Superintendent Martin Walker and Athy Garda Siochana of Old

On Friday I travelled to Newbridge to join the retirement get together for Superintendent Martin Walker who is stepping down after 40 years’ service in the Garda Siochana. On my journey I was prompted to remember the Gardai who served in Athy during my teenage years. Some of my older readers will remember Johnny McMahon, Mick Tuohy, Jim Kelly, Michael O’Connell, all men who in the 1950s were on the brink of retirement. From various parts of the country, including Mayo, Kerry and Clare they lived amongst the community they served as ‘Guardians of the Peace’. In those days Gardai were required to live in the area in which they were stationed and they were effectively on duty 24 hours a day. They and the young Gardai who were transferred for a few years to Athy were required to perform barrack orderly duties in their turn. This meant being on duty in the Garda Station for 24 continuous hours as the Barrack Orderly slept in the barracks overnight. As a result, the Garda Station was manned 24 hours a day and this, together with the daily patrolling of the streets by the Gardai, helped create an excellent relationship between the Garda Siochana and the community they served. I can remember my father who was senior sergeant in the Barracks going on patrol almost every night of the week. The Garda presence on the streets, whether day or night, was seen as an important way of fulfilling one of the Garda roles in Irish society, that of crime prevention. That with crime detection and the maintenance of public order were the core principals of police work. Today crime prevention and crime detection remain the central objectives of Irish policing but unfortunately the old established role of the patrolling Garda is no longer observed. Irish society has changed, and crime has become more widespread and complex than ever before in the last 50 years or so. To meet the new demands posed by the criminal world the Garda Siochana’s role has had to adapt and change. The man on the beat was replaced by the patrol car, now covering a wider area than the foot patrols of a previous time. Many Garda barracks are no longer manned 24 hours a day and the relationship between the policemen and the community at large has deteriorated dramatically. It was Conor Brady, later editor of the Irish Times, who in his early history of the Garda Siochana wrote that the community/Garda relationship ‘has been deteriorating steadily’. This was written a few years after the Conroy report on policing was published in 1970. The implementation of that report and the subsequent adoption of many new measures improved in many ways the working of the police and certainly benefitted its members in terms of working conditions. The 8-hour day for Gardai was introduced and the requirement for Gardai to live in the areas where stationed was abolished. Unfortunately Garda numbers were not increased sufficiently to provide 24 hour cover and many Garda stations throughout the country were closed. Street patrols became a feature of the past, adding further to the deterioration of the Garda/community relationship. That relationship was very important in terms of crime prevention and just as important was the requirement that Gardai live in their station district. With the abolition of the residential requirement, many Gardai understandably opted to live outside their district and not be part of the community where they worked. This was a loss to Garda intelligence which is so important for both crime prevention and crime detention. The net result was the fracturing of the good relationship which had been built up during the early years of the Garda Siochana between local communities and the Gardai. Public goodwill is an essential requirement if the Garda Siochana are to operate at their most effective. To gain and retain the full support of the community Gardai must be involved on a daily basis with the members of the community. By and large our only contact now with the Gardai is when we are approached by officers involved in crime detection or some other element of law enforcement. These are not relationship building contacts and may explain why many would regard their relationship with the Gardai as strained. Today in Athy which has a population of about 10,000 we have four sergeants and a number of Gardai who are grouped between detectives and road traffic corps, with one community Garda. The latter as the name implies is the Garda liaison officer with the Athy people. The detective gardai and the road traffic corps Gardai are part of the police crime detection service. What is lacking is adequate numbers to back up the community Gardai who by virtue of his working relationship with the community is the only Garda whom we can say is part of the crime prevention team. More community Gardai are required. With the retirement of Superintendent Martin Walker who was the superintendent in charge of this area, the Garda Siochana has lost one of the finest police officers it was my privilege to have known for several years. Many a time we were on opposite sides in District Court hearings, but I always found him to be an officer who presented evidence with impartiality and fairness. I wish him many happy years of retirement.

