The Song Cycle coming to Kilcullen cinema

The next film at Kilcullen Bridge Cinema on Tuesday, May 12th, is a unique event of film, chat, and song, writes Teresa Nurse of Kilcullen Lions. The Song Cycle is a new film from Nick Kelly, acclaimed musician (The Fat Lady Sings) and filmmaker (The Drummer and the Keeper). 

It opened at the Irish Film Institute on May 1st to great reviews, and the film is now showing at selected cinemas across Ireland. Each event screening will involve Nick travelling sustainably to the location (primarily by bicycle) to attend the screening, and then performing live after the screening. The result will be a unique mini-touring programme incorporating cinema, music, and sustainability.

The Song Cycle is a charming documentary that tells Nick’s story of how, in 2022, he decided to cycle from his home in Dublin to the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, England — carrying his guitar, tent, and all the other essentials. He was accompanied by his friend and ‘Dogs’ collaborator, Sean Millar, who was following the same route on public transport. The pair stopped to perform in different venues along the route, making their way towards a grand finale at Glastonbury. 

The journey proves a celebration of sustainability in its many forms, while also allowing the filmmaker to thoughtfully reflect on his relationship with his late father, the esteemed politician and academic, John Kelly. Inspired by environmental concerns, the film also explores music and friendship and is uplifting, humorous, and thought-provoking. 

Come for the film and stay for the chat and music. It promises to be a wonderful event. Tickets are now on sale in Woodbine Books, Kilcullen, and on Eventbrite.

Doors open at 7pm. Film 7.30pm followed by a concert at 9pm. 

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Kilcullen Cycling Club riders shine at Kanturk

Kilcullen Cycling Club enjoyed an excellent weekend at the Kanturk 3-Day, with strong performances from several riders, writes Liam Walker.

Tom Hughes finished 2nd overall and 7th on the final stage. Fergal Regan took 3rd overall in the C3 race, while Conor Regan was 2nd on yesterday's stage and 4th overall in the C1 race.

Pictured above are Conor Regan, Fergal Regan, and Tom Hughes.

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County Kildare gears up for Bike Week 2026

A reminder that County Kildare is set to host a variety of events as part of National Bike Week 2026, which runs from 9 to 17 May.

Local highlights include a bike confidence and repair event at Harbour Field, Maynooth, on 9 May, the Kildare Inclusivity Festival at The Curragh Racecourse on 10 May, and an On Your Bike! Craft Workshop at Maynooth Community Library on 14 May.

Later in the week, there will be inclusive and family-friendly cycling along the Barrow Blueway, with events in Athy including the Barrow Blueway Inclusive Initiative on 15 May, two 50km leisure cycles on 16 May, and the Athy Triathlon Club Family Blueway Cycle on 17 May.

The Kildare events aim to encourage people of all ages and abilities to get active, build cycling confidence, and enjoy local amenities.

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Neil Durkan wins Punchestown Charity Race

Neil Durkan won the 35th Punchestown Charity Race on Saturday last, 2 May, riding Touch The Moon, trained by William Durkan. Sophie Connor finished second, and Maxime de Chambord came third. 

The race, which closed the 2026 Punchestown Festival, holds personal significance for Durkan, who donated bone marrow to his brother John, a leukaemia patient, 28 years ago. John subsequently died from his illness, but the Durkan family has retained a long-standing connection with Punchestown. 

Race organiser James Nolan, himself the recipient decades ago of a donor kidney from his sister Catherine, expressed his gratitude to the jockeys, owners, trainers, and Punchestown Racecourse for their support. He anticipates the 2026 race will have raised over €60,000 for the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund, promoting the message “Have the conversation - say YES to Organ Donation.”

James is pictured above with the 22 jockeys who took part in the race.

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Halverstown win first home game in style

Des Drumm, Chairman, presents Lauren Maguire, Pure Power Nutrition, with a club cap to thank her for Halverstown Match Day sponsorship.

Halverstown Cricket Club made a winning start at home in the 2026 season with a convincing 9-wicket victory over Rush 3 on 2 May.

