GAA update

The Senior Team lost out to Rathangan in Round 1 of the Keogh Cup, writes Henry Barrett, on a scoreline of 2-11 to 1-06. The next game is a home one aginst Eadestown on Saturday at 2.15.

Well done to the Minor Team who had a narrow victory against Oliver Plunketts on Sunday. Next up for the Minors is away game against Raheens on Sunday at 11.45.

Our U/16 footballers lost out by a single point on Saturday against Ballykelly. The next game is away aginst St Edwards on Saturday at 4 pm.

Our U/14 footballers also lost out by a point to Cappagh; they have a home fixture on Sunday at 10.30 against Nurney.

The club will run a Scrap Saturday on the 26th of March, more details next week.

Membership is now due and can be paid to any committee member.

Don't forget to support our weekly lotto, Tickets are priced ar €2 each or three for €5.

Lorraine's 18th

Lorraine Clarke had a great 18th birthday party in McTernans at the weekend.

Hell, and hope, in Christchurch

It seems unreal to sit here at my laptop and be able to write when only on Tuesday it seemed like the end of the world, writes Irene McDonnell from Christchurch. There is no need for me to tell you about it, the pictures on the news I am sure you will have seen at this stage.

For each and every person still alive they will never, ever forget those terrifying hours but we are alive to tell, emotionally shattered, but with a glimmer of hope in our hearts to go on and help each other in any little way we can.

This time last Saturday, Peter and I were so happy for the boys in their new flat, getting them settled in, buying bargains for them on Trade Me to make their new home, Chris was so excited to have moved out of home for the first time, and Alex after all those months finally had space for his few things.

I was at work in the surgery on Tuesday morning, on the phone to a patient when I was thrown out of my chair by the first violent shake. Our building jumped and shook and collapsed and we clambered out over the devastation, stunned and bruised but alive.

The horror outside then started as the quakes continued. The road split and brown liquid started spouting up everywhere in front of us while liquid seeped up like blood from under us and through the building. I thought we would drown and knew that this was a big one but had no idea where the epicentre was. Where were my darlings ... were they alive ... was it all ending in front of my eyes? Cars crashed and buildings groaned and collapsed and the predominant sound was crying and sirens.

Dust was everywhere so I couldn’t see my hills in the distance where my home was. I didn’t know then I was so close to the centre of the quake. People appeared with wounded and we salvaged some bandages to help what we could, but couldn’t go in our building. No word from Peter but finally a text from Chris -- he was alive. I left on foot to get to him, wading through the water along with so many others. Destruction all around us, horrific is the only word I can use.

Three hours later I got home. Peter had spent the same time searching for me. Alex on the other side of town set off towards us too, but as the cell phone towers were down we couldn’t get each other. Just to be alive together was the greatest gift I have ever been given.

Chris managed to get to the house first, the dogs were inside in the devastation, so traumatized, but he tied them up outside and came back for me, warning me to expect the worst. Our lovely home broken and battered, the foundations snapped. Although we can go inside, the outside is destroyed and we can't safely stay here. Sockets have popped out of the walls and the cracks in ceilings and walls are in the thousands of dollars to repair.

We retrieved next day what we could and had a builder and structural engineer to look quickly. But when we can do anything about it to have it fixed is now the question? So much destroyed everywhere.

Luckily we could move in with Chris and Alex, and although we have no water or toilet we do have electricity since Thursday. The ironic thing is our phone works in the house and so does the internet. However, because of so much damage to the cell phone towers, they have asked people to only text and conserve as much as possible for those that really need the coverage.

It is like a war zone in many areas but the outer suburbs are fine in some areas. Not ours, unfortunately. For example, yesterday we queued for several hours for groceries in a line from the entrance to the supermarket to the checkout, and the same again waiting outside to get in. There was an aftershock while waiting and the faces of shock and terror are soul-destroying but you just freeze and pray silently. Then there is a sense of elation as you come out with your goodies, like Christmas.

Yesterday the army came with tanks of water and we could stock up and so wash our hands; you have no idea these little things mean so much.

People with families have fled and so many people and organisations are doing trojan work to help and keep spirits up. We all go through our moments of despair. It is stressful, but we have to stick together and when I give up with the fear of the future the boys seem to put me back on track. We pray we don’t get another big aftershock, so many still missing and heartbreaking when you know some of them who were people you had dinner with and fun, and all you can see or think about is them maybe still alive, buried under the rubble.

