Meet three more of Kildare's finest volunteers before Friday's Kildare People of the Year Awards 2016

Continuing our coverage of Friday night's awards for Co Kildare REHAB People of the Year Awards, see here three more award winners, who have contributed vastly to their communities and families. A Gala Ball will be held on Friday next at the Keadeen Hotel, with a posthumous award to the late Michael Fitzpatrick TD and an Inspirational Award made to Pa Monahan in recognition of his amazing sporting achievements in recent years.

Jim Clarke,

GAELIC SPORT VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD 2016

Jim Clarke has an impressive pedigree in GAA football. When Kildare won the Leinster football championship in 1956, he was one of its star players at left full back. He also played for the Kildare minors in three successive years. More importantly, Jim won county titles with his native Ballymore Eustace football club in Junior, Intermediate and Senior - also in successive years. On the coaching side, Jim managed the Kildare U21 team to win the All-Ireland title in 1965 and won 3 in-a-row Leinster titles in 1965, ‘66 and ‘67 with this team. Jim managed the Kildare minors to a Leinster title in 1973, losing narrowly to Tyrone in the All-Ireland final.

He was also one of the local handball club’s most loyal supporters, working in the administration and promotion of handball during the ‘70s. Jim had a huge involvement in the building of the 40 x 20 complex from the conceptual through the fund-raising and construction stages. Jim gave unselfishly of his time and talents ever since to ensure its continued success and viability.

Evidence of his hands-on approach over the years can be seen throughout the handball community centre. He erected the perimeter fencing and supervised the tarmac job on the site, replaced gutters, re-roofed courts and drove youngsters to matches.

However, his nomination also entailed Jim’s care of his late wife, Nancy who suffered a stroke aged only 37. Despite being a busy building contractor and being and avid GAA man, Jim was a dedicated carer and a staunch support to Nancy and their children. You’ll still see him on the sidelines at every match in Ballymore, and often giving out to the players or the referee, his enthusiasm has never waned. Jim Clarke, carer and GAA supporter extraordinaire.

Paddy Price

THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS AWARD 2016

Married to Breda for 66 years, the couple have 8 children with extended grandchildren and great grandchildren. The octogenarian’s annual display of Christmas lighting and features outside the family home in Prosperous have proven to be a major attraction. It’s not just local residents who come to view the seasonal display, its residents from neighbouring villages and across North Kildare and beyond. Even bus tours contact Paddy annually and make a stop at Price’s house in the run-up to Christmas.

One Prosperous native said she had been going to look at Paddy’s work for over 30 years, “As long as I can remember, Christmas in Prosperous always started with the turnout of Mr Price’s Christmas decorations!” Paddy’s work starts in October and he adds a new feature every year. Through his years as a steel fabricator, Paddy saved every bit of scrap metal he found and has the most impressive tool shed in Co Kildare. His Christmas displays began in 1965 and with every bit of scrap, he found a use for it in Prosperous. He has created reindeers, Christmas characters, nativity scene, Disney characters, anything Paddy thinks will appeal…

People contact him too, and donate crib pieces or statues. The Price family were entertainers so he had a strong background in show business - Paddy even trained the bold Matt Browne as a MC! He was the Prosperous Santa for years and his natural ability for theatrics stood him in good stead. Paddy would arrive on a donkey dressed in balloons and glamour but one year, a balloon burst, startled the donkey and Santa and beast took off like a bat out of hell!

Paddy has been a volunteer with Prosperous Credit Union since 1974. He still keeps the grounds in pristine condition, cuts grass and hedging, with not a week in sight. In all the years, Paddy has erected the Christmas display, only once did it incur a negative incident: when some smart-alec stole Baby Jesus on Christmas morning! That year, it really was a case of a moving statue, and Paddy made the front page of a local newspaper. Paddy Price, the man who lights up Christmas!

John Jack Dunne

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AWARDS 2016

Married to Kathleen with 6 children (their 13th grandchild is on the way), the couple’s first great grandchild arrived on New Year’s Day 2016. Jack gives his all to his community and utilises his skills having worked for 45 years in the construction trade. He was involved with Milltown Youth Club for 10 years, when his own children were teenagers. During that time, he took youth to skating rinks, on outings to Killarney, Galway, to games, etc. Jack is enormously proud of his work with his own estate, Millview which has won a Pride of Place best estate award for the past 10 years, with 7 wins during that time. He continues to be a dedicated member of Millview Residents’ Association (since 1990) – you’ll see him out mowing, weeding, sweeping, sowing flowers, collecting litter or indeed, fundraising.

In 2014, Jack got involved with the newly developed Milltown Tidy Towns committee. Many successful projects in the village have been undertaken in recent years, amongst them the refurbishment and utilisation of the Old School House which is now the local Heritage and Information Centre.

Other works in the village included new flower beds in place opposite Millview Estate and at Whelan’s Cross; the restoration of the old well; demolition of the boat shed opposite the Hanged Man’s pub and landscaping of the area; re-vamping of the Village Centre with the pump and flower beds upgraded; grass mulching and water conservation and the creation of a local Facebook Page.

More recently, he has worked with the steering committee to establish a Men’s Shed in the area. Still in the early stages of development, Jack expects Na Fianna Men’s Shed to be up and running shortly. This popular organisation offers a communication hub for men, an area to create or use their skills, but often just to talk and connect with other men facing retirement or unemployment.

Jack Dunne, man about Milltown!

Featured photo shows

Back, l-r:John-Joe Walshe; Aubrey McCarthy; Jim Clarke and John Jack Dunee.

Front l-r: Joanne Keenaghan and Maureen Fitzpatrick at the launch of this year's awards in the Keadeen Hotel.

All photos Dessie Boland.