Camphill celebration of achievements

Participants in the My Dream Job programme with their certificates.

An event on Thursday to present certificates to Camphill clients participating in the My Dream Job programme was "a celebration of how far everybody has come", according to the programme manager, Emma Jane Meredith, writes Brian Byrne. A total of 79 certificates were presented to 21 participants in the project, designed to provide work experience and personal development opportunities for Camphill clients.

Adding that the programme "opens doors and empowers and supports the dreams of everyone taking part", Emma Jane noted that the initiative during the past year had involved eight workshops, several work experience opportunities, and 12 weeks of social farming. The workshops included sessions on confidence building, effective communications, and first aid and CPR training. 

Four of the local service users of Camphill took part in work experience opportunities during the year, in JYSK in Naas, St Brigid's NS in Kildare town, An Post, and Mr Price. 

Farmer Fergal Byrne with Emma Jane Meredith of My Dream Job, and participants in the Social Farming segment.

With the support of Social Farming Ireland, four of the Camphill group did a 12-week stint working at Fergal Byrne's farm in Calverstown. It was the second year for some of them, and in addition to the certificates presented to the participants, a special presentation was made to Fergal in appreciation of his support.

Annie Shiffer, presenting the Employer of the Year award to Caroline Nash of Russborough House, with project manager Emma Jane Meredith.

A presentation to mark the Employer of the Year was made to Russborough House & Gardens, represented at the event by Caroline Nash. Annie Shiffer, making the presentation, related how she had initially undertaken work experience at the popular Blessington visitor attraction, and afterwards was offered paid employment, a transition she said has made "a huge difference" to her life and confidence. On behalf of the group, Annie also thanked Emma Jane Meredith for her work on the My Dream Job programme.

Those who received certificates were Karolina Karolak, Eimear Ryan, Lukasz Cisowski, Liam Dermody, Tavian Dolan, Lynden Healy, Evan Bowes, Karen Bourke, Annie Shiffer, Stuart O’Neill, Holly Pallister, Laura Dunne, Maggie Ellison, Christine Malone, Paula Kelly, Liam Mc Donnell, Jack O’Callaghan, Michelle Hughes, Alan Beale, David Moore, and Esther Loakman.

Among those present were last year's recipients of the Employer of the Year award, David Hogan and his wife, Salima, who operate the nearby An Tearmann café, and Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon TD.

Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon with Stuart O'Neill and his certificate.

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Rugby summer camp

Newbridge Rugby Club has announced its Summer Camp 2026 for boys and girls aged 6 to 12. The camp runs from Monday, 17 August to Friday, 21 August, from 10am to 1pm each day. 

Places are limited to 60 and cost €80 per child. Fully accredited and vetted coaches, overseen by the club’s Leinster Rugby CCRO, will lead the sessions, and each participant will receive a complimentary T-shirt. 

For more information or to book, visit this link. 

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Brazil families celebrate in Kilcullen garden

My name is Roberta, and I am from São Paulo, Brazil. My little one, Lorenzo (4 years old), and my husband, Tivadar, have been living in Kilcullen since 2023. 

I have been living in Ireland since 2017. Although the Irish people are very friendly, I am still searching for fellow Brazilians to help me cope with homesickness and to pass on our culture, language, and traditions to our little one. 

To my knowledge, there are around 23 Brazilian families in Kilcullen. Today [Saturday], at our party in the library, we met [Brazilian] people from Kilcullen, Kildare, Newbridge, and Monasterevin.

I owe a great deal to the Kilcullen community. I truly feel at home here and am very grateful to you all. I especially want to thank Martín and Ita today, who were very kind to let us meet up in the library.

The Festa Junina celebrates the bountiful harvest and honours three Catholic saints: Saint Anthony (13th June), Saint John (24th June), and Saint Peter (29th June). The tradition also has origins in ancient European summer solstice celebrations, blending religiosity, bonfires, square dances, and typical foods.

Brought by Portuguese colonisers, the celebration gained a strong national identity by mixing Catholic faith with elements of indigenous and Afro-Brazilian cultures, as well as emphasising rural life and cuisine.

The event has become one of the most vibrant cultural festivals in the country, renowned for its checkered costumes, colourful flags, fairs, and dishes made with corn and peanuts.

Nowadays, the religious aspect is less prominent, but the festivities still continue.

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New downtown planters-seats coming soon

Five new planters with seats for the new footpath areas in downtown Kilcullen will be delivered at the end of July, the recent meeting of Kilcullen Community Action heard, writes Brian Byrne. Their positioning will be decided by the Kildare-Newbridge MD Area Engineer.

Each planter is large enough to hold a tree, and will have seats on both sides, meeting chair Noel Clare said, adding that it was 'great' that they will arrive shortly.

Their placement will involve managing sightlines and also their position in relation to the bus stop and the upcoming pedestrian crossing.

There was some further discussion on the need to meet with businesses in the area on the kind and placement of their own, more casual street furniture.

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Scoil Bhride staff car parking expanded

Fourteen extra staff car parking spaces were laid out at Scoil Bhride this week.

The school was first opened in 1980, on a site provided by the Cross and Passion sisters, following the amalgamation of the former Boys and Girls primary schools. At that time, there were 16 teachers.

