CPC girls heading for Kenya next week

Paddy O'Connor with Faye McNally and Aoife Moran (Julia Noble wasn't available for the photo).

Three Fifth-Year students from CPC will be among a group of 40 young people and adult volunteers heading out on Monday to spend two weeks working at the Cara Girls Rescue Centre outside Nairobi, Kenya, writes Brian Byrne. They are the latest local young people to participate in a project that has been running for around two decades.

The Cara Projects initiative was started by Ballysax man Paddy O'Connor, who was originally a co-founder of the Maintain Hope charity with Gerry O'Donoghue. With a construction background, Paddy moved from that to working on building schools in Ngong, bringing fellow tradesmen out to Kenya for short stints to help. He established the Girls Rescue Centre about 15 years ago on land he purchased in Kibiko. The volunteer groups that travel each January and February currently work on building new homes for local families.

The three CPC students on this latest trip are Faye McNally, Aoife Moran, and Julia Noble. For Aoife, it's a second time travelling — she participated in the January trip last year as a TY student. She says it was "the best two weeks of my life, and I just had to go back again." Interaction with the children at the centre was what made it such a great experience, she said. Faye had hoped to travel last year as a TY student but wasn't selected — more than 200 would-be volunteers apply for each trip from schools across Kildare and Dublin. She's very much looking forward to the experience.

Each participant had to raise €2,500, and the three CPC girls did so through a series of bake sales, a pyjama day at the school, bag-packing at Dunnes Stores, and donations from family and friends who wanted to help. Their final fundraiser was last evening with a table quiz in Fallons. The three girls are very grateful for the support they received from their families and friends, as well as from the teachers at CPC.

Cara Projects works with members of the Maasai tribe in the region, and Paddy O'Connor says the initiative has helped around 800 girls since its inception. The aid includes skills teaching and providing long-term support, such as paying school fees. "Some of our children are now grown up, some of them married," he notes, adding that over the years he has observed positive changes in attitudes towards girls and women. Apart from poverty, key issues have been cultural, including early marriage and the practice of female genital mutilation.

"Change is happening, through education and the work of our local teams," he says. "It won't work by outsiders imposing our attitudes." An important factor has been building trust within the local community. "That can be hard to do, but it is definitely, definitely changing."

Regarding the work of the young volunteers, he has a simple message: "There is nothing wrong with our Irish teenagers. I've brought over 700 of them to Kenya, and they are caring, capable, and compassionate."

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Film screening for seniors

A special free screening of the film Thelma for Kilcullen seniors will take place on Saturday, 21 February, writes Brian Byrne. The showing at Kilcullen Town Hall is courtesy of Kilcullen Lions in partnership with Kilcullen Bridge Cinema. 

Duped by a phone scammer, Thelma is inspired by action hero Tom Cruise to reclaim her money on her own Mission Impossible. It's a feel-good film about resilience, described as refreshingly original, warm, funny, and empowering. 

The film night will start at 7pm with refreshments and is part of the Brigid Film Season 2026, supported by Kildare County Council.

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Open Day at Mountain Flow Yoga

An Open Day event is taking place at the newly named Mountain Flow Yoga & Coaching studio today, Saturday, from 2pm to 5pm.

"It's an opportunity to join the inauguration of Mountain Flow, meet the instructors, explore the premises, and participate in some demonstration exercises," says Beata Zielinska, who has taken over the studio from Stephen Bunney. "There will be refreshments including coffee and tea, healthy treats, a raffle prize, and small surprises." 

Further information is available by ringing 087 9754415.

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Applications open for Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026

TG4 and Adare Productions are searching for the Top 10 young singers or groups in Ireland to represent the country at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026.

Auditions will be held across Ireland in March 2026. From these, ten talented musicians will be selected to compete in-studio for the opportunity to represent Ireland at the contest. The winner will face contestants from over 16 other European countries. With over 7.5 million viewers across Europe, the show is a spectacular event.

Applications are open to solos, duets, and groups of up to six members. To apply, send a 40-second video of the applicant singing. Apply now at www.tg4.ie/junioreurovision or for further information contact 083 1322683 or email junioreurovision@adareproductions.ie.

