TALLAGHT
- + Add to Faves
- + Translate
- + Share
العربية
ä¸å›½
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिनà¥à¤¦à¥€
Italiano
日本語
Português
РуÑÑкий
Español
'Tallaght' (Irish:''Tamhlacht''), is a large suburb on Dublin in Ireland.
Tallaght was one of the earliest settlements in the southern part of the island and one of medieval Ireland's most important monastic centres. The village area, dating from at least the 17th century, occupies a site of significant historical and religious value. A new town centre area has been developing since the late 1980s. The administrative headquarters of South Dublin County Council is located there.
Tallaght is centered 13 km south-west of Dublin city, at the foot of the Dublin Mountains. It stretches from the district of Templeogue in the east to Saggart in the west, and from Glen na Smol and Knocklyon in the south to Clondalkin and Walkinstown in the north.
Tallaght is connected to Dublin city centre by Dublin Bus services and the Red Line of the Luas light rail system, which opened in September 2004. Though the first stop (Tallaght Cross) of the Red line is called 'Tallaght', the entire 'Red 4' zone lies within the greater Tallaght area. Though there are buses to Clondalkin/Ballyfermot and Dún Laoghaire, Tallaght is poorly connected to Dublin's other suburbs, as public transport predominantly runs through the city centre; this has led to high levels of car dependence. A metro rail system is currently being planned for Dublin, where by taking a circuitous route, it is proposed to link Tallaght with Dublin's other western suburbs including Clondalkin, Lucan, and Blanchardstown.
In 2002, South Dublin County Council removed several of Tallaght's historically associated localities when they re-drew the District Electoral Divisions (D.E.D.s). While this allowed for areas like Firhouse to be included in the Dáil Dublin South West constituency, it simultaneously removed these populations from inclusion in populace studies for Tallaght as a whole. This gives an inaccurate impression of the total population for the area, which could more accurately be put at one hundred thousand.
While no plan was formally adopted, Tallaght was laid out as a new town, as set out in the 1967 Myles Wright masterplan for the greater Dublin Area. This proposed four self-contained new towns at Tallaght, Clondalkin, Lucan and Blanchardstown. While later it was absorbed into the larger suburban area of Dublin, Tallaght has developed a distinctive identity, arising largely from its rapid growth during the recent decades.
Characterised by the same problems associated with poorly planned fringe areas of many European cities, during the 1970s and 80s Tallaght became synonymous with suburban mismanagement. Tallaght now, however, has a thriving local arts, cultural, sports and economic outlook matched by a distinctive sense of place. Along with libraries and local arts groups it can boast two theatres and a home-grown youth theatre company. It is also the home of the National Basketball Arena and several notable martial arts schools and Gaelic Athletic Association clubs.
Because of its relatively large population, there have been calls for it to be given city status[[1]]. There has been a fair amount or positive reporting regarding this possibility in the local Echo newspaper. Many citizens have written encouraging letters to the editor and many articles have reported on the progress of 'city status'. It is likely that the process will take some time as the most vocal activist, Mayor of South Dublin County Eamon Maloney, will stand down from office in the coming days. In a recent interview in the Tallaght Echo (p.3, June 27, 2007), he stated that "in the year between now and next, I believe we will see some real movement on that. Tallaght becoming a city will happen but the process is time consuming. I believe in it though." For the time being, Tallaght is contiguous with Dublin and is considered as part of the Greater Dublin Area.
769
St. Maelruain’s Monastery founded
792
Death of St. Maelruain
811
St. Maelruain’s Monastery devastated by the Vikings
1179
Tallaght and its hinterland confirmed as holdings of the See of Dublin.
1310
Bailiffs of Tallaght given royal grant to enclose the town.
1324
Building commences on Tallaght Castle.
1331/2
Tallaght Castle plundered by O’Toole of Imaile.
1378
Mathew son of Redmond de Bermingham takes up station at Tallaght Castle to resist the O’ Byrnes.
1540
O’ Toole’s invade and devastate Tallaght Castle and surrounding manors.
1635
Old Bawn House built.
1729
Tallaght Castle demolished.
1729
Archbishop’s Palace built by Archbishop Hoadley.
1822
Archbishop’s Palace demolished by Major Palmer, who then builds Tallaght House.
1829
Parish Church of Ireland built.
1856
Tallaght House is sold to Dominicans.
1864
St. Mary’s Priory built.
1867
Battle of Tallaght.
1883
New Priory Church built.
1888
Dublin & Blessington Steam Tramway commences operation, passing through Tallaght Village.
1955
New retreat house built at Priory, enclosing Tallaght House.
1987
Alan Dukes outlines the Tallaght Strategy to the Tallaght Chamber of Commerce.
1990
The Square shopping centre opens.
1992
Institute of Technology, Tallaght opens.
1994
South Dublin County Council comes into existence, with new headquarters in Tallaght town centre.
Tallaght Youth Theatre is founded.
