[2] Up to the 1960s, Tallaght was a small village in the old County Dublin, linked to several nearby rural areas which were part of the large civil parish of the same name—the local council estimates the population then to be 2,500.

Tallaght is also the name of an extensive civil parish, which includes other areas of southern and southwestern Dublin, from Templeogue to Ballinascorney in the mountains.

A book about the civil parish was published in the 19th century, The History and Antiquities of Tallaght in the County of Dublin, written by William Domville Handcock.

The burials that have been found in the Tallaght area, however, are all normal pre-historic interments, mainly from the Bronze Age, and nothing suggesting a mass grave has so far been recorded here.

The Annals of the Four Masters record the legendary event as follows: In translation: The name in Irish, Tamhlacht, is found at other places, such as Tamlaght in Magherafelt District, Northern Ireland, though the mention of Eadoir, probably Binn Éadair (Howth) in the passage below, suggests that Tallaght is the more likely location for this tale.

Places near Tallaght featured in the ancient legends of the Fianna, a band of warriors that roamed the country and fought for the High King at Tara.

In Lady Gregory's Gods and Fighting Men, mention is made of, in particular, Gleann na Smól: in Chapter 12 "The Red Woman", on a misty morning, Fionn says to his Fians, "Make yourselves ready, and we will go hunting to Gleann-na-Smol".

The influence of the monastery continued after his death, as can be judged by the fact that, in 806, the monks of Tallaght were able to prevent the holding of the Tailteann Games, because of some infringement of their rights.

The complete disappearance of every trace of what must have been an extensive and well-organised monastic settlement can only be accounted for by the subsequent history of the place, the erection and demolition of defensive walls and castles, and the incessant warfare and destruction that lasted for hundreds of years.

[citation needed] Throughout the greater part of the 13th century a state of comparative peace existed at Tallaght, but subsequently, the O'Byrnes and O'Tooles, in what would become County Wicklow, took offensive action and were joined by many of the Archbishop's tenants.

No trace of these defensive walls survive and there is no evidence of their exact location, except, perhaps, for the name of the Watergate Bridge which spans the Dodder on the Oldbawn Road.

The following year it was sold to Major Palmer, Inspector General of Prisons, who pulled the palace down and used the materials to build his mansion, Tallaght House, as well as a schoolhouse and several cottages.

[citation needed] The grounds of the Priory, the old palace gardens, still retain older features such as the Archbishop's bathhouse, the Friar's Walk and St. Maelruain's Tree, a Persian walnut of the eighteenth century.

[citation needed] The old constabulary barracks on the main street were the scene of the engagement known as the 'Battle of Tallaght', which occurred during the Fenian Rising on 5 March 1867.

Many of the social and cultural proposals in this plan were ignored by the Dublin local authorities, and contrary to planners' suggestions, Tallaght and the other "new towns" were not provided with adequate facilities.

Characterised by the same problems associated with poorly planned fringe areas of many European cities, during the 1970s and 1980s Tallaght became synonymous with suburban mismanagement.

Tallaght's Civic Square contains the seat of the local authority, County Hall, a modern and well-equipped library facility, a theatre building and a "cutting edge" 4-storey arts centre named "Rua Red" (which opened on 5 February 2009).

The suburban villages of Saggart and Rathcoole, and the Citywest campus, with growing amounts of housing, lie west of Tallaght, along with the Air Corps aerodrome at Baldonnel.

Tallaght is connected to Dublin city by bus services and by the Red Line of the Luas light rail system, which opened in September 2004.

[17] Early plans for the line proposed to link Tallaght with several satellite towns west of Dublin city, including Clondalkin, Lucan, and Blanchardstown.

It serves housing developments such as Cairnwood, Ambervale, Belgard Green, Fettercairn, Kilmartin, Brookview, Ardmore, Citywest and Russell Square.

The newer "town centre" lies immediately to the south across the Belgard Road, encompassing Belgard Square, the main shopping complex (known as The Square also known as the Pyramid), the Luas Red Line terminus, Tallaght Hospital (including the National Children's Hospital), County Hall, the Civic Theatre, South Dublin County Library, Rua Red Arts Centre, and several bars, restaurants and hotels.

[citation needed] This district includes estates such as Bancroft, Balrothery, Glenview, Castle Park, Saint Aongus, Tymon, Bolbrook and Avonbeg.

[citation needed] Historical features in the area include St. Maelruain's Church and Tallaght Castle The more modern "town centre" area of Tallaght holds offices of local and central government entities, including South Dublin County Council, the Revenue Commissioners, the Department of Social and Family Affairs, the Health Service Executive (Eastern Region), County Dublin V.E.C., as well as local FÁS offices.

Work on the site recommenced on 6 May 2008,[21] after a judicial review taken by a local GAA club had been thrown out of court the preceding January.

There they were drawn against Serbian Champions FK Partizan, whom they defeated 3–2 on aggregate (2-1 on the night after extra time) to reach the group stages of the Europa League.

[34] Glenanne Hockey Club is based in Tallaght, playing their home games on the astroturf pitch located in St. Marks Community School.

It is now displayed proudly in Vincent’s shop, joining many local businesses and groups that embrace and fly the Tallaght flag with pride.

The green triangle in the lower left corner represents the lush landscapes and natural beauty of Tallaght, a color historically associated with Ireland, signifying growth and harmony.

The white background provides a neutral canvas, symbolising peace and unity, reflecting the community’s aspirations for harmony and collaboration.