Manning, Paddy (Pat) Carrigwood, Firhouse, Dublin 24. D24 Y26 K. Passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family. Loving husband to Betty. Devoted father to Gary, Karl, Patrick, and Luke. Will be dearly missed by his family, daughters-in-law, grandchildren Sara, Elise, Layla, Poppy, and Ruben, great-grandchildren, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended family, relatives, and friends. Reposing at his home on Sunday 27th April, 2025 from 3.00pm to 7.00pm. Funeral on Monday 28th April to the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Firhouse arriving for 10.00am. Funeral Mass followed by burial in Kilmashogue Cemetery, Edmondstown Road, Rathfarnham. Messages of comfort and support for the family may be placed in the condolence section below. Funeral Service.css-h76uj{display:inherit;margin-right:-4px;margin-left:8px;}Date Published: CondolencesDonate to CharityWould you like to mark a birthday memorial mass or anniversary for a Loved One?You can now create a family notice on RIP.ie to remember your loved one The Firhouse Community Craft Fair returns to The Speaker Conolly car park on Saturday December 7 and 14 for their annual Christmas Craft Fair this Craft Fair has become a firm fixture in the local calendar The first markets were set up in 2021 to showcase the talents of artists following the creation of the Firhouse Community Crafts network which meets once a month in the Firhouse Community Centre provides a space for like-minded people to meet There will be a lot to choose from at this year’s market this market is sure to have something to attract anyone who is looking for unique We will have many traders, including Forager, who recently won the Michael Dooley Environment Award at the Tallaght Person of the Year Awards who won 2 Blas na hEireann awards this year Other regulars include candles and more from Maureen Murray Design and Ciara’s Candles Margenta Jewellery and Dee Kearney Ireland There will be wood craft from Woodn’t Waste it Crafts Ian Hutchinson Woodturning and Michael Cunningham who was awarded 3 Stars in the prestigious Great Taste Awards showing off the talents of their junior members customers will be entertained from 1 to 2pm by the fabulous local The No Commitments Choir the Voluntary Independent Services Tallaght Firhouse Ukulele Band will make their first performance at the market they are already starting the concert circuit We always have guest charities at our Christmas markets our charity at the first market are the Irish Guide Dogs and at the second will be the Fettercairn Community Christmas Appeal Come along and pick up something unique and special And why not have lunch in The Speaker Conolly and browse the market with a mulled wine or Baileys coffee from the fabulous Caffe Duomo That’s Firhouse Christmas Craft Fair on December 7 and 14 Watch Firhouse Community Crafts social media pages for more updates over the coming weeks CLONDALKIN Rugby Club senior men’s team had plenty to shout about when they claimed the Leinster League Division Two A title. It’s the first time ... Read More Contact US Info@echo.ie Tel: +353 (0)1 4685350 We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings we will not be able to save your preferences This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again 1) 0ms,border-color 250ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;transition:background-color 250ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;color:#1976d2;padding:0px;min-width:0;}.css-1sgza6o:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(25 0.04);}@media (hover: none){.css-1sgza6o:hover{background-color:transparent;}}.css-1sgza6o.Mui-disabled{color:rgba(0 1) 0ms;color:#1976d2;padding:0px;min-width:0;}.css-w5p45x::-moz-focus-inner{border-style:none;}.css-w5p45x.Mui-disabled{pointer-events:none;cursor:default;}@media print{.css-w5p45x{-webkit-print-color-adjust:exact;color-adjust:exact;}}.css-w5p45x:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(25 0.04);}@media (hover: none){.css-w5p45x:hover{background-color:transparent;}}.css-w5p45x.Mui-disabled{color:rgba(0 0.26);}PrintShareSaveThe death has occurred of It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Paul Brady following a lengthy and courageous battle with cancer Predeceased by his father Finbarr (Firhouse Paul is survived by his beloved son; Declan and his daughter; Nora his loving mother; Breege Brady née Lennon cousins and a large circle of neighbours and friends in both Ireland and Australia Paul's Funeral Mass will take place at Mary Mother of Mercy Chapel Australia on Tuesday 18th March 2025 at 2.00pm (3.00am Irish time) and can be viewed on the following link with pin https://streaming.naoca.com.au/e/e6f4fafd-bff8-4b2a-ba51-1b783b37246c Messages of sympathy can be left for the family in the Condolences section below. The Brady family wish to express their gratitude for the sympathy and support shown to them at this sad and difficult time. 12th March 2025 (Firhouse); passed peacefully after a brave battle with cancer surrounded by his loving family in the kind care of the staff of the Mater Private Hospital Darragh and Aoife and loving grandad of Jackson Gerry will be forever loved and sadly missed by his heartbroken children Reposing at his home on Friday from 4pm to 9pm Funeral Mass on Saturday at 10am in the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Firhouse followed by burial in Bohernabreena Cemetery Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired to The Irish Cancer Society, using the following link; https://donors.cancer.ie/page/FUNDZAZBHHS To view Gerry’s Funeral Mass on Saturday at 10am please see the following link; https://www.churchservices.tv/firhouse Those who cannot attend the Funeral Mass or Burial, please feel free to leave a message in the condolence book below. Please Note: The link provided to live-stream the Funeral Mass is managed by an independent streaming company. The Funeral Home accepts NO responsibility for its functionality or interruption to a live transmission. COLLINSTOWN U15’s boys team ended Firhouse Carmel’s unbeaten streak in DDSL Division Four with a 2-1 victory on Saturday The hosts came into the game having won three of their first four league games losing once while Firhouse had also won three of their four but they drew the other The opening half was evenly contested with very little to split the teams as expected A strong wind contributed to a lack of many clearcut chances but the best of them did fall to Firhouse who unfortunately had Ben McDonald standing in their way as he made a couple of excellent saves to keep the game scoreless Collinstown started well on top and went ahead after a own goal from a Firhouse defender It was the minimum the hosts deserved after a good start to the second half Collinstown would double their lead 10 minutes later from the penalty spot as Shane Beatley calmly tucked his spotkick away to put his side firmly in control of matters A late Firhouse goal from a corner was merely a consolation as Collinstown held out to bounce back from their 3-1 defeat to Greenhills last time out centre half Aaron Keeley and right winger Kai Cullen were very impressive in the victory They travel to face league leaders Bluebell Knockmitten United next on Saturday Ann Byrne (née O’Reilly) of Ferncourt Green It is with broken hearts we announce that Ann passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family in the care of the staff of the ICU Department of Tallaght Hospital after a brief illness Pre-deceased by her husband Philip and mother Nancy Ann was adored and loved by a wide circle of family & friends including her cherished children Sara & Gavin D6W AC82 this Wednesday evening (February 26th) from 5pm to 7pm D24 A2C5 on Thursday morning to arrive for 10am Requiem Mass followed by burial in Bohernabreena Cemetery To leave a private message of condolence, please click here or alternatively on the condolence section below. All enquiries to Massey Bros., Templeogue on (01) 490 7601. FIRHOUSE Carmel FC recently launched a women’s adult football team as they look to enter a side into the Dublin footballing pyramid The side was established just a couple of months ago with the objective of entering into the East Women’s Football League which begins in March After a 30-year hiatus without a senior women’s side Firhouse had their first fixture against Knocklyon at the weekend The formation of the side comes off the back of the birth of the women’s section of the club four years ago They currently train every Saturday at the Community College in Firhouse with a strong squad of up to 25 players A panel of coaches are currently running the team but they are still looking for a permanent manager with enquiries welcome To view Louise’s Cremation Service on Thursday at 1.30pm, please see the following link: https://www.dctrust.ie/location/newlands-cross/chapel-webstream.html Those who cannot attend the Funeral Mass or Cremation Service, please feel free to leave a message in the condolence book below. Funeral Service.css-h76uj{display:inherit;margin-right:-4px;margin-left:8px;}Cremation / BurialDate Published: The demolition of an historic pub to make way for two apartment blocks has started on the Firhouse Road and builders and demolition cranes were seen at the site which was considered a landmark by the locals since the 1960s Subscribe for as little as €0.75 per week and support local news in your area check your spam folder for our automated emails you need to purchase a subscription to finish the process Subscribe Already a member! Login Passed away peacefully in Tallaght University Hospital Paddy will be very sadly missed by his family Orlagh’s partner Rob and Shauna’s husband Arran Paddy will also be sadly