CHAPELIZOD, a parish, in the barony of CASTLEKNOCK, county of DUBLIN, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (W.) from Dublin city centre; containing 2181 inhabitants, of which number 1632 are in the village. This place is supposed to have derived its name from La Belle Isode a daughter of one of the ancient Irish kings, who had a chapel here. The lands belonging to it were granted by Hugh de Lacy, in 1173, to Hugh Tyrrell, which grant was afterwards confimed by Hen. II. In 1176, they were given by the Tyrrells to the hospital of the Knights Templars of Kilmainham, and after the suppression of that order remained in possession of their successors, the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, till the dissolution of the monasteries, in the reign of Hen. VIII. They subsequently passed through various hands till 1665, when the Duke of Ormonde, by command of the king, purchased the entire manor, with the mansion, from Sir Maurice Eustace, for the purpose of enclosing the Phoenix park, and the old mansion-house became the occasional residence of the Lord-Lieutenant. In 1671, Col. Lawrence obtained a grant of several houses and about 15 acres of land adjacent to the village for 41 years, at an annual rent of £42, for the purpose of establishing the linen manufacture, under the auspices of the Duke of Ormonde, who, with a view to promote its success, invited over numerous families from Brabant, Rochelle, the Isle of Rhé, and other places, who were skilled in the art of manufacturing linens, diapers, tickens, sail-cloth, and cordage, and established those manufactures here in the greatest perfection. In 1690, Gen. Douglas, on his march to Athlone, encamped for one night in this place; and soon after, King William himself, subsequently to his expedition to the south, passed several days here in issuing barbarous orders and redressing grievances.
In 1596, Lord Capel, Lord-Deputy of Ireland, died at the vice-regal residence here after a long illness, during which several important meetings of the council took place; and though the house was repaired by Primate Boulter, when Lord-Justice of Ireland, in 1726, it has never since been occupied by the lord-lieutenants: a house near the village, called the King's, is said to be that occasionally used as the vice-regal lodge.
The village, which is of considerable size, and extends into the parish of Palmerstown, in the barony of Newcastle, is situated on the sourth-western verge of the Phoenix park and contains 200 houses, of which 103 are in that part of it which is in the parish of Palmerstown. It is within the delivery of the Dublin twopenny post, and is chiefly remarkable for the beautiful scenery in it vicinity, especially along the banks of the river Liffey, towards Lucan, and for the extensive strawberry beds which are spread over the northern side of the vale.
The woollen manufacture was formerly carried on very extensively, and continued to flourish till the commencement of the present century, when there was a large factory, two fulling-mills, and an extensive corn and wash mill, which have been succeeded by a flax-mill on a very large scale, erected by Messrs. Crosthwaite, the present proprietors, and affording constant employment to more than 600 persons. There are also a bleach-green and several mills.
The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Dublin, united at a period unknown to the rectories of Palmerstown and Ballyfermot, together forming the union of Chapelizod, in the patronage of the Archbishop: the tithes amount to £1 19s. 5.50d., and the gross amount for the whole benefice is £301 19s. 5.50d. The church is a small plain edifice, erected in the reign of Anne, and remarkable only for its tower covered with ivy, from the summit of which is an extensive and highly interesting prospect over the surrounding country. There is neither glebe-house nor glebe.
In the Roman Catholic divisions, this parish forms part of the union or district of Castleknock. There is a chapel in the village; and near it is a school-room, erected in 1834 for a school to be placed in connection with the National Board.
A school is supported by subscription, in which about 18 boys and 54 girls are instructed; and there are also a pay school, in which are 60 boys and 40 girls, and two Sunday schools. A dispensary in the village is supported in the usual way. Col. Lawrence, the founder of the manufactures of this place, was the author of a well-known pamphlet, published in 1682, and entitled "The Interest of Ireland in its Trade and Wealth." The Hibernian school in the Phoenix park, described in the article on Dublin, is in this parish.
