Tallaght Ramblers

Tallaght Ramblers Guide was produced by eight young Youth Leaders back in the late 80’s early 90’s.  Authors were Michael Byrne, Ronan Kane, John Tynan, Amanda Kane, Helena Connors, Mandy Cullen Aisling Phelan and Deborah Kane.  The project originated from the group participating in the Youth Awards Scheme promoted by Dublin County Council.  When it was assessed it was adjudged as meriting a Special Achievement Award.  The Guide was intended for the beginners as well as the competent hill walker.  It assumes the ability to read a map and compass with confidence and the use of proper dress and equipment.

The Trip To London

This is an extract of a report about our trip to look at Playgrounds and Urban Farms in England in 1984.

We arrived in London at 6.10am on Thursday, 8th March 1984.  Following breakfast, the party split into two groups.  One group visited the London Association for Adventure Playgrounds where they were shown a film of the Association’s activities accompanied by an informal lecture and discussion.

Meanwhile, the other group were meeting with officials of Camden Town Council (Playground Section).  Among the items discussed with the officials were funding, staffing, training, equipment and insurance.  This was followed by a short tour of several of the Council’s Playgrounds.

During the course of the next two days (until Saturday afternoon) the group visited and studied the following locations:-

FARMS:        Vauxhall City Farm S.E.11.
Rockingham Estate City Farm S.E.1.
Kentish Town City Farm N.W.5

PLAYGROUNDS: Holland Park Adventure Playground.
Battersea Park.
Crumbles Castle Adventure Playground.
Haywood Adventure Playground for Special Needs Children.
Interaction Resource Centre.
Plot 10 Adventure Playground, Euston.
North Road Adventure Playground.

While visiting these Centres we talked with staff and children, discussing the day-to-day running of their Centres. The most striking features of both Farms and Playgrounds was the lavish funding by the appropriate Government Departments. This funding was available to both voluntarily run Playgrounds and Farms and to the Local Authority Centres. The funding had many aspects of it, such as:-

Capital Grants.
Staff Salary Grants.
Staff Training Grants.

L.A.P.A. for example, are in the happy position of having a permanent Training Officer to train their yearly intake of trainees (eight this year) who are all guaranteed jobs.

Each of the Centres visited were unique in their own way. Even so, all the Playgrounds carried out stringent safety controls and checks on a daily basis. All rope swings are removed at the end of Play and tested by an adult at the start of Play. Farms tended to breed only pedigree animals and found this to be the most interesting and most effective way of raising stock in the City.

NAMES OF PARTICIPANTS.

Kevin Kane
Phyllis Kane
Jimmy Morrissey
Geraldine Morrissey
Patricia Costigan
Bernard McDonnell
Paul McDonnell
Michael Byrne

COST PER HEAD.

Travel £60.00
Accommodation £44.25
Meals Miscellaneous £40.30.

St. Mark’s Youth Club, Annual General Meeting 1982

This is an extract from St. Mark’s Youth Clubs Annual General Meeting which was held on 16th June 1982.

SECRETARY’S REPORT

It is just a little over 8 months now since we gathered together for our last A.G.M.

Given that it has been found necessary to have our Annual get together much earlier than ususal this year, it is natural that my report which follows will be shorter and not as detailed as previous reports.

Those eight months were further shortened because the Community Centre was not re-opened after major repairs and re-decoration until early November. A further closure took place in January with the big snow.

When we finally acquired keys, the Club’s year of activity began with a Mass on November 7th. From there on normal Club activity began to fall into place in the various sections. A brief resume of that activity for each section now follows.

Junior Section: Catering for the 10-12 year olds, it has as been the pattern, the biggest number of registered members. With over 60 of this age group to cater for on Thursday nights, a hive of activity is always quaranteed. With such big numbers, good order and discipline is essential and so a novel idea for the Club was introduced. One of our leaders, Rose Riley presented a cup to the section which is given out each month to “the member of the month”.