missed by his brothers and sisters-in-law Reposing at the Brian McElroy Funeral Home Tallaght (opp Tallaght Stadium) on Tuesday (15th October) from 5pm to 7pm A Celebration of Paddy’s life will take place on Wednesday (16th October) at 10.30am in the Garden Chapel To view Paddy’s Cremation Service on Wednesday at 10.30am please click on the following link: https://www.mountjerome.ie/garden-chapel-service/ Family flowers only please, donations to Tallaght University Hospital or Peamount Hospital if desired. Please Note: The link provided to live-stream the Cremation Service is managed by an independent streaming company. The Funeral Home accepts NO responsibility for its functionality or interruption to a live transmission. Cremation / Burial.css-h76uj{display:inherit;margin-right:-4px;margin-left:8px;}Date Published: PLANS have been submitted for telecommunications masts on the Firhouse Road and in Citywest while a licence has been refused for a proposed mast in Killinarden The three separate licensing applications were recently submitted to South Dublin County Council noted in their application as being a Cellnex company is seeking a licence for a mast on the Firhouse Road The proposal is for an 18-metre free-standing street pole with one alpha 2.0 shrouded antenna and a dish to be included only if there is no fibre infrastructure in the area The application is for the continuation of the licence for the structure which was first granted in 2021 for a period of three years is seeking permission for the installation of telecommunications equipment in Citywest The subject site is Block A2 and A3 at The Quarter in Citywest View The proposed equipment includes three ballast-mounted shrouded antennas It is noted that the works will take place on the building rooftop to provide for high-speed wireless data and broadband services Decisions on the applications by Cignal Infrastructure Ltd and Three Ireland Hutchinson Limited have not yet been made by South Dublin County Council a decision was made on an application for a telecommunications pole in Killinarden as South Dublin County Council decided to refuse permission for the structure on August 6 Emerald Tower Limited’s proposal was for a street works solution to address identified mobile and wireless broadband coverage blackspots in Killinarden Heights South Dublin County Council refused a licence for the structure in Killinarden referring to setback distances between it and an existing surface water sewer “Inadequate setback distances have been maintained between the proposed development and the existing 450mm surface water sewer adjacent,” stated the council in its refusal “The development in its current form would block access to the 450mm surface water sewer for maintenance purposes “Inadequate setback distances have also been maintained between the proposed development and the 900mm diameter pipe shown on drawing submitted by applicant “Supporting the development in its current form would be prejudicial to both public health and safety and the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.” Reposing at Fanagans Funeral Home, Lower Kimmage Road on Thursday evening (31st October) from 3pm to 6pm. Removal on Friday morning (Nov 1st) to the Church of St. Paul of the Cross, Mount Argus arriving for Funeral Mass at 11.30 followed by burial in Mount Jerome Cemetery. Enquiries to Fanagans Funeral Home, Lower Kimmage Road-014925959. the area of Firhouse possesses a bit of a hidden gem A success story which has been providing valuable services to Firhouse since 1987 is the focus of this week’s Local Faces feature Deirdre was kind enough to take a break from her incredibly busy schedule to have a chat with The Echo about her life and work and how she came to be such an energetic and committed pillar of her community her formative years were spent in less than ordinary environs about as far removed from the hustle and bustle of our own fair county that you can get in Ireland “So I was born in Dublin at a time when there were few facilities for young people “Unemployment was high and there was an illegal drug epidemic taking hold of the city “Thus my parents decided to bring us up outside Dublin they decided we kids would be better off growing up on Achill Island off the coast of Mayo.” So Deirdre grew up in a Gaeltacht area amongst some of the most beautiful and spectacular scenery in the country it was a truly spectacular place to grow up “It was a strange choice considering both my parents are from the inner city Deirdre returned to Dublin to continue her education at Rathmines College and duly emerged four years later with a degree in Business Studies and settled in Firhouse I became an accountant at what was then called Beecham’s on the Long Mile Road but a few years in I had children of my own to raise and I took a career break to devote more time to them.” Deirdre decided to return to the workforce successfully applying for a part time job at Firhouse Community Centre blissfully unaware at the time of where it would lead By 2006 she was a supervisor at the centre and over the next few years her responsibilities and duties increased until she reached a point where it became her full-time career Deirdre is the most enthusiastic cheerleader for the centre and she told me a little of its history “The centre was started by a group of people who had the vision and foresight to recognise there was a great need for a facility in Firhouse where people could get together and engage in a variety of social and sporting activities “A committee of like-minded people was formed and they set about providing a location which could offer something to everyone in Firhouse.” lobbying TDs and councillors they finally realised their dream when the centre’s doors opened in 1987.” the centre has gone from strength to strength making improvements and adding extensions along the way The centre now has Éanna Ladies Basketball Club as its core tenants with it becoming the home court for a variety of their teams It also hosts a myriad of activities such as yoga Deirdre has had a huge impact on the centre Since assuming the role of manager in 2016 “In 2017 we opened the Men’s Shed and opened the café In 2018 we started Active Aging which has proven incredibly popular “We also have pitch and putt and golf societies running so our bar is also a great social attraction for our local people.” I put it to Deirdre that there must be a huge amount of work running all of that alongside the admin and fundraising she’s responsible for Naturally she’s effusive in her praise for her staff saying they’re the ones that make it happen I have a fantastic team working at the centre “We’ve got twelve part time staff members – they’re a great bunch and I’m very grateful to them.” I serve at the pleasure of the committee and they’re a constant source of support “They share my desire to give our area a really top-class facility.” “I’m also extremely grateful to South Dublin County Council and the Department of Community and Rural Development who have been a great help to us over the years “Our next big development is the installation of solar panels at the centre and hopefully that will happen very soon.” Deirdre confesses that there’s also someone else she should thank someone who could be described as the centre’s unofficial handyman Deirdre and Noel are the proud parents of two grown-up daughters Fiona and Roisín who are travelling the world at the time of writing Deirdre is one of those people who make communities tick She absolutely loves Firhouse and wouldn’t leave it for the world the people I work with and the area of Firhouse which is my home “I look forward to a bright future for the centre and the people we serve.” surrounded by her loving family; loving daughter of the late John and Kate beloved wife of the late Pearse and loving and devoted mam to Harry Michael and Fergus; Helen will be forever loved and very sadly missed by her loving family To view Helen’s Funeral Mass on Monday at 11:30am please click on the following: https://www.churchservices.tv/bohernabreena To view Helen’s Cremation Service on Monday at 1pm please click on the following: link: https://www.dctrust.ie/location/newlands-cross/chapel-webstream.html Please Note: The link provided to live-stream the Funeral Mass and Cremation Service is managed by an independent streaming company. The Funeral Home accepts NO responsibility for its functionality or interruption to a live transmission. THE Firhouse Community Centre was transformed into a hub of multicultural activity on Sunday at an event organised by the Lithuanian Association of Ireland which featured performances from the Lithuanian Peruvian and Brazilian communities in Ireland There was also a vintage car display by the Jaguar Club Ireland and a speech was delivered by the Lithuanian ambassador to Ireland who was part of the committee of six Lithuanians who organised the event “It was a very successful event,” she said “It was a cultural event to show different cultures – that’s what it was all about “We decided to hold the event because Ireland is a very colourful country at the moment and the Lithuanian community is becoming more proactive “There were people from different cultures and the Irish people were so accepting the staff in the community centre were so hospitable.” The organisers received resoundingly positive feedback from the attendees and it appeared to have strengthened the ties between people of many nationalities who live in Ireland customs and performances of people from other cultures and it built friendships between communities,” added Laima The event was so successful that there are plans to host another similar event in the Firhouse Community Centre on September 29 Firhouse Men’s Shed in Dublin