1995
Tallaght Theatre built in Kilnamanagh.
1999
Civic Theatre opens adjacent to South Dublin County Council headquarters in Tallaght Town Centre.
2004
The Red Line of the Luas light rail system opens, connecting Tallaght Central to Connolly Station in Dublin city.
The greater Tallaght area comprises the following areas:
Tallaght Town Centre occupies the centre-east district, encompassing "Belgard Square", the main shopping area (see The Square), the final Red Line Luas stop at Tallaght Cross, Tallaght Hospital, Sean Walsh Memorial Park and several bars and hotels.
Tallaght Village is situated to the east of the new town centre, lying north of the Tallaght Bypass (N81). It stretches east-west from Main Road and Main Street to the Abberley Court Hotel at the end of High Street and encompasses Village Green, Tallaght Courthouse, Westpark and many shops, restaurants and banks. The Institute of Technology, St. Mary’s priory and St. Maelruain’s church are located in the historic quarter of Tallaght Village.
To the east of the village lies the Tymon North/Balrothery area. This includes housing estates such as Bancroft, Balrothery, Glenview, Castle Park, St. Aongus, Tymon, Bolbrook and Avonbeg. This part of Tallaght is home to several sporting facilities including the National Basketball Arena, a fitness centre, two swimming pools, an athletics track and an astro-turf soccer facility. Tymon Park is fed by the Podddle and is Ireland's second largest city park. It borders Greenhills, Templeogue and Tymon North, it contains extensive sporting grounds, ponds, Coláiste De hide and one of Ireland's largest playgrounds at the Tymon North entrance.
To the south of Tallaght Village lies Old Bawn, which is bordered by Sean Walsh Memorial (Watergate) Park to the north, Firhouse Road West in the south, by Old Bawn Road in the east and Kiltipper Way in the west. To the east of Old Bawn, estates include Home Lawns, Avonbeg, Mountain Park, Millbrook Lawns and Seskin View, while further east is Firhouse.
Immediately west of the town centre are the estates of Virginia Heights and Springfield. Further west are Jobstown, Kiltalown, and Fettercairn.
To the far west, bordering with Saggart, lies Citywest and newer estates such as Deselby, Mountain View, The Belfry, Ardmore, Westbrook Glen, Saggart Abbey and Carrigmore.
To the south of the N81 dual carriageway are Kiltipper, Aylesbury and Killinarden, which comprises the residential areas of Cushlawn, Donomore, Killinarden Estate and Knockmore.
In the north, Belgard Green, Belgard Heights and Kingswood Heights are adjacent to Clondalkin, while Kilnamanagh and Greenhills are situated just south west of Walkinstown/Crumlin. Kilnamanagh was once considered to be the largest private housing estate in Europe (until the Petržalka estate in Bratislava took that title). Tallaght Theatre is situated along the Greenhills Road.
Tallaght is home to The Square, one of Ireland's largest shopping centres. The centre consists of three retail levels and is accessible by the Luas and extensive bus services. Anchor tenants at the centre include Tesco Ireland, Debenhams, Easons, and Dunnes Stores as well as a multiplex 12-screen cinema operated by United Cinemas International. Many new retail outlets such as Marks and Spencers, Penneys & H&M have been built(or are currently under development) in the new town centre(near The Square shopping centre)
At present, two hotels are located in the town centre; the Plaza Hotel, and The Abberley Court Hotel, while the new 3-star Tower Hotel that opened in August 2007 at Whitestown Way, near Watergate Park.
The town centre is home to local and central government entities, including South Dublin County Council, the Revenue Commissioners, the Department of Social and Family Affairs, the Health Service Executive (Eastern Region), County Dublin V.E.C. as well as local FÃS offices. It is also the setting for the County Library, the County Arts Centre (under construction), the Civic Theatre and many other shops, bars and restaurants.
The Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Dublin Incorporating the National Children's Hospital (better known simply as Tallaght Hospital) is located nearby. Recently local people took to the streets, marching in protest at the Government's decision to relocate the National Children's Hospital at the Mater Hospital in north Dublin city.
Across the N81 dual carriageway, south of the town centre, is Sean Walsh Memorial Park, which because it is fed by a tributary of the Dodder, has also come to be known as Watergate. The site of the proposed 6,000 seat new soccer ground at Tallaght Stadium is immediately west of the park beside South City and the Tower Hotel. Initially construction was undertaken by Shamrock Rovers Football Club on lands belonging to South Dublin County Council but the project was marred by financial problems, and the site reverted back to council ownership. Work on the site remains stalled as a local G.A.A. club is contesting for its use, but the council intends to complete the stadium in 2007.
Tallaght holds an annual St. Patrick's Day parade. On 12 July 1998, it welcomed the Tour de France. Last Samhain Tallaght hosted South Dublin County's first annual 'Hallowfest' in celebration of the Gaelic festival. There is a farmers market held every Friday from 10:00 to 16:00 in High Street.
