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14
Aug/Sept 2010 www.esb.ie/em 
ENERGY SOLUTIONS
Christopher Kelly retires
Christopher Kelly retired from ESB after 41 years service. Except for a brief period in Telecoms, he spent all his time in Facilities in Head Office. He was joined on the night of his retirement in the Landsdowne Bar by his family, friends and work colleagues. Christopher was one of the staff members who took part in the Sligo walk every year. He was a very popular member of staff and, on the night, was acknowledged for his extremely helpful assistance to one and all. We wish him many years of health and happiness in his retirement. Pictured above is Dave Dowling making the presentation to Christopher at his retirement event.
Appreciation
On Sunday morning July 11th we heard the very sad news that Mary King (nee Quinn) had passed away, suddenly, during the early hours of the morning. Mary had recovered from an earlier illness and her death therefore came as a shock.
Mary joined ESB in 1969 and was one of the first females to be appointed to ESB as a Grade 8 Clerical Officer on full parity with her male colleagues. Mary reported to Central Stores, then a male dominated organisation. She got on with the job and with her legendry charm, and great work ethic, became one of the stalwarts of Central Stores. In 1977 Mary transferred from Central stores to Head Office Accounts Department. This coincided with the expansion of ESB into overseas consultancy and Mary with a small group set up a dedicated accounting unit to cater for the new business which was later to become ESBI. Mary with fantastic dedication to detail became a household name in the then far flung and exotic destinations of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Lesotho. Those were the days before email, mobiles and even fax machines. Many including myself will be eternally grateful to Mary along with her colleagues for getting out without fail every week the ‘Blue Bag’ via DHL with the letters from home and the treasured Irish Times. She was also great with the ‘extra bag’ at birthday time or when she knew ‘it was needed’.
Mary was the eldest born of eleven children and hailed from Castlerea, County Roscommon. She had an aversion to water and it is ironic therefore that it was on water or to be precise the Shannon River on a cruise that she was to meet and fall in love with her future husband Brian King also of ESB. This was in June 1976 and by March 1977 Mary and Brian were married. I had the honour to be their best man and maybe it's an old cliché but I will never forget Brian's words to me before the wedding ‘A day without Mary is a day without sunshine’. Mary had three children, Nicola born in 1982, Stephen 1984 and Deirdre 1987. She left ESB in February 1986 to concentrate on rearing her family and when that task was successfully completed became a nursing assistant at St. Raphael's Celbridge. She was a natural in her new role and remained at St. Raphael's until 2005.
Mary was not the athletic or sporty type, but there was no one to equal her at quiz nights which were a regular feature at the many social gatherings in her home. Mary loved people. She ‘wore her heart on her sleeve’. You always knew where you stood with Mary. She was the perfect host and all were made welcome in her home in Celbridge. Mary was my friend for 40 years and I will miss her.
Ultan O’Neill
Summer events, partnerships, fun and games in No. 29
SERVICES ORGANISATION
NO. 29 is focusing on the home visitor this year by working with partners in the industry, cultural institutions and education. Following many workshops in No 29. this past year, the Catherine McAuley National School, in Baggot Street, Dublin, had their students’ end of year annual exhibition, which was as amazing as the previous six years. The pieces on show were inspired by the history and artefacts in No. 29 while also meeting the school curriculum guidelines for two-dimensional artwork.
Tony Cunniam retires
