Irish Charles was born in 1907. Her family home was in Churchill Terrace, Ballsbridge. She was a teacher before she married Dr. Hal Charles, who was a GP in the area in the late 1940s.
At that time, there was considerable poverty in the Ringsend/ Irishtown area, pensions were small and there was a complete lack of the facilities enjoyed by pensioners today.
When her husband remarked, on returning from a sick call, that it was not a doctor the patient needed but someone to talk to, Iris Charles decided to do something to help the elderly.
She and some friends organised coffee mornings, raised some money and began visiting elderly people who lived on their own. They spent time talking to people, cleaned rooms and brought small gifts of food and tried to make conditions, in general, a little better.
In March 1952 they formed a Committee under the auspices of the Irish Red Cross Society and they called themselves the Sandymount/ Ringsend old Peoples’ Group. The first meeting took place in the Star of the Sea National School. The Committee commenced without premises or funds. Their work consisted of extensive visiting, especially to old people living alone and follow-up work when people were admitted to hospital.
Iris Charles and her committee were very anxious to get premises in the area where the old people could meet and socialise. In 1960, they heard that the Hall in Newbridge Ave, owned by the A.O.H. was to be sold to a charitable body. They bought it in December 1961, with the consent of the parent body of the Irish Red Cross.
The building was in a bad state of repair and the Committee worked hard to get it going. In March 1962 the Old People’s Club opened with chat, some activities and tea.
As the years passed, the activities increased. Many more old people joined. There were concerts, fancy dress competitions, quizzes, etc. Many volunteers gave their time bringing people to and from the Centre.
In 1967 the Eastern Health Board requested that they function as a Centre providing midday dinners to the elderly. The meals were cooked by the Nuns in Lakelands Convent and brought in containers to the Centre. The dinners were a great success and continue to be so.
A Christmas Party and a Summer outing were the big events of those years. The first Christmas Party was held in the CYMS Hall, Ringsend and the first outing was to Clongowes Wood College. In 1963, 120 old people were taken by bus and private cars to Clongowes.
In 1980, the Eastern Health Board promised a grant towards building a new dining hall with kitchen and toilets and the building commenced in December 1981. The Committee raised a quarter of the cost themselves. The Eastern Health Board and Dublin Corporation and the generosity of local businesses covered the final cost.
Irish Charles was the Chairperson of the Committee until her death at the age of 93 years on 21st January 2000. Her concern for the elderly people never wavered. She was on lots of committees, including the Dublin Council for the Aged. She was the recipient of a Person of the Year Award in 1980.
She was very interested in young people also and encouraged them to come to the Centre and to interact with the members. She was very anxious that the Centre was changed from the Sandymount/Ringsend Old Peoples Group to the Iris Charles Centre for Older People in July 1999, six months before she died.
Today the Centre is very popular. Dinner is served to an average of 22 people per day on four days every week. The main courses are supplied by Crosscare at Holles Row and the food is brought to the centre and served by voluntary workers.
Above: Iris Charles is pictured front centre in this group photo.