Kevin Sherwin went to UCD to study French and Spanish which he taught in Moyle Park
Local Faces: Kevin Sherwin
THIS week, we’re delighted to feature a man who will be a familiar face to many of our readers, writes Ken Doyle.
Kevin Sherwin not only has been a stalwart community volunteer in Clondalkin for many years but he also once taught at Moyle Park College. So eyes front, sit up straight and we shall begin.
Keen eyed readers might remember a few weeks ago we featured a man (also a teacher) named Seán Fallon who came from a place called Ruskey, a little town on the Roscommon/Leitrim border. Well believe it or not, Kevin is too.
“I was back not too long ago and it’s a real shame what’s happened to it. It’s pretty much falling apart these days where it used to be vibrant and full of life. Then at night there was the Cloudland Ballroom where people came from miles around to dance the night away to the Showbands which were all the rage at the time. Incidentally Albert Reynolds the former Taoíseach owned the place.”
As a young man, Kevin packed his bags and set off to follow his dream of being a teacher.
In the mid 60s, Kevin went to UCD to study French and Spanish. One part of his studies consisted of spending two years living in Monaco. Through this, he met the legendary Princess Grace of Monaco, or Grace Kelly to the cinophiles amongst us.
Kevin Sherwin also had a hand in setting up Clondalkin Rugby Club
Later on, he met Prince Albert II and in the course of the conversation the prince asked Kevin if he had met his mother.
Without skipping a beat, Kevin replied, ‘Yes and when you meet the most beautiful woman in the world, you don’t forget it in a hurry.’ “I actually had a very nice conversation with the Prince after that and I was surprised to learn that he knew plenty about Irish history and was very interested in it.”
Alas, soon the time came to move on and start his career, so Kevin left Monte Carlo and settled in the equally glamorous Clondalkin. He became a French and Spanish teacher in Moyle Park around 1971.
Kevin made his mark straight away by setting up a scheme where the school would invite students from schools in Spain and France to visit for four weeks every summer. At that time Clondalkin was very much a small village and many people will remember the young kids who seemed to be the only people with tans every year. “Those kids loved Irish culture and we regularly got the guitars out and taught them some traditional Irish songs. It’s funny to think they might have gone home and sang a few of the songs we taught them.”
Kevin then played a huge part in setting up a valuable resource for the people of Clondalkin. He tells me, “In the early seventies myself and a man named Joe Connolly founded the Clondalkin Community Games. There was a very strong athletics club in Clondalkin at the time and they won the Lord Mayor’s Cup many times.”
“We had a great team of fundraisers for the Community Games including Lyla Murphy, Sadie Courtney and Therese Williams and they kept us going for years.”
In 1980 Kevin bid adieu to Moyle Park and set up a business teaching English to Arab kids. The business succeeded for a while but then Kevin thought it better to return to the classroom and he took up a position at Leixlip Community School where he stayed until his retirement in 2002.
Upon retirement and back at home in Clondalkin, Kevin really got active. He’s involved in Exwell which is an exercise course designed for seniors.
Kevin Sherwin volunteers with the Round Tower Heritage Centre
Kevin also had a hand in setting up Clondalkin Rugby Club. The club has now been going for fifty years and Kevin was Club Secretary for years. He also did all of the leg work approaching other clubs to arrange matches before they were accepted into leagues.
“The club was founded and funded in the early years by a man named Paddy Gordon and I did the admin I suppose. It’s great to see the club doing so well now and how it’s grown over the years.”
Kevin is a firm believer in the concept of volunteerism. He has been on the front lines with the Tidy Towns committee for years and he’s still involved with the Orchard Meeting Centre and he thanks Robert Dowds and John Curran for that.
“We have a great facility of over 1500sq ft and it’s a wonderful drop in centre for seniors. We’re very proud of it.”
Kevin has also volunteered with the Round Tower Heritage Centre, Clondalkin Credit Union and many other vital Clondalkin institutions.
Back at home, well you’ve heard of golf widows, Kevin is a golf widower. His beloved wife Kate is apparently quite the golfer. They raised their children in Clondalkin; Croía, Niamh and Kevin who are all doing very well in their chosen careers.
So we wish Kevin and his family good luck and health for the future and we thank him for sharing his life with us.
