Richard Doyle

Richard Doyle was born in England to parents from Ballingate on the Wicklow Wexford border,  and Raheen on the Wicklow  Carlow border.

His father Peter Doyle was a member of the London Metropolitan Police who retired back to Ireland and bought a farm at Beechmount on the Shilleagh road just outside Carnew. Peter Doyle was tall, which was a requirement of the job as you had to be able to stand on your hat and look over walls. His sons were also tall, the tallest was Richard who in his lifetime was reputed to have been 7ft tall, so tall that when stopped by a Garda, the officer believed he was the back seat passenger and that the driver had already made his escape.It was only when Richard got out of the car he realised his true height.

Richard Doyle married Eileen Murphy from Franeystown,  Co. Kilkenny. They farmed for a time at Beechmount which later passed to his brother Morris,  then ran the shop in Kilquiggan village.

He was recorded as the tallest man in Ireland by Terry O Sullivan of the Sunday press. He died in 1968 and is buried in Tomacork cemetery outside Carnew At his wake in Kilquiggan he was measured  and his height was recorded as 7ft 4 inches,  so tall two lengths of timber had to be attached to the end of the bed to allow him to be laid out properly.