Kitty talks community

Like many of Westmeath's third level students Kilbeggan's Kitty Flynn spent January studying for her exams, the only difference being that the eighty five year old has seen quite a few more winters than your average undergraduate.Kitty (or as one local described her to me "Mrs Kilbeggan") is in the third year of a Community and Family Studies degree course, which is an NUIG outreach programme based in Mullingar.Her choice of course and the fact that prior to the interview starting she asked if we could concentrate on the "collective (i.e the many community groups she is involved in) rather than the individual" speaks volumes for the type of woman she is and the importance that she places in community.Showing that age really is no barrier unless you allow it to be, in addition to her college commitments Kitty is currently involved in some capacity with nine local community groups ( The South Westmeath Education (S.W.E.E.T.S), Kilbeggan Active Retirement, the local Tidy Towns group, The St. James' Hall Committee, The Cemetery Committee, Social Services, the Kilbeggan Community Group, Locke's Museum and The Harbour Restoration Group). Apart from the valuable work that voluntary groups, she believes that one of their most important functions is fostering a sense of community not only for the participants but for the wider community who benefit from their endeavours."I think Kilbeggan is a very strong community. People driving through the town and even people in the town may say that there are no businesses and that it's bereft of people but underneath there are layers of great community development, great neighbourliness. These are the elements that go towards making Kilbeggan a great community. It gives you that social cohesion that you need for a good strong community," she says.Kitty also noted that by helping out in your community you are also helping yourself."Active citizenship is now highly encouraged - taking charge of your own life and helping your community rather than being a passive recipient of everything. It's good for your own mental health. People get a lot out of volunteering. You do get a lot of satisfaction when the results are apparent that you have helped somebody. There is also a great social side to it and it certainly helps your own emotional and mental development."One particular project in Kilbeggan that highlights what can be achieved at a local level if enough people are pulling in the right direction is the continuing success of Locke's Distillery Museum, which attracts tens of thousands of tourists to town each year. Kitty was one of the founding members of the restoration group that set the wheels in motion back in 1982, a time she remembers fondly.