Tallaght Aerodrome photos on show
By Mary Dennehy
WHILE eating your Whopper Meal in Burger King on the Belgard Road, it’s hard to imagine that where you’re sitting was once the entrance to an aerodrome built during the First World War.
Tallaght Aerodrome was a WWI RAF training base which occupied 231 acres on the Belgard Road, where the Cookstown Industrial Estate now stands.
No trace of the aerodrome now exists but some photographs, original plans and drawings, which have survived the decades, are currently on show in the County Library, Tallaght.
Tallaght was one of many airfields built as part of a rapid expansion of the RAF during WWI and was built at the same time as Gormanstown, Collinstown, now Dublin Airport, and Baldonnel, now Casement Aerodrome.
According to Michael Keyes, of the County Library, Tallaght, the four bases were built to the same specifications, with each catering for up to 72 aircraft with six aeroplane hangars built in pairs.
Officially known as No 25 TDS Cookstown, Co Dublin, construction on Tallaght aerodrome was completed in 1918, with the squadrons taking up occupation the same year.
Michael said: “Tallaght’s main role was to train pilots for daytime bombing.
“Avro 504 training aircraft arrived in huge crates and were assembled in the hangars.
“Trainee pilots travelled by boat from Holyhead to North Wall and by truck to Tallaght.
“The peak activity at Tallaght was between September and December 1918. When the war ended in Nov 1918, operations at Tallaght began to be wound down but even as late as January 1919 there were still 151 pilots attached to 25 TDS at Tallaght.”
He added: “Flying continued at Tallaght until August 1919 when a grand aerial derby was held with an aerobatic display to entertain the crowds while the race was in progress.
“In October 1919 RAF HQ advised that Tallaght, Collinstown and Gormanstown were to be closed.
“Baldonnel aerodrome became the headquarters of the Irish Wing RAF until 1922 when it was handed over to the Irish Air Service.
“In 1923 Tallaght Aerodrome was taken over and was converted for use as Urney’s chocolate factory.
“Urney’s has also come and gone and little physical evidence remains of Tallaght Aerodrome but we are lucky to have some wonderful photographic reminders of that bygone age.”
These wonderful photographic reminders are on display as part of an exhibition at the County Library, Tallaght, until September 12.
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