Julie is retiring from the lbrary

When Julie O’Donoghue hosts a Brigid-themed crafts evening in Kilcullen Library on Thursday next, it will be her last time on the premises as Librarian, writes Brian Byrne. But, given her lifelong love of books, it's unlikely to be her last time in the building.

Julie is retiring after some 47 years with the Kildare Library Service, a career that began when she saw an advertisement for a position in Kilcullen, placed by then County Librarian Séamus O'Conchubhair, who was expanding the service with new branches across the county. Though married and with a young family, Julie figured “Yes, I could do that” and was offered the job after a successful interview.

“The new Kilcullen library was first opened in what would later become the Credit Union building,” she recalls. “I remember that I used to slip across the road to Nick Bardon’s shop for sweets.” She adds that her preference for sweets has nowadays become much more refined than those available back then.

There's a certain circularity to that first library location. It had formerly been the residence of two teachers, Miss Griffin and Miss Duffy. Miss Griffin had spent most of her working life teaching at Kilcullen Boys School, which later became the new Kilcullen Community Library in 1982, following the building of the new Scoil Bhride at its present Curragh Road location. Embedded in the original floorboards of the Library space are memories of generations of young schoolboys, some of whom, over the years, have returned as adults and library patrons, telling their school days stories.

Everyone who has visited, or been a patron of, Kilcullen Library over almost five decades will have been captured in Julie’s wonderful web of stories, literature, knowledge, humour, helpfulness, and innate rebellion against the traditional depiction of a librarian. There was never a danger of being ‘shushed’, nor was there a chance of getting away without a chat during which she would seamlessly gather more information than any Facebook algorithm can do today. A key element was that Julie would always introduce new people to her regular customers, making the space a hub of social interaction and community.

“I’ve absolutely loved this job. I love the people I meet, especially the kids who come in. The crack and the things people will say to you, sometimes it’s like a cocktail party in here. And because it’s just one room, everyone gets involved in the conversations.”

When Julie leaves, she’s not going to be replaced by another librarian. “No,” she says with the impish humour that has always been a part of Kilcullen Library’s ambience. “I’m being replaced by a team.” Changes coming up at the Kilcullen branch include an expansion of opening hours in March to 35 hours a week, something Julie has been advocating for a long time. “The service is bigger. Kilcullen has many more people, who need access to the library. And more people than ever are reading books."

That last runs counter to the hype at the advent of the Kindle digital era, when there were dire forecasts of the printed book's imminent demise. Globally, almost seven in ten readers aged 18 to 29 prefer physical books, and Ireland has the highest share of online shoppers in the EU who buy printed books. We're also the most avid readers, with more than a quarter of us reading ten or more books annually. That said, Julie highlights the "massively important" digital e-library offerings from the Kildare Library Service, which allow members access to thousands of eBooks, audiobooks, digital magazines, and newspapers across adult, young adult, and children's titles.

So, if you're in town on Tuesday or Thursday this week, do drop in to say hello and farewell to someone who has been the ever-smiling face of Kilcullen Community Library to generations of book lovers. There may be a few tears along with the smiles, but for the best possible reasons.

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Town gates proposal may be considered after speed review

The southern approach at Nicholastown.

Any consideration of 'town gate' traffic-calming measures for Kilcullen will have to wait until County Kildare's speed limits are next reviewed, the recent meeting of the Kildare-Newbridge MD was told, writes Brian Byrne. The measure was raised by Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer by way of motion, for both Kilcullen and Athgarvan.

Officials said the speed limits review will take place this year and that it would be more appropriate to plan the settlement

gateway locations once the process is complete, and these can be incorporated into any proposed changes to speed limits.

Cllr O'Dwyer said she didn't disagree with the report, but that it would be prudent to carry out a design review at the locations in both towns in preparation for the implementation of traffic-calming. 

"The Kilcullen Road, which was the old Dublin Road, was designed for a speed of 80 to 100 miles per hour, as it was a main road," she said. "In my opinion, driver behaviour is a direct result of the design of a road and not the signage on the road. In the case of the Kilcullen road, the current design encourages motorists to drive at a higher speed because it is a straight, wide road. In the case of Athgarvan, again, the road is designed for a higher speed than will be implemented through the speed review." 

The councillor commented that speed remains the number one issue in all of Kildare's towns and villages, particularly in towns with wide approach roads like Kilcullen and in villages like Athgarvan, which are being used as rat runs to access Naas and the motorway. 

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New St Brigid painting in Kilcullen church

The new painting and the artist.

The arrival of Covid had an unexpected benefit for Geraldine Losty, the artist for the new St Brigid painting in Kilcullen Parish Church, writes Brian Byrne. It gave her the opportunity to develop a talent which had remained dormant since her Leaving Cert days.

“I had done quite well in art at school, but after that life took over, with family and work,” she recalls. “Eventually, when the children got to a certain age, a friend asked me if I’d like to join her at art classes. It was more of a social thing, and then, after just a couple of weeks, Covid hit.”

With time at home during the pandemic, like so many others, Geraldine decided to pursue her art on her own. At some point, she began posting her work on Facebook, and commissions trickled in, some with an unusual twist. “I found I was doing a lot of work for people whose pets had passed away, and they wanted portraits to remember them by. That grew, particularly with dogs, from people seeing my work.”

