h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi fellas,
As some of you probably know already I'm from UK but came to live in the Irish Midlands on retirement a couple of years ago.
Back in 1970 I had some involvement in the setting up of the Tallaght factory for Irish Biscuits. I understand the factory is due to close shortly. Back then, Irish Biscuits had been formed by a merger (or takeover?) between Jacobs and Bolands. My job was to take measurements and technical details of the machinery that was to be moved from the old factories - Jacobs in Dublin City Centre and Bolands somewhere on the outskirts. I know, from old(ish) maps where the Jacobs factory was (Bishop St.). But I can't remember where the much newer Bolands factory was located. Do any of the Irish conributors to this forum remember it?

I'm afraid not.

I don't remember it, but did a quick Google. This is a PDF, but is viewable via Google as HTML:

http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:pjgbYb8WW_IJ:www.academia-verlag.de/titel/pdf/69455exc.pdf+bolands+biscuit+actory+dublin&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=71&gl=ie

In it, you will find references to various Bolands premises at Capel street, Ringsend and Grand Canal Street as well as the one I think you want, at Deansgrange:

"In 1957, a brand new biscuit factory was put up at Deansgrange in South Dublin. For a time, the new firm managed to encroach successfully on the territory of the market leader, Jacobs. In 1966, the two competitors pooled their resources and concentrated their production at the new Irish Biscuit Factory in Tallaght."

Zube

Would that be the building which is now the National Car Test centre?

Yes it would:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=53.278898,-6.160744&spn=0.002155,0.004211&t=h&z=18

Thanks Zube for the interesting article and gnomon for the map and identification of it's present function.
I particularly note that Dev unveiled a plaque on one of Boland's premises commemorating it's role in the Easter Rising. I already knew that the old Jacob's factory played a key role in those events but was not aware of the Bolands connection.
Cheers,
PiL