Well deserved, Matty!
A special presentation was made to local man Matty Lacey from College Road in Gorey to mark his 55 years of service to the St Vincent de Paul (SVP) society.
The National President of SVP Geoff Maher and the National Safeguarding Manager for SVP Mandy Nordell recognised the generous work Matty has done for the charity and sent him the medal from the headquarters based in Dublin.
Matty said he was very pleased and would ‘frame the medal so he could place it upon his mantel place at home.’
In 1958, when Matty was just 10-years old, he joined SVP and used to meet members Pat Funge and Willy Kinsella in the Christian Brother School on St Michael’s Place in Gorey.
‘Pat and Willy were in charge and would tell us what to do,’ said Matty. ‘The very first thing I remember being asked to do was to visit a woman on Gratton Street and bring her up half a crown.’
Down through the years working with SVP, Matty said they would deliver food around the town such as hampers and also paid out pensions when the post office went on strike.
‘I use to enjoy doing up old peoples houses when I was younger,’ said Matty. ‘We would go to the council once a year and ask for a grant so we could do up as much houses in Gorey town.’
After a while, the council asked Matty to manage a crew of craftsmen who would teach young people their trade such as an electrician or carpenter, so they could help mend houses in the town.
‘Sadly that all ended,’ said Matty. ‘These young lads began to go onto building sites where they were paid for the job they did.’
Matty said a highlight for him working with SVP throughout the years was purchasing the old monastery at St Joseph’s in Gorey off the Christian Brothers to accommodate 14 much-needed houses for people travelling to Ireland.
‘We have one family from New Zealand, four from Zimbabwe and some from England,’ added Matty. Meanwhile, in 1997, Matty said he proudly represented Ireland for the beatification of SVP founder Frederic Ozanam in the
Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.