Matt Talbot – The Workers’ Saint
By Mary Gaffney
Mary Gaffney tells the story of Matt Talbot, a Dubliner who struggled with a drink problem,
then led a severe ascetical life, and became known after his death as the Workers’ Saint.
As a child I used to go on
Holiday to an aunt who lived in Parnell Square, Dublin, and every morning would attend Mass in St Saviour’s Church, Dominick Street. To get to Dominick St, I would walk through Granby Lane, where I would stop to pray at the spot where Matt Talbot, the Workers’ Saint, died. It was during those years that I developed a devotion to him that has lasted to this day.