Very cold this morning with outbreaks of rain gradually moving south. Sunny and dry spells will develop from the north during this afternoon with highest temperatures of 3 to 6 degrees in a chilly northerly breeze. Mostly dry tonight with clear spells. A few showers will drift in overnight. A very cold northerly breeze will persist with lowest temperatures of 1 to -3 degrees. Some frost and icy patches will develop. (Met Éireann.)
WHAT'S ON AROUND
Here is a link to a Calendar of upcoming events in Kilcullen. If you have an event you want listed, email the Diary.
DID YOU KNOW?
A scientific study published earlier this year in The Lancet says that vaccines have saved 154 million lives since 1974, 95pc of which were children under five years old. The same estimates showed that vaccines have cut infant mortality by 40 percent globally, and by more than 50 percent in Africa. Death by measles is the most significant win, with almost 94 million lives estimated to have been saved.
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KILCULLEN DESIGN STATEMENT
EVENTS COVER
For privacy reasons, the Diary requires to be invited by the organisers to cover events in a private, commercial or club location. This does not apply to public meetings, or events in public spaces.
The Kilcullen & Gormanstown Parish Lotto Draw is held at 8pm each Tuesday in the Parish Centre. This is a public event to which all are welcome. There's a prize draw each night for those attending. Details of previous Draws are here.
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TEXT ALERT
Forms for joining the Kilcullen Garda District Text Alert scheme are available from The Grocery in Calverstown, Kilcullen Garda Station, Kilcullen Credit Union, and scheme committee members. Please encourage neighbours and friends to join.
With Bardons 'Spain' versus 'The Rest', it was always going to be a pretty busy game on Sunday. But nobody expected that it would arguably be more action packed than most of the recent World Cup encounters.
It was better weather too, than the competitors in South Africa enjoyed during their global tournament.
The game got under way at 1pm on the all-weather pitch, the 'Reds' captained by A N Other and the 'Blacks' by A N Other (nobody was prepared to take any responsibility here). Even for this reporter, who knows nothing about the finer points of the beautiful game, and in all honesty cares less, it was a really fun experience on the sidelines.
It seemed also a lot of fun for the participants. But they were putting about some serious skills, too, although some of them looked like it was quite a while since they might have played before. And, despite an unrelenting rate of action up and down the pitch, nobody backed off the effort right up to the end.
The Diary has asked for a 'proper' report from somebody who actually knows what went on. But in advance of that, if it ever materialises, we can report that Aoife Whelan, the only woman who turned out in the two teams, won the 'Man of the Match' accolade.
Referee Mick Spencer declared it 4:4 at the end of the game, so it went to penalty points. Somebody knows the final score ... maybe.
It doesn't matter. It was great fun, as was the barbecue afterwards on Bardons rooftop lounge. Chef Ellen O'Driscoll missed the match, getting the food ready. It was excellent as usual. And she particularly wants to thank those who contributed food to the event, which was all in aid of Barretstown and the seriously ill children which that facility looks after.
They included QK Meats who provided the burgers, Doyles Meats in Rathcoole for their sausages, chicken suppliers C J Loughlin in Wexford, Pat the Baker who donated the buns for the burgers, and Rooney Catering from Kildare.
Ray de Courcy helped out with the cooking, unfazed after doing the 10k in the Jim Roche Road Race Festival earlier in the day.
The highlights of the match can be seen below. And the local heroes all.