After opening the season campaign with an away win over Malahide 5, Halverstown 1 carried that momentum into their first home fixture, which was also the club’s first under its new “Sponsor a Match” programme. Supported by Purepower Nutrition, the occasion got off to the perfect start as Halverstown bowled Rush out for 101.

New Zealander Cate Pederson top-scored for the visitors with 31, but Halverstown’s bowlers stayed in control, with Vishnu taking 3 for 13 and Neville Case claiming 2 for 23. Halverstown then chased down the match comfortably, losing only one wicket. Leigh Leesman finished unbeaten on 60, while debutant Guarev made 27 not out.

Halverstown captain Paolo Rosa praised the performance afterwards, saying: “When the lads play like this, it makes my job easier.”

Before the match, chairman Des Drumm welcomed Lauren Maguire of Purepower Nutrition, who rang the club bell to start play and later presented the Player of the Match award to Cate Pederson.

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Dawn Walk for Pieta date

A reminder that the Kilcullen Healthy Clubs Dawn Walk to raise funds for Pieta will be held this year next Saturday, 9 May, writes Brona Dooley. The charity provides professional counselling, support, and education to those experiencing suicidal thoughts, self-harming behaviour, and to those impacted by suicide and self-harm, and all these services are free of charge. 

Join us on our Field of Dreams track on 9 May: we will gather from 4:15 am for a mindful walk together with family, friends, or just quietly carrying your own reason.

To finish the morning, join us at Kilcullen GAA Clubhouse for complimentary breakfast rolls and cakes. Raggy’s Cafe will also be open for all your hot drink needs and is generously making a donation towards Pieta House for every purchase made with them. 

Donations will be accepted in the morning and will be donated to Pieta on behalf of Kilcullen GAA Healthy Clubs.

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Footpath parking is illegal

This is one of the issues raised at the recent AGM of Kilcullen Community Action, that some motorists are parking on the new footpaths in Kilcullen. This one is a case in point: last night, photographs sent in by a reader show a car parked in front of McTernan's in the early evening, and the car was still there some hours later.

Parking on a footpath can carry a minimum of 1 penalty point and an €80 fine.

A key point of the conversation at the AGM was that illegal parking in Kilcullen has to be tackled through a combination of traffic wardens and Garda traffic policing.

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Baptist community to host two hope-focused evenings

Brannockstown Baptist community will host two special evenings at the end of May exploring the theme of hope in today’s world. The events on Thursday, 28 May, and Friday, 29 May, both start at 7:30pm at the church in Brannockstown (W91 K004).

The evenings will include songs, personal stories, short Bible talks, and free refreshments, with all welcome to attend. The events are aimed at anyone asking where real hope can be found in uncertain times.

More information is available at brannockstownbaptist.com.

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Good Kilcullen performances in Kanturk

Today, Tom Hughes took over as leading junior and 2nd overall after a super performance in this morning's Time Trial in Kanturk, writes Liam Walker, and he held his position as 2nd after the 90 km road race this afternoon. 

Conor Regan is 4th overall going into tomorrow's last stage. Fergal Regan is also 4th overall in the C3 race. 

Pictured above, left is Tom Hughes, and on the right is Fergal Regan, who was 2nd in yesterday's Kanturk 3-day stage race. On the right is his son Conor, who was 2nd in the C1 race and 1st junior.

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Are these your horses?

UPDATE: OWNER FOUND. These two horses were found wandering in a cornfield on the Athy Road. 

The owner can reclaim them by contacting Kilcullen Gardai, 045 481212, with proof of ownership.

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It Says in The Bridge: May 2026

The gold medal won by Kilcullen in the 2025 Supervalu Tidy Towns was proudly on display at the recent AGM of Kilcullen Community Action, and is also headlined in the report from that event, which leads this month's edition, writes Brian Byrne. The quote that the medal defines our community seems quite appropriate, given the amount of work that KCA-Tidy Towns does in Kilcullen.

