North Circular road man Des Hayes and Ruth Clarke found a photo taken back in the 1970’s of the clean up of Iona Drive on the North Circular Road by the ‘Kids on the Street’. This sparked a journey of finding the people in the picture and getting them back on the drive on Good Friday 19th of April for the TLC5 clean-up some half a century later.
Des Hayes said:“This was a rear photo find that has rekindled very fond memories for neighbours who have, still do and are new to Iona Drive.
I recall my dad Tom Hayes taking the picture and it has resurfaced up in boxes and drawers in our home the ‘Maharees’ many times over the years “there are some 50 homes on Iona Drive since it was built in the 1950’s and from this ‘Hidden Gem’ of a Cul De Sac hundreds of children grew up before venturing out in the world”
“Ruth and I looked at the picture and from talking with neighbours and friends on Iona Drive we were able to put together the names of everyone in the photograph.
Using Facebook and word of mouth we made contact with many of them who are travelling home this Good Friday to Iona Drive to take part in the 2019 ‘Team Limerick Clean Up’ to meet up with family, old friends and neighbours of a bygone day when community was everything in this wonderful safe cocoon.
Daily events in the outside world were mirrored on Iona Drive, the Soccer World Cup, Triple Crown rugby, nets across gates for the Wimbledon Championship, the Grand National over neighbours’ walls, Hurling All Ireland’s, Hockey, Camogie, World Hop Scotch, sky high tree houses and role-playing the latest movie from the Carlton and Savoy Cinemas”
Good Fridays, Team Limerick Clean Up was a huge success on Iona Drive with generations of families and street cleaners from another era turning out in glorious sunshine to take part, see picture, and were unanimous that TLC 6 in 2020 will be even better!
Des went on to say “Team Limerick Clean Up proves all that is right about how communities come together for the better of all our neighbourhoods and from where great communities and great Limerick people grow”
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