Local Faces: Christy Kyne

PASSION for the parish comes in spades for Christy Kyne, who shows his love for his community by volunteering with Sruleen Community Development Association.

“I like to be helpful and do my part for my community, that’s the moral of the story,” Christy tells The Echo, in a chat over the phone, as the sun splits the stones outside.

It is this kind of weather, in the height of summer, that the likes of Christy and other community activists thrive in.

Now, that’s not saying that they disappear when the going get’s tough during the winter months. Keeping Sruleen clean and litter free is a year-round thing for Christy.

“I always had a keen interest in the environment, and I just hate litter,” Christy emphasises.

“We would organise monthly clean-up days, that’s how I started off with them actually, and then you’d have around 10 of us that would be out regularly.

“What we are really is just a group of people that are interested in keeping our area clean and tidy.

Christy Kyne

“I’m passionate about the environment and I love the area.”

Christy has a schedule for keeping his patch in Sruleen clean and tidy. One day a week he’s out on the lawnmower and aiding with the flower bed.

Then, two other days a week, Christy likes to roll up the sleeves, grab his litter picker and take to his neighbourhood to get in a good old fashioned litter pick.

With the endless number of hours that Christy puts in, one would think it would be inherently disheartening to witness people dropping litter for him.

And while it is frustrating, he keeps the head up and keeps going.

“When I see someone dropping litter, all I really think is that I just want to pick it up and move on,” he explains.

“Littering is disgusting. See people do come walking out of the shops and when they’re done eating, they drop the packaging off the food as they are walking.

“But it’s not just in Sruleen, this is happening everywhere.”

Ann O’Connell, Christy Kyme, Dolores Harold and Ann McWeeney

Indeed, littering is a nationwide issue.

The National Litter Pollution Monitoring System results shows that cigarette, packaging, food-related and plastic litter were the main causes of litter in communities.

Food related litter constituted for some 11 per cent of litter pollution nationwide while passing pedestrians and passing motorists were highlighted as the main causative factors of said pollution at 63.7 percent.

Combating littering of this scale starts at the source and the fight against pollution starts on the ground, with volunteers.

At a recent event held by now former Mayor, Cllr Peter Kavanagh, individuals and community groups received awards as tokens of recognition for embodying the spirit of volunteering in South Dublin County.

One of those recipients was none other than Christy.

“I got a Mayor’s Initiative Award, it was an award for volunteering. It was great. There was a brilliant event over at the Round Tower Visitor Centre there.

“There was quite a big group of people there at it. It was nice for the mayor and the council to show their appreciation for what I was doing, I was quite proud of it.

At 73-years-young Christy says he will stay at it for another few years and see “where we’re at then”

“See it really just gets me out and keeps me talking to people.”

There is no shortage of charisma when it comes to Christy and having worked all his professional life in the hospitality industry, he’s a natural yapper. Mentioning how volunteering helps him connect with people, Christy thoroughly enjoys getting to have a chat with all different types of people.

“I worked in the hospitality industry for my entire life and retired in 2011,” the 73-year-old details.

“Through work, I was used to talking to people, they’re telling you all sorts of different stories and you would find it relaxing – and that’s what I would have taken from the hospitality industry.”

Originally from Galway, Christy moved to Bluebell in Dublin in 1976 before buying the house that he lives in now, in Sruleen, in 1983.

It was only when he retired in 2011 that he found that he needed some sort of outlet and he found a passion in volunteering with the residents association.

“I joined the group about 10-years-ago. See I had stopped working for health reasons and I was looking for something to get me up and out during the day,” he says.

“So. I do two or three days a week and I find it absolutely brilliant, you’re talking to different people all the time and I really get great satisfaction out of it.

Christy Kyne

“You could be out doing a bit of cleaning or you’re cutting the grass and you’d have compliments from passers-by, it’s really nice.

“I love to see people happy, and I do be saying to people that it’s important to try stay positive in life, especially after the health issues that I had.

“We do try get people involved all the time. Getting out and getting involved in your community is a great way of living.

“You get to know all different people in your own community and that’s very special.

“The part of the country I am from, people could just sit in their houses for days and not bother come out to say hello. But that wasn’t good for you. The more you move, the better.

“I’ve met so many people involved in the group that I wouldn’t have met otherwise, and that’s great.”

Having come through the health issues and at 73-years-young, there is absolutely no stopping Christy at this stage in his life.

“I’m fine and I’m going well,” he says.

“Sure look, I’ll stay at it for another few years and see where we’re at then.”