Kilcullen Diary: John Kelly retires from the Curragh after 45 years

Presentations were made to John Kelly in McTernan's yesterday afternoon to mark his retirement from the Board of Works on the Curragh after 45 years, writes Brian Byrne. And of course, with Kellys involved, there was also music, lots of it.

John had followed his own blacksmith father Joe in 1979 into the forge on the Curragh Camp, today the Defence Forces Training Centre, which he recalls as having a similar population then as Kilcullen has grown to today. He told the Diary that the civilian workforce there when he joined numbered around 400, involving all construction trades and helpers. "Today, that's down to about 20 or 30."

At that time the Curragh Camp also was self-sufficient as a community, with a butcher's stall, a chemist, a restaurant and takeaway, two cinemas, an electrical shop, a drapers, a photographer and a barbers. "It had five or six other shops, and four handball alleys that were used every day," John adds. "In our Board of Works area, there were four sections and each section had its own soccer team, and we also had a football team that used to take part in the factory leagues."

John's father had worked for 50 years on the Curragh, and he worked with his dad there for eight years before the older man retired, which John remembers as being 'a great help' to him. "When my father started there were 28 blacksmiths employed, in part because of the number of horses and also to make and maintain iron items such as railings around the various barrack and mess sections. My father was the second-last blacksmith when he retired, and I'm the last." He remembers his first job, with his dad, making a pair of gates and a green and gold crest for the Band Hall. "The band is gone, but those gates are still standing and are painted every year, and the hall is still there."

Although well trained in blacksmithing as he grew up, in the family forge in Mile Mill, John didn't immediately go into the trade. When he left school he worked with Jim Berney in the famous Kilcullen saddlery. "I thought I could make it there as a saddler, but the dust from the wool and leather didn't agree with me as I had some asthma. So I went and worked for a few years as a fitter with Renley Engineering in Kilcullen, and then got my start on the Curragh."

John recalls highlights of working with people 'a bit older than you'. "They would advise you and I learned a lot from them. Also, there are very few jobs where people went home singing from their work, but it was the practice in the old days to maybe visit one of the messes at lunchtime to have a couple of drinks, and then another one before going home ... so they would be literally be in great form on their way home. Of course, there'd be nothing like that now."

Lots of people from Kilcullen were employed as civilians in the camp, but the full workforce was a very good mix from around the county, including Newbridge, Athy, Castledermot, Nurney, and Allenwood. "They were all grand people, and looking back after 45 years, I had great times on the Curragh. I don't regret a minute of it and I wouldn't change a thing." He says 'the money wasn't great, but it was steady'. "And if you had a bit of a sideline like I had with the music, or the forge at home where you could make a couple of gates for someone and get through like that, it was possible to rear the family." The work wasn't confined to the Curragh, John and his workmates were also regularly detailed to do 'make and maintenance' for Army facilities in Kildare town, Naas, Kilkenny, and Wexford. "We also worked in Carnew where the FCA Battalion was billeted, and in the Glen of Immal."

With so few residents now in the camp, he says it has become a rather sad place, and he remarks on delays in recent years in sourcing materials to do necessary work. "At its height, we had a nail store, a timber store, an iron store, a paint store. All gone now. We even had a store with dozens of Stanley cookers, for installation in the married quarters as needed."

All that is no longer John's concern. He plans to play some more golf, and spend time with grandchildren. And, of course, continue the music gigs that were reflected in the session at the retirement party in Macs when he and his brothers Pat and Joe entertained in their own distinctive way. Also by the framed cassette recording of John's Come On Kildare presented by longtime friend Frank Morrow.

His former employers were represented at the event by Cmdt Dominic Noone, and present Curragh BoW foreman Anton Puska.