Marino Library will host the following events in May 2012 as part of Bealtaine 2012:

Tuesday 15th May 11.00a.m

Birdwatch Ireland - Niall Hatch talks about the birds which live in the gardens and parks of Dublin

Wed 16th May 6.30pm

Madams Murder and Mayhem…

Singer Anne Buckley’s Dublin in Song and Ballad. An entertaining and fun selection of the best of Dublin’s traditional & Street ballads. Audience encouraged to sing along - some words provided.

Advance Booking Essential for both events.

Contact Marino Library (Phone: 8336297 or email: marinolibrary@dublincity.ie

This event is organised by Dublin City Council & Fairview Business. It is supported by Fairview Residents Association.

Among the features on the day will be:

• Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Chluain Tarbh
• Hip Hop & Big Band
• Ann Maguire School of Dancing
• The Sam Maguire Cup

And specially for Children there will be bouncy castles and face painting and more fun.

The Fun Day is to be run as a celebration of the soon to be completed improvements to Fairview Park.

Fill in your details below to stay up-to-date with F-M news.

The Changing Face of Fairview is a five part documentary series produced by Near fm volunteer John Haughton. The series explores the history, heritage and local organisations & amenities that make up the area of Fairview & Marino.

Download this program.

Click here for the first three programs in the Near fm series “The Changing Face of Fairview”.

Click here for the fouth program - the variety concert.

In this programme:

Present day students of St. Joseph’s secondary school talk about their Fairview its history and their satisfaction with facilities in the area. In contrast some former students of the past paint a not so rosy picture.

Mairéad Hayes CEO of the Senior Citizens Parliament, Fairview Strand, outlines some of the community facilities in the area. Today, she says, there is more rented accommodation and a somewhat more transient community.

Tommy Condren, a community activist for generations in Marino, recalls memories of Marino past and he outlined the changes which he has seen.  He spoke of the role of the church in that community, where a keen eye was kept on parishioners, their attendances at church and their contributions to its support.  He spoke of the relatively benign Father Flanagan who built the schools and church. In Tommy’s words, ‘Father Kingston made Marino’.

Jim Kelly area manager Dublin City Council North Central assured me of the pending re-building of the Fairview Park Band Stand that was so central to community life in the past.

I talk to a local senior citizens group, Solas, who meet at the local Catholic Church after Mass and hear about the famous Mrs. Lynsky who was choir mistress to the local coral society, and who trained residents for a variety of coral performances. I am brought back to the War days when vegetables were in short supply and locals were forced to grow their own.  I am told of the times when these seniors danced in the Metropole and the Crystal ballrooms. In those days many parents met informally in Fairview Park at the bandstand to exchange knowledge and advice about child rearing problems and experience, informal  get–togethers, where they shared ideas on child rearing, ailment diagnostics and cures.  They tell me that their invaluable meetings  were sometimes broken up by the somewhat ‘feared’ Father Kingston who had an old fashioned view of women’s role and was wont to advise them to stay more in their homes and tend to the needs of their husbands.

Larry Kane who was born in the East Wall area, spoke of how the community has changed in his experience. In the old days there were clubs and dancing a plenty for his age group. For example there was the ‘Ballerina’ Dance hall in Dublin City Centre, with singer Frankie Blowers and the Joe Coughlin Band.  Larry assures me that the Inner City girls were beautiful and the best dancers at the time. He welcomes the contribution which the new immigrants are making to the area and society in general. He speaks of a sense of isolation which contrasts to the old days when there was a more caring community. Larry asked me if he could sing a song and there followed a memorable, poignant and moving rendition of ‘Danny Boy’. This helped to bring closure to the series, the ‘Changing Face of Fairview’. I will leave it to the listeners to judge the relevance of Larry’s choice of song.

In conclusion so much has been lost of Fairview past. The Cinema, the tram, the Charlemont  Estate, Marino House, Croydon house and estate, Fr. Matthew Park, and of course that very view, the ‘Fairview’,  from which the area gets its name. Fairview Strand is now far removed from the sea. However there is a certain positivity upon which community can be built or re-built as the case may be.