The town centre has witnessed much construction in recent years, predominantly of new apartment buildings, including Virginia Hall, a twelve storey building on the site of the farmhouse previously known as "Virginia House" (the base of operations for many years of the Tallaght Community Arts Centre). This new building (see photo left) is currently the tallest in Tallaght. A new arts centre for South Dublin County is planned for a site near to County Hall.
Intensive work will be undertaken in the near future to further integrate Watergate Park with the new town centre. Part of this development will either include transforming a section of the Tallaght By-pass (N81) into a boulevard to better integrate the two areas or the construction of a pedestrian land-bridge between them.
Tallaght Village is currently receiving a long awaited face-lift in the form of landscaping, works on statues and new paving.
On 2 September 1987 Alan Dukes, the leader of the opposition Fine Gael political party, delivered a famous speech to the Tallaght Chamber of Commerce in which the policy which became known as the Tallaght Strategy was outlined.
Famous Tallaght people include:
★ Evie Hone (1894-1955), artist.
★ Malachi Horan (1847-1945), folklorist.
★ Katharine Tynan (1861-1931), writer.
★ Elizabeth Rivers (1903-1964), wood engraver, figure painter and illustrator.
★ George Otto Simms (1910-1991), the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh, and Primate of All Ireland
★ OisÃn Kelly (1915-1981), artist and sculptor.
★ William Howard Russell (1821-1907), journalist, and world's first war-correspondent
★ Dave Allen (1936-2005), comedian and TV presenter.
★ Robbie Keane (1980-present), soccer player. Currently the Captain of the Republic of Ireland national football team and the former vice-captain of the English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur
★ Richard Dunne (1979-present), soccer player. Captain of the English Premier League club Manchester City F.C..
The documented history of Tallaght dates back to early Christian Ireland but the many archaeological sites in the area suggest the presence of Bronze Age and perhaps even earlier settlers in the area.
The place name Tallaght is derived from the words ''támh leacht'', meaning a plague burial place. The earliest mention of Tallaght in recorded material is the account of Parthalon in the Annals of the Four Masters who had their residence in the plain between Tallaght and Swords. Parthalon the Greek was said to be one of the early invaders of Ireland. A plague is said to have killed 9,000 of his followers in one week and they were buried at Tallaght and its environs. Thus the place came to be named Taimleach Muintire Parthalon. However, the burials that have been found in the Tallaght area are all normal pre-historic interments, mainly of the Bronze Age, and nothing suggesting a mass grave has so far been recorded here.
With the foundation of the monastery of Tallaght by St. Maelruain in 769 A.D. we have a more reliable record of Tallaght’s early history. The monastery was a centre of learning and piety and was particularly associated with the Céli Dé spiritual reform movement. It was such an important institution that it and the monastery at Finglas were known as the “two eyes of Irelandâ€. St. Aengus, an Ulsterman, was one of the most illustrious of the Céli Dé and devoted himself to the religious life. Wherever he went he was accompanied by a band of followers who distracted him from his devotions. He secretly travelled to the monastery at Tallaght where he was not known and enrolled as a lay brother. He remained unknown for many years until his identity was discovered by Maeilruain. They later wrote the Martyrology of Tallaght together and St. Aengus also wrote a calendar of saints known as the Féilire of Aengus.
St. Maelruain’s Church of Ireland now occupies the site of the original monastery. The present day church was built in 1829 and replaced an earlier one to which the still existing tower belonged. The tower is four stories high and has a spiral staircase. An external stairs gives access to the first floor and the spiral stairway to the floors above. The third floor has a vaulted stone ceiling above which is the flat roof and a small turret. In 1662 the churchwardens were granted a sum of £100 in compensation for damage done by Captain Alland who had been stationed there with his troops in 1651. He stripped off the roof of the church and used the timber slates and pews for his own house. He also used the paving stones to pave the entrance to his kitchen and fed his horses from the font.
There are a number of interesting historic features in the grounds of the church. On the left inside the churchyard gate is a font called St. Maelruain’s Losset. This is a wide and shallow granite stone trough or font. ‘Losat’ is an Old Irish word denoting a wooden trough used in former times for kneading bread. It is likely that the country people named it from its similarity in shape to the lossets that they used in their homes. St. Maelruain’s Cross lies south of the font. It is a small ancient cross set in a pedestal which is fixed in a circular granite base resembling a mill stone. The pedestal and base were formerly known as Moll Rooney’s loaf and griddle and the font was called Moll Rooney’s Losset. There are a great many tombstones in the graveyard dating mainly from the 18th and 19th centuries, and some even from the 17th century. One of these commemorates Colonel John Talbot of Belgard who sat in the Parliament of James II and took part in many important military engagements. The graves of the artists Oisin Kelly, Evie Hone and Elizabeth Rivers are in the new graveyard at St. Maelruain’s. Also to be seen in the grounds of the church is the remains of the fosse, the ancient curved bank which enclosed Maelruain’s monastery. The best view is from the carpark at the rear of Smith’s Toystore.
