It Says in The Bridge: September 2005

The move by Brannockstown Community Committee to take legal action over the blocked right of way at Carnalway bridge is the lead story, which carries the note that donations to a fund for that purpose can be sent to the Brannockstown River Right of Way Fund, c/o Coughlan White & Partners, Newbridge.

Another fundraising effort is headlined also on the front page -- the recent Vintage Rally has raised its target €30,000, and organisers Peter and Anne Sully are pictured.

And another picture of success is a group of young Community Games contestants celebrating their medals in the county finals, as well as achieving the Best Presented Team thanks to their sponsorship and new uniforms from Kilcullen Credit Union.

As usual, there's a strong pictorial content in the Bridge, with coverage of the Parish Golf Classic, a visit by Kildare footballer Ross Glavin to Scoil Bhride's Sports Day, the celebration of Hugh and Sheila Peacocke's 50th wedding anniversary, and the very successful GAA Summer Camp.

And in a 'Looking Back' photograph, the magazine is asking who is the young client of Kilcullen's barber legend of the 60s and 70s, Gussie? I don't know who the young lad is, but the photograph was taken by yours truly ...

The news items include coverage of the recent fining of drinkers in the Valley, an update on the planned spending of up to €450,000 on Kilcullen projects by Kildare County Council, coverage of the 'Thorny Rose' competition in The Spout, and items on the Blood Bank, Bradley School of Music, and the soon-to-be-formed Parish Pastoral Council.

There are features by new writer to the magazine Pat Behan, including a short profile of Kilcullen's new Garda Sergeant Eddie Relihan and a piece about the Eye Candy beauty clinic.

In other features, Richard Reade reports on the Kilcullen Cubs summer camp, a reprint of an article by Adrian Gahan from the Polo Times details the development of the 'Berney Polo Saddle', and Des Travers provides a fascinating background to Dun Ailinne (Knockaulin) in advance of a special seminar and tour of the ancient royal site on Sunday 11 September.

Reading up the contributions from usual suspects, Sean Landers writes from Taiwan about how August is the 'ghost month' in that part of the world, while in his 'Surfing the Net for Local History' he muses on various places and people of old around Kilcullen.

Paul Aspell is back 'Over the Bridge' after a summer hiatus, some of it spent in eastern Europe which gives him stuff for part of the column.

Sports coverage brings us up to date with Kilcullen Kenpo Karate, the 'Rags' narrow-margin bumping out of the GAA Senior Championships, and the compensating winning of medals by a number of Kilcullen U12 girls playing with Sarsfields. The 'Offside' soccer page notes the upcoming opening of the club's new premises.

And finally, also aptly, the Diary points you to a back page poem by Margaret Wilkinson, I would Pick More Daisies, food for thought indeed as we head towards the twilight of 2005.

Brian Byrne.