If you are a member of Fairview Residents Association, please ensure your Annual Subscription for 2011/12 is paid. The FRA only asks members for €10 per year as a donation towards our expenses.

Committee members (pictured here) will be going door-to-door in April & May to request payment of the subscription. We will be wearing FRA hi-viz jackets. Beware of bogus callers!

Please drop 2012’s subscription in to a committee member. If you have not joined in the past, please consider doing so now.

You can see the FRA’s latest newsletter here.

Go raibh maith agaibh!

It was certainly a night to remember in the upper lounge of Smyth’s Fairview in October 2011, with local musicians, storytellers, singers showcasing the best of Fairview talent.

Download this program.

Click here for the first three programs in the Near fm series “The Changing Face of Fairview”.

Click here for the fifth program.

• Compere Gerry Cooley started proceedings with the best of traditional music from Clasac and Comhaltas Ceoltóiri Cluain Tarbh.
• Singer Bláthín de Burca sang in Irish and also interviewed locals and visitors from abroad about how they felt about Fairview and how they enjoyed the concert.
• Pádraig de Burca spoke about the work of the Fairview Residents Association, what has been achieved and the association’s hopes for the future.
• Nature disappearing was the theme for guitarist Pat Farrell and singer who gave an unforgettable rendition of John Mayall’s song of the same name, ‘Nature’s Disappearing’.
• Storyteller Carol Jordan continued this theme with the true story of the first tree huggers who died trying to protect their forest in India.
• Paul Barnes who was a student of the O’Brien Institute read one of his well sculpted poems to inspire confidence in one’s life.
• These could have been hard acts to follow but not for acoustic guitarist Seán O’Neill whose ‘Next Time Around’ from his album Still Life in black and White was impressive.

This concert was planned by series organiser John Haughton who worked with the promotions section of NEAR 90.3 FM, Niall McGuiness and Paul Laughran, Alan Weldon. Special thanks are due to Smyth’s of Fairview for hosting the event.

Click here to download Fairview Residents Association’s newsletter for April 2012.

It includes articles on the proposed Community Garden for Fairview, the Changing Face of Fairview radio show and various snippets. It also lists the FRA Committee members.

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If you want to be kept up-to-date with Fairview & Marino, please subscribe by entering your e-mail below:

• Fairview Residents Association is in contact with the local business association about a variety of issues that affect local business & residents. As well as the repainting of the lamp standards along Fairview and the lighting up of trees at Christmas, we are also planning for more flowers & less graffiti in the area as a result.
• The new features in Fairview Park are due to open in May - only another few weeks to go. We’re looking forward to the new playground, flower beds & performance area. We have big plans for the opening day!!
• We were very pleased that the proposal by Dublin City Council to construct an eight foot flood defence barrier from Fairview along Clontarf promenade to the wooden bridge has been reconsidered. The FRA is aware of the flood defences planned for Dollymount. We will keep our members informed of any new developments. See this website & the next “Fairview News” for more details.
• Respect Fairview - Please clean up after your dog!
• The FRA is very pleased to have had a small part in the production of the Near fm radio program “The Changing Face of Fairview“.

We hope to grow vegetables, fruit & flowers, make our own compost, construct our own greenhouses and maybe have the odd spring or harvest festival!

All sorts of skills will be needed, even if you only have a few hours to spare:

• Gardening / Horticultural ‘know-how’; good ‘old fashioned’ advice on flower / fruit / vegetable growing and also those with ideas about new urban food growing initiatives & sustainability;
• Book keeping / accountancy, fund-raising ideas and skills
• Practical building skills i.e. carpentry etc.
• And of course, lots of enthusiastic physical labourers!!

So, if you have an interest in producing fresh, organic food for you and your family, while working with local people to help create a fantastic resource to share with neighbours & friends in Fairview, please Join Us!

We are cooperating with Forest Friends Ireland, who are based on Fairview Strand, on this initiative.

