CPC OPEN EVENING

Cross and Passion College invites prospective students and their families to its Open Evening on Thursday, 24 September.

Principal's Address and Information Sessions will take place at 6pm and 7.30pm.

Advance registration is essential and places are limited. Register at this Open Evening Registration Form. 

Alternatively, scan the QR code on the poster.

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THE PASSING OF LIAM MEANEY (NJ, USA)

The death has occurred of William J (Liam) Meaney, Montvale, New Jersey and formerly Kilcullen, on 15 September 2026 aged 79 years.

Predeceased by his parents John (Jack) and Evelyn, brothers Michael, John and Anthony and his sister Marie recently deceased.

Liam's passing is deeply regretted by his loving wife Margaret, sister Teresa, brothers Terence and David, sister in law Anne, brother in law John, nieces, nephews and close friends.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Tuesday 22 September at 10.30am (Irish Time 3.30pm) at Our Lady of Mercy Church in Park Ridge, New Jersey, which may be viewed on this link. 

Rest in peace.

CULTURE NIGHT A SPLENDID VARIETY ENTERTAINMENT

Last night's Culture Night 2026 presentation in the Town Hall Theatre was a wonderful mix of dance, drama, humour, poetry and song that kept an almost-capacity audience entertained for more than two hours. Prior to the show, a performance in the foyer by the Kilcullen Gospel Choir warmed up all arrivals for the splendid evening that was to come.

The opening demonstrations by members of Angel's Gymnastics and Dance Theatre set the tone with some exceptional lyric dance talent, and a later performance by Roxy & Bianca continued in a similar vein. Irish dancing from the Landers and O'Dwyer schools kept the traditional forms to the fore.

The event was organised by Kilcullen Drama Group, so it was appropriate that a humorous sketch about parish life in past times should provoke appreciative chuckles. Performed by Dick Dunphy and Esther Reddy, the sketch had originally been co-written by Dick and the late stalwart of the group, Bernard Berney and has certainly stood the test of time.

The poetry standard was flown by Paddy Martin, who read a children's poem written by his late father, John, while Sean Corrigan's 'Don't Call Me A Poet', conjured up in a clever almost-rap the angst of being viewed literary in a male sports ecosphere. Mary Orford's memoir tribute to a nurse in her family who died while tending to soldiers in WW1 was a timely reminder of the individual costs of nations' conflicts.

Vocals were from Maurice O'Mahony, and, at the finale, Pat Kelly and Canice Keane, between the two acts maintaining a balance for traditional Gaelic and modern country.

In the year that it is, local people who filled in their census forms a century ago were recalled by Nessa Dunlea, Sabina Reddy, Brian Byrne, Esther Reddy and Maurice O'Mahony. The Lamha Choir from Camphill, directed by Lorraine Nolan, preceded the finale act with verve, enthusiasm, fun and their own tuneful interpretations of gospel favourites.

MCs for the evening were Letitia Hanratty and Ray Kelly, and the show was officially opened by Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer, Leas-Cathoirleach of Kildare County Council.

Another Kilcullen night of entertainment when everyone left in great humour.

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LAST DAY OF SHIRLEY'S POP-UP BOUTIQUE

Shirley’s pop-up boutique will conclude TODAY Saturday, 19th, from 11am to 7pm at Lawlor’s Hotel, Naas.

The shop will be in the Residents Lounge Room. 

Shoppers can enjoy exclusive pop-up prices.

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MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WALKER IN KILCULLEN

Jonathan Kemp in the River Cafe this afternoon.

A man who is doing a 4,200km walk from the Shetland Islands to Galway arrived in Kilcullen today on the latest leg of his marathon journey, writes Brian Byrne. Jonathan Kemp has set an ambitious target to raise £80,000 and raise awareness and support for mental health charities in Scotland, England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland, and walked from Naas to Kilcullen this morning. 

A former London Metropolitan Police officer, he is also replicating the 1913 Suffragist March by his great-grandmother from Carlisle to London. After lunch he will be continuing his walk to Moone.

His mission is founded on his own life difficulties, including bipolar disorder, depression, addiction and dyslexia, and finding clarity through ongoing recovery. Jonathan is the founder of SmartWisdom, a patented note-taking methodology to help process information overload and reduce cognitive stress. 

Along his journey he is donating copies of his memoir “Finding Peace of Mind”, capturing photos of simple beauty and mindfulness, and delivering talks in various venues such as workplaces, schools, podcasts, radio, and TV. 

To support his mission, he encourages people to donate via GoFundMe, follow him on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. He also invites people to invite him to speak at their events, which he offers complimentary, and to spread the word about his charity walk.

For more information, visit his website at Jonathankemp.com or follow the link here. 

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CULTURE NIGHT IN KILCULLEN TOWN HALL

Join Kilcullen Drama Group and friends TONIGHT for Culture Night 2026, Friday 18 September from 6.30pm.

Enjoy an engaging evening filled with live music, storytelling, and artistic expression, reflecting the unique spirit of our community. 