The work of one of Kilcullen's longest-standing organisations, the Drama Group, which can record its foundations back to the 1930s, is another important element in the rich mosaic of Kilcullen, and the group's latest presentation, The Walworth Farce, makes for a colourful centre spread story, with a photographic record of emotion, action, and the dysfunction of the family at the centre of the play. A challenge for cast and audience alike, both rose to it, the latter literally in several standing ovations.

Beyond those, a broad mix of articles in the issue takes in an Arctic expedition, a debut book of poetry, several commentaries on aspects of the 1926 Census releases, and the expansion of the Born to Strum Music Academy, located at the Crookstown Craft Centre. The Kilcullen Photography Club shows how patterns around us can make fascinating pictures, and the concluding part of Jim Kelly's memories of Tony O'Reilly and Castlemartin gives further insights into the man and the place in Kilcullen that became his much-loved Irish home.

For those who like to wander away for a day, Noel Clare suggests Mount Leinster as a trip that rewards with both breathtaking views and an ethereal music of the wind through the stays that hold the RTE transmitter mast in place. All in all, a spectacular location from which to view eight counties, weather permitting, and for those who like to drive on the edge, the road back towards Myshall and Tullow gives Kerry's Connor Pass a run for its money.

In other regular contributions, Billy Redmond recalls some of his many 'rambling house' experiences, which can sometimes deliver the truth of the adage that 'it's a small world'. Eugene Brennan, wont to cycle considerable distances, provides an interesting background and detail to the Leinster Aqueduct and to mills in the Kilcullen area. In his regular Places Around Us, Daithí de Róiste offers a history of Killeen Cormac in Colbinstown, and Sean Landers gives over his column to some more memories of Gilltown as penned by Maurice Baxter. John Duffey continues his inimitable style of recollections, this time involving the recycling of items of clothing in his day that had nothing to do with shoving them into a container at the edge of some car park. Noreen Dowling provides one of her always-entertaining personal memories, this time on a tourist bus travelling across Dublin.

There are the usual lots of schoolchildren’s activities in their regular pages, while in sport, we have details of the value of connections in Kilcullen GAA, a preview of the World Cup from Nigel Phillips, and Joe Mallon's regular update on the thriving pitch and putt club.

Overall, so many contributions that we had to add four pages this month. Just goes to show, there's still a strong place in Kilcullen for our community magazine, even in its 56th year.

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Curragh band history in An Cosantóir

An article in the latest edition of An Cosantóir, the magazine of the Irish Defence Forces, highlights the rich history of the Band of the Curragh Command, writes Brian Byrne, tracing its development from its foundation in the 1920s to its disbandment in 2002.

The piece was written by Kilcullen man PJ Lydon, himself a former member of the Band, whose personal connection brings added insight to the story of one of the Defence Forces’ most respected musical units.

The article recalls the band’s long service at state occasions, military ceremonies, community events and school performances, and pays tribute to the generations of musicians who shaped its legacy. 

For readers with links to the Curragh, the Defence Forces or Irish military music, it offers an evocative account of an important part of Ireland’s cultural and military heritage.

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Many May events at Russborough

Russborough House & Park has a lively programme of seasonal attractions planned during May, with events and family activities set against the backdrop of its spring gardens and historic estate.

Highlights include the RHSI Russborough Garden Show 2026 on Sunday 17th, with plant stalls, expert talks, flower demonstrations, live music, family entertainment and the Wild Tails Dog Show. Visitors can also experience The Grand Tour, a new guided tour exploring Russborough’s Palladian architecture, art and 18th-century heritage, now enhanced by the return of nine paintings from the original Milltown Collection.

Other special attractions include the Blessington Spring Run of vintage cars and motorcycles on the 10th, a free family tote bag printing workshop on Saturday, 23rd, with artist Susie Fortune, the Land Rover Gathering Weekend from the 22nd to the 24th, and a series of art workshops led by Schoolhouse for Art. Music lovers can also enjoy the West Wicklow Chamber Music Festival from the 20th to the 24th, bringing acclaimed Irish and international performers to Russborough and Blessington.

With its rhododendrons in bloom, the Walled Garden open, adventure activities on site, and seasonal shopping and café offerings, visitors have plenty of reasons to make a day of it throughout May.

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