So that was 2025

Outstanding event of the year: opening of the €1m Field of Dreams.

As the Diary completes its 20th full year since its establishment, we look back on 2025, which was busier than ever in a village grown bigger, writes Brian Byrne. Of the nearly 1,500 posts we published this year, these are some of the standouts. 

JANUARY

The year started with Thomas Berney of the renowned Kilcullen saddlery business being interviewed on KFM Radio as they celebrated the 145th anniversary and five generations of the family operating the enterprise. The saddlery, serving customers from all over the world, remains in the same building where it all began in 1880. 

The Kilcullen Creative Writers Group members came up with some very imaginative topics in pieces presented at their first 2025 meeting. The group was set up in February 2023 as part of the Brigid 1500 programme. 

Bishop Paul Dempsey, with Fr Celestine and Fr Gary Darby, celebrated Mass in Kilcullen. Now the Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, Carlow-born Bishop Dempsey previously served in the parish cluster of Naas, Sallins and Two Mile House from 2009, then was appointed parish priest in Newbridge. He was appointed Bishop-elect of Achonry by Pope Francis on 27 January 2020 and moved to his current position in April of last year. 

A total of 114 submissions were received on Oakway Homes' planning application for 180 houses and some commercial units at their New Abbey Road development, following a public meeting on the proposal. Despite concerns that it would, among other things, exacerbate traffic congestion, put further pressure on existing schools' capacity and healthcare services, and affect road safety, permission was subsequently granted. 

A presentation to one of the founder members of the County Kildare Motor Club honoured Liam Murphy for his contribution to the 57-year-old club and to Irish motorsport in general, at a lunch in The Hideout. It was made by John Dowling, one of those who were at the original meeting in January 1968 when it was decided to form the club. Among the 30 people at the lunch was photographer Oliver McCrossan, who had also been at that meeting. 

Over 70 CPC students participated in organising and managing the now annual pop-up restaurant at the college, showcasing the skills acquired in their TY Hospitality Module. The Assembly Hall was transformed into a 1920s cabaret restaurant setting, complete with a jazz band and a carefully curated selection of suitable entertainment. 

FEBRUARY

The launch of a fundraising campaign for a new inshore lifeboat to be stationed at Wexford had Kilcullen strongly represented by Pat Stafford and his family. The campaign aimed to raise €117,000 for a D-class rigid inflatable boat, which is now the workhorse of the RNLI. The boat will be called the Cill Dara. The target was subsequently achieved before the end of the year. 

The sense of connection evident during their visit to Kilcullen was emphasised at the final event for visitors from Kilcullen’s Normandy twin town, Saint-Contest. The group, led by deputy mayor of Saint-Contest Stephane Guillot, was joined by representatives from Kildare County Council’s Community Department and Cllrs Tracey O’Dwyer and Rob Power. Stephane thanked everyone involved for a lovely experience. 

Father Gavin Landers, grandson of Tom and Lizzie Landers, late of Main Street, Kilcullen, was inducted as the Parish Priest of Shaw & Crompton and Royton in Oldham, Manchester, on Saturday, 22 February 2025. He is pictured with his parents, Ger and Marie Landers, aunts Jenny and Kathleen, and uncle Michael. 

Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer secured €100,000 funding to create a skatepark for young people in Kilcullen. The money will come from LPT, and her request was backed by fellow councillors in the Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District. She mentioned there is still much work to be done with the Council to deliver the facility, but now that funding is assured, she is eager to see the project progress. 

MARCH

Kilcullen scientist Ellen Kelly was one of the speakers at the BioMedica 2025 conference in Dublin, organised by the Academy of Clinical Science and Laboratory Medicine. Ellen is the daughter of Joe and Gillian and is Senior Technical Officer in Molecular Virology at the National Virus Reference Laboratory, which she joined in 2017. 

Kilcullen Tidy Towns were presented with their Tidy Towns 2024 silver medal award at a ceremony in Athlone. Noel Clare, Ann Cashman and Sorcha McCoy represented the group. The group achieved a bronze medal in the 2023 competition (and would later win gold in the 2025 event). 

