Four young people from Tallaght in west Dublin provide a personal report on their hometown.
Four young people from Tallaght in West Dublin, Claire Fay, Justin Corr, Mary Murphy and Declan Daly rise to the challenge to make a report about their locality. As the media always highlight the problems in the area,
We want to show Tallaght, that we live here and are proud of it.
Until 1950, Tallaght was a small village in the mountains, seven miles from Dublin, with 300 inhabitants. The new Tallaght developed around the old village centre. In 1989 it was the third largest town in Ireland, with a population of 80,000.
Here in Tallaght, the third of the people are under 9, almost half of the people are under 19 and nearly 90% are under 40.
Some of the young Tallaght inhabitants outline the benefits of living in the area, including its friendly people and proximity to the mountains and Dublin city centre. There are 300 voluntary clubs and organisations run by people in Tallaght. Many young people participate in gymnastics, dancing, swimming, piano lessons, Brigín Guides and the Tallaght Youth Band.
On the downside, the promised development of facilities for those living in Tallaght has not materialised. Children attending the Scoil Santain in Tallaght must travel to Coláiste Íosagáin in Stillorgan or Colaiste Chillian in Clondalkin for a secondary education through Irish.
A young person points out that any facilities in Tallaght are due to pressure groups and individuals fighting for the past 10 years rather than politicians.
People from Tallaght can give themselves a pat on the back and, you know, rightly so.
Douglas Hyde of Dublin County Council outlines some of the many plans for Tallaght. Twenty years on, the town centre is finally under construction. A Tallaght Regional Technical College (RTC) and hospital are imminent but,
What about the arts centre the library, the sports complex, they too are in the plans, when are they going to go into construction?
The plans for these facilities are ready to go when Dublin County Council secures European Community (EC) funding.
According to the Monarch Properties publicity, the new £50 million shopping centre The Square is part of a new dynamic Ireland. By the end of the 20th century, it is calculated that 25,000 young people will be looking for jobs in Tallaght. There is optimism The Square will bring further facilities and the much needed jobs to allow these people to work and remain living in Tallaght.
This episode of 'Jo-Maxi' was broadcast on 16 November 1989. The presenter is Clíona Ní Bhuachalla.
'Jo Maxi' was a youth lifestyle programme targeted at 10 to 14-year-olds. The programme contained features on a broad range of topics including animals, fashion, music, books and profiles of young people voicing their views on various subjects. The original presenters on the show were Ray D'Arcy, Geri Lalor, Clíona Ní Bhuachalla and Antoinette Dawson.
