Athy's history of community activism

A BIG thank you to everyone who attended the Offaly Street ‘Made of Athy’ plaque unveiling last Sunday week.

A special thanks to Colm Walsh, founder of Athy’s public tribute and to John MacKenna, author and Aoife Breslin, chairperson of Athy Municipal District. My gratitude for their kind words.

While speaking at the plaque unveiling, I was standing outside the window of what as a young fellow I knew as the Taaffe household dining room. Truth be told, it was used as a dining room only on Christmas Day, while for the remainder of the year it was the room in which I listened to Radio Luxembourg.

I recall a Sunday in the early 1950s when my father and I were listening to a Micheal O’Hehir commentary on an All-Ireland Football Final involving Kerry. Standing outside on the footpath we saw a man who was clearly trying to hear the commentary. I remember my father inviting the stranger into the room to listen to the football match.

He turned out to be a Spailpín Fánach, a travelling farm worker from Kerry. My father’s kindness left a huge impression on me and gave me a valuable never to be forgotten lesson, how even strangers should be treated with kindness and consideration.

My father’s involvement with various local organisations, including the Geraldine Park Development Committee and Athy’s Swimming Pool Committee, where he was treasurer for both, indicated a commitment to community activism which was passed on to me.

On Sunday, I spoke of the activities of Joe O’Neill, the Delahunty and Fleming brothers and others, all from St Joseph’s Terrace, who in the 1940s and 1950s displayed a sense of community activism not before noticed amongst the various communities making up the town of Athy.

These men were the first that I know of who came together to help neighbours and who trained young persons in music playing and subsequently formed at different times two youth marching bands. Their last neighbourly contribution was the erection of the Marian shrine in 1954.

One man who brought together several more volunteers to form the Athy Swimming Pool Committee was Rexi Rowan, a community activist way ahead of his time.

The committee formed, I think, in the mid-1950s, and collected money, held draws for over a decade before approaching Kildare County Council with sufficient funds to encourage the council to build its first public swimming pool in Athy.

Community activism is today a common feature of the many communities which make up the larger population of the town of Athy. Each working on their own and with the assistance of Kildare County Council for the greater good of their neighbourhood.

The county council role in helping local communities can never be ignored. We are dependent so much on the county council that we must always acknowledge the part the county council plays in improving our lives and the town in which we live.

I have been critical of the council in the past, and again last Sunday week. The latest criticism arose from the council’s failure, extending over three years, to agree to the continuation of arrangements for the Community Arts Centre in Woodstock Street which has been run by volunteers for the last 14 years. Let’s hope that this important cultural facility is restored without further lengthy delay.

At the start of my relatively short talk on Sunday I mentioned the need for the council members to review the council’s car parking policy.

I understand the council budget for 2025 is €160 million and that a payment of approximately €1.2 million is first collected by the parking enforcement company and paid to the council, while that company retains all subsequent monies collected.

While chairman of Athy Urban District Counci, I led the opposition to the county manager’s application to have parking fees introduced in Athy. He claimed it was for the purpose of ‘good traffic management’.

A later council agreed to introduce parking fees and these fees undoubtedly act as a deterrent to car owners who might be willing to park for a short time while shopping.

Our main streets are littered with vacant business premises and while Kildare County Council have introduced a Business Premises Regeneration Scheme I feel it should also do whatever is necessary to encourage traffic to stop in the town.

I noticed some time ago that several Co Cork towns have two-hour free parking, which was undoubtedly helpful in encouraging shoppers.

How fair do members of Kildare County Council think it is to require businesspeople to pay income tax, council rates and council property tax, while the county council policy deters traffic passing through the town from stopping in Athy.

Additional parking spaces will be required now that Emily Square has been converted into a traffic free plaza.

The grounds of the former Abbey are I believe for sale and should be immediately snapped up by the council for town centre parking and as a site for the Tuesday market.

My dream of White’s Castle being in public ownership and developed as a Fitzgerald Museum is something which I would ask Kildare County Council to keep in mind.

Nothing can be done about this without the consent of the castle’s owner who is keenly interested in the protection and preservation of historic buildings.

I am hoping that both the owner and Kildare County Council can get together before too long to see what could be agreed.

During the unveiling ceremony my son Seamus was given a present for me which turned out to be a plaque inscribed with the following words:

‘Frank Taaffe 29th June 2025 in recognition of your time and effort in remembering the Famine dead and in keeping the memory alive when others have forgotten.’ Seamus did not know the man and I am understandably anxious to contact the kind, thoughtful person in question. Can you help me?