Published: Friday, 25th September, 2009 10:00am

Striving to improve Battery Heights for the next generation

Alfie Nally

It's Friday morning in Battery Heights and two-year-old James has motorbikes on his mind. He climbs up on a chair and turns his kitchen table into a racing track, steering a toy motorbike left and right under the watchful eye of his father, Alfie Nally.

Last year, Alfie joined the seven-member committee of Battery Heights residents' association. As a father of two - with a third child on the way in January - his reason for getting involved in the residents' group is straightforward.

"It's for my kids. I want to help improve the area and make it a better place for the kids to grow up in," he said. "A lot of times people go to job interviews and as soon as they say they're from Battery Heights they're told that they won't be getting the job. I want to try and help turn it around so that Battery Heights is seen as a good area and the kids who grow up here won't have that problem when they're applying for jobs."

Alfie is a native of Battery Heights, where he lives with his partner, Kinnegad native Sarah, and children. He is acutely aware of the positive aspects of the Athlone estate, as well as the problems it has experienced over the years.

"I've lived here all my life," he said. "When I was growing up in the 1980s the area was a bit rougher. It's quieter now than it was then."

During his childhood there weren't many facilities or social outlets available to kids in the area, so Alfie and his friends would come up with their own activities such as using turf sacks as sleighs and sliding down the hill at what's now the Cherryfield Avenue estate.

"There were not that many outlets available to us back then - especially for teenagers - and that's still a problem today," he said.

Alfie attended Dean Kelly National School and from there he moved on to Athlone Community College. Sports-wise, he practised the javelin while at the community college, and he also had a spell as a player with St Peter's FC. His sporting involvement continues today as a coach with the Connaught Celtic football club.

In 1998 he joined the army and spent three and a half years based at Finner Camp in Bundoran, Co Donegal. Asked about his time with the army, he said: "It was a great experience. It taught me few things about myself and how to get along with others."

However, when his daughter Shannon (now aged 9) was born, Alfie applied for a transfer to Athlone. When it wasn't granted, he decided to leave the army and move home. He subsequently became involved in security work, and next month he will begin a Westmeath volunteers' course run by Athlone Community Taskforce.

Alfie is the youngest committee member of the Battery Heights residents association, which has existed in some form for the last fifteen years. The committee holds meetings once a month and also hosts an annual meeting at which residents can outline their concerns and discuss ways of improving the area.

"Basically people want to see the area cleaned up," he said. "We want more activities for the kids who are living here. There's also a need for better lighting because at the moment there are a lot of blackspots in the area. If those were properly lit up we could see everything that's going on."

Asked about the issues which have tarnished the reputation of the estate, Alfie said: "anti-social behaviour is the main problem at the moment. Drugs are a factor but that's not as bad as it used to be."

Battery Heights - along with St. Mel's Terrace, Blackberry Lane, Ashdale/Woodland Grove, Sarsfield Square and Monksland (Cedarwood Drive) - is one of the Athlone areas which receives support through the government's RAPID programme. The programme has been involved in a number of projects in Battery Heights, such as the installation of its new playground, which opened last December, and this year's allocation of over €18,000 in dormant accounts funding to the residents' association and the estate's family resource centre.

The residents association received over €9,000 in dormant accounts funding this year, which is being used for graffiti removal, horticultural/gardening projects and the purchase of sporting equipment for the Monsignor McCarthy complex.

Alfie said that the support from RAPID was beneficial in a number of ways. He also praised other programmes such as the CE (community employment) scheme which helps to clean and maintain the estate.

Earlier this year housing Minister Michael Finneran announced that funding would be allocated for the regeneration of Battery Heights, a project which has been mooted for many years.

Given the changes that have occurred in the estate already - and those that are planned - Alfie is optimistic about the future of the area.

"I am very hopeful," he said. "We're getting on well at the moment and slowly but surely things are starting to improve."