Surprise party for Allenwood’s Michael ‘Flash’ Judge

Allenwood’s Michael Judge had a surprise birthday party recently in local pub Glennons.

Known locally as Flash, Michael is a long times employee of the Roadstone quary at the Hill of Allen, with no intentions, his friends and family say, of retiring.

Having started working in Roadstone in 1957 at the age of 14 as a tea and grocery boy, he progressed to cleaning and sweeping the garage and yard before learning to driving tractors and drumpers.

And when he arrived at the legal age, he was allowed up the quarry to drive big dumper!

He spent 17 years in the Dublin site, Feltrim, before arriving back to the Allen Quarry where he has been based since.
And in 2004 he was appointed chairman of the Roadstone Haulier Association

Locally in Allenwood, Michael has been a lifelong supporter of the GAA club. He played in goals in the early 1960s and was also very much involved in building Allenwood hall in the early 1970s.

He was, locals say, always available to help the club, most particularly when the club was developing its grounds.

In his spare time, he likes to spend it with his grandchildren, Ciara, Emma, Mikey and Aaron as well as indulging in a couple of pints in his local.

- Conor McHugh