Yesterday (and today) Alex is out helping others stack bricks and take down damaged walls. We had a bad aftershock yesterday evening and when I texted to see if he was alright I got no reply, then you lose it. We searched for him, asking people in the area to no avail. So maybe you can see the importance of that text to say "Hey Mum, so sorry to have missed your text. Am not there now but a street further up and I have a bottle of water ... on way home".

In moments of anguish I wonder what is the lesson we are to learn from all this, the needless death of little babies, where do we go from here? There are no jobs, no money, no homes for so many. You can't just pack up and go. Yes, some can and will but we have to get up as humans do, and try to make the best of it.

NOTE: Irene grew up in Kilcullen and is Niall McDonnell's sister. She was also caught in the previous earthquake in Christchurch.

Heydon best vote-gatherer

The biggest vote-getter in the country in Election 2011 was FG's first-timer in Kildare South, Martin Heydon, who brought in 33.3 percent in first preferences of the constituency poll. He's pictured here with his sister Rosemary, who managed his campaign.

He performed better than SF's Pearse Doherty (33%), and FG's Michael Noonan (30.8%).

Labour's Jack Wall, pictured here with KFM's Clem Ryan, also made the top ten, gathering 27.8 percent of the Kildare South first preferences and coming 7th on the table.

The third seat was filled by FF's Sean O Fearghaill just before midnight last night, on the 7th count. He had achieved 11.8 percent of first preferences.

O Fearghaill takes last seat

Sitting FF TD Sean O Fearghaill has won the last seat in Kildare South, after receiving the bulk of transfers from his eliminated party colleague Sean Power.

This enabled him to beat Independent Paddy Kennedy by 997 votes. Kennedy had previously led O Fearghaill following strong transfers from Martin Heydon FG and Jason Turner SF.

O Fearghaill joins Heydon and Jack Wall of Labour in representing the constituency in the next Dail.

Kennedy gets big boost from Heydon

More than a thousand of Martin Heydon's surplus votes have transferred to Paddy Kennedy, independent.

He now could be in the shakedown for the last seat, depending on how the votes of fellow Newbridge-based candidate Jason Turner SF transfer.

Jack Wall's surplus is now being distributed,

Heydon, Wall, elected

Martin Heydon FG and Jack Wall of Labour have been elected on the first count to represent Kildare South in Dail Eireann.

Heydon polled 12,753 of the 38,270 valid poll for the constituency. Wall polled 10,645. The quota was 9,568.

Heydon's surplus is currently being distributed.

The other votes were Cummins (Green) 523, Kennedy (Independent) 2,806, O'Fearghaill (FF) 4,514, Power (FF) 3,793, and Turner (SF) 2,308.

Views from the count

Heydon to be elected first count, topping poll

The first count result in Kildare South is expected to have Martin Heydon FG being elected and topping the poll with a substantial surplus. Jack Wall of Labour is also expected to be elected on the first count.

With a quota expected to be around 9,500, the local FG candidate (talking to Clem Ryan of KFM above) will have around 12,500 first preference votes.

There's also strong suggestions that Heydon's surplus might bring Independent candidate Paddy Kennedy back into the frame. The belief is, if Sean Power can stay ahead of Kennedy, the independent's transfers will bring the Newbridge-based FF TD in to the last seat, against his party colleague Sean O Fearghaill.

The first count will be announced around 2.30pm.

Heydon leads poll in Kilcullen area

With all the boxes in Kildare South now open, FG candidate Martin Heydon has polled the strongest in the Kilcullen boxes, getting 40 percent of the Kilcullen first preferences according to the tally.

Jack Wall, Labour, got 28 percent of the 1,746 votes cast in the town, followed by Sean Power FF with 11 percent.

Jason Turner, Sinn Fein, garnered 111 votes, or 6 percent, from the Kilcullen boxes, from Sean O'Fearghaill FF with 107 votes. Independent Paddy Kennedy polled 77 firsts in Kilcullen.

In polling stations around Kilcullen, Martin Heydon got 53 percent in Gilltown, and 52 percent in both Usk and Ballyshannon.

On a constituency level, the tally shows FF at 22 percent (a -28% swing), FG at 53 percent (+16%), Greens 1 percent (-5%), Independent 10 percent (+9%) Labour 23 percent (+7%) and SF 16 percent (+7%).

Birthdays just keep rollin' around...

It was a long day, but a great day for 'Bridgie' Aspell yesterday.

