James Lawless – View from the Tracks

Hi, I’m James Lawless and this is my first blog.

I live in Sallins, beside the railway tracks as it happens, where I share my home with my wife Ailish, our two children, a dog, a cat, a guinea pig and a goldfish.

Living in Sallins gives easy reach to the capital to which I commute daily, with the train providing an escape route to purer pastures once the day is done. I am an outdoors person and enjoy walking, fishing and believe in making the most of the natural environment and heritage we have around us. We are particularly spoiled in Sallins with the canal and Liffey both within easy striking distance and unique features such as the Leinster aqueduct enrich the landscape. Where I live is Osberstown, a townland serving as the traditional divide between Sallins and Naas and there is a natural walkway right into Naas town along the Grand Canal which runs only a puck of a sliotar from my door.

Leinster Aqueduct on the canal at Sallins

A sports fan, and especially Gaelic games, in 2003 I was part of the first adult hurling team fielded by Sallins GAA in nearly twenty years. Whilst I have since hung up my boots, I consider hurling a sport without equal in terms of skill levels and pace of the action. I also play the odd round at Bodenstown Golf Club whilst being partial to the Gee Gees is almost mandatory around these parts.

I enjoy cooking and, with a young family, a simple meal at home with good wine and good produce, locally sourced if possible, forms the mainstay of many a weekend. In fact I’ve a leg of lamb in the oven as I type, generously sprinkled with rosemary and garlic (perhaps too generously but blame the kids:)

In the day job I’m a Technical Architect where I design computer systems to basically make sure they do what they’re supposed to do. Being interested in almost every subject in school, I followed a scientific route through college and ended up with a B.A. in Mathematics and an M.Sc. in computing, both from Trinity College. History and the arts, I read for pleasure..

Outside the workplace I keep myself busy with political activity through a number of local community groups and through Fianna Fáil. My initial motivation for getting involved was a purist dedication to the Republican cause and a sense of social justice and whilst my policy interests have broadened since I remain passionate on those core beliefs.

My politics remain green (in every sense) but like De Valera, I came to understand that ultimate freedom and is about good governance as much as borders and about enabling the people be the best they can be. On a local level there are many issues where one can achieve immediate results to immediate betterment of ones community. I have worked on many of these in the past and will continue to do so into the future.

In future entries I may share some thoughts on commuting, on local and national governance, on our local environment, on sport, on food, on family and on life in general. Maybe even the odd tip for Punchestown – watch this space!

But for now ….. Slán go fóill…