In 2015, a new extension added 10 classrooms, a large assembly hall, and an autism spectrum unit. The original 1980 building was fully updated with new floors, roofs, and a new office area. 

Today, there are over 750 pupils attending Scoil Bhride and a teaching staff complement of 42, including ten special education teachers.

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Halverstown CC launching women's team

Halverstown Cricket Club is launching a new women’s team as part of the club’s latest expansion. 

To kick things off, the club is hosting an information and coaching evening on Thursday, 30 July at 7pm at its Brannockstown ground. The event will outline plans for the new side and offer a chance to meet coaches, ask questions, and get involved. 

All abilities are welcome as the club opens a new chapter. Contact Stuart Conroy on 086 1613353 for more information.

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It Says in The Bridge: July-August 2026

This is the Bridge before our summer break; the next one will be in September, writes Brian Byrne. This gives a little time to mull over the concerning issues of invasive species, the stuff of the lead story, as detailed by local resident scientist Dr Jan-Robert Baars. It's quite fascinating, and maybe a little scary. 

There's nothing scary about the centre-spread recording the very successful Family Fun Day in the Valley last month, unless you were a little one worried about the Punch and Judy characters, who were the centrepiece visitors again this year. As noted, the weather tried to grinch the event, but people still turned out in their hundreds... and hopefully will again next year. The date has already been set by organisers Kilcullen Community Action. There's also a colourful recording of the barbecue and fun evening enjoyed by the 9th Kilcullen Scout Troop, marking their end of year with family and friends.

The Bridge's Bit of Business this issue is the launch of the Eileen Tan brand of fragrances, by the local entrepreneur of the same name, who will be bringing it to national and even global attention as one of four Kildare businesses to feature in the 2027 Showcase in the RDS.

There is, as always, lots of heritage elements. A report on Kilcullen-born Frank Conroy marks the 90th anniversary of his death in the Spanish Civil War, with some interesting local background revealed. Eugene Brennan reflects on the Moone High Cross, which he visited for the seventh time in a decade while on one of his frequent cycle trips. He suggests that the protective perspex canopy built over it could be copied in other places where built heritage is subject to the ravages of Irish weathering. In the same heritage vein, Daithí de Róiste highlights the Bog of Allen Nature Centre as a great day out for all the family. Noel Clare and Co took a trip to Vicarstown and the Barrow Line, in recent years having lost its pubs, but now revitalised by the opening of the Vicarstown Bridge Cafe.

KCA News reports on a new scarecrow in the Library Garden, courtesy of the local Kare clients, as well as the generous success of the street collection towards the cost of this year's Kilcullen in Bloom. The KWWSPCA slot suggests that there seem to be fewer unwanted kittens, and it has also been a successful rehoming year so far for the cats and dogs taken into its temporary care. There's also a piece about a plaque remembering Fergal Sloan put up in the Heritage Centre by the first responders, an article on the doings of Newbridge Rotary Club, and a promotion for a new choir for the town, Valley Voices.

In other regular spaces, Mary Orford reminds us of the often make-do aspects of the toys used by children in Kilcullen in the 1930s, courtesy of her favourite set of local copybooks from the collection of folklore compiled by schoolchildren in Ireland in those years. Julie Felsbergs finds a spiritual angle following a recent redundancy in her HR field, and how she has been navigating a strange, for her, new world. In his piece, Fr Gary reflects on the promises of God to look after the community of faith in a challenging time of declining numbers of clergy. Sean Landers looks at the life and work of a local poet in the 19th century, Marie La Touche of Harristown, and John Duffey takes us back to the bloody story of Pike Bridge, where some 400 people on both sides are believed to have died in a 1798 battle.

The schools pages include the annual Scoil Bhride walk to the site of the Old Kilcullen 1798 battle, and some successful sports campaigns in the same school. St Joseph's NS records the fun of end-of-year sports and tours. Other sports news is related by Kilcullen GAA, Kilcullen Bowls Club, and the Pitch & Putt Club.

More than a hundred photographs. At least fourteen thousand words. Advertisements for everything from finance, flatpack help, fix-it services, flowers, funeral directors, and favourite places. It's yet another Bridge, the mirror of our community. Happy summer to all.

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Upgrades to Dun Áilinne Interpretive Park

A new sign explaining the monument and the artist, the late Noel Scullion, and a second seat are included elements in upgrades to the Dun Áilinne Interpretive Park, writes Brian Byrne. The work will be completed next month.

The July meeting of Kilcullen Community Action also heard that new edging and gravel will be part of the upgrade, while the second seat will be dedicated to the late Liam O'Flynn, marking his musical contribution to the project. The first seat, recently installed, is dedicated to Noel Scullion.

In addition, explanation panels about the Royal Sites of Ireland in the Heritage Centre will be installed, replacing the existing hanging ones, which have faded.

The work is being funded by a grant aiding Irish projects currently under consideration for submission for UNESCO World Heritage status.

Dun Áilinne, one of the Royal Sites, is on a private working farm with no public access, which prompted the establishment of the Interpretive Park at Nicholastown by KCA in 2008. It is hoped to make the Heritage Centre a further information hub for the site.

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