The St Patrick’s Day Parade in New York involved two local women. Brannockstown native and Deputy Chief Executive of Kildare County Council, Annette Aspell, was invited by the Kildare Association of New York to take part in various events, including the St Patrick’s Day Parade on 5th Avenue. The Recording Secretary of the Kildare Association is Kilcullen native Sandra Kunzle, née Sandra Shortt. 

At the Cricket Leinster Annual Awards night in the Mansion House, Dublin, Stuart Conroy, Honorary Secretary of Halverstown Cricket Club, received the award for 2024 Activator of the Year, in recognition of his work in running the Cricket Leinster “Smash It” and “Its Wicket” programmes for Halverstown and for his pioneering development work of cricket in mid and south Kildare more generally. 

A visit by a group of Belgian students and their teachers to CPC continued the increasing connections the Kilcullen school has been establishing since joining the Erasmus+ mobility scheme last year. The visitors were from CPC's partner school in Namur, Belgium, and the visit coincided with the CPC TY students' annual musical presentation. They all enjoyed the performance of Grease and appreciated the outstanding talent of everyone involved. 

Family and friends gathered at McTernan's to wish Ned Kelly a happy 70th birthday. As always with the Kelly clan, it was a musical event. Ned's prowess as a farrier, respected for his craft amongst the most notable racehorse owners and trainers, as well as by his peers, was detailed. 

APRIL

The Kilcullen-based charity supporting families in Kenya, Maintain Hope, announced the resumption of its volunteers programme after it had been paused for years. Twelve volunteers will be travelling to Ngong in July to engage with the children and families the charity has continued to support. The aim is to build capacity within families and will include gathering the younger children for Summer Camp activities, including music, drama, dancing, and swimming.

The Lieutenant of Inishmore, a dark comedy about a paramilitary killer seeking revenge for the death of his cat, was the spring presentation by Kilcullen Drama Group. As usual, an excellent performance by the whole cast attrcated full houses and ended in standing ovations for Alan Clarke, Fergus Ryan, Gerry O'Donoghue, Davy Byrne, Sinead McKenna, Enda O'Neill, Maurice O'Mahoney and Adam Tracey. 

Four amateur jockeys participating in the 34th Punchestown Festival Charity Race visited the Vartry Renal Unit at Tallaght University Hospital to meet patients on dialysis and the staff caring for them. For Ella Budds, Sarah Costello, Sarah Leahy and Rob Harrison, it was a firsthand experience of how their efforts benefit those with kidney-related illnesses. The group visiting TUH included Punchestown Racecourse CEO Conor O’Neill, race director Richie Galway, and Kilcullen businessman James Nolan, the founder of the Charity Race and the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund.

MAY

The 2025 winner of the JBforever27 Music Bursary was Olivia Lambert, a solo vocalist planning to pursue a music career in London after her Leaving Cert. She is the second recipient of the €1,500 award, established in memory of former CPC student and musician Jeremy Burke, who died unexpectedly in Canada in January 2023. Jeremy’s mother, Louise Kelly, said Olivia's dedication to her craft from a young age is truly inspirational. 

Local writer, photographer, and climate activist Cliona Kelliher was one of the contributors to a book of essays by autistic adults, Wired Our Own Way. The anthology of 21 essays highlights the wide range of experiences within the neurodivergent community in Ireland and explores the impact of receiving a diagnosis.

Dr Emma Birchall was elected as chairperson of the National Board of Macra na Feirme. Kildare representative on the National Council and chair of South Kildare Macra branch, she was voted to the national position at Macra's AGM. The former CPC student and member of Kilcullen Scouts, Emma was also the voice and face of safety on the farm during her time as the Macra 'Queen of the Land' in 2017-2018.

