Carraig na bhFear school honours Joe Quinn
The children of Scoil an Athar Tadhg welcomed community stalwart Joe Quinn to their school on Friday.
Joe is well known to all the children as 'the man who is always keeping the area tidy'.
He had been invited to the school as a recipient of a Certificate of Congratulations on behalf of the Mayor of County Cork, Cllr Danny Collins and Cork County Council, and was accompanied by his daughter Jackie.
Joe does selfless work around the village of Carraig na bhFear. He is the man that is always to be seen along the roads entering the village picking up litter. He is a friend to all and is most helpful to all who in need of a helping hand with community work.
Mr Joe Hanafin welcomed Joe and Jackie and thanked them for the ‘ labour of love he shows in our community'.
"Lke many other schools, 'teachers are working hard teaching all about biodiversity and encouraging children to take pride in their local area, recognising Joe's contribution and his love of Mother Nature makes him an ideal role model for the children," Mr Hanafin stated and also thanked Cllr. Sheila O'Callaghan for proposing Joe Quinn for the honour at the council's most recent meeting.
LOVE OF ATHLETICS
Joe Quinn was reared in Ballyvorisheen in Carraig na bhFear in the home of the late John and Mary O'Riordan. His love of this area is clear to those lucky enough to even have a casual encounter with the man. Like many other Irish citizens, Joe went to England in 1963. His life there was one of hard work on London building sites, first with some neighbours from the Carraig na bhFear area who had also emigrated to seek work. Joe also spent more than ten years working for Brent Council in North London before returning home to Cork in 2005.
While in London Joe kept up his love of athletics, a passion fostered in Carraig na bhFear when he was among the founding members of the local Athletic Club. Among the other active members in the club were the Walsh brothers from Drumboy and the Duggan brothers from Coole. The Duggan brothers are uncles of school principal, Cormac Duggan.
While in England Joe acted as treasurer and secretary of The Rising Sun Athletics Club in London. He was also a proud member of The Co rkmans/ Pe rsons Association there.
Since his return Joe has deducted himself to community work, not just in Carraig na bhFear but also for the Cork Camogie Board in their Mahon grounds.
School principal, Mr Cormac Duggan, presented Joe with the Certificate of Congratulations and like Joe, encouraged the children to take pride in the beautiful area and its upkeep. Mr Duggan said that it was important for the children to see such work being appreciated.
Joe Quinn then spoke passionately about his love of Carraig na bhFear and the surrounding parishes. He also spoke of his work in England and his time partaking in athletic events in both Ireland and England. When prompted, he went on and told the children about the changes that were so evident in the area since his youth. Joe worked on the local farms of the Crowley and Lynch families prior to going to England and he said that 'it would be impossible for the older generation of that time to visualise the changes that have come about on farms with the advent of machinery'.
He finished by speaking of his lifelong love of athletics and Gaelic games. However, he isn’t a fan of the ‘possession game’ that dominates both football and hurling today. Perhaps he isn’t alone in that observation.