She didn’t confine herself to the animal genre, though, she also painted landscapes and portraits of people. "Anything that came up. I recently did a piece for the family of a priest celebrating his 25th anniversary, highlighting different times in his career.” A commission for a St Brigid painting in Clonard parish, Co Meath, indirectly led to the one that has just been hung in the adoration chapel of Kilcullen Parish Church.

“I think somebody in Kilcullen may have seen the one in Clonard, and suggested that they contact me about one for Kilcullen. Fr Gary called me, and it went from there.” Fr Gary says the idea for a Brigid portrait had come from Kilcullen’s Parish Pastoral Council. He says they developed the concept with Geraldine, whom he describes as very professional. “Each step of the process, she sent draft copies. In consultation with the PPC, we decided to include the two churches of the parish community, sheep representing the local area, and the Wicklow mountains in the background.” He says the community's feedback on the finished product, which will be officially blessed on St Brigid's Day, has been ‘very positive’. 

The whole train of commissions since the pandemic restarted her interest in art is something Geraldine very much appreciates. “It has given me confidence in my work. I feel I have progressed and developed, and I suppose I’m very proud at the moment that there have been so many different pieces which have meant much to the people who asked me to do them. The two Brigid pictures are a big deal for me, knowing they will be in churches for the foreseeable future. Yes, I’m very grateful.”

Up to now self-taught, Geraldine says she has an ambition to attend college and study art at some point, to learn more about different mediums and styles. “But at the moment I’m very busy with commissions, so I can’t really do that for now, I suppose.”

Yes, it’s not a good idea to step off a moving train.

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Dorly's book is back in Woodbine

A new batch of Dorly O'Sullivan's book, Damien - a life for my son, has arrived at Woodbine Books, writes Brian Byrne. The 184-page hardback documents life in the family with Damien, who has Down syndrome and Autism (ASD-DS) and is non-verbal. 

First published last October, the book costs €20 and provides an absorbing and honest reflection of the emotions and frustrations experienced by the O'Sullivan family when Damien was in his early teens and issues with aggressive behaviour emerged. The story concludes when Damien finally becomes a resident at Camphill Grangebeg.

It's a challenging read at times, reflecting personal incidents, but it is, overall, a heartfelt and gripping account of a family's resilience and love for one another.

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St Brigid crosses in Berney's

Berney's Pharmacy are once again stocking St Brigid’s Crosses, handcrafted by Mrs Kathleen Houlihan from Nurney, and available for a contribution of €5. 

All money raised goes to Maintain Hope, supporting children in Kenya.

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Old road surface uncovered

This section of the old cobble road surface uncovered during current excavations outside O'Connell's Bar prompted thoughts on when the road might have first been tarred, writes Brian Byrne. A photograph from the Lawrence Collection, from around 1900, shows the main street as an untarred road, and in 1903, when the Gordon Bennett Race was held, all the main roads around Kilcullen were essentially dirt.

Tarring was done gradually. In 1916, the local authority sometimes only tarred the middle of a road to save money, according to the minutes of a Kildare County Council meeting in the 1920s. Because the tarred sections had a 'crossfall' camber to allow water to drain off, it could be difficult for horses, which was a common complaint to the council. Additionally, it was typical to apply a 'sealing' coat of tar on top, which made the surface slippery for horses. 

However, the local authority in Kildare demonstrated that the lifespan of tarred sections was longer than with the previous method of using water-bound soft limestone. By this time, too, the level of motor traffic, including buses and lorries, was increasing, and these needs superseded those of horse-drawn traffic. By 1928, about 12 per cent of County Kildare's roads were tarred. 

The late Tommy Byrne, my uncle, recalled that when he was a young boy playing on the main street in Kilcullen in the early 1930s, 'the tar had arrived,' so they were able to play with spinning tops on the roadway.

The road through Kilcullen was historically important as part of Ireland's first turnpike (toll-road) system, established in 1729 to improve the poor condition of the route. After the formation of the Irish Free State, significant and ongoing improvements to main roads occurred in the 1920s and early 1930s, funded by grants from the Road Fund. By the mid-1930s, most main roads in the area had been surfaced with tarmacadam.
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Kilcullen AFC U13s get new kit

Kilcullen AFC Under-13 Whites were presented with team kits by James Nolan from the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund at their clubhouse last evening.

James told the players he was impressed by their dedication after seeing their training and some matches. He encouraged them to keep giving their best effort to their team. 

He also acknowledged the work of the team’s coaches and managers, Brian Hunt, Davie Lee Carroll, Barry Griffith, and Cathal Hunter, who volunteer their time and expertise. 

Brian Hunt introduced each individual to receive their kit.

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Trees national photography competition for schools

The third National Schools Photography Competition, organised by Coillte, is now open, writes Brian Byrne. In association with National Tree Week, scheduled from 8-15 March, entrants  are invited to submit a photo of their favourite tree or outdoor nature space for a chance to win a class trip to Beyond the Trees Avondale. 

Entries will be accepted until 12 noon on Tuesday, 24 February 2026. The theme of this year’s National Tree Week is Growing a Greener Future Together. 

Details of how to enter can be found at this link. 

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