Collaboration and diverse thinking among teams worldwide was the 'superpower' that helped bring COVID-19 under control, Professor Teresa Lambe told the Graduate School Class of 2025 at the University of Notre Dame in Illinois, USA. The co-designer of the Oxford/Astrazeneca vaccine, which saved six million lives, also said that such collaboration isn't always celebrated enough. The former CPC student from Nicholastown — her parents are Mary and Tony Lambe — told her audience that the world doesn't just need smarter people, but wiser and kinder ones who are not afraid to lead, and just as willing to listen, working for a greater good. 

The yearly walk from Scoil Bhride to the site of the 1798 rebel engagement occurs on the anniversary of that uprising's start, which aimed to free Ireland from English rule. It has become a tradition in the school’s calendar, and students look forward to it during the final term. 

JUNE

Liffey View House on Kilcullen's lower Main Street was demolished after being derelict for many years. According to the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, the building dates from between 1700 and 1837. The combined properties of Liffeybank House and Liffey View House were Protected Structures. 

Fr Niall Mackey, who had served as Kilcullen's parish priest for nine years up to 2022, celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood, in Our Lady Queen of Peace, Bray. He was joined by Auxiliary Bishop Paul Dempsey, as well as past Kilcullen parishioners.

New traffic-calming measures were put in place at Brannockstown at the junction with the Ballymore Road. They included resurfacing, new line markings, and new speed bumps on either side of the intersection. 

The 12th book written by Kilcullen-based novelist Hazel Gaynor, Before Dorothy, was published. Her story was inspired by L. Frank Baum's classic American fairy tale, The Wizard of Oz. It was later shortlisted in the Popular Fiction category of the An Post Irish Book Awards. 

JULY

The passion and enthusiasm of the archaeologists who have helped to keep the story of Dún Ailinne alive were highlighted at a function in Fallons, where presentations were made to Dr Susan Johnston of George Washington University and her team. The event also marked the end of the series of summer excavations on the hill, which had begun in 2016 and involved American archaeology students. 

After weeks of uncertainty regarding the future of Teach na nDaoine, which the HSE owner had planned to sell on the open market, an agreement was reached that the facility would be acquired by Kildare County Council and used for community needs in Kilcullen, following the completion of necessary upgrades.

A €5,000 grant from the Books at One Community Fund awarded to Woodbine Books would enable a series of community-focused events over the coming year. Twenty-one independent bookshops across Ireland shared €100,000 from the fund, aimed at initiatives that foster bringing local communities into their bookshops as centres of culture and leisure. 

A new Cian Mekitarian artwork was added to the St Brigid’s cloak mosaic at Kilcullen Community Centre. The original mosaic was created by Katy Palmieri, who produced several mosaics around town as part of the Brigid 1500 Thornton Lace project, in association with the Bridge Camphill community.

Participants in the My Dream Job programme received their certificates in the Bridge Camphill's Artaban Hall. The recipients of FET and ETB certificates participated in a variety of courses, gained work experience, secured paid employment in some instances, and attended various workshops organised under the Workability — Inclusive Pathways to Employment programme.

A weight was lifted from the shoulders of a whole community with the news of the quashing by the High Court of a planning permission for a quarry in Ballyshannon.

AUGUST

Tap Retail presented to the Kilcullen Business Group to establish a 'digital retail village', a community-driven online platform that encourages 'shop local'. The initiative gives local towns and villages the opportunity to compete online against e-commerce giants such as Amazon. It includes local delivery from shops for online orders. 

HRH Princess Anne visited the Berney Bros stand at the RDS during the opening day of the 150th Dublin Horse Show. The renowned Kilcullen saddlery family has been exhibiting and selling at the event since 1951, and this year, three trucks transported their goods there.  

A Kilcullen 11-year-old became the first Irish driver to win the Kartmasters British Kart Grand Prix in 30 years since its inception. He's Christian Coby, who has been racing karts competitively since he was six. 

