Kilcullen's first canoes

Fifty years ago in the winter of 1958/59, as a lad of 20 I was working in the ESB. I was transferred from the ESB power station in Ringsend to the ESB power station in Donegal.



Having signed up for a woodworking class in Ballyshannon Technical School, I decided I would build a two-man kayak canoe. In April 1959, with the canoe finished, I was transferred back to Ringsend Power Station, leaving the canoe behind in Donegal.

The following month I arranged for the canoe to be transported on top of a load of fruit by Dolan’s Fruit Importers from Donegal to their warehouse in Castleforbes St, North Wall, Dublin. The transport was FOC, and from Dublin Andy Blaney brought the canoe home to Kilcullen on Brennan’s lorry, again FOC.

Within weeks of it appearing on the river, Paddy Maloney, who always had a great eye for construction, studied the plans and built two replicas of the kayak. So in the summer of 1959, Kilcullen Canoe Club was formed. It was the first canoe club in Ireland.

Almost 50 years later it is indeed a great achievement for Kilcullen Canoe Club to be opening their new Club House on Sunday July 27th.



Jim Collins.