A further set of photographs from Athy's past is this
weeks offering for the Eye on the Past.
Athy Credit Union was established in 1968 and the first photograph shows
the directors of the Credit Union at one of the earliest Director's
meetings. The two young men at either
end of the table were members of the local Urban District Council where Frank
English still remembers a member. Jim
McEvoy has long retired from local politics and carries on a successful bar
business at the top of Leinster Street.
The five other men should be well known, but see if you can identify
them.
The second photograph is of the blessing of Geraldine
Park sometime in the early 1950's. I
haven't been able to check out the date but I believe the occasion was the
re-opening of Geraldine Park after the refurbishment of the pitch and the
construction of the spectator embankments.
However, I would welcome hearing from anyone who can positively identify
the occasion and confirm the date the photograph was taken.
The priest blessing the pitch was the local Parish
Priest, Canon McDonnell, after whom McDonnell Drive was named. Standing with his right hand extended is John
W. Kehoe who was a publican in Offaly Street and who for many years served as
Chairman of the Geraldine Grounds Committee.
He was the principal organiser of the annual draw which the local G.A.A.
Club ran for several years in the 1950's to raise funds for the refurbishment
of Geraldine Park. The first prize of a
Hillman car and a caravan aroused great interest around the country as the Athy
ticket sellers went from town to town during the summer months.
The man on the right of the photograph is Fintan
Brennan, District Court Clerk for Athy and a former member of the I.R.A. who
was imprisoned during the War of Independence.
A former president of the Leinster Council G.A.A. Fintan was an
important figure in the G.A.A. at club and county level. The altar boys are not known, but if you can
identify them I would be delighted to hear from you.
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