COILL DUBH. PAUL CONNOLLY

Coill Dubh. Paul Connolly

Reading the Kildare e/history site it is very interesting to see the many testimonials and fond memories expressed by current and former residents of Coill Dubh.This village was revolutionary in its time for the fact that it was created from a green field site and did not organically develop as was the case in most Irish villages. It was a marvellous exercise in integration in its time considering the diverse locations from which all the inhabitants came –  some almost spoke a differentlanguage. It’s architecture was also very attractive and very modern in its time. I recall going to Prosperous High School (The Tech) in the late 1950s with some boys and girls from that village, names like Eddie Whealan, Michael Hogarthy (Scorchy) Ms. Cleary, O’Leary, Scanlon. Eddie Whealan emigrated along with his family to New York shortly after finishing school in Prosperous, I think his father was one of the green keepers in the village. Some years later I had the pleasure of meeting Luke Shinnors (senior) and playing football with his sons, Luke, Pete and Richard, when we all moved to Leixlip in the 1970s. Sadly, Luke Senior and Junior have since passed away. It is great to see the positivity and the "Pride of Place" being so well expressed in these articles. It is a pity that we don’t often hear this.
Paul Connolly
Leixlip (Formerly of Donore)

Paul Connolly, of Donore, fondly recalls Coill Dubh and its inhabitants. Our thanks to Paul