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Preface to the Second Edition.

At the request of many friends, I venture to lay a new edition of my uncle’s History of Tallaght before the public. It is an unpretentious record, by one who laid no claim to archaeological knowledge of the parish in which his family had long resided, and is not free from the imperfections attendant on authorship by one actively engaged in other pursuits. My unless was himself aware that the little work contained many errors and omissions, and these he had intended to correct and supply in a revised edition. With this design he had made a number of notes; but unfortunately, as the greater portion of these were accidentally destroyed after his death, only a few are now available. In this edition I have made no avoidable alterations, and have supplied such additional information as I have been able to collect in foot-notes and appendices. My warm thanks and grateful acknowledgements are due to Mr. F. Elrington Ball, for very valuable aid in the revision of this work, and for interesting notes which he has supplied. To the Rev. William Reynell, B. D., I am indebted for much additional ecclesiastical information; and to Mr. Edward Blackburne, Q.C.; Mr. M’Sweeny, of the Royal Irish Academy; and other friends for kind assistance.

Mary Butler White,

Sally Park,

August, 1899.

Preface to the First Edition.

The want of local history has often been complained of; and few writers care to describe what is passing around them; yet, in after years, how interesting do such records become! Old houses go to decay and their inhabitants die out; in a comparatively short space of time no memory of either remains; and if any inquiry becomes necessary, there is great difficulty in finding out anything about them. Within the last 200 years, what changes have taken place in the topography of our County of Dublin: new roads, new boundaries, buildings, and plantations, have in many places altered the face of the country. Woods which covered large tracts have disappeared; wastes and marshes have been reclaimed and drained; hills formerly cultivated have again become covered with heath and furze, whilst others have been cleared and enclosed.

How valuable would a History of the County of Dublin, such as D’Alton’s, written 200 years ago, be in the present day. D’Alton’s is perhaps the only local History we have; and although it contains inaccuracies, still it is a most valuable record. Austin Cooper, about 100 years ago, wrote descriptions and made accurate sketches of many old castles, churches, and other antiquities, not only in this county, but in other parts of Ireland. His manuscripts (for none of his writings were published) disappeared after his death, and for many years were lost; but recently his grandson, who, with the same name, possesses similar tastes, by an advertisement in the London *Times, *obtained a clue which led to the discovery of a large portion of them. Many are still missing, but what have been found are very interesting. [Austin Cooper, who was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, was Inspector of Military Barracks in Ireland. He resided at Abbeyville House, near Malahide, built by the Right Hon. John fleresford. He died in 1830, and was buried at Kinsaley. See account of his works by Mr. E. R. M’C. Dix, in *The Irish Builder *for 1897. p. 103.]

Amongst the unpublished MSS. of the Ordnance Survey, preserved in the Royal Irish Academy, Professor O’Curry’s Letters describe many of the antiquities visited by him in 1837 in the parish of Tallaght.

There are many notices of Tallaght in *The Annals *if the Four Masters, and The Martyrology of *Tallaght *is among the earliest of our ecclesiastical MSS. In *The Haliday Pamphlets *may be found copies of *The Templeogue Intelligencer, *the first number of which I have given at length. From these sources; and from any others I could find, I have largely quoted. Other information has been obtained from inquiries amongst old inhabitants, from notes of my grandfather, and from recollections of my father, who has passed a long life in this place, and remembers many anecdotes of times long gone by.

Thus, by jotting down and stringing together at odd times everything which I could discover about Tallaght, I have formed the following History, which, however imperfect, may some time hereafter be interesting to those who, like myself, are fond of old stories. If any of his readers can give the author more information as to the localities mentioned, they would confer a great obligation upon him.

William Domville Handcock. [See Appendix A.]

Sally Park, 1896.

Handcock Index.