St. Maelruain died in 792 and was buried in Tallaght. The influence of the monastery continued after his death, as can be judged by the fact that, in 806, the monks of Tallaght were able to prevent the holding of the Tailtin Games, because of some infringement of their rights. In 811 the monastery was devastated by the Vikings but the destruction was not permanent and the annals of the monastery continued to be recorded throughout the following centuries. After the Anglo-Norman invasion in 1179 Tallaght and its appurtenances were confirmed to the See of Dublin and became the property of the Archbishop. The complete disappearance of every trace of what must have been an extensive and well organised monastic settlement can only be accounted for by the subsequent history of the place, the erection and demolition of defensive walls and castles, and the incessant warfare and destruction that lasted for hundreds of years.
Throughout the greater part of the 13th century a state of comparative peace existed at Tallaght, but subsequently the O’Byrnes and O’Tooles took offensive action and were joined by many of the Archbishop’s tenants. As a result of this the land was not tilled, the pastures were not stocked and the holdings were deserted. In 1310 the bailiffs of Tallaght got a royal grant to enclose the town. No trace of these defensive walls survive and we don’t have any evidence of their exact location, except for the name of the Watergate Bridge which spans the Dodder on the Oldbawn Road.
The continuation of such raids prompted the construction, in 1324, of Tallaght castle and it was finished some time before 1349. A century later it was reported to be in need of repair. Tallaght had become an important defensive site on the edge of the Pale. When Archbishop Hoadley replaced Archbishop King in 1729 he found it in ruins, which he demolished and built himself a palace at a cost of £2,500. By 1821 the palace too had fallen into ruin and an Act of Parliament was passed which stated that it was unfit for habitation. The following year it was sold to Major Palmer, Inspector General of Prisons who pulled the palace down and used the materials to build his mansion, Tallaght House, as well as a schoolhouse and several cottages. Tallaght House is now incorporated in the buildings at St. Mary’s Priory.
An ancient tower was spared in the demolition of the palace and was later incorporated into the buildings of St. Mary’s Priory where it still stands today. It contains a spiral staircase and was originally four stories high but is now reduced internally to two. Attached to the castle was a long building which was used in the archbishop’s time as a brewery and later on as a granary and stables. Under the Dominicans it was converted into a chapel and was used as such until 1883 when the new church was built. The grounds of the Priory, the old palace gardens, still retain many features from the historic past such as the Archbishop’s bathhouse, the Friar’s Walk and St. Maelruain’s Tree.
The old constabulary barracks on the main street was the scene of the engagement known as the Battle of Tallaght, which occurred during the Fenian rising on 5th March 1867. On that night the Fenians moved out to assemble at the appointed place on Tallaght Hill. The large number of armed men alarmed the police in Tallaght who sent warning to the nearest barracks. There were fourteen constables and a head constable under Sub-inspector Burke at Tallaght, and they took up a position outside the barracks where they commanded the roads from both Greenhills and Templeogue. The first body of armed men came from Greenhills and, when they came under police fire, retreated. Next a party came from Templeogue, and were also dispersed. In 1936 a skeleton, sword-bayonet and water bottle were found in a hollow tree stump near Terenure. It is thought that these were the remains of one of the Fenians who had taken refuge there after the Battle of Tallaght and either died of his wounds or was frozen to death.
The 17th and 18th centuries brought many changes to Tallaght. Many mills were built along the Dodder and this brought new prosperity which saw the building of many houses in the area. In 1888 the Dublin & Blessington Steam Tramway opened and it passed through Tallaght Village. This provided a new means of transporting goods and also brought day-trippers from the city.
The 20th century saw the biggest changes taking place in Tallaght, however, when it was decided in the 1960s by Dublin County Council planners that a new town would be built around Tallaght village. This decision started the process that turned Tallaght from a small country village into the place we know today. Further significant changes took place in the 1990s with the construction of major buildings such as the Square Shopping Centre, the hospital and IT Tallaght. With the reorganisation of local government in the Dublin region, South Dublin County Council came into existence and set up its headquarters at Tallaght in 1994. Since the early 1970s, Tallaght has developed from a small village into a huge suburban area, with a total area population of over 100,000. It is still a rapidly changing area. The designation of tax incentive sites and the arrival of the LUAS have encouraged a development boom.
# South Dublin CC History:Tallaght
★ List of towns in the Republic of Ireland
★ Tallaght Strategy
★ South Dublin County Council
★ The Square town centre Tallaght
★ Tallaght Youth Theatre
★ [2]
★ Parish of Tallaght, History of the County of Dublin by Francis Elrington Ball
★ Handcock's History and Antiquities of Tallaght, Second Edition, 1889
Tallaght was one of the earliest settlements in the southern part of the island and one of medieval Ireland's most important monastic centres. The village area, dating from at least the 17th century, occupies a site of significant historical and religious value. A new town centre area has been developing since the late 1980s. The administrative headquarters of South Dublin County Council is located there.
| Contents |
| Location and Transport |
| Population |
| Development |
| City Status |
| Chronology |
| Districts of Tallaght |
| Features |
| Recent construction |
| Politics |
| Notable people |
| History |
| References |
| See also |
| External links |
Location and Transport
Tallaght is centered 13 km south-west of Dublin city, at the foot of the Dublin Mountains. It stretches from the district of Templeogue in the east to Saggart in the west, and from Glen na Smol and Knocklyon in the south to Clondalkin and Walkinstown in the north.
