ICA celebrates 50 years in Athboy

“They used to say about that fellow that the only thing he wasn’t in was the ICA,” joked Eamonn Cassells of himself at the Athboy ICA golden jubilee celebrations at the weekend. The well-known Athboy community activist was launching the local guild’s 50th anniversary book, 'Milestones and Memories’, in the Old Darnley Lodge Hotel. “And if I could have joined the Irish Countrywomen’s Association, I would have,” he said unapologetically. “For it is a very active community organisation, as we can see by the content of this book looking back on the past 50 years of the Athboy guild.” Mr Cassells, best-known for his involvement in Macra na Feirme and drama productions, makes his own contribution to the book, recalling how the local branches of Macra and the ICA, both founded around the same time, “grew up together” in close collaboration. 'Milestones and Memories’ features memories of members of the guild since its establishment on 7th November 1960 in the old technical school in Athboy, as well as excerpts of minutes of meetings since that date. It also features photographs going back over the half-century, and reproductions of old invoices and receipts, ticket stubs and postcards from the group’s archive. Mr Cassells said it was more than a history of the ICA in Athboy, but a social history of the town. The publication was the brainchild of the current guild president, Mary Jo Needham, who, when secretary of Athboy ICA a decade ago, discovered the treasure trove of memorabilia and information in the minute books, all of which had been preserved by founder member, Maureen Kelly, since 1960. Mrs Kelly and two other surviving founding members, Mona Brogan and Olive Rice-Cole, were present at Sunday’s launch. Speakers included the leas-cathaoirleach of Meath County Council, Cllr Shane Cassells; former ICA national president, Camilla Hannon from Kiltale, and the ICA national treasurer, Gwen Carter From Killucan. Cllr Cassells paid tribute to Athboy ICA on its jubilee and publication of the 175-page book, saying it was not every guild that had such a wealth of material to delve back into, and that it surely was one of the finest guild histories launched during this centenary year of the organisation. He said Meath had proud links with the ICA, whose founders included Sir Horace Plunkett of Dunsany, the founder of the Co-operative Movement, and Lady Daisy Fingall of Killeen Castle, who was to serve as national president for 20 years, and that the county produced another three national presidents - Bea Trench, who designed the chain of office; and Camilla Hannon and Kitty Harlin, both of whom were present at Sunday’s launch. Athboy guild had certainly lived up to Plunkett’s standard of 'better farming, better business, better living’, Cllr Cassells said, as it was the instigator of such movements locally as the credit union branch. Camilla Hannon, whose aunt Ita Clyne was an early president of the Athboy guild, regaled the gathering with excerpts from the memoirs of members. She paid tribute to the printers, A&J Print from Skryne, saying that it was a company run by a family with many ICA connections, and acknowledged the support of Meath Partnership in funding the publication. The national treasurer, Gwen Carter, also lauded the publication, saying it would make a much welcome addition to the library at ICA headquarters. Guild president, Mary Jo Needham, thanked all who had contributed and assisted with the book in any way, including Meath Partnership for providing much-needed funding.