Acquiring a good local site has been proving to be problematic to date. The FRA are in contact with all our local TDs & councillors as well as Dublin City Council about the garden and we have had a great deal of support. However without a site there is not a lot more we can do.

Do you know of any site that would be suitable for Fairview Community Garden?

We are also in contact with Fairview’s Business Association and Dublin City Council about the Greening of Fairview. This is a scheme to increase the amount of flowers and plants in the area.

The Community Garden is part of the FRA’s Fairview 2014 initiative.

Please e-mail the FRA at fra@fairview-marino.com if you want to get involved or want more information.

[Show as slideshow]

The highlighted areas include but are not limited to:

• Richmond Avenue: Junction with Richmond Road
• Richmond Road: Leydens Cash and Carry and Old Sewing Machine Factory
• Richmond Estate / Melrose Ave.: Alleyway between the two and also the rear of Melrose Ave. end of alleyway
• Fairview Strand: Jewish Cemetery, St Vincent de Paul
• Fairview Strand / Addison Road: Lane between Fairview Strand and Addison beside Centra shop
• Windsor Avenue: At junction with Fairview Strand
• Cadogen Road: Junction with Annesley Bridge Road
• Marino Mart: Lane that runs at the rear of Marino Institute and spreads out onto Marino Mart also
• St Josephs School and Footbridge Fairview: All along the front of the school and the footbridge also.

Our understanding is this footbridge is to undergo renovation in the near future. Could you possibly confirm this please?

Marino Library will host a talk on the history of Marino on Monday 26 March at 6.30pm. Booking Advised.

Booking: Marino Library phone: 8336297 email: marinolibrary@dublincity.ie

Address: 14 - 20 Marino Mart, Fairview, Dublin 3

Marino Library is  part of the Marino College building – entrance to the Library is in the side lane beside Wrights Fish Shop. The Library opened its doors on 22nd October 1937.

In 2012 Marino Library is celebrating 75 years of Public Service.

View Marino Library in a map

The Changing Face of Fairview is a five part documentary radio series produced by NearFM volunteer John Haughton.

The series began on Thursday March 15th @ 6pm and explores the history, heritage and local organisations & amenities that make up the area of Fairview & Marino.

Join John as he talks to senior citizens to find out how Fairview has changed over time. A local architect and a local historian analyse the townscape features and trace the history starting way back. We discover how Fairview played a key role in the 1916 rising and how James Joyce lived at four different addresses in Fairview between 1895 and 1901. We find out about the birthplace of Dracula author Bram Stoker in Marino Crescent and we look at the many different community organisations and amenities in the area including Forest Friends, Comhaltas and St Josephs Boys school.

Programme 1:

Download

Programme 2:

Download

In  programme 2:

• Local historian Denis McIntyre talks about Fairview’s closest neighbour, Ballybough and how it contained at one stage a ‘mud island’. He talks of how in earlier centuries it was noted for smuggling and how travellers ventured through it with great care.
• We visit Smyth’s public house where there is a permanent photographic exhibition of the North Strand bombings and read a letter describing the bombings.
• We talk to senior citizens, some of them past pupils of St. Joseph’s school, ‘Joey’s’ and hear of the time when there were real characters which gave the village real character. Eileen Kinane and Tommy Condren talk of the momentous Eucharistic Congress, 1932, the Fairview Band Stand and the Cinema’s key role in their lives, about time before TV and describe the games children played.
• We talk to long established business people, Victor Edge and Des Higgenbotham and to church historian Owen Curran about changes in that institution.
• We get the views of young and old about how they feel about Fairview old and new.
• We talk to supporters before the all Ireland hurling semi-final and final about their hopes when we catch up with them in Smyth’s and Meagher’s pubs where big crowds had gathered.
• Niall Ring continues his narrative of the Easter Rising 1916 and the key role which Fairview and its people played in this event which fundamentally changed the course of Irish history.

