Stephen Talbot (b. 1943)

The Talbot family has been strongly associated with Kildare town for several generations. Stephen Talbot’s father was a publican who ran a very successful business on the spot where ‘Silken Thomas’ stands today. Stephen’s two aunts were also businesswomen in the town, proprietresses of ‘The Railway Hotel’ and ‘The Vatican.’ Stephen has a clear recollection of the town as it was in the 1950s – the shops, the family businesses, the cinemas, and places of entertainment. He was always interested in music and in earlier years he formed a band, and later joined the Derby Showband which toured the country. He has many stories to relate about those exciting days. He worked in Dublin for some years, but returned to Kildare to assist his father who had become unwell. He became an assistant to veterinary surgeon, Stan Cosgrave, and came to recognise the absolute importance of the horse breeding industry to the county and beyond. He recalls the setting up of the Racing Apprentice School and the great benefits which accrued to young people involved in horse racing. He has a great love for his native place and discusses the factors which benefited the town over the years since the days of the garrison, the racing connections, the markets, and Bord na Móna. The loss of jobs and revenue when turf-cutting declined was keenly felt in the town and surrounding areas. Stephen Talbot’s passion for the motor trade and his keen interest in Gaelic football are clearly evident in this recording.