A Ramble about Tallaght

  Born in a Biscuit Tin- The memoirs of Peter Nicholson   Peter Nicholson was born in Aungier Street, Dublin in 1940. His father had worked in near-by Jacobs Biscuits since he was 13 years of age.  In 1954 Peter followed his father into Jacobs at 14 years of age and gave just short of 40 years service to the company.  His mother was from a large Tallaght family, the Mullallys and Peter spent most of his childhood weekends and the school holidays out in Tallaght with his mother’s family. Both his mother’s and father’s family had been active in the Republican movement.  Peter moved with Jacobs out to Tallaght in the 1970s.     “I was born in a biscuit tin!  I was born in Aungier Street. My father’s father was from Baltinglass.  They moved into Dublin, beside Burdocks on Werburgh Street, and moved across the road to the first house on Castle Street.  His sister was in the Cumann na mBan, and his brother was in the Fenian Boys (Scouts). ...

  The Sayings of Malachi Horan of Killinarden Hill, Tallaght     Malachi Horan was born in the year 1847 on Killinarden Hill, Tallaght, and lived for almost 100 years.  In his mid 90s he related his memories and stories to Dr. George A. Little of the Old Dublin Society.  They were published as ‘Malachi Horan Remembers' (1943).  Malachi died in 1946 and is buried in Saggart Graveyard.   “Maybe someday you will wear his shoes,  but you will never have the head to fill his hat”.   “He heard them warn him not to open his grave, with his mouth”.   “Mercy was out of town in those days”.   “Hard times breed hard men, and hard men make rough manners”.   “If people, in those days, had no great caring for the law, the law had now great caring for them”.   Ay, times change, but I doubt if we change with them”.   “There be men fit to travel the mountains and there be some whose foot should never bruise heather”.   “If no man...

  The Memoirs of Fr Pat Carroll O.P   Fr Pat Carroll was born in Rathkeale, Co. Limerick and joined the Dominican Order in 1945.   He came to Tallaght in 1947 and was ordained a priest on the 13 th July 1952.   “I was very delicate with illness when I was first born and nearly died because of it. I had forty-five visits from the doctor as an infant.   My father would catch my little finger and say to my mother 'That child is not dying. Feel the grip of that little hand!’ My mother's name I can no longer remember, but she worked for the Munster Institute and became the poultry and dairy instructress for the county of Kilkenny.    There she met my father who was seventeen years older than her, while he was working in the bank there. The banks shifted them around a fair bit in those days.   I was only a few months born when we moved to Claremorris for three years before moving to Cashel for a year and then to Dunmore, Co. Galway. We spent ...

  Only a Pilgrim, Passing Through- The Memoirs of Oliver Noonan- The Dominican’s gardener.   Oliver Noonan In 1991 Tallaght Historical Society invited the RTE Broadcaster  Donncha Ó Dúlaing  out to Tallaght to address the society on his life and times. While in Tallaght  Donncha  got somewhat diverted from the purpose of his visit,  when he met ‘a most interesting man’- Mr. Oliver Noonan- the gardener for over forty four years in the Dominican College in Tallaght.  Oliver, while being interviewed, took the time to give  Donncha Ó Dúlaing  a guided tour of the college environs, the ancient grounds he had tended for over 44 years.  In the process, Oliver Noonan left not just a record of gardening practices and happenings beyond the priory walls.  He also left an endearing record of his own life and times in Tallaght.     Glenasmole I went to school in Glenasmole (1930s) where Mr. O’ Reardon was the teacher- ...

  THE PIPER OF AIRTON LODGE WHO PLAYED FOR HITLER Sean Dempsey, one time resident of Airton Lodge, Greenhills, Tallaght, grew up literally a stone’s throw from Tallaght Aerodrome.   An ex-pupil of Tallaght National School, he was in the 1930s, one of the only licenced civilian pilots in Tallaght. With qualifications in engineering, he went on to become a flight engineer and in later years the first maintenance manager in Shannon. He was also generally, and more famously, considered to be one the finest Uilleann Pipers the country had ever seen. A pupil of the well-known virtuoso and teacher, Leo Rowsome, he collected scores of trophies from around the country.   His playing was broadcast by the B.B.C and Radio Eireann. The ‘Champion Piper of All Ireland’ in 1931, he went on to appear in several movies.   By the time he was 24 years old he was one of the most prominent musicians in Ireland and one of Tallaght’s most notable citizens, regularly travelling to Euro...