Programme 3:

Download

In  programme 3:

• Rev. Fr. Anthony, Franciscan parish priest and ecologist, who was born in India, talks about the Kerala Green Plan, its relevance and his ideas for the greening of Fairview.
• Naoise Reynolds and Joseph Dunne of Forest Friends, who are located at 55 Fairview Strand, speak about the importance of trees and the essential role of the local community in environmental conservation and development.
• Well known broadcaster Ciaran Hanrahan of Clasach, a state of the art recently built traditional Irish music centre and to Maurice Mullen of the Comhaltas Cluain Tarbh traditional music teaching academy who teach traditional Irish music at the Marino College, Fairview.
• Fairview Park on a typical Sunday morning the diversity of cultural groups who use it and to many of its users to get their views about Fairview, about the park and the people.
• Senior citizens Tommy Condren and Eileen Kinane who talk about their youth, festivals, processions and a time when children used their imagination to create their own entertainment.
• Local councillor Niall Ring continues his account of the 1916 Easter Rising and the important role which Fairview, Ballybough and the local public house, Mahers, (then Lambs) played in this history changing and momentous event.

Click here for program 4 - the Fairview Variety Concert.

Click here for program 5.

This series is made with the assistance of the Sound and Vision fund. The series will broadcast every Thursday @ 6pm from 15th of March.

Next Meeeting: Date: January 16th, 8pm-10pm

Location: Ash Suite, Cusack Stand, via St Josephs Avenue

These meetings are held on a regular basis. You can see the minutes of the last meeting (October 2011) here.

Click here for more information about Croke Park Community meetings.

Croke Park Community - Waste Recycling Service

3rd-19th Jan 2012

Where? Croke Park, Cusack Stand  (via St. Joseph’s Ave)

What do we recycle?

• Christmas trees
• WEEE domestic recycling (e.g. fairy lights / batteries)
• Cardboard

DROP-OFF TIMES:

Mon-Fri 8am - 8pm

Sat/Sun 10am - 4pm

Report provided by Cllr. Gerry Breen:

We had a good presentation from Jimmy Bowler of Brams Cafe as Chair of the Fairview Business Association at the North Central Area Committee Meeting. The point of the meeting was to get both the unrealised positives and the untreated negatives together and see what could be done about both.

Some of the unrealised positives were:

• The oldest jewish cemetery in Dublin between Philipsburgh Ave and Richmond Road on Fairview Strand.
• Bram Stoker and the underused park that the Crescent faces onto
• Fairview Park

Some of the untreated negatives were:

• Graffiti on the pump station and sub station at the bottom of the Malahide Road
• Derelict Building on Popular Row, tree out of roof of Prescotts Cleaners, Repaint needed on the Buena Vista entrance at Fairview Cinema
• Inconsistent treatment of lighting standards and unused poles
• Appearance of pedestrian bridge - scheduled for repaint in 2012

These and other items came up and “Fairview” as an item will be taken again in April with a view to making sure there is progress on what was discussed.

Steve Margolis and Shane Molloy - Senior and area planners came to the meeting following on from my request and it was the express view of the meeting that they should use whatever powers available to pressure a developer to clean up his development on Richmond Avenue.

Please see below reply to question put also:

DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL NORTH CENTRAL AREA COMMITTEE 19th December 2011

Q.10 Question in the name of Councillor Gerry Breen

Can the manager please have  the street lights which are not working repaired/replaced on the 2 standards – one opposite Kebab outlet on Marino Mart and the other nearer the footbridge both on the townward side of the road in Fairview and also on the 2 standards opposite Smyths Pub and O Donoghue Solicitors both on the townward side of the road in Fairview.

Reply: The two lights in question were repaired on the 2nd December 2011.

Report provided by Councillor Jane Horgan-Jones:

Report to November North Central Area Committee

Fairview Village

Area

Fairview is an old historical area of Dublin and is well known both citywide and indeed nationally. It’s proximity to Croke Park makes it a focal gathering place for match goers during the Gaelic games season.

