Leixlip & District Credit Union held on open day on 9 June 1996 to celebrate its twenty fifth year of existence. It had come a long way since it first came into being on 15 January 1971.

The Credit Union made its first annual return to the Registrar for Friendly Societies on 29 January 1972. That year it had a surplus of income of expenditure of £12.78.

But if the Union’s financial assets have grown rapidly, it co-operative spirit has continued and many of its founding members and volunteers remained involved for long periods.

One of them is Brendan Ardiff, one of the first directors. In April 1996 he accepted a special presentation from the Irish League of Credit Unions at its annual convention in Cork, on behalf of Leixlip. Brendan gave a proportion of his spare time as a voluntary unpaid director to the Union for over twenty five years. Many other citizens also served lengthy periods as unpaid directors and volunteers and others continue to do so.

The Union’s first registered office was a house, 599 St. Mary’s Park, the home of Mr. Austin Lysaght, its first secretary. Apart from Brendan Ardiff, the other directors in 1971 were Mr. Richard Farrelly, Mr. Paddy Reilly, Ms. Peggy Dempsey, Mrs. Chrissie Wright, Mr. Robert Moulton, Mr. P.Mooney, Mr. E. Malone, Mrs Nellie Finn and Mrs. Eileen Rowley. The Unions supervisory committee comprised Mr. Joe Rooney, Mr. Benny Brady and Mr. Peter Keogh.

Establishing the Credit Union began in 1971, when eighteen people attended a meeting held in the old GAA hall at Captain’s Hill and then the following year the Credit Union was registered.

Thanks to the co-operation of Leixlip GAA club, the Union started its town centre life at a room on the Captain Hill. It soon bought, for £6,000, a building now used by Leahy’s Auctioneers at Main St. This was sold in 1979/80 for £16,000 approx. and on 20 June 1985 it bought 44 Main St. at public auction for £186,000. In 1999, the Board bought ’7 The Mall’ for £325,000 and the current plan is to refurbish it and sell 44 Main St.