Families of Coopers Park or the ‘Croghan’ gathered to commemorate the terrace of eight houses where they were reared

Stories and memories of Kells in another era were shared on Thursday when residents and families of Coopers Park gathered to commemorate the row of terraced houses which were home to generations of Kells families for over 100 years.

Coopers Park or the ‘Croghan’ was a terrace of eight houses, where many prominent Kells families were reared. It stood at the rear of where the Railway Bar now stands.

The houses were built around the 1870s and families moved out in the 1970s. The derelict building were then demolished in the 1980s.

Representatives of the families who used to live there were present for the unveiling of a sign and plaque last Thursday. Around 60 people, including representatives of all the families, bar one, were represented.

The sign and plaque are on the car park wall of the Railway Bar and bear the names of the eight families who once lived there. The sign was created as part of the Kells Type Trail and community artist, Mark Smith, the driving force behind the Trail, says the project has now been entered in the Meath Pride of Place competition.

Local studies librarian, Tom French read a poem ‘Old Houses’ by Robert Cording and Jim Maguire whose family resided there sang a song he wrote about his uncle, Jack Rusty Maguire called ‘Kells County Meath.’

The song is about his father’s brother who used to hide arms and ammunition in the house during the War of Independence.

“The RIC used to come to raid the house. This did not go down well with my grandparents, Some of his mates once dared him to take a pot shot at the police and shot an RIC man in the backside.”

Although Jim didn't grow up in Coopers Park he remembers his grandparents living there and then later a cousin of his, the late Mabel Carolan.

It was Jim who prompted Mark Smith to organise the commemoration.

“Coopers Park seemed to be forgotten about. I knew some of the old stories - people coming to Kells to sell cattle, would stay in the Railway Bar and the cattle were kept n the yard in front of the houses.

“There was no running water or toilets in the houses. They had long gardens with a dry toilet at the end of the garden. They had to go down to what was Sharp's pump to get water. It was across the road from what is now the HSE building. Going to the pump for water was always a great excuse to meet up with someone there.”

Anna Smith was born in Coopers Park and was around twelve when her family moved to St Colmcille's Villas. “We were happy there, we had lovely neighbours.”

While she has fond memories of the old houses, Anna says they were delighted to move to a nice house in St Colmcilles.

“We had been living in a house with no electricity, no running water and no toilet, so it was like heaven really.”

She explains that over the next few years some of their former neighbours also moved to St Colmcilles.

“Mabel and Peter Carolan, who lives in Coopers Park became our next door neighbours. The Maguire family also moved in,” she recalls.

Mark Smith points out that some very prominent Kells families were reared there, but in the 1970s the families moved to more modern housing O'Growney Tce, St Colmcille Villas and Windy City.

“Four of the families moved to Windy City and each night they always said goodnight to each other out their bedroom windows.

Mark says the current owners of the Railway Bar, the Farrelly family, were doing some work recently and found the original pathway in front of the houses. The slabs were put back down under the wall where the sign is.

Following the unveiling here were food and refreshments in the Railway bar as well as a cake from Smiths Bakery.