Tallaght is connected to Dublin city centre by Dublin Bus services and the Red Line of the Luas light rail system, which opened in September 2004. Though the first stop (Tallaght Cross) of the Red line is called 'Tallaght', the entire 'Red 4' zone lies within the greater Tallaght area. Though there are buses to Clondalkin/Ballyfermot and Dún Laoghaire, Tallaght is poorly connected to Dublin's other suburbs, as public transport predominantly runs through the city centre; this has led to high levels of car dependence. A metro rail system is currently being planned for Dublin, where by taking a circuitous route, it is proposed to link Tallaght with Dublin's other western suburbs including Clondalkin, Lucan, and Blanchardstown.
Population
In 2002, South Dublin County Council removed several of Tallaght's historically associated localities when they re-drew the District Electoral Divisions (D.E.D.s). While this allowed for areas like Firhouse to be included in the Dáil Dublin South West constituency, it simultaneously removed these populations from inclusion in populace studies for Tallaght as a whole. This gives an inaccurate impression of the total population for the area, which could more accurately be put at one hundred thousand.
Development
While no plan was formally adopted, Tallaght was laid out as a new town, as set out in the 1967 Myles Wright masterplan for the greater Dublin Area. This proposed four self-contained new towns at Tallaght, Clondalkin, Lucan and Blanchardstown. While later it was absorbed into the larger suburban area of Dublin, Tallaght has developed a distinctive identity, arising largely from its rapid growth during the recent decades.
Characterised by the same problems associated with poorly planned fringe areas of many European cities, during the 1970s and 80s Tallaght became synonymous with suburban mismanagement. Tallaght now, however, has a thriving local arts, cultural, sports and economic outlook matched by a distinctive sense of place. Along with libraries and local arts groups it can boast two theatres and a home-grown youth theatre company. It is also the home of the National Basketball Arena and several notable martial arts schools and Gaelic Athletic Association clubs.
City Status
Because of its relatively large population, there have been calls for it to be given city status[[1]]. There has been a fair amount or positive reporting regarding this possibility in the local Echo newspaper. Many citizens have written encouraging letters to the editor and many articles have reported on the progress of 'city status'. It is likely that the process will take some time as the most vocal activist, Mayor of South Dublin County Eamon Maloney, will stand down from office in the coming days. In a recent interview in the Tallaght Echo (p.3, June 27, 2007), he stated that "in the year between now and next, I believe we will see some real movement on that. Tallaght becoming a city will happen but the process is time consuming. I believe in it though." For the time being, Tallaght is contiguous with Dublin and is considered as part of the Greater Dublin Area.
Chronology
769
St. Maelruain’s Monastery founded
792
Death of St. Maelruain
811
St. Maelruain’s Monastery devastated by the Vikings
1179
Tallaght and its hinterland confirmed as holdings of the See of Dublin.
1310
Bailiffs of Tallaght given royal grant to enclose the town.
1324
Building commences on Tallaght Castle.
1331/2
Tallaght Castle plundered by O’Toole of Imaile.
1378
Mathew son of Redmond de Bermingham takes up station at Tallaght Castle to resist the O’ Byrnes.
1540
O’ Toole’s invade and devastate Tallaght Castle and surrounding manors.
1635
Old Bawn House built.
1729
Tallaght Castle demolished.
1729
Archbishop’s Palace built by Archbishop Hoadley.
1822
Archbishop’s Palace demolished by Major Palmer, who then builds Tallaght House.
1829
Parish Church of Ireland built.
1856
Tallaght House is sold to Dominicans.
1864
St. Mary’s Priory built.
1867
Battle of Tallaght.
1883
New Priory Church built.
1888
Dublin & Blessington Steam Tramway commences operation, passing through Tallaght Village.
1955
New retreat house built at Priory, enclosing Tallaght House.
1987
Alan Dukes outlines the Tallaght Strategy to the Tallaght Chamber of Commerce.
1990
The Square shopping centre opens.
1992
Institute of Technology, Tallaght opens.
1994
South Dublin County Council comes into existence, with new headquarters in Tallaght town centre.
Tallaght Youth Theatre is founded.
1995
Tallaght Theatre built in Kilnamanagh.
1999
Civic Theatre opens adjacent to South Dublin County Council headquarters in Tallaght Town Centre.
2004
The Red Line of the Luas light rail system opens, connecting Tallaght Central to Connolly Station in Dublin city.
