Send flowers to Swords

Swords is a large suburban town on the Ward River, ten kilometres north of Dublin city centre, and the county town of Fingal. The 2022 census counted 40,776 people, making it the eighth largest urban area in Ireland. It is reputed to have been founded around AD 560, and the 26-metre round tower still stands beside St Columba's Church as a reminder of that early monastery. Flowers sent to Swords reach a town with a medieval spine and thousands of modern homes, so details matter when you order.

Main Street and the older town

Swords grew in a line along Main Street, running north to south, with Swords Castle at the northern end. The castle was built around 1200 as the manorial residence of the first Archbishop of Dublin and is open to visitors after restoration. A short distance north is Spittal Hill, where a medieval hospital once stood. A bouquet for someone who runs a shop or office on Main Street should carry the business name and the name of the recipient.

Estates and neighbourhoods

Much of the town was built after the 1970s, beginning with the Rivervalley estate, once the largest private housing development in Ireland. Newer neighbourhoods such as Seatown, Lissenhall, Holywell and Drynam lie east of the centre, separated from it by the business parks along the R132. Because estate names repeat across Fingal, give the full address with the Eircode and a mobile number. Many houses here are empty during working hours, so a neighbour's name can help if no one is home.

Business parks and Dublin Airport

The main business and industrial areas lie to the east of the centre, and they include Balheary Industrial Park, Swords Business Campus and the Airside campus. Dublin Airport is a few kilometres south, and many people living in Swords work there or nearby. For a workplace order, give the company, the department and the recipient's name, plus a phone number for the reception desk. Flowers are a good way to mark a promotion, a retirement or a welcome back from leave.

County town business

Swords became the county town of Fingal in 1994, after County Dublin was abolished as an administrative county, and the council's County Hall was completed in 2001. The council has described Swords as an emerging city and has projected that the population will rise towards 100,000 by 2035. A cultural centre is planned beside the castle, and enabling work began in April 2023, when two medieval wells were found under the car park. A gift to a council colleague or a community group is a lovely way to mark a milestone.

Getting around

The town has no railway, but buses to Dublin run about every five minutes through the day. The M1 passes along its eastern edge, and the M50 lies to the south. For a driver, this means deliveries across Swords are quick, but traffic around the airport can be heavy at peak hours. If the recipient lives on a quiet estate, a clear note on parking and entry codes helps the florist.

Funerals, wakes and sympathy

In the Dublin area, funerals usually take place two or three days after a death. A removal from the funeral home or the family house often takes place the evening before the funeral Mass, and notices on rip.ie say whether the family wants flowers or donations. If you are sending a wreath or spray, ask the funeral director for the right address and time. For a family at home, a mixed bouquet in soft shades is more practical than a large formal arrangement.

Birthdays, new babies and thank-yous

Swords is a young town, and many orders mark a birthday, a first baby or a graduation. Bright seasonal mixed posies are favourites for birthdays, while pastel tones are popular for new babies. A hand-tied bunch is a good thank-you for a teacher at the end of the school year. For Mothering Sunday, which falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent, order early in the week before.

Hospital visits

Patients from Swords may be treated at hospitals in Dublin and elsewhere, so check the name of the hospital before ordering. Ring the ward to ask about flowers and visiting rules. If the answer is no, wait until the patient returns home.

Did you know? Swords Castle was used as a filming location for the television series The Tudors in spring 2010.