placenamesPortmarnock
Port Mearnóg
A Georgian church and a distinctive workshop survive from older Portmarnock, while a later school records the growth of public education.
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
- Port Mearnóg · Irish · main form · validated name
- Portmarnock · English · main form
Place & story
Saint Marnock’s later church
The former Church of Ireland Saint Marnock’s was built in 1786–1788 and consecrated in 1790. Its square entrance tower has a battlemented top, while a curved apse closes the opposite end of the nave. Pointed windows retain timber Y-shaped mullions. The architectural inventory records the church’s closure in 1960. This is the later parish church, distinct from the medieval ruin nearer the shore. [2]
A horseshoe marks the workshop
A small former forge nearby dates to about 1850. Its most distinctive feature is the horseshoe-shaped entrance, edged in brick and topped by a keystone. The survey records roughcast walls over red brick and a corrugated-iron roof. Its modest form preserves a working building associated with the older village. [3]
A new school and shared management
Portmarnock Community School opened in 1979. Its own history explains the community-school model as combining secondary and vocational education. The Archbishop of Dublin, County Dublin Vocational Education Committee and Loreto Sisters became joint patrons, with parents and staff participating in management. The account names Mr Leonard as the initial principal during the establishment period, followed by Pat O’Leary. [4]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Portmarnock. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Saint Marnock’s Church, Portmarnock, record11350030 · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- Former forge, Portmarnock, record11350032 · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- Portmarnock Community School: History · Portmarnock Community School
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2024-06-28. How this page was prepared.