Traditional Music in Clancys and Death of Seamus Byrne, Uilleann Piper

Just a day or two after a former classmate of mine died I called into the traditional Irish music session in Clancys. It was there I last saw Seamus Byrne playing the uilleann pipes, accompanying a host of other traditional musicians, including my late colleague Tos Quinn. My visit was a pilgrimage of sorts to recall and remember the wonderful musicians who like Seamus had graced the music room over the years. It was 56 years ago that Tony Byrne, a Donegal fiddle player from Glencolumcille, with Neddy Whelan from Barrowhouse and a young Seamus Byrne came together to play the first music session in Clancys. They were welcomed by the club’s proprietors Jim and Maureen Clancy and those early sessions were held in the small bar. Pub conversations and pub noise generally did not provide the most ideal background for the musicians at play which prompted Jim and Maureen to clear a storeroom for the exclusive use of the musicians. That room is still in use for the Thursday evening Irish traditional music sessions. I first wrote of the Clancy sessions approximately 25 years ago following a visit to hear the musicians, including Seamus Byrne and Tos Quinn who were continuing a piping tradition which stretched back through Willie Clancy and Leo Rowsome to the legendary County Kildare piper William Kelly. I also mentioned Tony Byrne who came from Donegal in 1954 as principal of Ballyadams primary school. With them that night was Neddy Whelan, then an elderly man, a notable banjo player who was then playing the thin whistle, accompanied by the banjo master extraordinaire Martin Cooney. Sad to think that on my visit last week so many of the musicians of 25 years ago are no longer with us. The sessions however continue having earned the right to be regarded as Ireland’s longest running weekly Irish traditional music session. The present-day importance of the Clancy sessions is surely confirmed by the wide representation from outlining towns as the musicians from Athy were joined on Thursday last by musicians from Carlow, Abbeyleix, Newbridge, Baltinglass and Ballymount. On Saturday morning 15 members of the Clancy sessions came together at the Parish Church in Ballylinan for the burial of their friend and fellow musician Seamus Byrne. The outstanding piper Joe Byrne led off with a beautiful rendition of ‘Tabhair Dom do Lámh’ accompanied by his colleagues. During the communion the uilleann pipers Conor O’Carroll and Joe Byrne, again accompanied by the other musicians, played Seamus Byrne’s favorite tune ‘For Ireland’s sake I won’t tell her name’ and as the coffin was taken from the church three jigs were played by Joe Byrne with a wonderful expression of the young piper’s skill. At the graveside the Clancy session musicians took leave of their fellow musician and friend Seamus Byrne by playing a set of Seamus’s favourite jigs. We were reminded by Fr. Shelly of Seamus Byrne’s love of Irish traditional piping and how he followed his father, also a piper, who had died when Seamus was just a few days old. Seamus’s first piping lessons were on his father’s uilleann pipes which were repaired by Leo Rowsome and it was the famous Dublin based piper Rowsome who initially taught Seamus. Tos Quinn and Seamus Byrne were for so long leading members of the Clancy sessions, and it was Seamus who for many years was the unofficial fear an tí. He called the tunes and whenever unknown musicians joined the sessions always made them welcome and invited them to play. Uilleann piping has seen a resurgence in recent years, due in large measure to the setting up of Na Piobairi Uilleann in 1968. Here in Athy we are privileged to have a number of uilleann pipers and amongst them two of exceptional ability. Brian Hughes has given us many wonderful recordings of his uilleann piping and whistle playing and most recently Joe Byrne has produced his first piping CD. Seamus Byrne and Tos Quinn, two very good uilleann pipers, with the recently deceased Roddy Geoghegan for so long members of the Clancy music session are no longer with us. The sessions are now attracting a wide range of instrument players and the places of Seamus and Tos have now passed to uilleann pipers Conor O’Carroll and Joe Byrne. This traditional music session, like other sessions around the country, displays a great variety of instruments and a degree of musical competency which is delightful to hear. The Clancy music sessions are very much a part of the cultural reawakening of a town which over its lifetime at different stages underwent economic and social decline. Music is at the heart of that cultural movement and the session players are not alone in helping to recapture the spirit of this age. I was reminded of this during the 12 o’clock mass on Sunday having listened to the parish choir which was in splendid voice, admirably led by Anne-Maria Heskin whose solo singing was quite superb. Athy is the centre of our lives and the contribution that Irish traditional musicians such as the late Seamus Byrne and other musicians and singers make to the enjoyment and betterment of our community life cannot be underestimated.