Fairview is also a major arterial traffic route into the city and many commuters pass through the area daily from the Howth, Clontarf and Malahide Roads. On a positive amenity perspective, the area is well served by Fairview Park, which provides opportunities for active and passive recreation for citizens of all ages. There are also some notable buildings in the locality such as The Church of Our Lady of the Visitation and Marino College.

Fairview Business Forum

In May 2010 North Central Area Office staff invited all local businesses to an information meeting with a view to establishing a business forum in Fairview. The purpose of the forum was to engage with the local businesses on relevant local matters, which are within the remit of the Council. Based on successes of other business forums elsewhere in the North Central Area, it was hoped to foster local engagement which would result in better co-operation between the Council and local businesses.

Boundaries of DCC/Fairview Business Forum

The boundaries for the Forum are Fairview Strand, Malahide Road to Annesley Bridge, Fairview Park boundary and junction of Richmond Road/Luke Kelly bridge.

Business profile

The profile of the businesses in the are

Health Services – Doctors surgeries / dentists / pharmacies / opticiansa comprises primarily of service and retail outlets, which serve both the communities of Fairview and Marino. There are over one hundred businesses operating in the area providing a wide variety of services as follows:-

• Financial – Bank / financial services companies / credit union
• Legal / property - Solicitors / estate agents
• Food Retail – mini markets / newsagents / butchers / fishmongers
• Leisure – coffee shops / restaurants / public houses / take-aways / gyms
• Culture – Art Gallery / music school / art school
• Other retail – hairdressers / beauty salons / hardware / cycle shop / suit hire / jewellers
• Other services – Post Office / library

Meetings of DCC Fairview Business Forum

The forum meets 4/5 times per annum in the library in Marino College courtesy of the college principal. Although attendance by the local businesses at the meetings has varied, there is a core group who attend the meetings regularly.

Topics of DCC Fairview Business Forum

Given the environment, the recurrent major theme is traffic with agenda items such as cycle lanes, illegal parking, duration of parking times and enforcement. Regular updates are given at the meetings on developments in Fairview Park such as the pavilion, playground and bandstand. As the area is on a main thoroughfare, litter and waste management issues also feature frequently at the meetings. Other representations made to the Area Office through the business forum has resulted in the removal of obsolete & unsightly telecom kiosks from two locations.

Recent DCC Improvements

The exhibition is being organised by the Ard Scoil Rís Parents’ Council as a fundraising event in support of the school.

The event will take place on 26 and 27 November and local artists will exhibit their work for sale along with a selection of paintings by the Ard Scoil Rís boys! The exhibition will be officially opened by the Lord Mayor at 8pm on the evening of November 26th, who will also judge the student’s artwork and nominate prizewinners.

This is the 28th year of this fundraising event at Ard Scoil Rís where the Parents’ Council continues to make a valuable contribution to the educational environment and facilities at the school.

The Lord Mayor, Councillor Andrew Montague says, “I am delighted to see that this wonderful event, bringing the community and local artists together, is celebrating so many years of fundraising effort by the parents of Ard Scoil Rís.”

Click here to see a poster about the exhibition.

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Click here to download Fairview Residents Association’s newsletter for October 2011.

It includes articles on the FRA AGM, the Fairview Variety Concert and various snippets. It also lists the FRA Committee members.

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If you want to be kept up-to-date with Fairview & Marino, please subscribe by entering your e-mail below:

This award is for the most influential voice online in Ireland. Maria says that  she is absolutely delighted to be shortlisted as her blog is a labour of love (with no monetary reward!).

The Big Mouth Award winner is picked through a public vote so it would be great if the people of Fairview and Marino could get behind Maria.

Voting closes on 8th November

To vote for Maria & Science Calling:

• Facebook: Click the Eircom Spiders page ‘Like’ it and vote for Science Calling under the Big Mouth Category.
• Non-Facebook Users: Please email “I vote for Science Calling” to info@eircomspiders.ie with the subject line Big Mouth 2011.

Other nominees include David Norris, Cork Independent and Politics.ie so Maria is up against stiff competition from well known organisations.

