My Greystones: Paddy Lawless

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He’s a man we’ve been hoping to nab for My Greystones for quite some time now…

Having first noticed Paddy Lawless as – just like another great Kindlestown Park veteran, Mary Byrne – he was constantly picking up rubbish around the estate, we knew we were dealing with a certain class of character.

Especially when Paddy would follow that rubbish collection with a few hours of gardening, lawnmower buzzing and hedge trimmer humming.

These days, Paddy has swapped the lawnmower for a wheelchair, and it was whilst out for a walk with his good lady wife, Mary, that we finally managed to sit down this week with the man himself.

It was over in Kilcoole, on the August Bank Holiday of 1963, at one of the regular dance marquees there, when Kilmac lad, Paddy, first met Greystones lass, Mary.

Come Christmas, Paddy had proposed. By the following September, the couple were married, and a whole new life together began.

It’s a life that took the young Kilmacanogue lad known – thanks to his foster family – as Paddy Kelly from Red Lane to Temple Carrig, Greystones, after the happily married couple moved into Mary’s family home. Eleven years later, they got a home of their own, in Kindlestown Park, and it’s here that they brought three strapping young children – Geraldine, Deirdre and Eamonn – into the world.

Now, with those three kids all grown up and with kids of their own, Paddy and Mary get to spend all their time together just as they please. And this afternoon, with a little prompting from GG, it’s all about remembering the 53 years they’ve spent together here in Greystones.

For Paddy, the big memories are all tied to football, having won many a medal and cup growing up in Kilmacanogue (all inscribed with his foster name, Paddy Kelly), and being therefore more than happy to later sign up with Greystones United, alongside Mary’s equally football-crazy brothers, Pat and Kevin Smith. Later, Paddy turned to managing the younger teams, and his love for those days is still very much apparent this afternoon, with a particular fondness for the end-of-season finals at the Carlisle grounds. “That was always great craic,” Mary pipes in. “Teams from all over, coming together, for what felt like a big annual party every May…”

There’ll be another big party come this September, no doubt, when Paddy and Mary celebrate their 53rd anniversary. 

“We’ve been so lucky to land here,” finishes Paddy. “We have great neighbours, and this has been a great town to bring our kids up in too. People are always looking out for each other in Greystones, and that just makes life so easy. 

“Of course, I kinda reckoned on this place once I got to know that young girl over at that Kilcoole dance. I knew Greystones had to be good if the town could produce someone as wonderful as Mary…”

Update: It is with deep sadness that we learnt of Paddy’s passing on Sunday, October 15th 2017. Surrounded by his family in St Lucy’s Ward at St Vincent’s Hospital, Paddy will rest at his home on Tuesday evening, October 17th, from 4pm until prayers at 8pm. The Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday morning at 11am in The Holy Rosary Church, followed by internment in Redford Cemetery.
Family flowers only – donations, if desired, to The Royal Hospital, Donnybrook and the Greystones Cancer Support Centre – donation box at the church.