The watchdog of the community

It certainly takes more than a newspaper article to describe the impact of The Echo on the community it has served for 45 years.

It’s made up of its consistent coverage of local concerns, community causes, relevant figures, sports, politics and social issues.

According to its founder and editor, David Kennedy, it’s “more intangible than what people would generally think.”

The first example that always comes to his mind dates back to when the current Tallaght University Hospital was being developed and there was a debate over whether it should have been in Tallaght or Blanchardstown.

“That process is a political one,” said Mr Kennedy. “But a group formed, the Tallaght Hospital Action Group, campaigning for the hospital to be in Tallaght.

“They organised a public meeting in Kilnamanagh to kick-start their campaign and they got in touch with us.

“Thanks to that small, two-column ad in The Echo, 250 people attended that meeting and to this day, TUH would acknowledge the role that group had in bringing the hospital to Tallaght.

“A reader also sent a congratulating letter to us.”

A local newspaper being the watchdog of its community is to be expected, but as the hospital story shows, The Echo has done much more than just that over these 45 years.

Recently, it supported various, vital causes such as the fundraiser for Archie Ennis’ treatment for Muscular Dystrophy, which raised over half a million euro, or the comeback of the Tallaght St Patrick’s Parade that recorded an attendance of 20,000 people.

It brought up issues that have been taken on by councillors, or fixed by South Dublin County Council only after they read it on The Echo’s pages, whether it’s about council tenants being left behind or children being denied a space to play in.

Some other times, it might have helped someone struggling with addiction or mental health to reach out to support services, whose presence on its pages could never be enough.

Local heroes are given the limelight they deserve every year, with The Echo covering the Tallaght Person of the Year Awards by Tallaght Community Council and partnering with Active South Dublin to run the Sports Awards.

The Echo did all this while being an independent newspaper, while many other locals ended up englobed into larger, multinational companies.

According to Mr Kennedy, when one of those tried to compete, namely the Tallaght Herald from the Irish Independent, it was closed down shortly after – “a great testament to ourselves.”

The recent funding received by Coimisiún na Meán to expand The Echo’s staff and coverage has much to do with the crucial role it plays in its community and in Irish journalism.

Another example of this, according to Mr Kennedy, is the Health Assets and Needs Assessment (HANA) report on Tallaght, published every decade by Trinity College and with a new version released in 2025.

“We covered it differently from the nationals. They would just say that Tallaght is healthier than what it was, but I have no doubt that we played no small role by giving space to local sports and clubs, and encouraging people to join them and connecting one to the other.”

Courts coverage, which was reduced in The Echo in the last few years, will be back thanks to the fund, as the editor acknowledges its importance for the community.

Looking at the future, Mr Kennedy said, “The media sector is in turmoil. We have to settle down and make sure that we’re delivering information in the way we think it’s fair to deliver it.

“There is an opportunity to continue being clear and authentic, and while people are getting too much noise from the news, we want to be the ones they get the correct noise from.”