The Inter Section: Catering for the 12-14 year olds continued its activity this year under the management of one of our younger leaders Alan Gray. In fact with the exception of one or two old hands, this section is carried by a group of young leaders who themselves were members in the early days. Surely this is a sign of a Club coming of age in its nine years of existence.

The Senior Section: Catering for the 14+ age group now operates with a handful of 3 or four leaders with the members themselves doing most of the organisation and work. They organised their own competitions and events and all was brought to a memorable conclusion only last Sunday night with the running off of a number of competitions.

Darts is big on Friday nights and two of the members had the thrill of their lives when a meeting was arranged for them with some of the big names in the world of Darts who were on a visit to Ireland. Its a night the lads will not forget.

Adventure Section: The end of last years report mentioned the setting up of this section. These outdoor types blasted into operation unhampered by the problems of the other sections over premises and equipment. Beginning with a night tour of Dublin in early November, the section took to the open road after that. Since then about 20 outings of one kind or another have taken place. These included a trip to the Burrin in Co. Clare and a Cycling tour of the Boyne Valley in Co. Louth. Of course many of their week-ends were spent in Oakwood, as this section was heavilhy involved with C.Y.C. in the re-decoration of that Centre. It is to be hoped that our members will be able to benefit from this cleanup. Already, just last weekend a more junior group from the Club were able to enjoy a taste of the new-style Oakwood.

The Club purchased 3 canoes in April and already they must be the most used pieces of equipment we ever had. Straight away the adventure leaders got involved in intensive training and over the last few weeks they have been able to take out some members to pass on new-found skills.

With rock climbing and hang gliding being mentioned for the future as well as a few days on the road with a circus there will never be a dull moment for this section. But do be careful.

Discos: Didn’t have their most successful year by any means. Still a number of very good ones were held. Many of the problems have been overcome and we look forward to greater things after the summer holidays.

Drama: At A.G.M. time last year was going through a very trying stage and I regret to have to report that the group drifted away from the Club altogether. There are plans in the pipeline to revive the section in September and we look forward to the outcome.

SPECIAL HAPPENINGS

The Parish Retreat took place just before Easter and the Youth Club were asked to help in the Youth Night of the retreat. Out of this has grown a brand of the Young Christian Workers – an action group for young people – and we wish them every success.

COMINGS AND GOINGS

It was with regret that we learned of John McNamars’s resignation from the Committee in early February due to pressure of work. We know he will continue to keep an interest in the affairs of the Club and can always be called on in time of need.

Love is in the air for a number of our younger leaders with 5 of them engaged, four of them to one another. Good luck to Jimmy and Geraldine, to Martin and Jackie and to Allan and his fiancee Connie. I predict that before another A.G.M. comes up, we could be tasting a little bit of wedding cake???

The Building Fund sub-committee had three functions in the six month period beginning with a Toy Fair at Christmas in conjunction with Toy World 1981. More recently the group took on a touch of the Eastern Europeen in early May when along with Sportsco, the E.S.B Social Club, they hosted a Russian Choral Group from Tallin, in Estonia. Their main reason for being in Dublin was to do a concert, and whilst the ‘gate’ will never swell the bank account, all present were treated to an extraordinary evening of beautiful singing and culture.

The other event was our partaking in the C.Y.C. Super draw which netted about £250 for the Building Fund. Which brings me to the last point:

FETTERCAIRN HOUSE. The main thrust of the Committees work in the past eight months was to try to acquire premises for the Club. We are happy to be able to report that at long last Dublin County Council have agreed that the house be given to St. Mark’s Youth Club. Much time was spent in negotiation with officials and councillors and even as I write this report another meeting is in the pipeline. The next few months will be crucial as the details of acquisition and hand-over must now be brought to a successful conclusion now that we are so near to putting “the name over the door”.

Here’s wishing the new committee the best of luck in hopefully making sure that this happens.