Assumption Road marks 60th anniversary

The face of Athlone has certainly changed in the past 60 years, but one thing that has remained steadfast is the sense of community spirit in Assumption Road as the street prepares to celebrate its 60th anniversary at the end of August. An organising committee has been busy in recent months putting together a fun filled day for all the family and hopes to reunite many neighbours of old, issuing an open invitation to all residents past and present to attend the celebrations on Saturday, August 21. The committee has arranged a street closure for the day and has planned activities such as an open air mass, sports for the children, street theatre, refreshments and musical entertainment. The organising committee of Mick Meade, Marie McConnell, Jimmy Beaumont, Anthony Merrigan, Kathleen McConnell, Willie Wallace, Martin Reilly, Anthony Reilly, Robert Reilly and Alan Beaumont is still finalising the programme of events for the day, but they hope to include games that they played as children. When the first residents moved into Assumption Road in 1950 they were predominantly army families, although some worked with CIE and others in Gentex. "When Assumption Road was built there was a big overflow of young married soldiers," explained Mick Meade. "It was the overflow from the married quarters in the barracks. It was predominantly army, but there were also CIE families." Anthony Merrigan added: "Assumption Road is one of the most unique streets in Ireland, not just Athlone, in that 90% were army men who were not from Athlone, they were from all over the country and they settled here. The uniqueness of the names tells it all, they were names from all over." And while it is no longer just inhabited by army families, the committee explains that there is a tradition of keeping the houses in the family and about two-thirds of the current residents are either the original residents themselves or family members of the original residents. However, some of the original families have moved away from the street and Mick said this week the committee is hoping that they will come along on the day to join in the celebrations. As they put the plans in motion for the event on August 21, the committee can't help but recollect some of the great memories of the street over the past six decades. Some of them are simple memories of every day events such as playing rounders or football, of which there was a great tradition in Assumption Road. Others involved bigger events, as Jimmy Beaumont recalled: "The whole of Assumption Road was in the Jolly Mariner the night ABBA won the Eurovision." From football tournaments to fishing in the river or playing games on the street, the residents have many happy memories of Assumption Road over the past 60 years. It is clear there has been a strong sense of community spirit on the street over the years, with the residents coming together on several occasions in a bid to create a better quality of life for their children, by ensuring there were football facilities for them and later playing a role in the establishment of St Kieran's Community Centre. Jimmy Beaumont explained that the street was also the first to organise school bus transport for children, when a committee approached Noel Henry to provide a bus run. And this sense of community spirit remains intact today as the residents prepare to celebrate the street's 60th anniversary. The committee hopes to display a little bit of the street's history on the day also and is searching for any old photographs of memorabilia that can be used. If you have any items of interest you can contact Anthony on 086 0696231 or Mick on 087 6219420.