Local Faces: Deirdre Kearns

WHEN it comes to community resources, the area of Firhouse possesses a bit of a hidden gem, writes Ken Doyle.

A success story which has been providing valuable services to Firhouse since 1987, Firhouse Community Centre.

Deirdre Kearns, manager of the centre, and better known by many as Dee, is the focus of this week’s Local Faces feature.

Deirdre was kind enough to take a break from her incredibly busy schedule to have a chat with The Echo about her life and work, and how she came to be such an energetic and committed pillar of her community.

As Deirdre will tell us, her formative years were spent in less than ordinary environs, about as far removed from the hustle and bustle of our own fair county that you can get in Ireland.

“So I was born in Dublin at a time when there were few facilities for young people.

“Unemployment was high and there was an illegal drug epidemic taking hold of the city.

“Thus my parents decided to bring us up outside Dublin.

“Not wanting to do anything by halves, they decided we kids would be better off growing up on Achill Island off the coast of Mayo.”

So Deirdre grew up in a Gaeltacht area amongst some of the most beautiful and spectacular scenery in the country.

“I had a very happy childhood there, and, yes, it was a truly spectacular place to grow up.

“It was a strange choice considering both my parents are from the inner city, but it worked out nicely.”

When she reached 18, Deirdre returned to Dublin to continue her education at Rathmines College and duly emerged four years later with a degree in Business Studies and settled in Firhouse.

“After college, I became an accountant at what was then called Beecham’s on the Long Mile Road.

“And then I moved into childcare, becoming a Montessori teacher. It was a good job and I really enjoyed it, but a few years in I had children of my own to raise and I took a career break to devote more time to them.”

In 2004, Deirdre decided to return to the workforce, successfully applying for a part time job at Firhouse Community Centre, blissfully unaware at the time of where it would lead.

By 2006 she was a supervisor at the centre and over the next few years her responsibilities and duties increased until she reached a point where it became her full-time career.

Deirdre is the most enthusiastic cheerleader for the centre and she told me a little of its history.

“The centre was started by a group of people who had the vision and foresight to recognise there was a great need for a facility in Firhouse where people could get together and engage in a variety of social and sporting activities.

“A committee of like-minded people was formed and they set about providing a location which could offer something to everyone in Firhouse.”

“Through a lot of hard work, meetings, knocking on doors, fundraising events, lobbying TDs and councillors they finally realised their dream when the centre’s doors opened in 1987.”

Since then, the centre has gone from strength to strength, making improvements and adding extensions along the way.

The centre now has Éanna Ladies Basketball Club as its core tenants, with it becoming the home court for a variety of their teams.

It also hosts a myriad of activities such as yoga, self-defense, Tai Chi, music and dance classes and much, much more besides.

Although she’d never admit it, Deirdre has had a huge impact on the centre.

Since assuming the role of manager in 2016, the centre has diversified still further.

“In 2017 we opened the Men’s Shed and opened the café. In 2018 we started Active Aging which has proven incredibly popular.

“We also have pitch and putt and golf societies running, and of course, we’re a licensed premises, so our bar is also a great social attraction for our local people.”

I put it to Deirdre that there must be a huge amount of work running all of that alongside the admin and fundraising she’s responsible for.

Naturally she’s effusive in her praise for her staff, saying they’re the ones that make it happen.

“I’m really lucky, I have a fantastic team working at the centre.

“We’ve got twelve part time staff members – they’re a great bunch and I’m very grateful to them.”

“Of course, I serve at the pleasure of the committee and they’re a constant source of support.

“They share my desire to give our area a really top-class facility.”

“I’m also extremely grateful to South Dublin County Council and the Department of Community and Rural Development who have been a great help to us over the years.

“Our next big development is the installation of solar panels at the centre and hopefully that will happen very soon.”

Deirdre confesses that there’s also someone else she should thank, someone who could be described as the centre’s unofficial handyman, her husband Noel. Deirdre and Noel are the proud parents of two grown-up daughters Fiona and Roisín, who are travelling the world at the time of writing.

It must be said, Deirdre is one of those people who make communities tick.

She absolutely loves Firhouse and wouldn’t leave it for the world.

“As I say, I’m a very lucky person.

“I love my job, the people I work with and the area of Firhouse which is my home.

“I look forward to a bright future for the centre and the people we serve.”