Maria set up the science blog, Science Calling, in May this year. It is branded as ‘Ireland’s once-weekly science blog’ as it is updated every Friday with a new article on a science topic. Articles that she has written so far include those of Irish interest, such as ‘The science behind Irish proverbs’ and ‘Irish Americans: invasive species abroad’. She also writes about new research, science events and feature stories on science such as her recent Halloween special ‘Ghoulish Genetics’.

Contact Information for Maria Daly:

Email: maria@sciencecalling.com

• Fairview Residents’ Association are keeping a close eye on the proposal by Dublin City Council to construct an up to eight foot flood defence barrier from Fairview along Clontarf promenade to the wooden bridge. We will keep our members informed of all developments.
• We have been in contact with the Community Garda with a view to revitalising the Neighbourhood Watch scheme.
• The FRA is in contact with the local business association about a variety of issues that affect local business & residents. The lamp standards along Fairview have been recently repainted as a result.
• The Ergo site on the corner of Richmond Road & Richmond Avenue has received planning permission from Dublin City Council for a 5 storey, 90 bed nursing home (planning no. 2119/11). The FRA is appealing this decision to An Bord Pleanála as we are concerned with overdevelopment of the site. If you wish to appeal as well, you must do so by 30 October.
• A big “Go raibh mile maith agat” to Dublin City Council for erecting the three new “Welcome to Fairview” signs.
• The FRA would like to like to welcome the new parish priest to the parish of Fairview. Welcome Fr. Antony Nallukunnel OSMConv to our neighbourhood.
• We would also welcome the other new visitors to Fairview. Wild Atlantic salmon have begun reproducing in the Tolka for the first time in at least 100 years. Fáilte rompu!

Fairview Residents Association is cooperating with our local community radio station Near fm to organise a variety concert featuring local talent.

Where: Upstairs in Smyths of Fairview

When? Friday 21 October 2011 - doors open at 7.30

How much? That’s up to you - we’re taking donations on the night.

Donations? Yes!! The proceeds will go to an Older Persons Charity organisation right here in Fairview.

Who will be playing? Local musicians, dancers and singers. Local poets & storytellers with a connection to Fairview will also feature.

Places are limited. You can pick up a ticket from FRA Committee members Pádraig & Glen or from Fairview Parish or Forest Friends on Fairview Strand or even from Smyth’s itself.

The concert will be recorded to be broadcast on Near fm. Our community radio station is currently making a five part radio series called “The Changing Face of Fairview”.

Among the performers will be traditional singer Bláithin de Burca, 1916 historian Niall Ring, Environmentalist Fr. Anthony, Pat Farrell’s 2 piece Blues band, Bram Stoker expert Denis McIntyre, Storytellers Carol Jordan and Joseph Dunne and the Marino Waltz dancers.

And More!

Click here to listen to the Fairview Variety Concert.

Their proposal comprises a series of earth mounds and walls along Clontarf Promenade between Alfie Byrne Road (Fairview end) and the Bull Wall to protect nearby roads and properties from coastal flooding. The total length is circa 3km. They propose to combine this project with the North City Arterial Watermain - essentially the water pipe will be buried under the mound of the flood defence.

Paragraph 1.3.2 of the EIS states that “the flood defence will comprise an earth bund ranging from 0.85m to 2.75m (average 1.7m) in height depending on the location and existing ground levels on site”.

It is this height that has residents on Dublin’s Northside so concerned.

Clontarf Residents Association point out that:

• The sea view when driving along the Clontarf Road will be eliminated.
• if this plan is implemented, pedestrians or joggers using the pathway close to the sea will not be able to see the road
• Equally importantly they will not be visible from the road which produces its own potential security risk.
• Cyclists using the cycle path will not have a view of the sea.
• Householders who currently have a sea view at ground level will no longer be able to see any part of the sea.
• There will be limited access points to allow you to move from one side of the berm to the other (unless you are able to walk up and over it).
• The area on the sea side of the berm will no longer be visible from the road and this will make that part of the promenade much more difficult to police and thus increase the potential for anti-social activity.

