Archaeology has illuminated the presence of inhabitants in the South Dublin Mountains since neolithic times. Farming, land transactions and military activity form the kernel of the book.
After the Anglo Norman conquest, the crown distributed large tracts of land to their supporters, giving rise to centuries of political turmoil. Both arable and livestock farming were and are practiced, with higher lands providing grazing for cattle, sheep and goats and lower fields providing arable crops.
Large estates were developed from the 15th century. These were broken up and distributed in smaller plots under the Land Acts of the 19th century. A hunting lodge, which became known as the Hell Fire Club was built high on one of the mountains in the 17th century and a forest known as the Pine Forest was established in the 19th century, it was used for illegal military training and as a popular place for recreation.
