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Early writers tell how an island off Skerries
was used as a landing place for an invasion, which
happened in the second century. This island was
probably Red Island or maybe Shenick. When the
invaders landed they formed rank and at low tide
marched to the mainland. They then proceeded to
Knocknagin, north of Balbriggan where they were
defeated. In 432 AD St. Patrick landed on Church
Island and this is recorded by Ware in "Antiquities
of Ireland." On the coast of Dublin lies Holmpatrick,
or the island of Patrick, called so in Memory
of the holy man who landed there in 432 and from
there passed to the mainland to enlighten Ireland
with the rays of Christian religion.
According to a reference in the Book of Armagh,
written about the year 800 AD, in ancient times
the islands off the coast of Skerries were known
as the "isles of the children of Cor." They are
called by this name in the Book of Armagh, which
was written about the year 800 A.D. This old Irish
name suggests that the islands were named after
the people that lived on, or near them, the descendents
of a man named Cor. It is recorded in the annals
of Munster that in the year 797A.D. the Danes
carried out one of their earliest raids in Ireland
when they plundered the monastery on Church Island.
St. Mochonna founded this monastery shortly after
St. Patrick arrived in Ireland.
itric, who was a son of a Dane called Murchard,
refounded the monastery on Church Island in 1120.
He dedicated it to St. Patrick, the Apostle of
Ireland. By this time the Danes who had settled
in Ireland had become Christians. The influence
of the Danes still lives in local place names.
Skerries got its name from the Vikings. The word
Skerries comes from the Danish word skere meaning
rocks or a reef, and ey meaning an islet or small
island. It was applied to the series of islets
and their sandy reefs, which lie just offshore
opposite the town.
The prefix holm in Holmpatrick is also an old
Danish word meaning harbour. In 1148, a very important
synod was held on Church Island. It was summoned
by Saint Malachy, the archbishop of Armagh to
settle differences between the Irish Christians
and the Pope. Fifteen bishops, two hundred priests
and other clergy were present. In connection with
decisions made at the Synod, St. Malachy was sent
to Rome for discussions with the Pope. He never
reached Rome as he died on the way in France at
the monastery of Clairvaux, in the presence of
St. Bernard. In 1256 the monastery was moved to
the mainland as the monks then thought that an
island was unsuitable as the site for a monastery.
This was done with the permission of Henry de
Londres, the archbishop of Dublin, following a
request to do so by the monks. This move created
the monastery of Holmpatrick. In time the monastery
began to join up with fishing village of Skerries
to form the heart of the town, as we know it.
In 1488 a man called Lambert Simnel claimed to
be king of England and was actually crowned in
Dublin. King Henry VII sent forces to Ireland
to put down this rebellion and some of those forces
landed in Skerries. When Silken Thomas rebelled
against the king of England in 1534 he ordered
his followers to assemble in Skerries. However
the Lord Lieutenant had knowledge of his plans
and successfully foiled them. He had four vessels,
that could not be towed away, burned in the harbour
and carried away a number of small boats.
The new monastery of Holmpatrick flourished.
Some idea of it's importance may be got from the
fact that it was suppressed by Henry VIII in 1538
prior to the general dissolution of the monasteries.
Its proper name had been "The Monastery of the
Canons Regular of the order of St. Augustine".
What finally happened the buildings of the monstery
is not clear. Not a trace of them remains. The
site is marked by the square tower in Holmpatrick
cemetery, all that remains of the old Protestant
Church. In 1565, after the reformation, the monastery
and its lands became the property of Thomas Fitzpatrick.
In 1605 the manor and lands of Holpatrick was
granted to Earl of Thomand.
In 1565, after the reformation, the monastery
and its lands became the property of Thomas Fitzpatrick.
In 1605 the manor and lands of Holpatrick was
granted to Earl of Thomand. In 1721 the last Earl
sold the manor and lands, including the town of
Skerries, to the Hamilton family of Hacketstown.
In 1897 the Hamilton family were granted the title
of Lord Holmpatrick. Comparisons between maps
of Skerries drawn in 1703 and 1760 suggest that
the Hamilton family was responsible for setting
out the streets of the town as they are today.
Between 1863 and 1865 a monument to the memory
of James Hans Hamilton was erected in Skerries.
The Monument is a reduced scale replica of the
Wellington Monument in Phoenix Park.
The following inscription is on the four panels
at the base of the Monument. This Monument was
erected in memory of James Hans Hamilton Esq.
M.P. Abbotstown House, Co. Dublin by the tenantry
of his severel estates viz.: Holmpatrick, Dublin,
Meath, Carlow, Down and Queens County in testimony
of their esteem for him as a kind friend and benevolent
landlord. He represented this County in Parliament
for twenty-two years and died 19th june 1863.
James Hans Hamilton repesented County Dublin in
Parliament. It would be far more accurate to say
that Ms.P. then repesented their own interests
and the interests and the interests of the landowning
class to which they belonged. Voting in those
days was public and it was only in 1872 that the
secret ballot paper was first introduced. Tenants
entitled to vote gathered at Balbriggan Courthouse
and as the registrar called out their names, they
shouted out the name of the landowner for whom
they wished to vote.
As a reward for the vote the tenant was given
half a crown (now =16 c.), a substantial amount
then, by the landlord's agent. Situated as it
is, the monument was built as the focal point
of the old town. It is now at the heart of the
commercial, and shopping centre of the town. After
the 1916 rising a British Destroyer landed troops
at Skerries to help the Dublin garrisons suppress
the rising. 200 men of the North Staffordshire
Regiment landed under the command of Captain Clay.
To try and impede their progress to Dublin local
rebels blew up the bridge over the railway in
Donabate.
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