already has over 40 members The fledgling group is really thriving and members undertake a wide variety of activities the shed plans to circulate a leaflet locally to indicate the activities they run we have several activities set up; walking painting and some of the men have been doing a woodwork course in one of the local schools in the evening time,” outlines Patrick “We had a brain-storming session a couple of weeks ago to see what activities people would be interested in doing We actually ended up with a list of 20 things the group organised a very successful Alzheimer’s conference which was well attended by people in the locality and beyond “We work fairly closely with Dublin County Council because they founded us We hosted an Alzheimer’s conference in conjunction with them …there was great interest in it.” The shed meets every Tuesday and for an hour before the official meeting some of the men do an exercise class Most of the shed members are around 60 years of age Patrick says a Men’s Shed is a great outlet for people who are settling into retired life to give people an outside interest – not sitting at home watching the television,” explains Patrick “There is a social element to it too and we had a Christmas party this year.” Firhouse Men’s Shed has been using the local Scout Den as a base but they are aiming to get their own premises in the future so that they can expand and increase membership Firhouse Men’s Shed is located at Firhouse Community Centre Contact us Advertise with us Company information Career opportunities Privacy statement Terms of service Commenting policy Change cookies settings Change cookies settings Two schools from Drogheda have picked up awards at this year's FIRST® LEGO® League SUBMERGED℠ tournament supported by Amazon.  LEGO® Robots designed and built by 9 teams of young engineers battled it out at the event in The Maldron Hotel Heats of the hands-on robotics and problem-solving programme take place throughout Ireland Team ‘S.O.S.’ from Scoil Treasa took home the trophy as the overall winners and will compete in the Ireland Final next month They were joined on the winner’s podium by ‘SOCC Robotics’ from St and ‘O.C.E.A.N.’ from Scoil Treasa The Innovation Project winners were ‘Project W.A.V.E.’ also from Scoil Treasa and the Core Values Winners were ‘Hydrobotics’ from St The fun challenges involve a robot game and a research project and this year’s theme will see LEGO® technology used to explore the layers of the ocean bringing fresh ideas to the surface as students ‘sea’ into the future!  Teams will use technical and collaborative skills to explore life beneath the ocean waves in one of the planet’s most complex ecosystems.  As the national sponsor of the competition “We’re proud to collaborate with FIRST LEGO League to inspire curiosity and a passion for learning that will shape the future of technology and beyond Supporting FIRST LEGO League aligns with our commitment to empowering the next generation of leaders and innovators By investing in STEM education and providing opportunities for hands-on learning we’re helping students develop the skills they need to succeed in an ever-evolving world.”   At the core of the initiative is a friendly contest designed to fuel the enthusiasm of the participating students The teams of students and their coaches take on an exciting journey involving research FIRST® LEGO® League participation is tailored to three age sections from early years learning to Transition Year students with robot games and activities suited to each level.  FIRST is an acronym for ‘For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology,’ and FIRST® LEGO® League inspires young people to understand and shape the world they live in in a more sustainable and inclusive way.  Irish STEM education experts CreativeHUT organise FIRST® LEGO® League in Ireland Ross Maguire says the fun team-challenge is a platform for students to discover STEM learning.  “Challenges are thoughtfully designed to promote collaboration Along with mastering coding and engineering students acquire critical life skills like tenacity FIRST LEGO League Ireland is proudly supported by the Research Ireland Discover Programme and delivered by CreativeHUT Ireland. The programme also benefits from national sponsorship by Amazon.  To learn more about how Amazon supports communities across Ireland, CLICK HERE  Visit fll.ie to discover more about the range of programmes and how to get involved South Dublin County Council will set up 21 places across the county where people can recycle their Christmas trees The free service will allow people to properly get rid of their Christmas trees This service is only for trees in private homes and only one tree per home or car will be accepted There will be signs at the different drop-off spots letting people know that they are official recycling spots Visit www.sdcc.ie to see a list of places near you these are the places where you can recycle Christmas trees: (suddenly); loving and adored daughter of Suzi and Brian and beloved big sister and best friend to Poppy; Amelia will be forever loved and very sadly missed by her heartbroken parents Amelia will be reposing in her grandparents’ home (Eircode D24 A4P6) on Wednesday (19th June) from 5pm to 7pm A Service to celebrate Amelia’s life will take place on Thursday (20th June) at 9am in the Temple in Newlands Cross Cemetery followed by burial in Bohernabreena Cemetery Amelia’s family would like to thank everyone who tried their very best to save Amelia please feel free to leave a message in the condolence book below To view Amelia’s Funeral Service on Thursday at 9am please click on the following link: https://www.dctrust.ie/location/newlands-cross/chapel-webstream.html Please Note: The link provided to live-stream the Funeral Service is managed by an independent streaming company. The Funeral Home accepts NO responsibility for its functionality or interruption to a live transmission. 27th May 2024 (Firhouse and formerly of Terenure) at The Mater Hospital; beloved and devoted husband of Roisín Harper and Lilly and pre-deceased by his brother Tony Michael will be forever loved and very sadly missed by his loving wife Reposing at the Brian McElroy Funeral home Tallaght (opp Tallaght Stadium) on Tuesday from 5pm to 7pm Funeral Mass will take place on Wednesday at 11.30am in Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Firhouse and afterwards for burial in Bohernabreena Cemetery To view Michael’s Funeral Mass on Wednesday at 11.30am please click on the following link; https://www.churchservices.tv/firhouse Please Note: The link provided to live-stream the Funeral Mass is managed by an independent streaming company. The Funeral Home accepts NO responsibility for its functionality or interruption to a live transmission. There are major delays on the M50 this afternoon after an incident on the motorway It is understood the incident happened on the M50 southbound between Junction 12 Firhouse and Junction 13 Dundrum Gardaí are stopping traffic going onto the M50 southbound at J11 Tallaght the gardaí said: “Gardaí and emergency services are currently attending at an incident on the M50 Southbound “Local diversions are in place from Junction 12 Southbound.  t/a Kfm Radio - Company No: 355494 - Registered Office: Kfm Broadcast Centre Kfm is licenced by Coimisiún na Meán as a local sound broadcaster for Co Kildare THE Local Elections will be held this Friday June 7 – with polling stations open across local communities between 7am and 10pm Here we list the candidates running across the seven Local Electoral Areas on South Dublin County Council: Firhouse-Bohernabreena The Dublin City Council area of Ballyfermot-Drimnagh which falls into The Echo’s catchment area Firhouse-Bohernabreena (11 Candidates 5 Seat) Rathfarnham-Templeogue (16 Candidates 7 Seats) Ballyfermot-Drimnagh (15 Candidates 5 Seats) For further information on Local Elections 2024 visit the website of South Dublin County Council or Dublin City Council. OVER €3,000 was raised for Gaelscoil na Giúise in Firhouse at a family fun day last Sunday which included activities such as hook-a-duck called Lá le Spraoi in Gaelscoil na Giúise was organised by the school’s parents’ committee to raise funds for educational equipment for the school Ruth English from the parents’ committee told The Echo: “Everyone absolutely loved the day they all had great fun and they can’t wait for the next one “We fundraise for the school because our kids go to the school and we’re invested in them so we’re invested in their school too it’ll be ten-years-old this year and they’ve only been in the school building itself for seven or eight years “They started off with one classroom in a prefab in Firhouse Community Centre but now it’s after growing massively and there are just under 300 kids.” The parents’ committee hold fundraisers for the school twice a year and they are thankful for the people who supported the fun day last weekend “Thank you so much to people who came for taking the time out of their day to come and support the school,” said Ruth Feebee Foran with some Watercress, Alexander and Gorse which she foraged along the Dodder at Firhouse weir. Pic: Frank McGrath Have you heard about the ‘Green Witch’ of Firhouse? On most mornings, you’ll find her in the crooks and ditches by the River Dodder, following the Watercress where it grows. Feebee Foran, founder of Forager.ie, calls it ‘ditch witchery’. She disappears into the Dublin Mountains with her dog Sika, digging for remedial herbs and carefully picking weeds and flowers at their root to make medicine, perfume, or even cocktails. “Five years ago, I lost my dad. It happened so quickly, I went into freeze mode,” she said. “When I started to thaw out of it, I realised