Marion dedicated 38 years of her life to Tallaght community facility
By Mary Dennehy
A COMMEMORATIVE plaque was this week unveiled in the Tallaght Sports Complex in memory of Marion Lane who dedicated 38 years of her life to the community facility – and who taught thousands of local primary school children to swim over the decades.
Living in Kilnamanagh, Marion passed away from cancer in March of this year and on Wednesday her work colleagues, family and the wider community gathered in the Balrothery centre to remember and celebrate the woman who will “always remain part of the fabric” of Tallaght Sports Complex.
Speaking with The Echo, Padraig Kenny, manager of the sports complex, said: “Marion worked here for 38 years and over that time did a bit of everything but mainly she taught primary school children to swim.
“She must have taught thousands of children to swim and also taught those children’s children.
“She was such a matriarchal figure in the complex, everybody here became her second family and she took all of the younger staff members under her wing.
“She was very resilient and very encouraging and she loved to see people doing well.”
Marion, who helped set up Tallaght Swim Club in the eighties, loved to swim herself and in her later years took up sea swimming.
“Marion loved swimming and even through her illness she would be down in the complex teaching”, Padraig said.
“She gave so much to the complex and had such a huge impact on so many people.
“That’s why we felt erecting a plaque in her memory was so fitting and, even though she is gone, she is still here in everything that we do in the complex on a daily basis.
“She will always remain part of the fabric of the place.”
On Wednesday, staff of the complex, Marion’s family, the Board of Tallaght Community School, the swimming club and members of the local community gathered for the unveiling of the plaque and to remember Marion and the legacy she has left behind.