The 23rd Mac & Norman Vintage Rally was successfully held, contributing to over €600,000 raised for the Irish Cancer Society since the event's inception. As usual, there was a large turnout in Kilcullen, with many trucks, cars, motorbikes, and tractors on display. 

Nearly 400 people attended the Kildare Summerfest 2025 festival, organised by Kildare United Indians for Social Harmony and Integration, held at Kilcullen Community Centre. Among the guests were Kildare-Newbridge MD Mayor Noel Heavey, councillors Peggy O’Dwyer and Tracey O’Dwyer, and Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon TD.

Work began to replace the floor in the Community Centre sports hall, revealing the original floor and its markings, still clearly visible. A €66,000 grant from Pobal enabled the project. 

Despite a very rainy session, a talk on the acquisition and development of Kilcullen's Valley Park recalled memories for some and provided new insights for others. Noel Clare of Kilcullen Community Action delivered it during Heritage Week. He included a historical overview of the area prior to the construction of the first bridge in 1319, marking the beginning of the modern settlement of Kilcullenbridge.

A screening of Oliver Twist was in Kilcullen Town Hall in memory of Mischa Fekete, who died last December. The version is one in which Mischa directed and acted in 2004. He had lived in Kilcullen since 1992, when he was among the founding group for Bridge Camphill. 

A new website dedicated to the story of Old Kilcullen went live. Old Kilcullen Heritage includes a video overview of the monastic site's history and articles on key aspects of its rise and decline. The website was developed from an idea by area resident Dr Brendan O'Shea and Kilcullen-born Dr Michael O'Connell, who has extensively researched many local places of historic significance. The website and video were produced with support from Kildare County Council's Heritage Department in association with the Old Kilcullen Area Community Association.

The launch of Nichola Kennedy's book, See The Change, at Woodbine Books was very well received. At the event, she said teachers are well-placed to notice the effects of hidden vision problems among their pupils before parents even realise what's happening. Nichola is one of only three certified neurodevelopmental and behavioural optometrists in the country.

A group of people responsible for serial dumping at Kilcullen graveyard were apprehended thanks to the vigilance of residents and quick action by Kilcullen Gardai. Thanks to the prompt reporting of the latest incident, Kilcullen Garda located the vehicle and the individuals involved, who were brought back to Kilcullen to pick up what they had left and faced significant fines.

SEPTEMBER

The new operators of the business, Sean and Patrick Kelly, held an official re-launch of Fallons. The pair took over the restaurant's operations in May. Family, friends, and other Kilcullen business operators were among the well-wishers, enjoying the evening to the background music of Clifford Meenehan and Eoghan O'Toole.

A link with Kilcullen of the 1970s ended with the death of Fr Cathal Price, of Kilbarrack, Dublin, and late of Balgaddy, Lucan and Sandyford. Fr Cathal served in Kilcullen Parish during the 1970s and was also instrumental in starting The Bridge community magazine.

To show again that the Sunnyhill Road isn't wide enough for two trucks to pass beside each other, another interaction between two trucks that got tangled was captured by resident Brendan Duffy.

Kilcullen Drama Group and friends put on a very well-received variety show to mark Culture Night. There was poetry, drama excerpts, some brilliant ballroom and Irish dancing displays, the Camphill Choir, and a lovely memoir of Kilcullen's main street in a previous generation.

An official opening marked the completion of the Kilcullen GAA Field of Dreams project. The club chairman, Trevor Schwer, told the large crowd at the event that it was an investment in the club's future and a commitment to its members that will serve both Kilcullen GAA and the wider community for generations to come. He expressed his sincere thanks to all the project partners and the donors who had made it a reality. He especially thanked the club volunteers, coaches and mentors, describing them as the glue that holds the whole thing together. 

Plans for the proposed Old Kilcullen Heritage Trail went on view at Kilcullen Community Library and at Kildare County Council offices. The trail will include signage, new traffic-calming measures, car parking, pedestrian and cycle facilities on Hacklow Road, landscaping, and biodiversity improvements. The Heritage Trail project has been led by the Old Kilcullen Area Community Association since 2020.