Districts of Tallaght
The greater Tallaght area comprises the following areas:
Tallaght Town Centre occupies the centre-east district, encompassing "Belgard Square", the main shopping area (see The Square), the final Red Line Luas stop at Tallaght Cross, Tallaght Hospital, Sean Walsh Memorial Park and several bars and hotels.
Tallaght Village is situated to the east of the new town centre, lying north of the Tallaght Bypass (N81). It stretches east-west from Main Road and Main Street to the Abberley Court Hotel at the end of High Street and encompasses Village Green, Tallaght Courthouse, Westpark and many shops, restaurants and banks. The Institute of Technology, St. Mary’s priory and St. Maelruain’s church are located in the historic quarter of Tallaght Village.
To the east of the village lies the Tymon North/Balrothery area. This includes housing estates such as Bancroft, Balrothery, Glenview, Castle Park, St. Aongus, Tymon, Bolbrook and Avonbeg. This part of Tallaght is home to several sporting facilities including the National Basketball Arena, a fitness centre, two swimming pools, an athletics track and an astro-turf soccer facility. Tymon Park is fed by the Podddle and is Ireland's second largest city park. It borders Greenhills, Templeogue and Tymon North, it contains extensive sporting grounds, ponds, Coláiste De hide and one of Ireland's largest playgrounds at the Tymon North entrance.
To the south of Tallaght Village lies Old Bawn, which is bordered by Sean Walsh Memorial (Watergate) Park to the north, Firhouse Road West in the south, by Old Bawn Road in the east and Kiltipper Way in the west. To the east of Old Bawn, estates include Home Lawns, Avonbeg, Mountain Park, Millbrook Lawns and Seskin View, while further east is Firhouse.
Immediately west of the town centre are the estates of Virginia Heights and Springfield. Further west are Jobstown, Kiltalown, and Fettercairn.
To the far west, bordering with Saggart, lies Citywest and newer estates such as Deselby, Mountain View, The Belfry, Ardmore, Westbrook Glen, Saggart Abbey and Carrigmore.
To the south of the N81 dual carriageway are Kiltipper, Aylesbury and Killinarden, which comprises the residential areas of Cushlawn, Donomore, Killinarden Estate and Knockmore.
In the north, Belgard Green, Belgard Heights and Kingswood Heights are adjacent to Clondalkin, while Kilnamanagh and Greenhills are situated just south west of Walkinstown/Crumlin. Kilnamanagh was once considered to be the largest private housing estate in Europe (until the Petržalka estate in Bratislava took that title). Tallaght Theatre is situated along the Greenhills Road.
Features
Tallaght is home to The Square, one of Ireland's largest shopping centres. The centre consists of three retail levels and is accessible by the Luas and extensive bus services. Anchor tenants at the centre include Tesco Ireland, Debenhams, Easons, and Dunnes Stores as well as a multiplex 12-screen cinema operated by United Cinemas International. Many new retail outlets such as Marks and Spencers, Penneys & H&M have been built(or are currently under development) in the new town centre(near The Square shopping centre)
At present, two hotels are located in the town centre; the Plaza Hotel, and The Abberley Court Hotel, while the new 3-star Tower Hotel that opened in August 2007 at Whitestown Way, near Watergate Park.
The town centre is home to local and central government entities, including South Dublin County Council, the Revenue Commissioners, the Department of Social and Family Affairs, the Health Service Executive (Eastern Region), County Dublin V.E.C. as well as local FÃS offices. It is also the setting for the County Library, the County Arts Centre (under construction), the Civic Theatre and many other shops, bars and restaurants.
The Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Dublin Incorporating the National Children's Hospital (better known simply as Tallaght Hospital) is located nearby. Recently local people took to the streets, marching in protest at the Government's decision to relocate the National Children's Hospital at the Mater Hospital in north Dublin city.
Across the N81 dual carriageway, south of the town centre, is Sean Walsh Memorial Park, which because it is fed by a tributary of the Dodder, has also come to be known as Watergate. The site of the proposed 6,000 seat new soccer ground at Tallaght Stadium is immediately west of the park beside South City and the Tower Hotel. Initially construction was undertaken by Shamrock Rovers Football Club on lands belonging to South Dublin County Council but the project was marred by financial problems, and the site reverted back to council ownership. Work on the site remains stalled as a local G.A.A. club is contesting for its use, but the council intends to complete the stadium in 2007.
Tallaght holds an annual St. Patrick's Day parade. On 12 July 1998, it welcomed the Tour de France. Last Samhain Tallaght hosted South Dublin County's first annual 'Hallowfest' in celebration of the Gaelic festival. There is a farmers market held every Friday from 10:00 to 16:00 in High Street.
Recent construction
Central Tallaght, West of The Square
The town centre has witnessed much construction in recent years, predominantly of new apartment buildings, including Virginia Hall, a twelve storey building on the site of the farmhouse previously known as "Virginia House" (the base of operations for many years of the Tallaght Community Arts Centre). This new building (see photo left) is currently the tallest in Tallaght. A new arts centre for South Dublin County is planned for a site near to County Hall.
