About Fosterstown
Fosterstown is an old name on the south-west side of Swords, Co. Dublin. It has been written down for around seven hundred years, and today it is a busy mix of homes, shops, services and business parks.
Where it is
There are two townlands of the name, Fosterstown North and Fosterstown South, both in the civil parish of Swords, in the barony of Nethercross, in what is now Fingal. Their Irish names are Baile an Fhoraistéaraigh Thuaidh and Baile an Fhoraistéaraigh Theas.
In everyday use the name covers the neighbourhood around Boroimhe and Forest Road. Its neighbours include Forrestfields and River Valley to the north and west, Pinnockhill and Airside across the R132 to the east, and the Ward River Valley Regional Park beyond. Open fields still run south towards Fosterstown South.
The name
The Placenames Database of Ireland (Logainm) records the name for Fosterstown South from 1326, when it appears as “Foresterestowne”. Later spellings include “Fosters” (about 1530), “ffosterstowne” (1655), “Fosterstowne” (the Hearth Money Rolls, 1664), “Forsters T.” on Rocque’s map (1760) and “Fosterstown” on Duncan’s map of County Dublin (1821).
Logainm gives no meaning for the name. The old spellings point to a person, probably a forester or a family called Forster, with baile, a homestead or townland, on the end. That is a reading of the spellings, not something the record states. Read the full history, including the archaeology beneath the fields.
What is here today
The area is shaped by a few hubs: Boroimhe Shopping Centre and the shops around Forest Road, Airside Retail Park and Airside Business Park, and, a little further on, Swords Pavilions and the town centre. Our directory lists 1,570 businesses and services across Swords, most of them in Shops, Health, Other services, Food & drink and Beauty & fitness.
Neighbourhoods
We group Swords into eight neighbourhoods and list the businesses in each. These are our own groupings of nearby streets and townlands, not official boundaries.
- Fosterstown & Boroimhe60 businesses
- Forrestfields & River Valley78 businesses
- Swords town centre576 businesses
- Airside & Nevinstown201 businesses
- Holywell, Barrysparks & Drinan188 businesses
- Mooretown & Windmill Lands102 businesses
- Applewood & Broadmeadow151 businesses
- Seatown, Balheary & Greenfields212 businesses
What is changing
MetroLink, the planned metro from Swords to Charlemont, includes a station at Fosterstown. Read where the project stands.
Sources
- Logainm: Fosterstown South (townland, parish, barony and the dated spellings)
- Dublin placenames order, S.I. 598 of 2011 (Irish names of both townlands)
Last checked 19 October 2026. Spotted something wrong or missing? We want to get this right.