Year in Review 2020: March

By Maurice Garvey

The infamous month when Covid-19 wreaked its enormous impact on life in Ireland and brought us familiarity with words and phrases like lockdown, social distancing, Zoom and new normal.

There was an outpouring of volunteering and individual goodwill throughout the county as residents helped out the most vulnerable in society.

Tallaght University Hospital introduced a number of restrictions and asked the public’s support to reduce footfall at the facility. Tallaght Stadium became a test centre. Schools, colleges and businesses were closed.

Garda checkpoints asked motorists where they were going. Life has not been the same in the country since but things have improved and hopefully 2021 will be much better for all.

The family of a young woman with an incurable and rare genetic disorder, adult metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), met President Michael D. Higgins in Áras an Uachtaráin for an event marking Rare Disease Day. Serena O’Neill (25), from Ellensborough in Tallaght, was joined by her sister Natasha (14) and her parents Sandra and Noel. (March 5 edition)

Co-founder of Clondalkin Tidy Towns Alpha Gassama, received his Irish citizenship this month from the State at a ceremony in Killarney.

A former Direct Provision resident, he arrived in Ireland in 2004 from his native Guinea, and spent close to ten years at asylum centres, mostly at the Towers Hotel in Clondalkin. (March 5 edition)

Plans for 502 apart-ments, across six blocks at the former Gallaher’s site on the Greenhills Road were lodged with An Bord Pleanála by Greenleaf Homes Limited, who developed the Arena Centre in Tallaght in 2008.

The former Gallaher’s site fell into dereliction in recent years, however six acres of ‘development land’ which forms part of the site, went on the market for €4.5m. (March 5 edition)

A ‘mass killing’ of frogs was discovered by dog walkers beside the new 1,000 home Kilcarbery-Grange housing estate, adjacent to Corkagh Park. Conservationist Collie Ennis, noted it is breeding season for frogs and they are often killed by natural predators, but the Environmental Impact Assessment for the housing was carried out outside the active frog breeding season. (March 5 edition)

Local gardai were out in force supporting and caring for members of its community, with extra patrols responding to the needs of vulnerable people and the surprise delivery of a pet rabbit to a very special resident (March 26 edition)

Leitrim hurler, Zak Moradi, originally from Iraq and residing in Tallaght at the time, spoke to The Echo about his journey to becoming an Irish citizen.

To read the full Year in Review for March 2020 pick up your copy of this week’s Echo, where we take a month-by-month look back at 2020.