Local Faces: Joe Mannion

Joe Mannion is a bit of a Clondalkin legend, writes Ken Doyle.

He has been a fixture of Dublin 22 life since his family – who had lived in the States for a time – moved to the village in the late sixties.

They would come to establish a landmark shop in Castle Crescent in Clondalkin and the name Mannion’s became known by all in the rapidly expanding area.

The shop is just one of many services Joe has provided to Clondalkin and as he will tell us, his real passion is to help and guide the next generation of young people through Scouting Ireland and he is a leader and much respected figure in the Clondalkin Scouts, which this year celebrate 80 years in existence.

But first to Joe’s early educational days in the area. He tells me, “I went to Moyle Park for Leaving Cert.

‘That all went to plan and I then went to Trinity, subsequently graduating with a degree in Management and an Advanced Diploma in Marketing.”

“My dad was a grocer by trade and had run a small shop in Stoneybatter since 1968. In 1985 he bought the shop which would become Mannion’s and finally his work was near his home.”

“We started as a straightforward newsagents selling papers, toys and so on.

‘I had started working there soon after it opened and we created an extension in 1987 and started to specialise in cards and gifts.”

In 1997, the store was extended again and the addition of a small deli proved extremely popular.

In 2008, Joe and his wife Caroline, who had become more and more involved in the business, bought the shop and faced a changing world and a differently focused clientele.

“The deli led to an offer from Musgraves and eventually we accepted, with the shop staying within the Musgraves group so now instead of Mannion’s Daybreak, it’s just called Daybreak.”

Joe had been a very active member of Clondalkin Chamber of Commerce since 1997 and was involved in many key decisions and initiatives, including the establishment of CCTV all over the village and the maintenance and development of the Christmas lights which festoon the village every year.

The Chamber of Commerce also does a tremendous amount of work for charitable causes, including the Golf Classic which raises a tidy sum every year.

“The Chamber is also responsible for the black and gold signs you’ll see round Clondalkin and is heavily involved in the annual Clondalkin Festival.

“I must mention a few members who are truly dedicated to the area and are a real force for good in the community.

‘Mario Aprile, Reg Tuthill, Breda Delaney and Don Hudson just to name a few.”

As mentioned earlier, Joe’s true passion is scouting and has been a huge part of his life since he joined St Killian’s 78th as a fresh-faced youngster in 1971.

“I just took to it straight away and loved the activities and camps we went on.

‘Eventually I moved up through all the ranks, from Cub to Scout to Venture Scout and eventually to leader.”

“I became treasurer in 1984 and that was interesting to say the least. Through various means, the Scouts were left with a lot of debt. It took us until 1990 to pay it off.”

“Going back to the old days, stories abound of the scouts meeting in people’s homes and basically anywhere that would have them.

‘In the late 60s a Mrs Harte donated half an acre to the scouts and in 1970 the den as we know it was built.”

Joe tells me that since the devastation wrought by Covid, numbers are down and he’d like to get the word out about the scouts and invite young people, particularly those between the ages of 11 and 15, to come along and enjoy the craic and experiences that only scouting can provide.”

“We’re in the business of teaching life skills to young people and we are now a mixed organisation, open to all cultures and creeds.

‘I’ve seen first-hand what the scouting life can give to young people and I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.”

Naturally, Joe and Caroline’s three grown-up children, Brian, Conor and Eimear, are involved in scouting.

As for Joe, he’s on a mission to ensure that the future of the scouts in Clondalkin is as bright and vibrant as the glory days of the 70s and 80s.

As a former scout in the 78th Clondalkin, your correspondent can attest to the benefits of the life.

For more information on Clondalkin Scouts, see their Facebook page.