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Sketchbook Club at Woodbine Books

A Kilcullen Sketchbook Club will be inaugurated on 16 February at 6pm at Woodbine Books. The initiative is funded by the Books at One Community Prize Fund.  

Initiated by the organisers of the previous Drop-in & Draw events in the Heritage centre, the monthly meetups are open to all and provide a great opportunity to draw, chat, and exchange ideas. The cost is a sketchbook available for purchase on the first night.

This is a collaborative, encouraging, and open space for all creatively inclined people. For more information, send a direct message here. 

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Mary Berney celebrates 80th

Mary and her three sisters, Ann Meehan, Breda Maguire and Helen Sheehan. (Photos by Pat Foley.)

Mary Berney would like to thank all the friends and family who shared in the recent celebration of her 80th birthday. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable day. 

The celebration was extra special for Mary, as her youngest daughter, Laura, and her grandsons, Finn and Rory, were home from Australia for a visit.

Laura (Berney) Gray and sons, Finn and Rory Gray.

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CPC students' table quiz for Cara Projects

A reminder that three students from CPC are running a table quiz TONIGHT, Friday 6 February, in aid of Cara Projects, an Irish-founded NGO that works in Kenya on child protection.

The event kicks off at 7pm, and tickets are €10 per person, available at the door. There are great prizes to be won, and all support is very welcome. Complimentary food is kindly provided by Fallons.

Cara Projects, a registered charity in both Ireland and Kenya (CHY18652), operates the Cara Girls Rescue Centre, promoting healthcare, education, gender equality, economic empowerment, and sustainable development. It is a non-denominational and non-political organisation. 

The organisation's main aim is to support disadvantaged mothers and children, enabling them to contribute to the development of their own communities and the country as a whole.

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Inch by inch, the river rises

Water levels at the bridge, yesterday and today.

The river is running about one inch higher than it was this time yesterday, bringing it to about 10 inches higher than it was on Sunday, writes Brian Byrne. It's unlikely to rise high enough to cause flooding downtown, as the flow is controlled by the dam at Poulaphuca, built in 1940, and the one at Golden Falls, Ballymore. That latter, as Eugene Brennan from Kilcullen Science & Engineering has explained, is a "compensatory lake" to buffer the flow.

There is local lore that floods were fairly regular in the town square area prior to 1940, with particular references to 1896, 1903, and 1918. Our local heritage historian, Mary Orford, has referenced 'The Schools Collection' item from Kilcullen Convent School, information from 'Mr Ffrench, Mrs Kearney, Mr O'Neill, and Betty Byrne'. 

The nature of the river prior to the building of the Poulaphuca Dam was uncontrolled, and heavy rains in the West Wicklow mountains would likely swell the flow to damaging levels, especially as the meander section between Ballymore and here would get constricted into the valley on which Kilcullen was established and grew. 

We have had floods since the dam was built. In 1993, the Liffey burst its banks here, and the Bank of Ireland was among the buildings affected, particularly its basement. There was also flooding in the lower town area in August 2008 during a severe rainstorm, with the most affected businesses being Fallons and the White Horse Inn. In that event, the problem wasn't the river, but blocked drains, and the flooding subsided after the Fire Service cleared them. In 2009, following an ESB warning to all communities along the Liffey, there was some excess water through the Mill Stream, but no major damage. 

Water creep at the pathway under the bridge, yesterday and today.

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Brigid events 'bringing people together'

At the opening evening of the Brigid Film Season on Tuesday night, Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer spoke about the many events taking place in Kilcullen to celebrate Brigid, writes Teresa Nurse. She remarked on the power of these events in bringing people together. 

The cinema evening was very successful. There was a lot of fun and laughter at the film, and the audience really enjoyed Four Mothers.

The next film in the Brigid Film Season 2026 is The Kitchen Brigade, showing on Tuesday, 10 February at 8pm. This film is a guaranteed crowd pleaser: French, funny, and with a valuable social message.

It tells the story of a disgruntled sous-chef who leaves her job at a high-end restaurant and ends up running the cafeteria at a local migrant shelter. It is a warm film that cleverly blends upbeat entertainment with social issues, examining the plight of young immigrants and the challenges they face. 

Tickets are €7 and on sale in Woodbine Books, Kilcullen, and on Eventbrite.

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