She began by going to Scoil Bhride and casting her vote in General Election 2011, and finished up last night in Fallons, blowing out the candles on a cake to celebrate her 101st birthday.

It doesn't get much better...

Editorial: Polling Day, Election 2011

This could be one of the most important days of recent decades in Ireland. It might be the day that we, for once, vote with our heads instead of our traditions. Because it is only by working with our heads that we will get our country out of the mess it is currently in.

Perhaps it will be the day we, as a nation, throw aside the concept of our messenger to the Assembly being the man or woman we turn to in order to have potholes fixed, help us through the social welfare system, or to 'fix' something for us. Or worse, to 'swing' a piece of legislation that will make us individual profit.

The new Dail members won't have time for that. They have a country to fix, a nation's pride to repair, the staunching of a population's future haemorrhaging on the emigration planes. If they don't concentrate on these things, and these alone, then we might as well not bother electing them today.

But we must elect them, whoever we believe will do their best and whoever we believe to have the capacity to do what is needed. And each vote does count. Each single voice in millions of voices calling out for better things makes for a chorus, and then a roar, that much louder with a message impossible to ignore.

As much as our new generation of politicians have to change, so do we. We must learn to take responsibility for our own lives, to do rather than ask for things to be done, to build rather than expect things to be built for us, to create rather than always leave that to others. To do these things in whatever small or larger way each of us can.

In one way or another, this is the first day of our nation's future. Whatever the actual result in terms of members elected to the Dail, the really important one is how many of us actually vote today. If the turnout is as mediocre as it has been so many times in the past, then we will, as a people, have failed our sons and daughters who have to live, or leave here, over the coming decade.

For various reasons, mostly your editor's lack of time, the Diary hasn't run a political commentary during this campaign. But this piece is perhaps the most important set of words on Election 2011 that I can write.

Go out and vote today, or forever hold your peace about what has gone before, and what happens in the future. Go out, do your duty to our hopes and dreams, and be proud.

Brian Byrne.

The passing of Sadie McTernan

The Diary has learned with sadness of the death of Sadie McTernan (nee Keegan), Naas Road, Kilcullen and formerly Spring Hill, Athy.

Wife of the late Joe McTernan, who was very involved in the business community and development of Kilcullen through the 60s and 70s in particular, Sadie is reposing at her home today between 4.30-6.30pm

Removal will take place to the Church of the Sacred Heart and St Brigid, Kilcullen, arriving at 7pm.

Sadie's funeral Mass will take place tomorrow, Saturday, at 11am and burial will be afterwards in St Brigids Cemetery.

To her children, grandchildren and extended family we send our condolences.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam.

Home dialysis advantages demonstrated

A presentation on how home dialysis can help people with failed kidneys live a more normal family and working life was made last night at the home of Padraig and Liz Maloney, Castlemartin, writes Brian Byrne.

The occasion was also a reminder of the importance of the Diageo Charity Race at the Punchestown Festival in the summer, which has raised more than €1.1m for the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund over 21 years. The race was founded by James Nolan of Kilcullen.

Padraig Maloney lived successfully with a transplanted kidney for 18 years until three years ago, when he had to return to dialysis again. He has had a home dialysis machine since last September.

Pictured are Jean Doyle, Diageo Ireland; Iona Daly, jockey; Anthony Flanagan, jockey; Padraig Moloney, dialysis patient; Liz Moloney; Sonia Tracey, dialysis patient; James Nolan, kidney transplant; Noel Clare; and Anne-Marie Molloy, PKRF race coordinator.

The full story will be published in next Tuesday's Kildare Nationalist.

Donnelly's Arm travels on

The 'Fighting Irishmen' exhibition which features as its centrepiece the mummified right arm of Irish pugilist Dan Donnelly, owned by the Byrne family in Kilcullen, is opening at the University of Limerick in April. Josephine Byrne is pictured above with the arm when the exhibition was in Croke Park.

The exhibition was developed and premiered at the Irish Arts Center in New York City in 2006. It will open in UL on April 11, and run through September 30. It will be one of the highlights of the Limerick European City of Sport celebrations in 2011.

The exhibit will be located at the University Arena, the main sports facility at UL. It also features an array of robes, gloves, boxing bags, prints, photographs, paintings, and film footage of Celtic prize-fighters from 1820 to the present day. They include pieces from sporting greats such as John L Sullivan, Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Barry McGuigan, Freddie Gilroy, Bobby Cassidy, Gerry Cooney, Billy Graham, Billy Conn, John Duddy, Maureen Shea and many more. Ballymena-born actor Liam Neeson, Honorary Chair and long-time supporter of the Irish Arts Center, has also loaned personal items from his amateur boxing career to the exhibit including the gloves given to him by Olympic boxer Freddie Gilroy.