I needed to ground myself, and what called me was the actual ground on which I was standing.” It was in her little allotment on the mountains where Feebee first found her calling. “I didn’t know what I was looking for – just the physical action of it was comforting,” she said. “At a time when I didn’t know what was going to come next, nature knew. Tomorrow would come, the next season would come and if I planted seeds, they would grow.” Feebee set up her business five years ago, while pursuing a Herbalism and Holistic Arts course under herbalist and health consultant Steffen Jorgensen. “I found that if you don’t throw away your weeds, they offer a world of health and nourishment. This was the way Irish people would have lived,” she said. “Even when modern medicine came around, we had our secrets. I would never claim this should replace modern medicine, but natural remedies are great to complement it.” Forager.ie offers a line of skincare products featured in some of Dublin’s largest exhibitions, like Gifted and the upcoming Showcase Ireland. “There’s a massive uptake in people looking for natural alternatives. People are now realising the benefits of aloe vera or rose hip berries and the difference it can make on their skin,” Feebee said. Feebee Foran, founder of Forager.ie, pictured harvesting some hawthorn berries Daisy Healing Balm is used to heal bites, stings, cold sores, sunburn and acne scarring. Her products can also be used to treat skin conditions and headaches. “There’s a little girl in my neighbourhood who has eczema and her mum rings me at night if they are out of my balm. She can’t go to sleep without it,” Feebee said. The flower Yarrow, or Athair thalún - meaning the father of all herbs - is her favourite to work with. Years ago, it was used to treat wounded soldiers. She now offers it to people as a natural painkiller. Feebee likes to collect wild Alexander flowers that can be chopped into stews, curries or salads, and makes wine out of the Gorse she forages. She rubs some Gorse between her palms and it smells ever so faintly of coconuts. Feebee’s work also changes with the seasons. “Right now, I’m up to some witchy stuff in my shed. The plants I collected in autumn are dried up in big jars of olive oil, vodka and apple cider vinegar,” she said. Closer to summer, she will lead people on foraging walks again. Every weekend, she takes visitors through her tried and tested route, before a grand foraging lunch using some of the ingredients they’ve sourced. This year, she hopes to expand her skincare business and invite more people on her walking tours. She’s also in the process of writing a book with outdoor instructor Joe Price. “Open your nature eyes. Start with a dandelion or a daisy. Look at what's growing in your garden and to be open to the idea that what's growing around you is there for a reason,” she said. PoliticsChanges to Rent Pressure Zones needed to cope with growing population, Cabinet to be toldChanges to Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) will be recommended in a report on housing Ireland’s growing population, which will be presented to the Cabinet today. Residents and politicians in Firhouse have expressed concern about community outreach efforts by the Church of Scientology in the south Dublin suburb. Last week the controversial organisation, which has been officially labelled a cult in several countries, opened a "Winter Wonderland" event at its new 1,200-seat facility in Firhouse. The event lasts for a month and features fairground rides, Santa Claus and several other children's activities. The event, which is free to enter, is the latest in a series of community events hosted by the facility since its opening in October. Other events include a Halloween festival, a variety concert and an “Alice in Wonderland tea party”. “Nothing’s for free. What is it they’re trying to do?” asked Firhouse resident and local area representative for the Social Democrats Carly Bailey. She was worried the church was targeting economically deprived communities with a view to recruitment. Ms Bailey, a mother of two, noted that bringing children to see Santa Claus can cost €20 or more in many places but that it was free at the Scientology centre. “It’s obviously aimed at people who don’t have a huge amount of money who would be absolutely thrilled to bring their kids to something that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.” Dublin South-West TD Seán Crowe said he was worried Scientology was attempting to become part of the fabric of the community in Tallaght before starting to actively recruit people. “They’ve made it known local groups can avail of its facilities. And there is a shortage of community facilities in the area. There’s always groups looking for a meeting room or something like that. So that’s their way in,” the Sinn Féin TD said. “But I’ve huge concerns in relation to the group itself. It is a cult. I wouldn’t be encouraging anybody to be using the facilities,” he added. “No, we won’t be going. From what I’ve seen on television and online I wouldn’t be bringing my kids near the place,” said Louise Kenny, a mother of two, while she shopped in the Firhouse Shopping Centre. When The Irish Times visited the facility on Sunday a security guard followed this reporter before ordering deletion of a photograph. Church management was alerted after The Irish Times refused. The church’s director of external affairs, Diana Stahl, said the facility was open to all but that members of the press must make an appointment. She said about 800 people had visited the centre since the Winter Wonderland opened last Friday. When The Irish Times visited at 2.30pm on Sunday there were less than 20 visitors present. Ms Stahl said members of the community were welcome to come in and discuss their concerns with a member of staff, except for protesters “who only want to cause trouble”. Asked how many people have joined the church since the Firhouse facility opened, another Scientology official, who identified herself as Janet, said they do not keep track of those numbers. In a separate emailed statement, Ms Stahl said Scientology is a “non conversionalist” organisation. “You can meet many people who we have known and worked with for years who will confirm to you that we have never tried to ‘recruit’ them.” She said “various local councillors and community representatives, local organisations, local media, numerous sports groups, artists and young families” have visited the facility since it opened. Many of Scientology’s Firhouse events have been accompanied by protests outside the facility by a small but vocal group of anti-Scientology activists. A protest against the "Winter Wonderland" festival took place last Friday. On Sunday a play titled "Squeeze my Cans" was staged in another community centre in Firhouse which mocked the church. It stars US actress and anti-Scientology activist Cathy Schenkelberg, who was a member of the church for 14 years before she left. The autobiographical plot features a woman auditioning to be the girlfriend of famous Scientologist and actor Tom Cruise. Conor Gallagher is Crime and Security Correspondent of The Irish Times Facebook pageTwitter feed© 2025 The Irish Times DAC A MOTION to change the name of what is known as ‘Balrothery Weir’ to Firhouse Weir has been shelved following a vote at the County Development Plan meeting also known as City Weir or City Watercourse is a well-known hidden gem situated at Mount Carmel Park A motion to change the name of what is known as the Balrothery Weir to Firhouse Weir was shelved The picturesque weir has been a point of contention amongst local residents due to confusion surrounding its “correct” name The weir has been known by a few names over the years such as the Firhouse Weir Balrothery Weir and Tallaght Weir and holds great historic importance and value to residents of Firhouse Thomas’ Abbey on Thomas Street at a date before 1244 and then altered by the citizens in 1244 to increase the flow the water supply for Dublin City was provided by the River Poddle Almost all of the Dodder’s water was diverted into the Weir A motion was put forward by councillor Brian Lawlor councillor Baby Pereppadan and councillor David McManus at South Dublin County Council’s County Development Plan meeting to change the listing of the weir in the Record of Protected Structures (RPS) which is currently listed as ‘City Watercourse The motion to change the name to ‘Firhouse Weir’ in the RPS was voted against by a majority vote from local councillors and will remain listed as ‘City Watercourse Councillor for Firhouse – Bohernabreena Alan Edge who voted against the motion to change the name said that the weir has “long been one of the features most intimately associated with Firhouse” “It is undeniably a key part of how Firhouse residents define themselves and their area but to residents in the wider Tallaght area it has a deep significance too and a different name,” said Cllr Edge “I think we need to accept that placenames are highly subjective and respect the fact that people’s views may differ that’s doubtless what you’ll call it to the end of your days.” a manager’s report from South Dublin County Council read: “The address/location refers to Firhouse and the description includes the Millrace “It was requested under the review of the previous CDP that Firhouse be changed to Balrothery the location description was correctly left as Firhouse The original description and location should therefore be left unchanged.” Cllr Edge added that the issue has proved to be one that has aroused feelings of anger and ill-feeling and it is finally time that it be put to an end He said: “The name of the Weir and the accompanying watercourse infrastructure is and always has been The