Local Faces: Dolores Byrne

A FAMILIAR face in the community, manager of Bawnogue Youth and Community Centre, Dolores Byrne, has worked with and supported people in the area for over 30 years through her undisputed passion and dedication for the community.

Having moved to Clondalkin village in 1985, Dolores worked in retail management until she became interested and involved in local issues after having her first child in 1988.

“I had met some local people in the Clondalkin area because I was at home for the first time, and I got involved with the Christy Melia House in Neilstown,” Dolores told The Echo.

“I started working there and it got me involved in some local issues around the area at the time such as joyriding – there was a lot of unemployment, and drugs were starting to come into the area.”

On the back of this, Dolores went on to study community development leadership and started working for a new programme through Rowlagh church for children under 18 who had family issues with drugs or alcohol.

“A local parish priest set it up and we started working with an American basketball player. What we did was we went into schools, and we brought basketball to North Clondalkin,” said Dolores.

“We did that for about seven years, and we had camps set up and we had tournaments and got our own team going. We wanted to get the kids involved in a sport that was a team effort and a lot of them didn’t want to play football.”

Because of her experience working with people and families of those experiencing drug problems, Dolores began working for CASP – Clondalkin Addiction Support Programme, which is a community service for drug users over 18 years of age, and their families from the North Clondalkin area.

Dolores worked for CASP as a supervisor for 16 years supporting local people who were struggling with drug addiction and going on to train as a councillor and psychotherapist.

“We were working with active drug users in there and helping them with training and getting job opportunities and getting those who had been long-term unemployed back into the workforce, and we had a very high success rate with that,” said Dolores.

Dolores began working at Bawnogue Youth and Community Service part-time in 2016 and began working to “bring the centre up to date”.

“We started getting in new groups and began tidying it and painting it to make it more appealing,” said Dolores. “I am now back full-time working as a manager for Knockmitten Community Centre as well, until they can get a new manager. So, I am doing the two at the moment.”

The Youth and Community Centre plays a vital role in connecting people in the community, supporting them and helping them through whatever struggles or difficulties they may be going through, as well as being a social outlet for all ages.

Some of the services at the centre include the Society of Survivors group (SOS), which is a helping line for people who are survivors of church and state abuse, and a food bank which operates every Tuesday from the centre.

Like so many managers of local businesses and facilities, Covid-19 forced Dolores to think outside the box to be able to facilitate and run the groups and services in a safe way.

“I felt during Covid that the elderly people especially were just so isolated, and they were missing the groups and coming to the centre,” she said.

“We set up out on the grass and we kept it going during the summer. I know a lot of centres just didn’t open and because the seniors around here have so little as it is, we knew we needed to try keep something going for them. The senior citizens here in Clondalkin are incredible people.”

Having worked and lived in Clondalkin for over 30 years, Dolores says that the community in Clondalkin are “fantastic”.

“I live in Clondalkin village, but I have worked in Rowlagh, Neilstown and now Bawnogue and they are all such tight-knit communities – they are the best neighbours to each other,” said Dolores. “They really look after each other, and that might be because all of the other issues that are going on.

Dolores added: “Nobody grows up wanting to be addicted to drugs – these things happen because of other influences such as poverty and unemployment and there is a huge amount of people here who are willing to help – there is more help here than hindrance.”