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International Youth Year
The Parishes
At the start of 1985, Lucan consisted of two parishes – St. Mary’s and St. Patrick’s up in Esker.
Planned Giving – 1st week January
Lucan - £1,014.77
Esker - £1,142.50
Lucan Priests: Very Rev Donal Coghhlan PP, Fr Martin O’Farrell CC, Fr Alex Conlan CC, and Fr Cyril Mangan who was also Chaplain to the Vocational School.
Esker Priests: Very Rev James Loughran PP, Fr Owen Lynch CC and Fr Tom Early CC.
Masses: There were 7 Sunday Masses in Lucan, and 6 in Esker, which were celebrated in St. Anne’s School as the new St. Patrick’s Church was under construction.
St. Patrick’s Church in Esker was consecrated on 6th October 1985.
Divine Mercy: By the end of the year, a third Parish was announced – Divine Mercy, Lucan South, with responsibility for development going to Fr. Cathal Price.
School life began in October with 8 pupils and 1 teacher. By November, the number had grown to 18, in a building owned by Stewarts Hospital. A 5 acre site was allocated for permanent school buildings.
There were currently 35 new houses occupied in the parish, with 85 to be complete by Christmas. By June ’86, it was expected that 220 houses would be complete.
“Fr Prices has a pre-fab Mass Centre which has a Sunday congregation of 50 and growing fast.”
Entertainment
Cinderella put in an appearance at the Spa Hotel in January, courtesy of Lucan Drama Society. The show produced by Ewan O’Flynn played to packed houses, with plenty of magic on stage!
In April, the group produced Drama at Inish.
The Pirates of Penzance was the offering from the West County Musical Society in October. Played in the Aula Maxima, Maynooth, it was a resounding success.
Summer Projects
Esker Summer Project was catering for the children of Esker, while Lucan Youth Fun was in its first year.
Politicians
The local representatives sending notes to Lucan Newsletter were: Senator Brian Fleming FG, Cllr. Liam Lawlor FF, Cllr Micheal Gannon Lab, and Cllr Finbar Hanrahan FF, Tomás MacGiolla WP, Liam Skelly TD, FG.
They kept us informed of the local happenings!
Lucan Garda Station
Plenty of talk about the upgrading of Lucan Garda Station. The question was whether to re-locate the station, or renovate and retain its historical significance – it having Gandon influences.
The place was infested with damp and dry rot.
At the end of the day, the old building was demolished and rebuilt, with the front elevation being retained as it was barring repairs.
It was announced that Lucan Courthouse had closed in December 1984, the building being part of the old station.
Traffic in Lucan Village
While work progressed on the Garda Station, new traffic lines were painted in that area of the village, and appear to have caused more congestion than previous. They were painted out and painted in again......... Traffic lights were also out of sync.
A woman from Kew Park took 40 minutes to get her children to school!
The Lucan By-Pass
In January, it was noted that £200,000 was approved for work on the Luca By-Pass, with a compulsory purchase order to be confirmed. It was hoped that work would commence by the end of the year.
There were appeals to “save Esker Lane” , not having the new By-Pass split it in two.
Prices grew! In December – “Tenders for the construction of the Lucan By Pass are expected to be sought in the coming week, and this should allow work to commence in early Spring. The cost of this project has risen from £2m in 1976 to over £10.5m in 1985”.
Lucan Library
1/9/’85: “The County Council is in the process of finalising the agreement with Lucan Village Centre Ltd., to lease space within the proposed shopping centre in the village, for a library.
Since construction of the centre has not yet commenced, it is not possible to give an accurate date for opening of the library, but given an early date for building commencement, an opening date in mid 1987 is anticipated”.
Lucan Community College
By the end of January, Tenders and sketched plans were completed, and with the Department of Education. By March, we were informed that work on the new school had been deferred to 1987.
Water Rates
There were major concerns by all that a £30 per house water charge would be imposed.
The Rectory Fete
In June the annual fete at the Rectory took place, and Canon Despard welcomed and thanked all locals for their support.
New School for Airlie / Woodview Heights
Monday 24th June saw the opening of the second Primary School in Esker Parish, with Junior and Senior Infants settling in. Both classes had been moved across from St. Thomas’.
It was referred to in October as “St. Mary’s School, Esker” but by the end of the year, it had become “Scoil Mhuire, Dodsboro”.
Young Matt Lacey taking part in Esker’s Field Day – raising funds for the new St. Patrick’s Church.
Lucan Historical Society
Mr. Richard Shackleton was delivering talks with hundred year old photos of the area, taken by his grandmother.
Lucan Community Council
The Council oversaw many of the projects in Lucan. They report that there are 13,500 people living in Lucan.
Martin Keegan was Lord Mayor of Lucan, and he set about raising funds for various local events, with Snooker Player Denis Taylor in tow for one event.
Other mentions........
The Youth were well catered for with St. Mary’s Youth Club, Scouts, and all the various sports clubs which at this stage were well established.
Lucan Sarsfields Youth Accordion Band headed off to the USA for a summer tour.
Bingo began in Esker in September – every Monday night.
Moving Statues were a wondrous thing around the country!
Proposed Divorce Legislation was discussed.
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