City Watercourse Firhouse and that’s what it should remain to avoid any confusion or controversy “People remain free to call it whatever they’ve grown up calling it hopefully free from censure from someone who happens to have a different perspective.” OFTEN spotted marking the pitches around Firhouse Denis Kiely has volunteered with Firhouse Carmel Football Club for over 38 years having seen the club grow and expand over the decades and now caters for over 300 schoolboys and girls from the local area in a total of 22 teams Denis attended Drimnagh Castle secondary school and went on to work for Roadstone before moving to the suburb of Firhouse during the large-scale housing developments in the late 1970’s and 1980’s they would have been the first or second houses in the area at the time,” said Denis “Obviously then it expanded on to Carriglea and Killakee – they used to call it Tymon Heights before it was called Killakee “There was a little shop as you come up the Ballycullen Road – there was a windy road [that led to] a house with a shop built on and she was the sole supplier of shops in the total area at the time.” Denis became involved in Firhouse Carmel F.C when his oldest son Denis says that lots of lads that started when they were kids are coming back now with their own kids a couple of lads set up a team who actually played football in Bushy Park and found that there was nowhere to play up here,” said Denis “A guy named Aidan Power started it with another man and all of a sudden it grew – it was another team and another team and at one stage we had something in the region of 29 teams “I was sort of helping out doing bits and pieces because at this particular stage we were on Carrigwood Green and we used to carry out some goalposts from my next-door neighbour to the green and play a match over there.” Denis admits he has “been everything” within the club as well as being on the youth club committee who were running the football back in the day and then became involved in the resident’s association “Effectively then there was a Carrigwood Resident’s Association a Carriglea Resident’s Association and a Woodlawn one as well with Tymon Heights being the biggest one at the time,” explained Denis “Out of that we formed what was known as the FCC which was the Firhouse Community Council and that was an umbrella for the whole area I served on that for about ten to fifteen years and I was chair on that for a bit of time as well.” It was Firhouse Community Council that were responsible for the development and building of Firhouse Community and Leisure Centre “It developed into more of a leisure centre than a community centre although there are people that would argue with me about that,” said Denis “It got very big and then the scouts came into it and they built a premises beside it in the same complex and then they got their drinks licence and that’s where they are at now.” A topic of contention amongst many in Firhouse and other suburbs in South County Dublin is the rapid development of houses and amenities which can lead to the decrease of green spaces the plans to build two schools on the green space off Killininny Road in Firhouse which we now know as Educate Together Firhouse and Gaelscoil na Giuise caused a rift between the council and many concerned residents in the area who voiced their frustration and worry at losing a significant amount of green space that was used for sports and other activities and we were very adamant that we were not doing this as an anti-development and it was about losing our green space rather than anti-school we did an awful lot of battling and out of that battle came the development of the back end of Carrigwood where we now have seven-a-side and nine-a-side and a 100-metre 11-a-side pitch which is in fairly good condition at this stage and we are still fighting the battles trying to get different bits and pieces done but that is what you have to do.” When asked about the changes he has been witness to over the past almost four decades Denis says there have been “massive changes” in the area and in the football and we play up in Ballycragh park and we now have new pitches beside the new schools “There are a lot of young lads that started with the club when they were kids and now they are back with their own kids playing football and some of them are managing so it obviously had something to offer people when they keep coming back.” Any resident in Firhouse and surrounding areas will be familiar with Firhouse Carmel F ‘The Mini World Cup’ which usually takes place in the summer months and attracts hundreds of children and families It was great fun and I have absolutely no doubt it will be back We run an academy from six years up to nine and there are around 90 to 120 kids that go up there every Saturday morning – so there is an interest there.” FIRHOUSE Community College have work featured in a new national exhibition at the National Museum of Ireland This exhibition is part of the Irish Architecture Foundation’s Architects in Schools programme which provides Transition Year students with first-hand experience of the design process under the guidance of architects and architectural graduates The students created 2D drawing and 3D models within three key themes; home All of these drawings and models were inspired by the Irish Folklife collection at the National Museum of Ireland Firhouse students created a model for the exhibition with the help of their teacher Karen Scally and collaborating architect Patrick Dunne This year the programme hit a new record for the number of schools participating with 1,750 students participating from 70 schools across 19 counties and 41 architects helping The Architects in Schools Exhibition is co-produced by the Irish Architecture Foundation and the national Museum of Ireland and supported by the Arts Council of Ireland Department of Education and Department of Housing The exhibition is free to visit and runs until Thursday June 30 late of Firhouse and originally from Rathfarnham passed away peacefully after a long and courageous battle bravely faced on the 8th of June 2023 and adored mother-in-law to Kate and Liam; Jane will be sadly missed by all her loving family and all extended family neighbours and large circle friends Jane will be reposing in the Larry Massey Funeral Home Removal on Tuesday morning to the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel arriving for 11.30am Mass followed by burial in Kilmashogue Cemetery All enquiries to Larry Massey Funeral Directors https://www.cancer.ie/ways-to-help/donate/in-memory-tributes Jane’s Funeral Mass may be viewed live online via the following link: https://www.churchservices.tv/firhouse A PENALTY shootout was required to separate near neighbours Firhouse Carmel and Templeogue United when they clashed in the Under 14 Paisley Deering Cup quarter finals at Firhouse Community College – the homeside eventually emerging 4-2 winners reports Eoin Gardiner A volley in the dying embers from Firhouse’s Oran Lougheed made it 3-3 and forced the game into extra time during which each team served up another score Jaden Muwaniri converted a penalty for Firhouse after Jacob Collery had been upended in the box before Templeogue’s Alex McCurtin smashed the ball into the bottom left with only seven minutes remaining to effectively take the game to a shootout It was Firhouse who were first off the mark in this epic tie after receiving a through-ball from Darragh McPhillips Collery struck with power from the edge of the box Templeogue United’s Jacob Keating-Drake takes a tumble under the challenge of Firhouse Carmel’s Jacob Collery during their Under 14 Paisley Deering Cup quarter final clash on Saturday (Image: Paddy Barrett) And the same player was on target again just before the half hour mark when a long-range effort from McPhillips rattled off the crossbar and fell kindly for Collery to tap home and double his side’s lead Templeogue finally opened their own account just after the half-time break when Reece Kane attempted a lob over goalkeeper and although the Firhouse shot-stopper managed to get a touch on the ball it was not enough to prevent it bouncing into the net a strike on goal was blocked on the edge of the Firhouse box only for Templeogue’s Alex Comerford to scoop up the rebound and equalise for the visitors Templeogue then edged ahead for the first time in the tie when a delivery in was inadvertently steered home for an own goal in the 53rd minute Firhouse continued to carve out the vast majority of goalscoring opportunities the best of which saw Sullivan almost place the ball into the top right Roman Terzioska to push his effort away for a corner Collery went close to completing his hat-trick with an effort from the edge of the box that ran just the wrong side of the upright after which his cross found the head of Ben Morgan only for that attempt to sail wide of the mark Templeogue also went close to extending their lead when Comerford got a shot off from close range but the angle proved too acute as goalkeeper Farrelly made light work of the test Firhouse capitalised on that reprieve when Oran Lougheed served up a late leveller to take the game into extra time which failed to determine a winner And the resulting shootout saw the hosts prevail as Collery Muwaniri and Lougheed all held their nerve from the spot to see their side through to the last four of the competition A SPECIAL area committee meeting to allow local councillors to voice their objections to the proposed development at Morton’s pub in Firhouse was held last week One councillor at the meeting said the proposed development would “lead to a massive and irreversible loss of amenity for local residents” to make way for the construction of 100 apartments were lodged