Dunsink has long been synonymous with the most notorious dump in Dublin, a putrescent "dome" of waste that rose up to eclipse its real claim to fame, the historic observatory which blazed trails in the scientific quest for knowledge about the universe.
As long as the landfill site remained active, Dunsink Observatory could only mark time. But now that the dump is being "remediated", the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) sees great potential in developing public access to its prize possession.
Already, major restoration work has been completed with the aid of the Office of Public Works. Its two domes - the original one on Observatory House and the other on the nearby South Observatory - have been expertly re-coppered after years of decay.
A total of £250,000 has been spent so far and, if more money is made available, the next phase would include landscaping the grounds and providing new visitor facilities so that Ireland's oldest observatory can be enjoyed by families and school groups as well as scientists.
Dunsink Observatory was founded in 1783 by Trinity College Dublin and has been in continuous use ever since. It was here that Sir William Rowan Hamilton, the college's renowned professor of astronomy, carried out his most important experiments.
In 1947 it was purchased by the State and incorporated into the DIAS to house the School of Cosmic Physics. Its Grubb Dome is one of the oldest hemispherical domes still in working order; the electric motor which rotates it is the only concession to modern technology.
The design of Dunsink incorporated a number of novel ideas. The main telescope, for example, was mounted on a granite pier which is entirely independent of the building that surrounded it. Circulation of air within the dome was also intended to give sharper images of the stars.
The site had been selected for its elevated position and views over the surrounding landscape. At the time, Dublin was four miles away and Finglas was a small village. Now, virtually enveloped by the built-up area, the night sky is too bright for serious star-watching.
Despite this drawback, the South Observatory's telescope was fully renovated in 1988 as Dunsink's contribution to the Dublin Millennium. There is no longer a telescope in the dome of Observatory House; the room may now be developed as a solar observation facility.
The first priority of the project architects, MacEoin Kelly, was to restore the fabric of what they described as "a unique scientific building which has been in continuous use for more than 200 years" and, secondly, to provide new visitor facilities in a more attractive setting.
Mr Nuada MacEoin, the architect in charge, said Dunsink was "a joy to work on", and he paid tribute to the OPW, as well as the contractors, T.C. Walsh and Son, who had "looked at everything in the round", and the consultant engineer, Mr Michael Tubridy, a dome expert.
A scale model of the solar system has been installed in one of the rooms of Observatory House as a foretaste of exhibits to come when the building is opened to the public. In the meantime, the Meridian Room will continue to be used for occasional lectures and open nights.
Dunsink also has a new logo, based on the building design, and this is already in use on road signs to direct visitors to the observatory. Landscaping proposals include a hornbeam maze, a serpentine pond to hold firefighting water and restoration of the Wordsworth Walk.
The DIAS is also anxious to preserve the setting of Dunsink. Though the domed landfill has closed off views to the north, Fingal County Council has developed a golf course to the west, while land to the south is in agricultural use and it is obviously vital to keep it that way.
Dr Luke Drury, director of the School of Cosmic Physics, said future developments at Dunsink depended on the availability of funding. "Everyone would like to see greater public use made of this wonderful facility. It always seemed to me to have enormous potential."
Prof Dervilla Donnelly, chairwoman of the DIAS council, described the observatory as "a fantastic resource - not just a beautiful building, but part of our history". She would like to see it developing as a science centre where people could find out more about the universe.
She is delighted with the restoration work carried out so far and said it would not have happened but for the personal interest which Mr Barry Murphy, the OPW's chairman, had taken in the project.