Jon Brien retired from his final posting in Kilcullen after 30 years' service. He had served as the Community Garda for the past seven years, where he was a familiar figure at many public events, in schools, and at meetings of various community and sports organisations. He was never known to be without a smile in his interactions with people, at AGMs, during crime and safety talks, or when speaking with TY students about life choices. 

The results of a summer survey indicated that more than 150 children in Kilcullen require early years or after-school places. One hundred and ten parents responded to the study conducted in July and August. 

The 9th Kildare Kilcullen Scout Troop marked 25 years in its Den at Kilcullen Community Centre. The Den was officially opened on 30 September 2000 by Kitty Reade. The Troop was established in September 1978, initially located in the Tennis Club, and was in several temporary premises until it received its first purpose-built Den. 

OCTOBER

Kilcullen GAA received its Leinster Irish Life GAA Healthy Clubs foundation certificate and plaque during the Leinster Irish Life GAA Healthy Clubs Recognition event at the Hamlet Court Hotel, Johnstown. Pictured with Kilcullen's Bróna Dooley and Maurice O’Brien are Leinster GAA President Derek Kent, left, and Leinster GAA Community Health Committee Chair David Murray, right. 

Kilcullen entrepreneur Eileen Tan launched her new wearable fragrances at the Styled for Success event in Keadeen Hotel, organised by County Kildare Chamber and the Network Ireland Kildare Branch, to mark National Women's Enterprise Day. Eileen's First Love portfolio comprises five fragrances under the Maison d'Eileen banner, each handcrafted by Eileen using the finest perfumery ingredients. In addition to the new wearables, the fragrances are available as small space diffusers and room fragrance mists. 

A very happy gathering of family and friends in The Spout celebrated Jack Courtney's Darts World Cup gold medal. He won gold in the youth pairs competition in Seoul, South Korea, with team-mate Aidan O'Hara. Speaking on behalf of Jack and the family, Darren Keogh said it wasn't just about the contest in Seoul, but it was the last five years and the support the young player had received from the local community. 

Dorly O'Sullivan published her book, Damien: A life for my son, a beautifully produced small hardback that documents life in a family where one member has Down syndrome and Autism (ASD-DS) and is non-verbal. The book is based on a series of blog posts that Dorly began writing under the name 'mumsnautism' when Damien was in his early teens. 

Students from CPC who attended a Model UN Conference in Toruń, Poland, gained a broader worldview by interacting with more than 250 peers from various countries. Among these were students from Ukraine and Palestine, who were living through the real-life challenges reflected in the issues debated at the ToMUN event. The three-day meeting, on the theme of Understanding the Roots of Polarisation to Achieve Harmony, included various relevant committee sessions, culminating in a General Assembly Plenary Session. 

Brendan (Benny) Clifford retired after 51 years as a leather craftsman with Berney Bros in Kilcullen. There were already long-standing connections when he went straight into the workshop after leaving school in the early 1970s: his mother's father and uncle worked there, as did his brother Dec and cousins Liam and Ger. Benny recalls many of the biggest names in the Irish racing industry visiting the workshop to discuss their needs, particularly those from the 1970s, including TP Burns, Con Collins, Francis Flood, Mick Connolly, Mick O'Toole, Paddy Mullins, and John Oxx and his father.

NOVEMBER

The Community Awards presentations celebrated individuals and groups who had contributed to Kilcullen in special ways. Also, they marked the town's first gold medal in the Supervalu Tidy Towns 2025. A full house attendance heard that the medal was a testament to everyone’s hard work and pride in the town. 

All-day parking by motorists at the Eurospar car park forced the business owner to implement pay parking for anyone who stays more than an hour. Derek Walsh said it wasn't something he wanted to do, but it was the only way to provide a rotating parking plan so there are spaces for customers. 