Civil War in County Kildare (part)

Just a day or two after a former classmate of mine died I called into the traditional Irish music session in Clancys. It was there I last saw Seamus Byrne playing the uilleann pipes, accompanying a host of other traditional musicians, including my late colleague Tos Quinn. My visit was a pilgrimage of sorts to recall and remember the wonderful musicians who like Seamus had graced the music room over the years. It was 56 years ago that Tony Byrne, a Donegal fiddle player from Glencolumcille, with Neddy Whelan from Barrowhouse and a young Seamus Byrne came together to play the first music session in Clancys. They were welcomed by the club’s proprietors Jim and Maureen Clancy and those early sessions were held in the small bar. Pub conversations and pub noise generally did not provide the most ideal background for the musicians at play which prompted Jim and Maureen to clear a storeroom for the exclusive use of the musicians. That room is still in use for the Thursday evening Irish traditional music sessions. I first wrote of the Clancy sessions approximately 25 years ago following a visit to hear the musicians, including Seamus Byrne and Tos Quinn who were continuing a piping tradition which stretched back through Willie Clancy and Leo Rowsome to the legendary County Kildare piper William Kelly. I also mentioned Tony Byrne who came from Donegal in 1954 as principal of Ballyadams primary school. With them that night was Neddy Whelan, then an elderly man, a notable banjo player who was then playing the thin whistle, accompanied by the banjo master extraordinaire Martin Cooney. Sad to think that on my visit last week so many of the musicians of 25 years ago are no longer with us. The sessions however continue having earned the right to be regarded as Ireland’s longest running weekly Irish traditional music session. The present-day importance of the Clancy sessions is surely confirmed by the wide representation from outlining towns as the musicians from Athy were joined on Thursday last by musicians from Carlow, Abbeyleix, Newbridge, Baltinglass and Ballymount. On Saturday morning 15 members of the Clancy sessions came together at the Parish Church in Ballylinan for the burial of their friend and fellow musician Seamus Byrne. The outstanding piper Joe Byrne led off with a beautiful rendition of ‘Tabhair Dom do Lámh’ accompanied by his colleagues. During the communion the uilleann pipers Conor O’Carroll and Joe Byrne, again accompanied by the other musicians, played Seamus Byrne’s favorite tune ‘For Ireland’s sake I won’t tell her name’ and as the coffin was taken from the church three jigs were played by Joe Byrne with a wonderful expression of the young piper’s skill. At the graveside the Clancy session musicians took leave of their fellow musician and friend Seamus Byrne by playing a set of Seamus’s favourite jigs. We were reminded by Fr. Shelly of Seamus Byrne’s love of Irish traditional piping and how he followed his father, also a piper, who had died when Seamus was just a few days old. Seamus’s first piping lessons were on his father’s uilleann pipes which were repaired by Leo Rowsome and it was the famous Dublin based piper Rowsome who initially taught Seamus. Tos Quinn and Seamus Byrne were for so long leading members of the Clancy sessions, and it was Seamus who for many years was the unofficial fear an tí. He called the tunes and whenever unknown musicians joined the sessions always made them welcome and invited them to play. Uilleann piping has seen a resurgence in recent years, due in large measure to the setting up of Na Piobairi Uilleann in 1968. Here in Athy we are privileged to have a number of uilleann pipers and amongst them two of exceptional ability. Brian Hughes has given us many wonderful recordings of his uilleann piping and whistle playing and most recently Joe Byrne has produced his first piping CD. Seamus Byrne and Tos Quinn, two very good uilleann pipers, with the recently deceased Roddy Geoghegan for so long members of the Clancy music session are no longer with us. The sessions are now attracting a wide range of instrument players and the places of Seamus and Tos have now passed to uilleann pipers Conor O’Carroll and Joe Byrne. This traditional music session, like other sessions around the country, displays a great variety of instruments and a degree of musical competency which is delightful to hear. The Clancy music sessions are very much a part of the cultural reawakening of a town which over its lifetime at different stages underwent economic and social decline. Music is at the heart of that cultural movement and the session players are not alone in helping to recapture the spirit of this age. I was reminded of this during the 12 o’clock mass on Sunday having listened to the parish choir which was in splendid voice, admirably led by Anne-Maria Heskin whose solo singing was quite superb. Athy is the centre of our lives and the contribution that Irish traditional musicians such as the late Seamus Byrne and other musicians and singers make to the enjoyment and betterment of our community life cannot be underestimated.