last month Bluemont Developments Firhouse Limited submitted the plans as a Strategic Housing Development using the fast-track planning scheme that allows SHDs to be submitted directly to An Bord Pleanála There are three different aspects to the proposal which includes the demolition of all existing site structures and development to consist of non-residential uses The two-storey building formerly used as a public house and ancillary off-licence along with a two-storey building comprising an existing barber shop and betting office are set for demolition eastern boundary wall and gated entrance from Mount Carmel Park will also be demolished as part of this plan Proposals include the construction of 100 residential units comprising 96 apartments and four duplex units scaling between three and five-storeys over lower ground-floor and basement levels The apartments will break down into 44 two-bed units five three-beds and two studio units along with two one-bed duplex apartments and two two-bed duplexes and office at the ground-floor levels of the proposed developments Vehicular access to the site will be from the existing access off Firhouse Road with provision for 80 car-parking spaces at basement level a special meeting of the area committee for councillors covering Firhouse Templeogue and Rathfarnham was held to discuss the proposed development Independent councillor for Firhouse-Bohernabreena who is the outgoing chairperson of the area committee convened the special meeting for councillors to voice their opposition to the plans Cllr Edge outlined the objection he had submitted to An Bord Pleanála a potential risk to wildlife in nearby Dodder Valley Park issues with a local sewerage line already operating “above capacity” and its potential impact on the character and amenity of the area He added: “My objections fall under various headings this site is simply not big enough to accommodate 100 units “The inescapable conclusion to be drawn is that the attempt to cram 100 units into this space which will lead to a massive and irreversible loss of amenity for local residents as well as wholly unmanageable additional strains on local infrastructure is being made purely and solely to derive the benefits in terms of lack of effective regulation from the fast-track process in its dying days notwithstanding that this site is plainly unsuited for a development of this height and density “That much should be obvious to any reasonable planning authority and is as clear as day to the residents of nearby Mount Carmel Park and to those of us elected to represent them.” SHD applications go straight to An Bord Pleanála bypassing councils and disarming elected representatives from making a decision on large-scale developments which was signed into effect by then-Minister for Housing for the purpose of meeting the demand for housing Legislation to end SHDs and restore the decision-making of large-scale housing developments to local authorities such as South Dublin County Council was passed in December 2021 This bill replaces the SHD process with a new planning process known as Large Scale Residential Developments (LRDs) both LRD and SHD planning consent schemes will operate concurrently until all applications have worked their way through the system A decision on the Morton’s SHD has yet to be made by An Bord Pleanála RAZING the landmark Mortons The Firhouse Inn pub to the ground to make way for 100 apartments is the subject of a new fast-track planning application lodged with An Bord Pleanála Bluemont Developments Firhouse Limited is seeking permission for a Strategic Housing Development (SHD) on lands at Two Firhouse Road and the former Morton’s There are three different aspects to the development The two-storey building formally used as a public house and ancillary off-licence along with a two-storey building comprising an existing barber shop and betting office are set for demolition comprising of 96 apartments and four duplex units arranged in two blocks scaling between three and five-storeys over lower ground floor and basement levels Vehicular access to the site will be from the existing access off Firhouse Road with provision for some 80 car parking spaces at basement level Mortons as it sits today on the Firhouse Road  motorcycle parking and electric vehicle charging points which has an address at Clonminch Hi Tech Park in Tullamore Fearghal de Feu and Sean Corroon are listed as directors to the company The company was incorporated on October 22 According to local historian Albert Perris’ A Ramble About Tallaght blog Harry Morton purchased The Firhouse Inn for £22,800 back in March 1963 bypassing councils and disarming elected representatives from making a decision on a large-scale development Legislation to end SHDs and restore the decision-making of large-scale housing developments to Local Authorities such as South Dublin County Council was passed in December 2021 Man aged in his 60s dies after an assault in Firhouse Dublin last nightMan (30s) arrested at the scene gardaí investigating all circumstancesNeighbours in shock at death of ‘gentle giant’Deceased was a tradesman and had been living in area for a long time Gardai at the scene of a murder on Carriglea View A man in his 60s has died after an assault in Firhouse The fatal incident occurred at a house in Carriglea View in Dublin 24 A man in his 30s was arrested at the scene but gardaí are investigating all the circumstances surrounding the fatal assault Emergency services attended the scene and the man in his 60s was pronounced dead shortly after midnight The scene of the assault this morning (Photo: Conor Feehan) Neighbours in the quiet Carriglea estate reacted with shock this morning They said there had been some noise in the house and then they saw the blue lights from the emergency services It is understood the deceased was a tradesman working in the construction industry and had been living at the house for a long time Another neighbour said the man who died was semi-retired He was quiet and had two grown-up children I heard some noises in the house late last night and then I saw the gardaí and the emergency services so I knew there was something wrong,” they explained A local man said the victim was polite but not chatty “He was a quiet gentleman who got on with life,” he said Local councillor Deirdre O’Donovan said the attack was shocking and upsetting “You hear constantly that you can’t imagine something happening in an area like this The local residents are desperately upset and all our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time,” she said “It’s tragic and utterly heartbreaking,” she added and a technical examination is being carried out by the Garda Technical Bureau The office of the State Pathologist has been notified and a post-mortem will be conducted later today The arrested male has been taken to Tallaght Garda Station where he is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act Gardaí are appealing for anyone with information in relation to this incident to come forward Gardaí are particularly appealing to anyone who was in the Carriglea View area of Firhouse Dublin 24 last night between 11.30pm and 12.30am to come forward Anyone with any information in relation to this matter should contact Tallaght Garda Station on 01 666 6000 the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station Please check your inbox to verify your details Now download the free app for all the latest Sunday World News, Crime, Irish Showbiz and Sport. Available on Apple and Android devices Brendan Vincent O’Brien, Carrigwood, Firhouse, Dublin 24 died 25th September 2023 peacefully and gracefully at Earlsbrook House Nursing Home, Bray. Sadly missed by his loving daughters Claire, Gail and Jeni, brother Ed, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nephews, nieces, relatives, neighbours and friends. Reposing in McElroy’s Funeral Home, Tallaght (Eircode D24 ADT7) this Friday evening, 29th September, from 4pm until 6pm. Removal from there on Saturday morning at 9.30am to The Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Firhouse arriving for 10am Requiem Mass followed by cremation in The Victorian Chapel, Mount Jerome, Harold’s Cross at 11.30am. Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, can be made directly to The Irish Heart Foundation. Vincent’s Funeral Mass and Cremation Service can be viewed live on the two webstream links below. If you would like to leave a personal message of condolence you may do so in the “Condolences” section below. Funeral Service.css-h76uj{display:inherit;margin-right:-4px;margin-left:8px;}Cremation / BurialDate Published: Leitrim GAA is greatly saddened to learn of the sudden and untimely death of Liam Flynn Kiltoghert and Leitrim player who graced the field at all levels He first came to notice as an Under 16 Player of note and in 1975 when Leitrim captured the first of its three Fr Manning Cup titles Liam was the team leader as captain he was awarded the County Youth Player of the Year Award What is remarkable by comparison with the current era is that he played wing forward in his club’s 1975 SFC Final encounter with eventual champions while still a Minor he was part of the historic Leitrim Under 21 Panel that captured the county’s first-ever Connacht Under 21 Championship He was a starting player in the Connacht Final victory over Roscommon and joined the action as a second-half substitute in the All-Ireland semi-final versus Kerry This particular group of players has been recognised both locally and indeed beyond our borders as the finest group of assembled players to ever represent the county at the underage level running a star-studded Kerry selection to a mere 5 points after a thrilling encounter he was joined on that panel by his brother Michael who lined out at corner back He also captained the Leitrim Minor team in 1977 which was defeated by Mayo in the Connacht Final He later went on to represent the County at Senior level Liam had a stellar club career with his native St Mary’s Kiltoghert and also played in the 1977 and 1983 County SFC Final defeats to Glencar/Manorhamilton and Aughawillan respectively Leitrim GAA offers its sincerest sympathies to his wife Marie https://rip.ie/death-notice/liam-flynn-leitrim-533188 Disclaimer / Privacy Statement late of Firhouse and formerly of Rathfarnham and 36 years at the Land Registry Authority Predeceased by her parents Brian and Angela and her brother-in-law Joe; Brenda will be deeply missed by her loving sisters Frankie Brenda will be reposing in the Larry Massey Funeral Home followed by burial in Mount Jerome Cemetery https://supportstjames.ie/ Brenda’s Funeral Mass may be viewed live online by clicking the link below. 