Tamhlacht = The burial place of the plague

The monastry of Tallaght was founded in 770 A.D. by St Maelruan and the site has had religiouus associations ever since. St Maelruan died in 792 A.D. and was buried in Tallaght. In 1179, the property came into the hands of the Archbishop of Dublin as a gift from the Normans. Over the next hundred years, the native O'Byrne and O'Toole clans invaded Tallaght many times and the Archbishop had no option but to build stronger walls and to gather a small army of men for protection. By the nineteenth century, the castle had fallen into such a state of disrepair that the Mayor decided it should be demolished.A new structure was built and given to Sir John Lentaigne who subsequently gave it to the Dominican Order for their priory. The Priory still stands in the heart of Tallaght village today.

Written by S.T., 6th Class