On 11 October, DCC issued a letter which undertook that the project will not be advanced for a further 2 week period - this means the project will not progress until the end of October at the soonest.

There was a Protest Meeting against Proposed Flood Defence Wall on Clontarf Promenade on Sunday 16 October at 3pm at the Wooden Bridge.

The concern over the flood defence scheme was covered on the RTÉ TV News on 11 October 2011. Click here to view the report.

The issue was covered on RTE radio’s Liveline on 10 October 2011 - you can listen to it below.

Click here to see the heights of the proposed mound / wall at different points along Clontarf (PDF format).

Click here to see the Environmental Impact Study for the proposal (PDF format).

A collaboration of local architects and planning professionals have created the image below showing the visual impact of the proposed mounds & wall based on the available technical data from DCC and its consultants.

The Residents’ Association’s Annual General Meeting is where all Fairview’s residents get a chance to meet and discuss anything they think is important. New officers are also elected & we take a look back on the year.

Where: The CYMC/LC, Philipsburgh Avenue

When: Monday 14 November 2011 at 8.00pm

Agenda / Clár:

1. Minutes of 2010 AGM & matters arising / Miontuairiscí
2. Chair’s report on 2010/11 / Tuairisc an chathaoirligh
3. Treasurer’s report / Tuairisc an chisteoir
4. Planning issues / Cúrsaí pleanála
5. Community Garden Proposal / Gáirdín na nDaoine
6. Motions & Proposals / Rúin
7. Election of officers / Toghacháin
8. Any other Business / Aon ghnó eile

We will, as usual, be inviting all our public representatives to the AGM, both councillors & TDs.

If you have a motion to propose about the area, please contact the Secretary by November 1 at latest.

Venue: Marino Library

Time and Date: Wednesday 28th September 6.30pm.

Booking Highly Recommended Phone: 01-8336297 email: marinolibrary@dublincity.ie

Marino Library will host a talk on the History of the O’Brien Institute (OBI), Marino with local Historian Jim Cantwell.

Since 1982 the OBI has served as HQ for Dublin Fire brigade Service. Very little is generally known about the History of this imposting redbrick building. Jim Cantwell has spent several years researching the history of the OBI and this talk is an overview of it’s very interesting past

All welcome - We look forward to your company on this evening - please phone the library if you have any queries.

Originally known as the Catholic Young Men’s Society (or “Cumann na bhFear n-Óg Catoiliceach agus Ghaedhilg” as it called itself in Irish). Rather than being called the Fairview branch, it was the Blessed Oliver Plunkett Branch.

The original building was called “Annadale Lodge”. It contained a “spacious pavilion providing adequate accommodation for dances, whist drives etc.” (see pic left).

The first President was M.X. McGowan who was replaced by P.J. Golding the following year. P.J. remained President for the next 12 years.

The club celebrated its Silver Jubilee in 1944 and issued a 30 page souvenir book at that time. This book contains some fascinating pieces on the club & Fairview from 1919-1944. Indeed the editors said they wished to “chronicle the events of the last quarter century”.

In the section detailing the history of Fairview CYMS it says:

“In the Summer evenings towards the end of the last war [i.e. the First World War] a group of young men, mostly in their teens, and from the parish of Fairview used to gather in Mrs. Sheridan’s shop, next to the parish church. Affectionately known as ‘Aunties’ this shop became the headquarters from which the boys set out for their evening recreation, on wet evenings, however, a visit would be made to Dooley’s Billiard Saloon, long since a cafe. In 1918 discussion centred around the need for a parish club. A deputation was formed and called on the parish priest, Canon Pettit, who received the idea favourably and promised to consider it.”

Click here to download the CYMS Silver Jubilee Souvenir Book (pdf format - 8Mb).

Many thanks to Conor Campion for providing the fascinating Souvenir Book.

Fairview CY can be contacted at (01) 837 5352.