please do get in touch too.
If you have any thing to provide of the general history of the Killester area please also do get in touch via our emails.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
We are currently campaigning to save the Legion Hall in Killester for it to be acquired, refurbished and reopened once again as a community hall for the benefit and use by the community.
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Please sign and share our petition here:
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We are actively looking for help be it expertise or experience in grants, funding and support for community development from Local Authority''s, Government agencies or private businesses'/corporate/associations to assist in our campaign to save the Legion Hall in Killester.
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As of February 2024 the Legion Hall, Killester was added onto the Derelict Sites Register by Dublin City Council.
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Killester Garden Village - Dublin City Council Residential Conversation Status:
Following amendment to the City Council’s Development Plan in 2004, and in recognition of the historical importance of the housing development which was built by the Soldiers and Sailors Land Trust for First World War soldiers and their families, the area known as The Demesne, Middle Third and Abbeyfield is listed as a residential conservation area in Dublin City Council’s Development Plan 2005-2011 and subsequent plans.
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The definition of Residential Conversation Areas is:
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Z2 Residential Neighbourhoods (Conservation Areas) - To protect and/or improve the amenities of residential conservation areas.
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With this in mind we would encourage all residents in the Killester Garden Village to be mindful of this status in any future developments in their homes.
The Killester Heritage Garden:
We are currently working with Dublin City Council on creating a small heritage garden at the Abbeyfield Green in Killester (adjacent to the Legion Hall).
The final designs and timeline for establishing the garden rests with DCC. We will keep everyone updated on its development on our social media platforms.
These are artists illustrations of what could be possible for our heritage garden at Killester.
Thanks to Damien Meade of Octagon Simulations for the designs.
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![IMG-20230407-WA0017[13375].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/25a1d6_74296ccc22b74452b2b32eb84a491ca7~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_123,h_69,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/IMG-20230407-WA0017%5B13375%5D.jpg)
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'Killester Through The Ages' Book by Dublin City Council in partnership with the Killester Garden Village Committee
The book will be launched in 2025 by Four Courts Press after being commissioned by the Dublin City Council Heritage Office. Find out more here:
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Community Book:
'Killester Garden Village: The lives of the Great War Veterans and Families who lived their'.
Book Launched Saturday 26th August 2023 by Minister Darragh O'Brien TD at teh Centenary Community Day in Killester.
In November 2022, our Chairman Mr Aaron Crampton organised for two distinguished WW1 researchers from Northern Ireland, Mr Nigel Henderson (History Hub Ulster) and Mr Michael Nugent (WW1 Research Ireland) to research all the original Irish WW1 ex-servicemen and families of the Killester Garden Village and to create a book with the research to mark the centenary of the Killester Garden Village.
This books research has been completed after over 6 months of hard work of research from Michael and Nigel and assistance from Mr Tom Burke MBE.
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In Summary:
Nigel and Michael have been researching Great War veterans who lived in this ex-servicemen's colony, the largest on the island of Ireland. Between 1921 and the early 1930s, 249 bungalows (35 detached and 214 semi-detached) and 40 two-storey houses were built under the auspices of the Irish Land (Provision for Sailors and Soldiers) Act of 1919.
Whilst the research has been challenging and frustrating, we have been up blind alleys and down rabbit warrens, it has also been rewarding and has unearthed a lot of interesting material. A football stadium is named after one of the veterans and another played a leading role in the establishment of the Sam Maguire Cup. Several veterans joined the Garda Siochana, one receiving a gallantry award for tackling armed bank robbers, but at least one was in the Black and Tans. Several of the veterans joined the National Army of the Irish Free State whilst others served in the British armed forces in the Second World War, one Great War veteran being a Second World War fatality. The sons of some of the Great War veterans died whilst serving with British armed forces in the Second World War.
Whilst it has not been possible to identify Great War service details for some of the veteran occupants, we have identified information for veteran occupants who lived at 282 of the 289 properties, which is broken down as follows:
The Demesne: 75 dwellings, details for 74 veteran occupants
Middle Third: 51 dwellings, details for 49 veterans occupants
Abbeyfield: 131 dwellings, details for 127 veterans occupants
The Orchard: 32 dwelling, details for 32 veterans occupants
It is now over to Aaron Crampton and the Killester Garden Village Committee to bring this unique research project to publication, which we now have at the launch during the Centenary Community Day, photographs and video's from the day are available on our Social Media channels.
Front Cover of the book above.
The Killester Garden Village Book was launched at the Centenary Community Day on Saturday 26th August at Middle Third Green in Killester by the Minister of Housing, Local Government and Heritage Mr Darragh O'Brien TD.
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The book is available to purchase from the publisher, Liffey Press Ltd at: Killester Garden Village: The Lives of Great War Veterans and Their Families (theliffeypress.com)
Gallery
Upcoming Events
Sat, 11 NovKillester11 Nov 2023, 11:00Killester, Memorial Garden, Abbeyfield, Clontarf West, Killester, Co. Dublin, 5, Ireland
Sat, 26 AugDublin26 Aug 2023, 12:00Dublin, Middle Third, Dublin, Ireland26 Aug 2023, 12:00Dublin, Middle Third, Dublin, IrelandIn August 1923 the first Irish WW1 ex-servicemen and their families moved into the new community of the Killester Garden Village. These 'Homes for Heroes' were built from 1920-1923 consisting now of 289 ex-servicemen houses for these Irish veterans and their families after the Great War.
Sat, 12 NovKillester12 Nov 2022, 11:00Killester, Clontarf, Killester, Co. Dublin, Ireland
CONTACT
Founder's email: aaroncrampton@live.ie
Main email: killestergardenvillage@gmail.com
Mobile Number: +353 083 0444 313
For more up to date news, history, events and more follow the Killester Garden Village Committee on Facebook and Twitter.
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