The parish is named after St.Dominic.      

He lived between 1170 and 1221. 

Europe was a mess at the time. 

Church leadership had retired into

monasteries and palaces.  The clergy

were badly educated and were no

help to the people.  The Christian

faith seemed out of touch and remote. 

People went elsewhere for answers

to the great questions about human life.

Dominic put together a group of followers. They were to get the best possible education. Then they were to go among the people preaching and  calling them to community around the loving presence of Jesus Christ.

It worked and the Order quickly spread across Europe.  Dominic died in 1221 and in 1224 the first Dominicans crossed the Irish Sea and that year established houses in the cities of Dublin and Drogheda.  Within a short period of time, Dominican churches were opened in the major population centres of the country.

In good times and in bad the Dominicans have struggled to serve the Irish people ever since.

The Tallaght priory came into existence when the site was bought in 1854-5. From 1856 until 2000 it was the training centre for Irish Dominicans preparing for their ministry at home and abroad.