Swords has a reputation as one of the fastest-growing towns in the country. From a population of 400 in the 1950s, the town now has 35,000 residents and the numbers are rising with each new development coming on the market. Fingal County Council's development plan for the town envisages a population of 50,000 in the coming decade.
The County Council will shortly take possession of its new headquarters at the end of the Main Street, a move that will provide a further stimulus for new housing and rental properties in the area. Proximity to the airport and surrounding industrial estates is a big plus for the town and explains the huge demand for accommodation. Major employers in the area include Motorola, Hertz, Gateway 2000 and Amdahl. Most of the new housing developments are taking place west and south of the town. A regular bus service to the city centre will be augmented by the LUAS when it gets its air port link.
Since it was bypassed, Swords has recaptured much of its village atmosphere. Wider pavements, plenty of flower tubs and revamped shopfronts encourage motorists to stop off - if they can find elusive parking.
There is a very vocal community here which keeps a watchful eye on the town's expansion. The Heritage Centre, which has a museum headquarters above the Carnegie Library on New Street, guards the town's many historic sites.
St Colmcille founded the monastery beside the holy well here in 560 from which Swords (meaning pure water) got its name. Later, the Normans built a castle on the northern end of Main Street which is currently being restored. An old keep and round tower still stand on Colmcille's monastic site, although a manorial cornmill was demolished to make way for the Castle shopping centre. The town's expansion plans include a major new shopping and multiplex cinema complex behind Superquinn, which will have four large department stores and Dunnes as anchor tenants.
Househunters can still find modestly-priced older three and four-bedroom semis (without the en suites and finer points of the newer schemes).
