Tallaght 1922: “Cooser Kelly was a legend” and Thomas Davis “did us proud”
By Mark Keane
Albert Perris has shared some local history with this great photograph of Main Street, Tallaght Village, in 1922, which captured three children venturing out on their bicycles.
The photo was shared with Dhaabs Tallaght, a community-based Facebook page for people who live or have lived in Tallaght at some stage of their life, by Tallaght resident Albert Perris - who was given the photograph by May Delaney back in 1998.
Are any of the faces familiar?
According to information posted on the Dhaabs page by Albert who lives on Seskin View Road, Maggie Barry is the child on the left of the photograph, Mary Kelly – who would later be known as May Delaney – is in the middle and Mary Manning is on the right.
If you look closely, we're told that the young boy looking on in the background is Kevin Watkins.
According to Albert, May Delaney told him “wonderful stories of the War of Independence about Jim Rice and Tom Watkins in the village, and how Thomas Davis Football Club did us (the Irish) proud”.
As for how things looked back then, Albert wrote: “Kelly’s had the forge in the village, where Reilly’s butchers later was, beside where Waxie Mullally’s harness makers was.
“They were also related to the Kelly’s forge in Firhouse, near the lane, going from Mortons to the Dodder, near Moscow Dance Hall!”
The consensus back then was that “’Cooser Kelly’ was a legend, by all accounts, as was ‘The Goat Kelly’”, said Albert.
Have you any old photographs of your communtiy or family that you would like to share with us?
To read the full post, visit the Dhaabs Facebook page.
