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A FEW MONTHS ago, a Phibsborough café and deli called Bang Bang began crowdfunding to honour their namesake Thomas Dudley.
Thomas Dudley was known by most as Bang Bang. He was an eccentric Dubliner born in 1906 who grew up in an orphanage. He was best known for his charming ability to get a bus full of grown adults to fake their death after he pretended to shoot them with a brass key that he referred to as his Colt .45.
Bang Bang carried his key everywhere he went and would shoot anyone he met, always receiving a positive reaction to his antics.
Café owners Grace and Daniel Lambert decided to name their business after Bang Bang and even included his famous key as a central part of their logo.
Nearly 40 years after his death, they’re helping to keep his story alive. Co-owner Daniel Lambert previously spoke to DailyEdge.ie about how his shop has been decorated with keys all over it and pays respect to “what Dublin once was” and the people who lived their lives the way they wanted to, bringing laughter and joy to the city.
Bang Bang / Facebook
Bang Bang / Facebook / Facebook
Grace and Daniel tried to locate Bang Bang’s final resting place and discovered that he had been buried in an unmarked grave.
Troubled by the fact that someone was so loved could possibly be forgotten some day, they decided to set up a GoFundMe account for a more fitting tribute to their namesake.
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Bang Bang / Facebook
Bang Bang / Facebook / Facebook
With the help of people who donated and Robinson Memorials, they managed to meet their target.
They’ll finally be unveiling the memorial plaque for Bang Bang on Monday the 28th of August.
The details are here. There will be a daytime ceremony by Bang Bang’s graveside with the Lord Mayor. As the ceremony coincidences with community festival Phizzfest, there’ll also be an event outside the shop in the evening to celebrate ‘the life of a man who brought happiness and fun to the city’.
They have even managed to get Bang Bang’s actual key from Dublin City Archive for the event and have arranged to bring a vintage 1960s double decker bus (like the ones Bang Bang was often seen holding his impromptu shootouts on).
Historian Donal Fallon will be there to talk about Dublin in the 1950s/60s. As well as that, actor Pat McGrath will be performing an excerpt from Dermot Bolger’s Bang Bang monologue and Dermot Bolger himself will be there to speak a few words. There’ll be trad music and spoken word too over the course of the evening.
The Phibsborough café thanked those that donated:
The most beautiful thing about this day and this whole story is that it was made possible by those who donated… over a hundred ordinary Dubliners with big hearts.
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Saturday 21 December, 2024
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Dublin café Bang Bang are unveiling the memorial they made for the famous Dubliner their café is named after
A FEW MONTHS ago, a Phibsborough café and deli called Bang Bang began crowdfunding to honour their namesake Thomas Dudley.
Thomas Dudley was known by most as Bang Bang. He was an eccentric Dubliner born in 1906 who grew up in an orphanage. He was best known for his charming ability to get a bus full of grown adults to fake their death after he pretended to shoot them with a brass key that he referred to as his Colt .45.
Bang Bang carried his key everywhere he went and would shoot anyone he met, always receiving a positive reaction to his antics.
Café owners Grace and Daniel Lambert decided to name their business after Bang Bang and even included his famous key as a central part of their logo.
Nearly 40 years after his death, they’re helping to keep his story alive. Co-owner Daniel Lambert previously spoke to DailyEdge.ie about how his shop has been decorated with keys all over it and pays respect to “what Dublin once was” and the people who lived their lives the way they wanted to, bringing laughter and joy to the city.
Grace and Daniel tried to locate Bang Bang’s final resting place and discovered that he had been buried in an unmarked grave.
Troubled by the fact that someone was so loved could possibly be forgotten some day, they decided to set up a GoFundMe account for a more fitting tribute to their namesake.
With the help of people who donated and Robinson Memorials, they managed to meet their target.
They’ll finally be unveiling the memorial plaque for Bang Bang on Monday the 28th of August.
The details are here. There will be a daytime ceremony by Bang Bang’s graveside with the Lord Mayor. As the ceremony coincidences with community festival Phizzfest, there’ll also be an event outside the shop in the evening to celebrate ‘the life of a man who brought happiness and fun to the city’.
They have even managed to get Bang Bang’s actual key from Dublin City Archive for the event and have arranged to bring a vintage 1960s double decker bus (like the ones Bang Bang was often seen holding his impromptu shootouts on).
Historian Donal Fallon will be there to talk about Dublin in the 1950s/60s. As well as that, actor Pat McGrath will be performing an excerpt from Dermot Bolger’s Bang Bang monologue and Dermot Bolger himself will be there to speak a few words. There’ll be trad music and spoken word too over the course of the evening.
The Phibsborough café thanked those that donated:
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bang bang Phibsborough