A set of three one-act plays presented by Kilcullen Drama Group, each quite different, was brilliantly entertaining, both for its content and for the excellent acting by both veterans of the Kilcullen stage and newcomers. The plays were The Quiet Land, In the Shadow of the Glen, and Baby Steps. There was also a very short epilogue titled "Where Will We Go?" Written by Dermot Bolger, it was performed by Eilis Philips. 

A celebration marked the first anniversary of An Tearmann's reopening after the cafe had been closed for several years due to COVID-19. The business was revived in 2024 by David Hogan and his wife, Salima, with the cooperation of Camphill Communities of Ireland. 

Planning permission was refused to Rivermanor Developments Ltd for a proposed 74-home development adjacent to Riverside Crescent and Bentley's Lane. The reasons for refusal included the absence of clear pedestrian and cyclist permeability, the lack of high-quality, usable public space, and a design that failed to consider the site's natural character and context, particularly its proximity to the River Liffey.  

After much planning and preparation, the Kilcullen Christmas Festival Shopping Day 2025, organised by Kilcullen Town Promoters, provided an opportunity for local people to get to know the area's retail and craft businesses at an official Kilcullen start to Christmas. All participating enterprises offered seasonal treats and shopping promotions, and among the attractions was a shop window Scavenger Hunt for the youngsters.

Kilcullen Photography Club launched its 2026 Calendar at Woodbine Books, marking the eighth edition by the club. Proceeds are allocated for club development and donations to local organisations and charities. Over the past seven years, approximately €4,000 has been donated to worthy causes. The club also contributed photos for a Rescue Dogs calendar created for the Kildare and West Wicklow SPCA.

A fundraising campaign was launched for an ambitious mural project in Kilcullen. When completed, it will provide an eye-catching feature at the Newbridge Road entrance to the town. The Kilcullen Heritage Wall, commissioned by Kilcullen Community Action, will complement several other artworks around the town, many of them KCA-sponsored.

DECEMBER

Garda Jim Lacey from Kilcullen was proposed as the new Community Garda for the area, following the recent retirement of Jon Brien. The role of a Community Guard is to deal directly with community groups and schools on issues relevant to those areas. 

It was all standing ovations and calls for more at the end of the 2025 Carols by Candlelight in Kilcullen Parish Church. It was the 14th year of the event, and few would dispute that it was the best so far. It featured The Camphill Laimh Choir, Kilcullen Gospel Choir, and Naas Hospital Choir, along with special guests the Baldonnel Singers and Paul Linehan, the renowned tenor.

The Department of Education issued a letter of intent to proceed with the upgrade at Cross and Passion College, Kilcullen, which means the contract has been awarded to the successful contractor. The next step is to get contracts signed and break ground.

Byron Pilates opened its doors at the Link Business Park. Dearbhaile Donagh owns it, and the studio will provide one-to-one tuition and support for those interested in Reformer Pilates, which Dearbhaile first encountered while living in Australia. 

More than a thousand people of all ages registered for Kilcullen GAA's Run, Run, Rudolph! event. The blustery day and bad weather around the country meant not everyone turned up, but with the largest-ever number of participants, there was very good humour throughout the fundraiser. 

When Ger and Lorraine Hegarty Kelly planned this year’s exhibition of Nativities in the Parish centre, they merely said it would be ‘over 200’. It was. And more. “When we had them set up, we counted them, and there are more than 300,” Lorraine told the Diary—three times the number shown in the first exhibition in 2020. 

On Christmas Eve, Tommy Mackey took off his work coat at Eurospar for the last time, having worked there since 1997. He started in the supermarket when Leslie McCarthy owned it and continued with Derek Walsh when he took over. Before that, Tommy worked with Des Byrne at The Hideout for twenty years.

Pictured are Dave Byrne, son of the late Tom Byrne, and Brian and Garreth Byrne, sons of the late Jim Byrne Jr, saluting the centenary of the occasion when their grandfather, James J Byrne Snr, opened Byrne’s Hotel in Kilcullen, which later became The Hideout in 1950.

And so, on to 2026!

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