St Dominic’s church celebrates 50 years with a special Mass

The first modern church ever built in Tallaght – St Dominic’s church – will celebrate 50 years this week.

In July 1974, two years after the Dominican Order had been entrusted with the parish of Tallaght by then Archbishop Dermot Ryan, three parochial houses were established in private houses in the newly built Balrothery Estate, Millbrook Lawns and Pineview.

St Dominic’s Church was blessed and opened in Millbrook Lawns on Sunday, July 20, 1975, to accommodate 800 parishioners.

Under the baton of Rev Donal Sweeney OP, the Tallaght Youth Choir sang during the service.

With a cost of £123,000, the church was designed by architect Edward N Smith and built by Murphy Bros to replace a previous prefabricated church, The Church of Our Lady of Loreto, that served the newly developed area.

Its innovative feature was the inclusion of a ‘Weekday chapel’ under the curtilage of the main building and interconnected with the Parochial Office and Presbytery, for weekday mass-goers.

The first three parish priests who had lived out in the private houses could now be provided with accommodation in the new church.

They served North of the River Dodder, East of Old Bawn Road, Avonbeg, Bawnville, Bolbrook, Homelawns, Milbrook Lawns, Mountain Park and Seskin View.

While it initially continued as part of St Mary’s Dominican Priory, St Dominic’s became an independent parish in November 1984, with Fr Ben Hegarty as first parish priest.

Today, the parish boundaries are recognised to be Old Bawn Road, the Tallaght by-pass, the River Dodder, and the roundabout linking Firhouse Road.

This Sunday, July 20, all parishioners are invited to celebrate this milestone at a special Mass to be held at 11.45am by Archbishop of Dublin, Dermot Farrell.

Priests and sisters who took part in the establishment of the parish 50 years ago will be there too.

Music and refreshment will be available after, along with ice cream and treats for the kids in the church gardens.

St Dominic’s is a “great parish with a wealth of wonderful people,” a parishioner wrote for the occasion, saying they feel lucky to belong to such a community.

“Priests, sisters, senior citizens, middle-aged, the youth, children and babies. There is so much love around us, it must come from above.”

Ahead of the celebrations, the parish team wrote, “Thank God for all the people who have lived in the parish, prayed here, marked important occasions in their lives here, for our priests and the sisters who have served here.

Many individuals and groups have been involved in the support of the parish throughout the years, explained the team, such as secretaries, the pastoral council, the music and prayer groups, the finance and lotto committee and those who look after the collections in the church.

“We acknowledge all those who have contributed to the life of the parish in so many different ways – generously giving of their time and talents – and who have helped to make the parish what it is today.”