Bang Bang

Thomas Dudley (13 February 1906 – 11 January 1981), known by the nickname Bang Bang, was an eccentric elderly gentleman in Dublin in the 1950s and 1960s who achieved fame as a character in the city.

Early life Dudley was born in the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, the eldest son of John Dudley, a chimney sweep, and Mary Kane, who lived at 33 Clarence Street. On the 1911 census five year old Thomas Dudley is recorded as living with his parents and a younger sister at 30 Clarence Street North. His father died in 1913, aged 36.

Raised in an orphanage in Cabra, Dublin,

Death In later life he was taken in and cared for by the Rosminian Fathers in Drumcondra. He died in their care on 11 January 1981 and was buried in their cemetery. and is widely remembered by some of the older Dubliners. His death was recorded by the Irish Independent on 12 January 1981, a notice which Paddy Crosbie also details in his book.

Legacy Bang Bang has entered the folklore of Dublin as an eccentric but harmless individual who amused the city's citizens with his games. He still is mentioned in books and broadcast programmes. In the 1970s the Abbey Theatre performed a play about the history of Dublin entitled From the Vikings to Bang Bang.

His key is on display in the reading room of the Dublin City Archive, Pearse Street

He is mentioned in the lyrics of a children's skipping song "We All Went Up to the Mero" published by Pete St. John. One verse reads: "And we all went up to the Mero, hey there, who's your man It's only Johnny Forty Coats, sure he's desperate man Bang Bang shoots the buses with his golden key Hey hi diddley I and out goes she"

A new comic song "Bang Bang" written by Tony McGaley was performed as part of The Wild Bees Nest Project in conjunction with the 2011 Bealtaine Festival. The song was performed on stage at the National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin, on the last two days of May 2011 by Tony McGaley with the other Wild Bees Nest singers.

Bang Bang was part of the inspiration for the Shadowbox Theatre Company's Play Looking for Bang-Bang set in Dublin following the path of three children in Dublin searching out famous characters at the time.

In 28 August 2017, a plaque was unveiled by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mícheál Mac Donncha, on the site of Bang Bang's unmarked grave.

The band Fontaines D.C. (Dublin City) released their debut single "Liberty Belle" in August 2018, featuring Thomas on the sleeve for the 7" vinyl release. The band's singer, Grian Chatten has said that "Liberty Belle" “is a lament to the death of old Dublin, written by people who couldn’t afford the new one.”

In 2017 the Dublin playwright Dermot Bolger created a one-man stage play, Bang Bang based on the life of Thomas Dudley, which premiered at Bewley’s Café Theatre, directed by Mark O’Brien and starring Pat McGrath as Bang Bang. The text was later included in Bolger’s book, Bang Bang & Other Dublin Monologues, published by New Island Books,