The New Town of Tallaght, Co. Dublin, Ireland 1975

Tallaght, once a village on the outskirts of Dublin is growing rapidly but the amenities and infrastructure are not developing at the same pace.
In the eighth century, Máel Ruain founded a Christian monastery founded at a site called Tallaght. Before that, a prehistoric settlement was at the same site.
In 1950, 350 people lived in the village of Tallaght. The population increased to 3,000 in the mid-1960s and 40,000 in mid-70s. This figure is expected to rise to 120,000 in the 1980s.
The majority of people moving to Tallaght have chosen to live there and 90% of the houses are private dwellings. Within the housing estates in the various neighbourhoods that comprise Tallaght such as Old Bawn and Killnamanagh, each area has its own local characteristics and amenities.
The original plan for Tallaght looked very attractive when it was laid out for public viewing in 1971. According to the chairman of Tallaght Welfare Society Charlie O’Toole,
That particular plan looked, and was, a plan which would make an ideal town for Tallaght it was then described as a model town.
On paper, there were open spaces as well as room for shops, a swimming pool, library, health centre, schools and churches. However, as Tallaght was essentially developed by private enterprise, too much housing was built before the essential infrastructure was in place.
Nobody wanted to open a shop before the people moved into the area. As a result, there is one large supermarket catering for the whole of Tallaght. While the swimming pool attached to the community school is available to the whole of Tallaght, recreational facilities are limited and the old village hall is closed.
There’s not a lot for the younger people, they’re could be a lot more for the younger people.
The only place offering a social life for the people of Tallaght is the Foxes Covert pub. This venue offers a choice of bars, a cabaret lounge and a space for parties and functions. Despite its obvious lack of amenities, everyone interviewed in the pub is happy living in Tallaght.
One woman sees Tallaght’s proximity to the mountains and the scenic Bohernabreena Reservoir as an advantage but,
Besides that, there’s not much else in Tallaght besides houses.
This episode of ‘Seven Days’ was broadcast on 3 October 1975. The reporter is John O’Donoghue.

[@MarkL-we8uk]

At least when Ireland was extremely poor, the resources were found to house the populace

[@max__pain]

Extremely poor? Most of the world in the 1970s was far worse off.

[@MarkL-we8uk]

@@max__pain by today's standards...

[@ryankirwan925]

​@@max__painIreland was the poorest country in Europe in the 1970s and was 3rd world in parts.

[@jamesbradshaw3389]

When I am out and about driving from town to town, to village to city I love to see tall steeples striking up into the sky before I arrive and drive past that church it belongs to, It is a great sight for my eyes to see

[@fionnbelieveable]

Youve never been to tallaght I take it

[@jamesbradshaw3389]

@@fionnbelieveable No I have not, Thank you for telling me, I hope to get there one day

[@monkeybudge]

For me it’s just a reminder of how much money and power the church had. Surrounded by poor people, yet spending so much money on massive expensive buildings, money they got from the poor people around them. Opulent waste. Lovely building though, I suppose.

[@katoness]

A mental place to grow up in. Some great people there though.

[@waitwhatrly]

ive come a long way, thanks Tallaght.

[@eddieraffs5909]

Tallaght Dublin's South Bronx. How'd that turn out?

[@acb7074]

The complection has definitely changed a little like most of Dublin.

[@2learn4ever]

People 'chose' to live in Tallaght for many different reasons but mainly because the houses in the early 70's were the cheapest houses on the market, thousands of them, all the same, you'd get lost driving around before they decided to put names on the roads!! No shops to speak of in the early days either, and a bus was like gold dust!

[@jimmymcjimmyvich9052]

05:32 I wonder did he get the shift))

[@S7tronic]

If he did, I'd say she's buried up the back of Tymon Park..

[@michaelstaunton1632]

👍👍

[@jimohara]

Dude was smoking a pipe on his night out

[@benhur1959]

Jack nicholson at 4:52

[@deniro800]

Fast forward to 2024 and they rename Tallaght as Little Nigeria.

[@rod9829]

They seem to have country accents/neutral accents, I wonder how the subsequent generation ended up with rougher working class accents

[@TheTimdoyle]

Tallaght- the Olympic Village.

[@IrishPride7]

Springfield was a great spot growing up used to love visiting my aunts and the Squre in the 90s great memories illegal immigrant shit hole now like most of the country

[@shawnrahoon6789]

Knackeragua

[@gerardodwyer5908]

A manic depressive kip (Tallaght) in a kip (Dublin) in a kip (Ireland).

[@kitsilanomusician2669]

Looking at life thru a 'kip' filter. The World is what you make it/how you see it.

[@MrDastardly]

I would say lots of emotional baggage here.

[@corkboy4523]

You sound like a very happy fellow😆

[@patrickglennon7058]

The foxes 🍺 🍺 🍺 tavern