Title: A Ramble about Tallaght
Speaker: Albert Perris
Time: @ 7:45 PM
Location: Iona Pastoral Centre

A Ramble about Tallaght

From its first mention in legend in the Book of Invasions, through early Christian monastic settlements, castles and grand residences, Fenian raids and the Battle of Tallaght, there has been huge change in Tallaght. In more recent times it has seen car and motorcycle racing, an aerodrome, the rise and fall of a chocolate factory and a pioneering telecommunications firm. The massive population explosion and rapid modernisation towards the end of the twentieth century means this once-tiny village in Dublin’s foothills is now home to over 80,000 people.
Source: Amazon.com

Gallery of images from ‘A Ramble about Tallaght’ – Click to Enlarge

Source: Amazon.com

About the Author

Albert Perris was born in Tallaght in 1972. He has had a successful career in the community and voluntary sector for 25 years, managing and developing community, voluntary and social services throughout Ireland. He has served as National Manager of Specialist Services with the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, Interim Head of Services with the national charity Alone, and CEO of national service provider Respond Support. Albert started his career as Co-Founder of the Tallaght Homeless Advise Unit in 1994, which resulted in him become involved in Social Research, undertaking numerous Social Research assignments in Tallaght, Clondalkin and Blanchardstown.

1999 saw the publication of “Since Adam was a boy: An Oral Folk History of Tallaght” (TWS), preserving for future generations, the oral histories and memories of some of Tallaght’s oldest residents, collected  and collated over a two year period. 

His work was published by the Forum on Youth Homelessness (2000), Blanchardstown Area Partnership (2000) and Clondalkin Partnership (1999).

After this Albert became heavily involved in Reminiscence Work with older people in Ireland, for which he was awarded a Social Entrepreneurs Award in 2009 for establishing a national initiative Reminiscence Ireland. He has trained Reminiscence Practitioners throughout Ireland. Through his passion for Reminiscence Work and Oral History, he discovered an equally enduring passion for Local History and its role in Community Identity and development. This led him to undertake “A Ramble About Tallaght”.

His book is richly illustrated with period photographs and original drawings by Michael O’Brien,

Source: Amazon.com & civictheatre.ie

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