Intensive work will be undertaken in the near future to further integrate Watergate Park with the new town centre. Part of this development will either include transforming a section of the Tallaght By-pass (N81) into a boulevard to better integrate the two areas or the construction of a pedestrian land-bridge between them.
Tallaght Village is currently receiving a long awaited face-lift in the form of landscaping, works on statues and new paving.
Politics
On 2 September 1987 Alan Dukes, the leader of the opposition Fine Gael political party, delivered a famous speech to the Tallaght Chamber of Commerce in which the policy which became known as the Tallaght Strategy was outlined.
Notable people
Famous Tallaght people include:
★ Evie Hone (1894-1955), artist.
★ Malachi Horan (1847-1945), folklorist.
★ Katharine Tynan (1861-1931), writer.
★ Elizabeth Rivers (1903-1964), wood engraver, figure painter and illustrator.
★ George Otto Simms (1910-1991), the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh, and Primate of All Ireland
★ OisÃn Kelly (1915-1981), artist and sculptor.
★ William Howard Russell (1821-1907), journalist, and world's first war-correspondent
★ Dave Allen (1936-2005), comedian and TV presenter.
★ Robbie Keane (1980-present), soccer player. Currently the Captain of the Republic of Ireland national football team and the former vice-captain of the English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur
★ Richard Dunne (1979-present), soccer player. Captain of the English Premier League club Manchester City F.C..
History
The documented history of Tallaght dates back to early Christian Ireland but the many archaeological sites in the area suggest the presence of Bronze Age and perhaps even earlier settlers in the area.
The place name Tallaght is derived from the words ''támh leacht'', meaning a plague burial place. The earliest mention of Tallaght in recorded material is the account of Parthalon in the Annals of the Four Masters who had their residence in the plain between Tallaght and Swords. Parthalon the Greek was said to be one of the early invaders of Ireland. A plague is said to have killed 9,000 of his followers in one week and they were buried at Tallaght and its environs. Thus the place came to be named Taimleach Muintire Parthalon. However, the burials that have been found in the Tallaght area are all normal pre-historic interments, mainly of the Bronze Age, and nothing suggesting a mass grave has so far been recorded here.
With the foundation of the monastery of Tallaght by St. Maelruain in 769 A.D. we have a more reliable record of Tallaght’s early history. The monastery was a centre of learning and piety and was particularly associated with the Céli Dé spiritual reform movement. It was such an important institution that it and the monastery at Finglas were known as the “two eyes of Irelandâ€. St. Aengus, an Ulsterman, was one of the most illustrious of the Céli Dé and devoted himself to the religious life. Wherever he went he was accompanied by a band of followers who distracted him from his devotions. He secretly travelled to the monastery at Tallaght where he was not known and enrolled as a lay brother. He remained unknown for many years until his identity was discovered by Maeilruain. They later wrote the Martyrology of Tallaght together and St. Aengus also wrote a calendar of saints known as the Féilire of Aengus.
St. Maelruain’s Church of Ireland now occupies the site of the original monastery. The present day church was built in 1829 and replaced an earlier one to which the still existing tower belonged. The tower is four stories high and has a spiral staircase. An external stairs gives access to the first floor and the spiral stairway to the floors above. The third floor has a vaulted stone ceiling above which is the flat roof and a small turret. In 1662 the churchwardens were granted a sum of £100 in compensation for damage done by Captain Alland who had been stationed there with his troops in 1651. He stripped off the roof of the church and used the timber slates and pews for his own house. He also used the paving stones to pave the entrance to his kitchen and fed his horses from the font.
There are a number of interesting historic features in the grounds of the church. On the left inside the churchyard gate is a font called St. Maelruain’s Losset. This is a wide and shallow granite stone trough or font. ‘Losat’ is an Old Irish word denoting a wooden trough used in former times for kneading bread. It is likely that the country people named it from its similarity in shape to the lossets that they used in their homes. St. Maelruain’s Cross lies south of the font. It is a small ancient cross set in a pedestal which is fixed in a circular granite base resembling a mill stone. The pedestal and base were formerly known as Moll Rooney’s loaf and griddle and the font was called Moll Rooney’s Losset. There are a great many tombstones in the graveyard dating mainly from the 18th and 19th centuries, and some even from the 17th century. One of these commemorates Colonel John Talbot of Belgard who sat in the Parliament of James II and took part in many important military engagements. The graves of the artists Oisin Kelly, Evie Hone and Elizabeth Rivers are in the new graveyard at St. Maelruain’s. Also to be seen in the grounds of the church is the remains of the fosse, the ancient curved bank which enclosed Maelruain’s monastery. The best view is from the carpark at the rear of Smith’s Toystore.