2022 (Firhouse and formerly of Walkinstown) (unexpectedly) much loved and devoted dad (Ray) of Róisín and Eóin and cherished son of Kitty and Kevin Ray will be forever loved and very sadly missed by his loving wife Róisín’s partner Daniel extended family and friends especially all his team mates from Round Towers and Ballyboden St.Endas GAA Clubs and his four legged pal Brody A celebration of Ray’s life will take place in the Temple at Newlands Cross Crematorium on Saturday at 2pm Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, to Thrombosis Ireland. https://thrombosis.ie/donate/   Those who cannot attend the Funeral Service To view Ray’s Cremation Service on Saturday at 2pm please click on the following link; https://www.dctrust.ie/location/newlands-cross/chapel-webstream.html    Please Note: The link provided to live-stream the Cremation Service is managed by an independent streaming company. The Funeral Home accepts NO responsibility for its functionality or interruption to a live transmission. Rip.ie, The Irish Times Building, 24-28 Tara Street, Dublin 2, Ireland There are long delays on the M50 southbound this morning after an earlier collision that blocked two lanes near Junction 12 Firhouse. Emergency services are at the scene of the collision, which took place between junction 11 Tallaght and the Firhouse exit. Traffic is currently down to one lane, with the middle and outside lane impacted. Dublin Fire Brigade said: “The road should be cleared soon.” We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Separately, there has been a breakdown on the M50 between junction 10 Ballymount and junction 11 Tallaght. Traffic is busy on large sections of the southbound M50. Motorists have been advised to expected delays between junction 3 Santry and junction 14 Sandyford. It’s currently taking motorist over 30 minutes to get from junction 9 Red Cow to junction 11 Balrathory. Traffic on the Dublin Tunnel southbound is also “extremely heavy”. TII said traffic is also building on the M7 eastbound between junction 9 Naas and the M50. Delays are also forming on the M4 eastbound between junction 8 Kilcock and junction 3 Lucan. Join the Irish Independent WhatsApp channel A “good natured protest” at the opening of the new Scientology Centre in Firhouse, Dublin, should not take away from the seriousness of “what Scientologists intend for Ireland”, demonstrators said. As locals stood and watched, a group of about 70 anti-Scientology protesters waved placards and made allegations about Scientology practices which they claimed caused psychological damage and cost members significant sums of money. Footpaths were closed for about 100m east of the former Victory Centre premises in Firhouse. Roads and traffic barriers and security personnel kept protesters away from large metal gates. Bill Drummond from England, dressed as a pirate and armed with a loud-hailer, marched back and forth urging the crowd to “hold the line”. “I was in it for 50 years, and I am out 2½ years” Mr Drummond said. “I’d had enough. I have 25 of my family members still in there.” A number of residents of houses along the Firhouse road warned protesters and a growing contingent of media that the gardaí had been called and parking fines would be issues unless vehicles were moved. The “Ideal Org” as the new centre is called was purchased last year for around €6 million, according to reports. While just 78 people listed Scientology as their religion in the last census the new premises is understood to have an auditorium with capacity of 1,000. “They are not doing this by accident, they are planning to build a base in Ireland, use the centre to expand their control and influence,” said May Curtis from Tallaght. Ms Curtis said she was never involved with the church but felt “it should be banned”. “It is good natured but there is a serious thing around what they in there are planning for Ireland,” she alleged. In a press statement Mike Rinder, a former executive director of Scientology’s Office of Special Affairs, described the Ideal Org strategy as a “real estate, money-making scheme and PR campaign for internal Scientologists.” David Miscavige, leader of the church since the death of founder L Ron Hubbard in 1986, is understood to be in Dublin for the opening, but attempts to contact the church for a comment were not successful. During the afternoon a number of people emerged from the premises but requests to speak to the media did not elicit a response. Tim O'Brien is an Irish Times journalist Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open You are visiting us because we have something you value Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. THE CHURCH OF Scientology is expected to open a European base in south Dublin after spending money to refurbish a state-of-the-art community centre in Firhouse TheJournal.ie has learned that the movement is investing here by buying fittings for the Victory Centre –  a large community centre and church which was at one time owned by the Victory Christian Fellowship The company they have used to ship the supplies list the following achievements on their website: “Since inception HPC has purchased over $150 million of furniture fixtures and equipment for projects ranging from the 5-star Newstead Belmont Hills Golf Resort and Spa in Hamilton Bermuda to developing a comprehensive program for the Church of Scientology’s 155 buildings on 6 continents.” Local Fine Gael councillor Brian Lawlor told TheJournal.ie that he has heard from a number of sources that the centre is to open. Currently, the only Church of Scientology International centre is located in Los Angeles and is described by the movement as the worldwide HQ and “the mother church of the Scientology religion”.According to the movement’s website: Sources have stressed that this does not mean that Scientology’s worldwide headquarters are being moved from LA to Firhouse they did say that the group could use it as a European base €12 million less than what it was valued at seven years ago It also has a number of large meeting rooms and a designated place of worship which can hold over 1,200 people The church’s registered company here, which does not have religious or charitable status, recorded a profit of €48,803 in Ireland last year The land in Firhouse is zoned by the council to be used as a place of worship This means the Church of Scientology would not have to register any other interest with the council before building commenced on the site last year The land has not to be registered with the authorities and attempts to obtain information regarding the deeds proved unsuccessful we observed building work continuing on the site Asked if they could comment on the new owners of the site Sources have told this publication that the centre has the ability to host over 1,200 people for seminars and other church business To view a higher-res image of this document, click here The Church of Scientology in Ireland currently operates out of two small hubs it set up a new National Affairs Office on Merrion Square in Dublin the office was established to “assist in meeting both physical and spiritual needs and in addressing social ills from drugs to poverty to homelessness” said: “By opening the doors of the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office for Ireland we are continuing in the tradition of our Founder L Ron Hubbard who himself held an office at 69 Merrion Square “And we do so with the intent to offer our humanitarian initiatives to all in honour of our founder and the aims of Scientology — a civilisation without insanity where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights and where man is free to rise to greater heights.” The group has been contacted by TheJournal.ie for comment but none has been provided Councillor Brian Lawlor met with us outside the centre this week and said that he had made representations to the council over the site He told TheJournal.ie: “I know for definite that the Scientologists are coming into Firhouse Not because of who is moving in but it’s a missed opportunity for the community It’s a remarkable site and it could have easily been transformed into a school There is a large demand for a new school in this area We made a number of representations to the Department of Education about this but were knocked back I have to say it’s a bad move not to have taken advantage of the site Create an email alert based on the current article Beloved husband of Gabrielle (Gaye) and devoted father of Helen Sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his family Ella and great-grandchildren Darcie Rose and Harper Removal on Wednesday morning to the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Harold’s Cross.  