Kerryman marks 110 years

The Kerryman first published in 1904.

To mark its 110th birthday the newspaper publishes today a special supplement.

Among the contributions is the piece below?

Michael Commane
It often strikes me the trades or jobs that I have done no longer have the status they once had. I have tried my hand at priesthood, teaching and journalism. All three have taken a good hiding. And that's no harm.

I started working with The Kerryman in 1998. It was a dream come true and I look back on those years as probably the best years of my working life. The fun we had, the laughs, the irreverence, the cheek, even insubordination. It suited me perfectly.

I came to journalism late. I was 48 when I began working as a sub editor on The Kerryman. Before that I had dabbled in scribbling within the Dominican Order and that too proved great fun. Even there, there was the possibility to be cheeky and irreverent. At least I got away with it. Not sure I would today.

These days I write a column for The Kerryman. It appears two weeks in every month.

I dread the day that someone will call me to tell me that's it, the column is being dropped. It would be shocking news but nothing lasts for ever and in the business of the print media these days nobody knows what's going to happen next. But surely there is always going to be a platform for ranting and sounding off, giving advice and help too.

I am extremely conscious how privileged I am to be able to have a soap box. It's also great fun. But it's far more than that. It means you have the opportunity to inform people about things they might never have known. Quirky things too. As a priest I have some 'inside track' as to how the thing works or don't work. And how that annoys some of the priestly class.

Writing a column makes one stay alert to the world about them. I'm always looking for angles, things that will interest the reader and maybe even get up the nose of the establishment. And then to be able to highlight the extraordinary stories of people we never hear about.

Some years ago I taught a young boy in first year English in Castlegregory. I knew immediately he was gifted. He was also a lovely person. I discovered when the Leaving Cert results were published this year he got 600 points. What a story to tell and I'm in a position to tell it.

So, thank you to the Kerryman editor for inviting me to write a column for the paper. Indeed, thank you to all at The Kerryman for all I have learned from my association with the paper. And to my readers, thank you for your support, criticism too.

It has all contributed to making it the experience of a lifetime.