St. Maelruain died in 792 and was buried in Tallaght. The influence of the monastery continued after his death, as can be judged by the fact that, in 806, the monks of Tallaght were able to prevent the holding of the Tailtin Games, because of some infringement of their rights. In 811 the monastery was devastated by the Vikings but the destruction was not permanent and the annals of the monastery continued to be recorded throughout the following centuries. After the Anglo-Norman invasion in 1179 Tallaght and its appurtenances were confirmed to the See of Dublin and became the property of the Archbishop. The complete disappearance of every trace of what must have been an extensive and well organised monastic settlement can only be accounted for by the subsequent history of the place, the erection and demolition of defensive walls and castles, and the incessant warfare and destruction that lasted for hundreds of years.
Throughout the greater part of the 13th century a state of comparative peace existed at Tallaght, but subsequently the O’Byrnes and O’Tooles took offensive action and were joined by many of the Archbishop’s tenants. As a result of this the land was not tilled, the pastures were not stocked and the holdings were deserted. In 1310 the bailiffs of Tallaght got a royal grant to enclose the town. No trace of these defensive walls survive and we don’t have any evidence of their exact location, except for the name of the Watergate Bridge which spans the Dodder on the Oldbawn Road.
The continuation of such raids prompted the construction, in 1324, of Tallaght castle and it was finished some time before 1349. A century later it was reported to be in need of repair. Tallaght had become an important defensive site on the edge of the Pale. When Archbishop Hoadley replaced Archbishop King in 1729 he found it in ruins, which he demolished and built himself a palace at a cost of £2,500. By 1821 the palace too had fallen into ruin and an Act of Parliament was passed which stated that it was unfit for habitation. The following year it was sold to Major Palmer, Inspector General of Prisons who pulled the palace down and used the materials to build his mansion, Tallaght House, as well as a schoolhouse and several cottages. Tallaght House is now incorporated in the buildings at St. Mary’s Priory.
An ancient tower was spared in the demolition of the palace and was later incorporated into the buildings of St. Mary’s Priory where it still stands today. It contains a spiral staircase and was originally four stories high but is now reduced internally to two. Attached to the castle was a long building which was used in the archbishop’s time as a brewery and later on as a granary and stables. Under the Dominicans it was converted into a chapel and was used as such until 1883 when the new church was built. The grounds of the Priory, the old palace gardens, still retain many features from the historic past such as the Archbishop’s bathhouse, the Friar’s Walk and St. Maelruain’s Tree.
The old constabulary barracks on the main street was the scene of the engagement known as the Battle of Tallaght, which occurred during the Fenian rising on 5th March 1867. On that night the Fenians moved out to assemble at the appointed place on Tallaght Hill. The large number of armed men alarmed the police in Tallaght who sent warning to the nearest barracks. There were fourteen constables and a head constable under Sub-inspector Burke at Tallaght, and they took up a position outside the barracks where they commanded the roads from both Greenhills and Templeogue. The first body of armed men came from Greenhills and, when they came under police fire, retreated. Next a party came from Templeogue, and were also dispersed. In 1936 a skeleton, sword-bayonet and water bottle were found in a hollow tree stump near Terenure. It is thought that these were the remains of one of the Fenians who had taken refuge there after the Battle of Tallaght and either died of his wounds or was frozen to death.
The 17th and 18th centuries brought many changes to Tallaght. Many mills were built along the Dodder and this brought new prosperity which saw the building of many houses in the area. In 1888 the Dublin & Blessington Steam Tramway opened and it passed through Tallaght Village. This provided a new means of transporting goods and also brought day-trippers from the city.
The 20th century saw the biggest changes taking place in Tallaght, however, when it was decided in the 1960s by Dublin County Council planners that a new town would be built around Tallaght village. This decision started the process that turned Tallaght from a small country village into the place we know today. Further significant changes took place in the 1990s with the construction of major buildings such as the Square Shopping Centre, the hospital and IT Tallaght. With the reorganisation of local government in the Dublin region, South Dublin County Council came into existence and set up its headquarters at Tallaght in 1994. Since the early 1970s, Tallaght has developed from a small village into a huge suburban area, with a total area population of over 100,000. It is still a rapidly changing area. The designation of tax incentive sites and the arrival of the LUAS have encouraged a development boom.
References
# South Dublin CC History:Tallaght
See also
★ List of towns in the Republic of Ireland
★ Tallaght Strategy
External links
★ South Dublin County Council
★ The Square town centre Tallaght
★ Tallaght Youth Theatre
★ [2]
★ Parish of Tallaght, History of the County of Dublin by Francis Elrington Ball
★ Handcock's History and Antiquities of Tallaght, Second Edition, 1889
This article provided by Wikipedia. To edit the contents of this article, click here for original source.
psst.. try this: add to faves
Featured Companies
| Green Parrot Beach Houses Resort | |
| Selloffvacations.com Oakville |
Tallaght Companies
Below is the list of travel companies in Tallaght we have in our travel directory
- Travel Agents (1)
