Pat retires from Credit Union after four decades

After some 40 years involvement with the Credit Union in Kilcullen, 27 of them as a staff member, Pat Clarke retired yesterday, writes Brian Byrne.

An informal but very pleasant gathering after closing time brought together family, friends, colleagues and former colleagues, in the Credit Union building.

As Pat described it herself, the Credit Union had been her 'hobby' first, then her workplace, and for many years 'her second home'.  On that last, she recalled the early days of the Credit Union in Kilcullen when she and colleagues used to bring their children down in their buggies while they conducted their work as volunteers. 

"At the time I worked in the telephone exchange in Naas. I used to sometimes get a lift in with Christy Sheridan, one of the founders of the Credit Union in Kilcullen," she told the gathering. "He said to me that if I kept up the volunteer work, there might be a full-time job there for me someday." And that's what actually happened. Pat began as a part-time staffer in 1996 and in 2004 she and Maureen Barker got full-time jobs.

Saying yesterday was a 'big day' for her, Pat thanked everyone present for coming along and said she was just so happy to still have that 'second family'. She added that she was looking forward to the next chapter in her life, which will shortly include visiting family in Australia.

Michelle Kemmy, CEO of Kildare Credit Union, said she really admired Pat for all she had done in the Kilcullen Credit Union over four decades. "The members are really, really going to miss you," she said. "When we heard you were going, we wondered how can we get all that's in your head about the Credit Union out and down on paper." To laughter, Pat said she would always be available at the end of a phone line.

The afternoon extended for some considerable time afterwards, with many staying on in the board room for reminiscences over tea and cake.

Kilcullen Credit Union was founded in 1971, and its current building was opened in July 2005. Along with Narraghmore CU, it merged with Kildare Credit Union in 2016.

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