Gardai want watch for silver Audi

A request for local residents to watch out for a silver Audi car whose occupants are believed to be involved in burglaries has been made by An Garda, writes Brian Byrne.

The car in the alert has a 05 WX registration, and has five male occupants. The burglaries were in Narragmore and Athy, and the car was last seen near Crookstown at 9pm last evening.

Any information or sighting report should be communicated to Naas Garda Station.



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Cross and Passion College Open Night next week

Cross and Passion College is hosting its Open Night for parents and prospective students on Thursday next, 27 September between 6pm and 8pm

The evening offers parents the opportunity to visit the school and meet with students and teachers of the College. It will offer insight into facilities, the work of students and highlight the variety of the activities in which they are involved.

The Principal will address visitors at 6.30pm and at 7.15pm in the Sacred Space of the College.

The College staff look forward to meeting both new and familiar families on the night.


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Culture Night in Kilcullen tonight to centre on 1798

Gerry O'Donoghue talking about 1798 on Old Kilcullen, in 2015.

A reminder that a presentation in songs and stories about the Rebellion of 1798 which had some important engagements in the Kilcullen area will be a local highlight feature of Culture Night 2018, writes Brian Byrne. It will take place in the Kilcullen Community Library tonight, Friday 21 September.

It will be an exploration of the happenings and personalities around Kilcullen’s involvement in the momentous events of 1798, with illustrations, extracts from contemporary accounts, and songs and poetry inspired by the period.

There will be contributions from Maurice O’Mahony, Joe Kelly, Francie O’Brien, Frank Morrow and Gerry O’Donoghue. This Culture Night event is presented in association with Kildare Library and Arts Service, and begins at 7pm. (NOTE: This post has been changed to reflect a correct starting time.)

There will also be a performance by Kilcullen Gospel Choir in the main concourse of Naas Hospital, between 2pm-3pm on Sunday 23 September.

Some 94 events will be held across the county for the initiative. It is the 9th year that Culture Night has been celebrated.

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Pieta House cheque presentation tonight

Some of those who took part in the Dawn Walk.

A reminder that a cheque for €21,500 will be presented by the Kilcullen Dawn Walk Committee to Maria Peelo of Pieta House tonight, Friday 21 September, writes Brian Byrne.

The money represents the proceeds of the walk and concert held in June, and the presentation will be in O'Connell's Bar.

Mundy and the Kilcullen Gospel Choir entertained at the Pieta House Concert.

A full house for the concert in the Market Square.

The committee thanks all who contributed to the events, and everyone is invited to the presentation, which will be at 7pm. Music will follow.

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'Flight of the Wren' launch

Mayor of Kildare Sean Power was the guest of honour at the launch in Woodbine Books of Orla McAlinden's 'Flight of the Wren' on Wednesday evening, writes Brian Byrne.

Orla is pictured above (second from left) with Kildare Culture Night Ambassador Eric Donovan, Alex Reece Abbott, Culture Night Ambassador Inni-K, and Kildare County Council Arts Officer Lucina Russell.

Pictures by Gingham Sky Photography.


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Local awareness needed on local elections

The need to make the community aware that there will be local elections next year was raised at the recent meeting of Kilcullen Community Action, writes Brian Byrne.

Chairman Ray Kelly noted that — once again — Kilcullen is being shifted into a new electoral area, this time being connected to Newbridge.

"Previously it was Athy, then Naas, now Newbridge," he reminded the group, adding that Kilcullen 'had never had any input from Newbridge councillors.

He suggested that KCA might consider actively contacting the current councillors in Newbridge to see what their thoughts are on Kilcullen.

"But if we had a local councillor from Kilcullen we'd probably do a lot better," he said. Antoinette Buckley agreed, saying she felt Kilcullen 'has been left out for years'.

After some discussion, the meeting decided to leave the issue for another few weeks.


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Workshop on Alzheimer/dementia care

A workshop on how to care for people with Alzheimers or dementia will be held on Monday next, 24 September, in Keadeen Hotel, writes Brian Byrne.

Organised by Home Instead Senior Care, the workshop is free but booking is advised. The event runs 7pm-8.30pm.

It is being held as a local contribution to World Alzheimers Month, designed to raise public awareness of the illness.

Those attending will be given suggested approaches when helping with personal care activities; how to understand behavioural symptoms, and care approaches to help minimise actions; and learn how to starting conversations for effective communication, as well as recognising ways to prevent behavioural symptoms in the future.

