Kilcar Parish Council 1960 -2010 still going strong 50 years on

Published Date: 31 December 2009 By Staff reporter

When a group of Kilcar people gathered in Kilcar Parish Hall 50 years ago and decided that in order to keep the requirements of Kilcar to the fore and to ensure that Kilcar Parish received its fair share of investment, they could have never have envisaged the affect that the establishment of Kilcar Parish Council would have on day to day life in Kilcar.

For fifty years now Kilcar Parish Council has lobbied governments, County Council, State bodies of all kinds in order to keep Kilcar Parish to the fore and when you look at some of their achievements one can see how wise those people were 50 years ago to establish a Parish Council for the people and elected by the people

Kilcar Parish Council have been have lobbied to have a proper water supply to the parish, to have the piers in the parish upgraded, to have all roads in the parish improved to an acceptable standard and to get an Industrial state established in Ballymoon, Kilcar. The Parish Council was also instrumental in having social facilities established in Kilcar as well as having a new school built in the parish.

Five members of the first Parish Council are still alive and there is a strong link with the present Parish Council. The present Parish Council Chairman joined Kilcar Parish Council in 1960. James Mc Brearty is the longest serving member of the council and actively works today to improve Kilcar parish. Over the lifetime of Kilcar Parish Council two of the Parish Council members have been honoured to serve as Mayor of Donegal whilst members of Kilcar Parish Council.

The Parish Council has over the past 50 years had a healthy working relationship with State and other development bodies. They have also worked with all politicians over these years.

Most of what the Parish Council has set out on its agendas has been achieved, some have taken longer that others. Ironically one of the items on the agenda of the first Parish Council was the provision of a play area for children in Kilcar Parish. Ironically enough a new state of the art playground has just been completed and will open officially next year on the 50th anniversary of the Parish Council.

A special Mass will be held in St Cartha's Church Kilcar on Saturday, January 23 the celebrate the 50 years of the success of Kilcar Parish Council and its members and to remember all those members now deceased. Other events will take place during 2010.

For the record the members of the First Parish Council were:

President, Canon McGinley PP Kilcar; Vice President, Fr Daniel Logue, Kilcar; Chairman, Danny Doherty Carrick Road; Vice Chairman, Jim Cronin, Kilcar; Secretary, Dan Gillespie, Carrick Road; Treasurer, Arthur McLoughlin, Tawney Road; Francie McNulty and Hugh Gillespie, Cougish Area;
John Carr and Patrick O'Gara, Muckros Area; Michael A O'Donnell and Hugh Gallagher, Shalway Area; Gerry Hegarty and Michael Hegarty, Straleel Area; Patrick McBrearty and Neil Sweeney Derryahan Area; Francie Cannon and Eddie Molloy, Crove Area;

Dan Byrne and Patrick Gallagher represented Factory Workers; Eddie McCahill and Jim Cronin represented Forestry Workers;
John P Campbell represented Road Council Etc; Outdoor Weavers were represented by Cara Byrne. Fishermen were represented by James McNellis Cashel and Momnick Murray; GAA was represented by Frank Gillespie and Proinsias Carr and the Kilcar Traders were represented by Aodh O'Gara and John Byrne.