The exhibit first opened in 2006 at the Irish Arts Center in New York. It then went to the South Street Seaport Museum in lower Manhattan (2007), the Burns Library at Boston College (2008), the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh, Ireland (2009) and at Croke Park at the GAA Museum in Dublin (2010). Following its exhibition in Limerick, the Fighting Irishmen plans to continue its tour in Europe, and the United States.

The passing of Margaret Cowper

The Diary has learned of the death of Margaret Cowper, nee Dowling, Naas and formerly of The Crossroads, Kilcullen.

Margaret's funeral Mass will take place in the Church of the Sacred Heart and St Brigid, Kilcullen this morning at 11.

Her funeral will take place immediately afterwards in St Brigid's Cemetery.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam.

Do you need a car?

Vincents Charity Shop in Kilcullen is selling tickets for a raffle to win a brand-new Fiat Punto Evo car, 1.2 litre Active 5-door, writes Alisha Hamblen. Tickets are just €10 each, with the drawing to be held on 18 April. Call into the shop Monday through Saturday 10am to 5pm to purchase your tickets.

Since we have your attention, can you spare just 3 1/2 hours a week to volunteer at our Kilcullen shop? While you’re in the shop buying your raffle tickets (and taking a look at some of our great deals on gently-used clothing, jewelry, toys, books and household goods), ask for a volunteer application form.

We’re still in need of volunteers, especially for afternoons and Saturdays. Running the till, pressing clothes and sorting donations — there’s always something to keep you busy and help a worthy cause at the same time. No experience necessary; training is provided. Any questions, tel. 045 480785.

Vandals target bridge posts

Two of the decorative plant posts on the bridge were targeted by vandals last Saturday night, both ending up flat on the footpath.

The attacks must have involved more than one person, as the concrete foundations of the posts were also torn up.

Fundraiser for Dan Noud's mission

A fundraiser for Fr Dan Noud in the Town Hall on Saturday heard an interesting talk on the importance of supporting direct aid to those in the developing world, given by Alan Dukes.

SUAS, CPC, to hear directly about Palestine problems

The SUAS knitting group will get a direct report tomorrow morning about a project in Bethlehem which they are helping.

The SUAS ladies are knitting premature baby packs for a hospital in the Palestinian city, and a member of the hospital's board, Peta Taffe, will give them a talk on the situation there.

The Transition Year students from CPC will also be discussing the matter with Ms Taffe, as they are working on a project to highlight here the plight of the Palestinian people under the current Israeli regime in the region.

Road works in Kilcullen this week

Kildare County Council will take advantage of the mid-term break to resurface the Curragh Road in Kilcullen during the early part of this week.

In the second half of the week, the Chapel Road will be resurfaced.

Detours will be in place during the works.

Local teens give political views on RTE TV

Ten young Kilcullen people from Evelyn O'Sullivan's 'Drama Dynamics' gave their opinions on the Government and political leadership on the RTE 2 youth TV programme 'Elev8' last Thursday, writes Brian Byrne.

Their 2-minute appearance in the programme's 'ManifestÓg' slot put down some very direct opinion on current and future government.

Comments to the question 'What do you make of what's happening with the Government at the moment?' included "It is quite annoying the people, messing up the country and then just leaving their jobs" ... "Working until the country's destroyed and then trying to hand it off to someone else" ... "It's awful that they didn't seem to notice it for so long" ... "They make me feel a bit embarrassed to be Irish".

On the question of who should next lead the country, there was a strong wish for ethics: "Someone that cares about all of Ireland" ... "An honest person" ... "Someone who won't just walk away" ... "Someone who's not all over the place, someone who is really organised and knows what they are doing" ... "Someone who doesn't care about money, who focuses on the good for Irish people" ... "Someone who cares about real people" ... "Someone who cares about Ireland, not the money" ... "Someone who has an idea in their heads, like what to do next" ... "Someone who is willing to listen to every argument" ... "Someone who is not afraid to say what is going to happen, or what might happen" ... "Someone who makes sure everyone's voice is heard".

The RTE iPlayer link to the programme is here. The Drama Dynamics group are about nine minutes in.

Who says young people don't care about politics?