They will also discover ways to care for themselves so they can remain successful family carers.

To book a place, please call Home Instead Senior Care 045-446593. Alternatively email: philomena.clarke@homeinstead.ie.


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Play mooted for 'twenty-somethings' in Kilcullen

Eilis Phillips of Kilcullen Drama Group is hoping produce a one-act play with the 'twenty-somethings' of the town, writes Brian Byrne.

To further this, she has a meeting organised in the Town Hall for tomorrow night, Thursday.

All interested are welcome. Be there from 7.45pm.

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'Relay' donation from South Carolina

Karen Brophy from South Carolina, a friend of the late Donal St Leger, dropped into Kilcullen at the weekend, writes Pat Kelly.

She invited a few friends out for dinner on Tuesday night where she presented me with a donation for Relay for Life in memory of Donal.

We would like to thank you sincerely for your kindness and wish you a safe journey back home.

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'Exceptional' work by Tidy Towns volunteers

The work of Tidy Towns volunteers during the summer was commended as 'exceptional' by Kilcullen Community Action chairman Ray Kelly, writes Brian Byrne.

At the first autumn meeting of the group he outlined the level of activities undertaken to keep the ton looking well, including up to a dozen litter picks a week, painting of buildings and gates, maintaining the flower beds at the town's entrance roads, and more.

"It was a combination of all the small things, and perseverance," he said, and noted particularly the work to keep the flowers watered during the unexpectedly dry summer.

The success of the flowers displays was praised by Antoinette Buckley, in a year when the organisers had decided to buy and plant the flowers themselves. Eoin Houlihan said this had also 'brought the group together' in the process of getting the displays made up. "I felt we had a greater sense of ownership," he said.

A subsequent discussion on the flowers decided that watering would be continued for another week or so, before letting them dry out before they are taken down.

Ray Kelly noted that the National Tidy Towns reports will be out in about two weeks, and he was hopeful of extra points for Kilcullen.


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'The Mental' at the Moat

Based on true stories of the long-term institutionalised, the final play in John MacKenna’s Barrow trilogy — The Mental — comes to The Moat Theatre in Naas in October, writes Aoife Brennan of the Moat.

All three plays are set on the banks of the river Barrow. The first play in the series was Corner Boys, set in Castledermot and Carlow in 1963. The second was Lucinda Sly, set in Carlow and Old Leighlin in the 1830s. The latest play is set in Carlow and Castledermot in 1990.

About three years ago, the author got a line in his head, 'There's talk of them closing the place down …'. From that, he spent 18 months speaking with staff and former patients at a number of psychiatric hospitals and focused on a time around 1990 when patients were beginning to be moved back into the community.

His play's central character, John Salter, is one of those but he doesn't want to go. He likes life in the hospital and he has his jobs – ‘waking the crows in the morning, putting them to bed at night'.

Director of the play Angela Keogh says that characters emerged through workshops. "Some have survived in the final draft, some haven't but what we have now is a quiet and beautiful story, often very funny, of a gentle man who spent 40 years in psychiatric care for doing a good deed."

The array of really different and often very funny characters include Kathleen, the hospital cook; the Chief Psychiatrist; the Church of Ireland chaplain; the Man from Mayo; and the Ladderman.

Tickets, €16/€14 concession, are available for an 8pm performance on Wednesday 17 October – see www.moattheatre.com or call 045 88 30 30.

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Lions organising whist drive

The Kilcullen Lions Club are having a whist drive on Monday 1 October, and if well supported it could become a monthly social feature in the town.

The event will be held in Scoil Bhride, and entry is €5 a player.

All welcome.

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Parish Lotto Draw

The numbers drawn in the Kilcullen & Gormanstown Parish Lotto raw held on Tuesday 18 September 2018 were 5, 16, 17 and 19. There was no Jackpot winner and next week's main prize will be again €18,000.

The winners of the €50 Open Draws were Casey King (Promoter Breda McCormack), John & Patricia C/O Leinster Marts (PJ Lydon) and Peter Reddy (Mick Dunne).

The winners of the Promoters Draw were May Coyne and the Wednesday Bridge Club, and the winner of the Draw for those in the Parish Centre on the night was Andy O’Neill.

The Parish thanks all who support the Lotto.

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