Jobstown
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jobstown is an area of West Tallaght, a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It is between seven and nine miles from the centre of Dublin. Jobstown was once a small rural community on the fringes of Tallaght, renowned for its rustic tranquility close to the western foothills of the Dublin mountains where farming was a central feature of every-day life. Today, it is a densely populated outer suburb, still in developmental phase like its city counterparts, Crumlin and Ballyfermot 60 years ago.
Because of the social problems attendant on the birth of a new community, the Government has initiated a number of community-based projects to counteract a negative youth culture which developed unchecked when the large local authority housing stock was built without a supporting social structure. These initiatives, though late in coming, are beginning to bear fruit, aided in great measure by the enthusiasm of the community.
Jobstown's most famous citizen was the world renowned war correspondent, William Howard Russell (1821-1907) who was born at Lilyvale in Jobstown (Kiltalown House), Tallaght. He was a journalist with The Times and reported on Daniel O’Connell’s repeal campaign and on the great famine of 1847. On the outbreak of the Crimean War he became the first war correspondent and was later knighted for his work.
Well-known contemporary professional footballer from the West Tallaght area is Robbie Keane, English Premiership soccer player. Several Eircom League soccer players are from the area as well. Up-and-coming Irish actor Gavin Kielty is also from the West Tallaght area.
Pronounced Joe-bs-Town