Admission: Free.

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AMAZING VARIETY OF TALENT AT SKETCHBOOK EXHIBITION

Last evening's exhibition of work from the Sketchbook Club in Woodbine Books showed off an amazing variety of talent from a group who have only been together since February, writes Brian Byrne. The club is led by local artist Lyn Worrall, and offers a regular opportunity for creative activity in a cosy, welcoming venue.

The group has a total of around 20 members — the youngest aged 16, some others are retirees — with 12 to 15 turning up at the regular meetings. A key feature is that there is no structure to the sessions — those who go along can choose their own materials, pick their own themes, and show or not share their work. "But there is a great camaraderie," Lyn says, "and there has been a lot of sharing tips and learning from each other." 

Dawn Behan, Lyn Worrall, Regina McCarthy and Karen Flynn.

Using sketchbooks rather than working at an easel is a much more personal way of doing art, and can probably be less intimidating for people new to drawing and painting. "It's a sketchbook, so if one page doesn't work, the next page will. Everybody here just wanted a chance to sit and to fill a notebook, and to meet other people who wanted to do the same thing, to talk about it and learn." Sketchbooks also have the advantage of portability, allowing work to be done on buses, in waiting rooms, and at those odd times of a busy day when a little burst of creativity can be relaxing.

For Lyn, the biggest surprise since the club began has been the sheer variety of the output. Their work reflects members' different interests, experience levels and personalities. "Everyone's work is different, and everyone's takeaway is different. You don't expect that when people are working together in one place, that they've all produced something really incredibly different." Even in just six months, she is impressed by visible jumps in confidence and skill, from where people started to where they are now, just through that regular interaction. "One person who in February said, 'I've never made a painting,' is showing three pieces tonight." 

It's not unusual in such groups that the majority of participants are women. Lyn has a theory about that. "Women tend to get involved in creative things more easily. We also like the nature of it being unfocused. We're not competitive, and the unstructured nature, I think, suits women a little bit more than men." 

The theme of the exhibition was 'Renewal', appropriate because the club had begun with the imminent arrival of spring. Lyn is hoping that in another six months there will be a second exhibition, which may reflect the darkening time of Lughnasa and Samhain. Whatever, she already knows now that everyone's work will be absolutely different.

The Woodbine venue is facilitated by a grant awarded to the bookshop from the Books at One Community Prize Fund, launched to support independent bookshop owners in finding creative ways to connect with their local communities. The funding has helped proprietor Dawn Behan to defray the costs of many regular events which have established Woodbine Books as a community hub for creative activity as much as it is a much-loved bookshop. 

Alouise Reddy and Lucy Prentice.

Catherine Kavanagh, Lisa Kelly and Kieran Behan.

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WANT TO TRY WEIGHTLIFTING?

Young swimmers and athletes aged 13-17 are invited to a free introductory Strength & Conditioning session at The Lab Weightlifting in Clane, Co Kildare, on 26 September from 12pm to 1pm. 

This event, part of the European Week of Sport, aims to teach participants how strength training and weightlifting can enhance their sports performance, boost confidence, and develop athletic skills. 

No prior experience is necessary, but places are limited. Booking is available at this link. 

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ROGUE DOG OWNERS FORCE GAA TO FENCE OFF PITCH

Image: Kilcullen GAA.

Kilcullen GAA has been forced to fence off pedestrian access to the training pitch beside CPC because dog owners consistently ignore signs asking them not to bring their animals onto the pitch, writes Brian Byrne. In addition to leaving poo on a playing field that can have children as young as six using it, the dogs dig holes in the pitch drainage channels, which can potentially result in player ankle injuries.

"We have been forced to hire a contractor to erect fencing to close off pedestrian access points around the pitch," says Kilcullen GAA's Martin Murphy, who adds that a large number of dogs are being brought onto the field. "Their owners seem to think the pitch is an open public green for them to let their dogs off leads."

He also noted that the dog-owner in the background of the picture above has regularly refused to engage with club members who have asked them to obey the restriction. "The grounds are kept very well by volunteers who shouldn’t be subjected to rudeness when they politely ask people to remove their dogs." 

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BUS SHELTER TO BE PART OF CPC WORKS

New bus stop location.

Kildare County Council is to coordinate with the contractor and designer for the works at Cross and Passion College to deliver a bus shelter at the bus stop conditioned as part of the project, writes Brian Byrne. That information was provided to Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer at yesterday’s meeting of the Kildare-Newbridge MD, in answer to a question from her on the agenda.

Additional bus stops in Kilcullen will be evaluated for upgrade works, including bus shelters, in 2027. In answer to a further question from the councillor, bus notification poles at the church stop and Newbridge Road stop in Kilcullen for the Local Link Service are likely to be fully assessed for the delivery of required infrastructure in 2027.

Meanwhile, Cllr O’Dwyer also proposed allocating €8,000 from LPT funds to the Public Lighting Department for the installation of public lights at Mile Mill Cross, including the installation of ducting and civil works. 

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