Tallaght and District Credit Union tops €60 million in assets

Tallaght and District Credit Union tops €60 million in assets

By Maurice Garvey

TALLAGHT & District Credit Union (TDCU) has reported assets of €60m and a membership base of over 12,000.

Established in 1968, TDCU celebrated their 50th anniversary last year.

Tallaght Credit Union 08

At the official opening of the refurbished banking hall at Tallaght Credit Union

The credit union has gone from strength to strength since their early years, which saw 159 members join up at their first premises at St Dominic’s Hall in 1968.

Back then, Tallaght was a small village with a population of approximately 2,000, but it was about to see a massive acceleration in houses, and a credit union was one badly-needed service for a rapidly growing community.

Father Paul Hynes, Prior of St Mary’s Dominican Priory in Tallaght, worked with Norah Herlihy, the founder of the credit union movement in Ireland, to form a local branch for residents.

Father Hynes recommended Father Pius Doherty act as tutor for a potential new credit union, and the latter formed a group of eight local people, who would act as the original founders of TDCU.

According to TDCU, there is one surviving original founder today – Jack Ennis – who is over 80 years of age but still attends AGMs and some TDCU functions. 

Mr Ennis’s original contribution of a half-crown coin is held in a case in Tallaght & District Credit Union’s premises.

In a statement, TDCU said: “The people of Tallaght owe a huge debt of gratitude to these founder members who put so much work into this project, volunteers and staff over the past 50 years, and the late Father Pius for all his teachings.”

After moving from St Dominic’s Hall to the rear of the former post office on the Old Blessington Road, TDCU found a more suitable location in 1981 – their current premises at 516 Main Street, opposite St Mary’s priory.

Planning permission for change of usage was obtained and the development of new offices began.

The premises were extended in the 1990s, and a major refurbishment of the public offices took place during the anniversary year.

According to TDCU, their 50th year anniversary events honoured members and volunteers past and present, “without whom our credit union would not have been the success it is today.”

“As we enter into the next decade it is the intention of the Board of Directors and management to avail of the most advanced technology available to enable the credit union to offer the best and most up-to-date services for the benefit of our members.”

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