If you are unable to attend the funeral service you may view online by following the link below:  Funeral Mass Family flowers only please, donations in lieu to The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Blackrock, County Dublin. If you would like to leave a message of sympathy for the family to view you may do so in the section marked "Condolences" below. The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the staff of Tymon Nursing Home for the exceptional care given to Michael during his time with them. The following memoir featured in ‘Since Adam was a Boy: An Oral Folk History of Tallaght’ published in 1999 by local historian Albert Perris with support of Tallaght Welfare Society (now Trustus) The Memoirs of Bill Finnegan Born in Firhouse in 1921 Bill Finnegan lived in Killakee and Colbert’s Fort before settling in St Maelruan’s Park The son of a farm labourer from Ballycullen cottages After spending ten years driving lorries for the local quarries Although the final tram left Tallaght in 1932 could still remember the names of the drivers and conductors He played for Thomas Davis G.F.C for many years and was celebrated locally as one of the finest players to ever represent Tallaght I was born in a little house down in The Alley When I was a child there was a number of little houses down The Alley They were built on a slope down beside the river and if you walked straight in off the street A number of families lived in The Alley- the Whites the Keoghs and Kellys all lived there at one time I was only a young lad when we left The Alley after my father bought some of Lord Massy’s land when it was being divided up and sold off by the bank My father agreed to buy forty acres of Massy’s property up in Killakee for £500 We had twenty-five cows up there and would milk them every day- sell the milk door-to-door for a penny a pint in the bad weather with the frost and snow on the road You could go a month without selling a drop So we held on to the land for four or five years until my father was beat by the repayments the way it was with school: you only went to school of a wet day because there was so much work on the land There was a little village on the top of Mount Pelia (Pelier) at that time ‘The Rabbit Doyle’ and his wife and daughter lived there and ‘The Dote Kerwin’ and his mother; ‘The Swank McDermott’ and his mother and father ‘The Swank’ was the gamekeeper for (Lord) Massy’s Estate- a Scotsman he was They all lived in the thatched cottages on the top of Mount Pelia and as a lad I would deliver the milk up there every morning Those little houses were very old even then They must have been built around the early eighteen hundreds (Lord) Massy had all the land around there in the early days Lord Massy was a director of the Bank of England and one of the first trustees of ‘The Irish Sweep’ along with Capt Lady Massy and the two daughters worked in ‘The Irish Sweep’ and lived in the gatelodge up there until the 1940s Massy had beautiful gardens and orchards and the tourists would come out during the summer to see them The staff from all the big factories like Maguire and Paterson and Powers would come out during the summer on excursions Maurice Fox had tearooms and a ballroom up in Killakee House and crowds would come out of town for that on a Sunday When we came down from Killakee in the year of the congress- 1932 my father gave his milk round to Jingler McDermott and when Jingler died years later it’s said he left over fifteen million pounds he became a dairyman and bought himself a motor bike with a sidecar and two ten-gallon churns He bought the Jobstown Inn at one time and put a brother of Christy’s into it to run it for him- ‘The Phantom Broe’ an officer who had been in the British Army and had come home after the war The Jingler only had The Jobstown a wet day and he sold it Later in life he married a girl who worked for Kavanagh’s of Templeogue but because he was so old he hadn’t any children or family so I don’t know who he left all his money to The Jobstown Inn was closed-up for much of the 1930s as was most of the pubs around Tallaght at that time Only two of pubs stayed open throughout the 1930- The Convent (Dragon Inn) and Mick Delanys over in Firhouse Kennedy’s (Old Mill) on the corner; The Cuckoo’s (Nest) and Molloy’s were all closed up for a time in the ‘thirties There was no population in Tallaght at that time and money was scarce Ordinary men wouldn’t know the inside of a pub until a Saturday night and then he would only have two John Kennedy and his wife had the pub on the corner (The Old Mill) John’s brother Andy had The Embankment and I used to give his sister a lift into work so he had to go around in a horse and trap was a bit of a wild man- fond of the dogs and the drink but every now and then he would return and start squandering the profits so eventually the bank repossessed the pub the day the Americans dropped the bomb on Hiroshima He was only about 15 years old at the time and he was there about two years when the bank repossessed the pub from the Kennedy’s and put him in charge It took him a few years to clear the debt but when he did the bank gave him the option of buying it out Paddy Porter and his mother had the pub in Oldbawn in the 30s as had Mick Delaney’s and Mitchell’s Pub in Rockbrook Bobby Delaney had The Cuckoo’s Nest at one time I was only 15 years of old when I started driving lorries for a living My uncle had three lorries of his own so that’s how I became interested in them I went into driving Lorries full time then until I went into CIE in 1947 There was a lot of men on the lorries in Tallaght at that time Jack Smullen from down Pig Lane in Templeogue and Tom Watkins Most of the quarrying at that time would be done during the summer months There wasn’t the money spent on roads then so there wasn’t the capacity for work in the quarries during the winter I used to drive to the stone crusher on Kennedy’s Corner Taylor & Company had that there for years The men would draw local stone from the quarries in Woodtown or De Selby Dudley Dolan was the manager up in Woodtown Quarry Nothing moved for three months with the height of the snow When the snow cleared the army had to come out to Tallaght to bury the cattle I started driving buses with Tim Sullivan (His father had been one of the Tram Drivers in Tallaght in the early days) Christy Preston and Anthony Heron lived in Colberts Fort There were two types of tram that came to Tallaght before they ended in ‘32 so it wouldn’t have to turn and could hold about twenty people ‘The Large Player’ would run from Terenure to Jobstown The other tram was a Ford Model T- ‘The Match Box’ That would only run from Terenure to Tallaght and could only hold eight or ten people because we were going to school the next morning where the supermarket (Old H Williams) is now in the village It was coming out of the ‘siding’ when Jimmy Jones fell down the stairs and ended up between two of the carriages there wasn’t so much of going to the chapel The person would be waked in the house and the priest would come over with the candles and say the De Profundis and the prayers for the dead over the body in the house They have tweeted that two pumps are dealing with the incident The ESB and Bord Gais have been drafted in to assist THE Ballycullen Food Bank has secured a new storage space in the grounds of Firhouse Community College which officially began being used last Monday Representatives from the food bank and staff from Amazon Web Services (AWS) The voluntary service has struggled with a lack of storage space for donated goods in recent months told The Echo: “It’s getting out of control the number of people coming to the food bank “With social welfare payments being cut left “There are also people who are still working but they’ve fallen behind with their mortgage and bills going up and they can’t cope – there’s no help for anybody who actually works “You go out and earn a hard day’s living and you still might not be able to afford to live.” The Ballycullen Food Bank provides a monthly service where they supply groceries for upwards of 120 people who make contact with them through their Facebook page and get an appointment they’ll get to meet one of the service’s four volunteers and will collect their groceries confidentially The service has been supported by Knocklyon United Football Club who provide some storage space for it but the food bank has felt the strain of having limited storage space It is hoped that this will now be alleviated by the new spaces in Firhouse CC because there was a time when we had a massive influx of donations and sometimes we’ve to turn them away but we hate turning down stuff because we have no room for it,” said Sue “We approached Firhouse Community College because we knew the Educate Together school was there for a couple of years “So we just broached the subject with them and my son goes to school there and we supply some of the families there The school happily supported the food bank while AWS helped to get the spaces into good working order for the service There has been no reduction in demand for the services of the Ballycullen Food Bank since it was set up in 2020 and Sue believes that requests for help will continue to increase we’d be multi-millionaires because we’re growing exponentially but I don’t think that’s going to happen – I think we’ll keep going because people keep needing us “People shouldn’t need food banks in this day and age Requests for assistance can be made by contacting Ballycullen Food Bank on Facebook while donations can be left into the Park Community Centre from Monday to Saturday every week For full access to all content on Echo.ie and to support the continuation of local news and local journalism in your community subscribe HERE This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.