Locals recall Floppy with love

THERE was a lovely reaction from Northside People readers last week after we posted a photo of Floppy, the late Finglas dog, and it showed he’s clearly still remembered in the area with great affection.

Floppy hung out on the hill at the junction of Tolka Valley Road and Finglas Road in the late 1990s and was infamous for chasing cars with trailers, leading many to speculate that an owner who drove a similar vehicle must have dumped him there.

He captured the hearts of locals and was arguably the best-fed stray dog in Dublin with several people bringing him food daily. He managed to avoid capture by dog catchers for years but was finally humanely forced into retirement at kennels in Kildare.

It’s believed that when he passed away, his remains were brought back to Finglas and buried on the hill where the Prospect Hill apartments now stand.

Our photo on Facebook brought back many fond memories and tugged the heartstrings of those who saw the post.

“This dog lived on the hill near Walsh’s Spiceburgers,” recalled Noel Dorgan. “It used to come down from a kennel built for him, to chase any car towing anything.

“People used to come in the mornings and feed him at the junction of Finglas road and the road to Finglas South.

“He was rehomed once but ran away and found his way back to his hill. Quite a canine celeb he was a few decades ago!”

Elaine Dalton believes there should be a permanent reminder of Floppy in the area.

“There should be a little monument built in honour of Floppy,” she said. “He was a fab dog loved by the people of Finglas.”

Keith Noone also remembers sharing some grub with the beloved hound.

“I worked in Henshaws from ‘88 to ‘98 and most days we would share a sambo before work, walking up the hill together,” he recalled.

Laura O'Reilly remembers Floppy as a “lovely, gentle dog”.

“I imagined he chased cars with a trailer because he thought it was his owner and they'd came back for him,” she posted.