THIRTY YEARS

On 7th November 1983 the then Secretary of St. Marks Youth Club Phyllis Kane received a phone call from Fr. Curran one of the local curates to inform her that one wall in the Community Centre which had been home to the Youth Club had collapsed.  The wall in question was on the Youth wing of the prefab and its collapse left the Youth Club without a premises and all the club equipment exposed and in danger of been stolen or vandalised.

Eight years previously the Club had applied to the Co. Council for an old Farmhouse known as Fettercairn House.  The house was being used as a depot for their Parks Department.  Phyllis Kane, the Secretary started phoning the County Councillors, they had helped before, would they help again?

Cllrs Sean Walsh T.D., Senator Larry McMahon and Mervyn Taylor T.D. were the ones available.  The situation was explained, the Club just had to get premises not promises.  The Councillors readily agreed to assist and promised to raise the subject at the monthly meeting of the Mid County Committee, which was to be held that afternoon.

To reinforce the phone calls, Phyllis Kane and another Leader Trish Geaney dashed into the Council Offices in O’Connell Street and made personal pleas for assistance to the Councillors as they went to their meeting.  Just before five o’clock both Councillors and Officials of the Council phoned in the good news.  Yes, St. Marks Youth Club could move into the unoccupied part of Fettercairn House.  The Club renamed the house, St. Marks.

Here’s to another thirty years.