Members of the Shillelagh People’s Property Company, Tommy Murphy, Noel Murphy, Lar Behan, Mark Dempsey, Betty Grey, Mary Blake, Darragh Gregan and Joe Dolan with retired councillor Vincent Blake (front centre) and Cllr Peter Stapleton (back centre) at the Shillelagh Courthouse. Photo: Joe Byrne
Members of the Shillelagh People’s Property Company gave former councillor Vincent Blake a pleasant surprise recently when they presented him with a shillelagh stick to thank him for his years of dedicated service to their community.
The Shillelagh People’s Property Company manages and maintains properties bequeathed by the Coollattin Estate to the people of Shillelagh, including the Shillelagh Courthouse and the Fairgreen.
During Vincent Blake’s tenure on Wicklow County Council, the Fine Gael man went above and beyond to source funding and grants for the upkeep of these properties and worked tirelessly on behalf of the people of Shillelagh.
To show their appreciation, the Shillelagh People’s Property Company surprised Vincent with a presentation of a beautifully crafted shillelagh stick at the Shillelagh Courthouse, also inviting his successor in the Baltinglass Municipal District, councillor Peter Stapleton, to mark the occasion.
Speaking on behalf of the Shillelagh People’s Property Company, member Tommy Murphy said: “Vincent has been a great help to us over the years, in terms of getting grants or applying for funding to maintain the properties left by the Coollattin Estate and keep the show on the road.
“He’s always done his best for us, the village and the community here, so we felt we had to honour his retirement with a little presentation of a shillelagh.
“To thank Vincent for his service, the People’s Property Company members invited him down to the Shillelagh Courthouse for a presentation, which was a bit of a surprise for him, as he knew nothing about it.
“We were sad to see Vincent retire, but we have high hopes for Peter Stapleton, who joined us for the presentation.
“He has a good head on his shoulders, is very focused on the job at hand and has been mentored by Vincent – so he couldn’t have anyone better to guide him.”
