Forms for joining the Kilcullen Garda District Text Alert scheme are available from The Grocery in Calverstown, Kilcullen Garda Station, Kilcullen Credit Union, and scheme committee members. Please encourage neighbours and friends to join.
This Club was started last year, and we had a very successful start. We are back now after our summer break, on Saturday 1st October.
The Club is open to young people from 9 years upwards. It runs from 11am until 12.30pm in the Community Centre.
Lots of fun guaranteed, as well as coaching by an excellent coach. So come along and see us on Saturday 1st October.
Rose McMahon.
Club secretary.
An election of members to the pastoral council will begin in October.
Nomination forms will be available in Kilcullen and Gormanstown churches from 9th to 30th October. Nominations will close on 30th October.
Charlie Talbot
The need for cutting back some of the trees and bushes in The Valley has been raised by Celia Travers, who, with some friends, regularly tidies the area.
She told the recent meeting of Kilcullen Community Action that parts are 'very overgrown', with overhanging trees making the park 'dark and very wet'.
"Even some of the trees on the riverside itself need to be taken back," she said.
Noel Clare suggested that it might be a job for a group of people to 'tackle on a Saturday morning'.
It was decided to organise something on those lines at the next meeting.
Brian Byrne.
Coming from a family in the funeral directing business, I take more than a passing interest in how the work is done in other jurisdictions. So I couldn't help but stop to look at this hearse I came upon in a street in Frankfurt recently.
I think it was the 'World Wide Service' bit, and the overall advertising emphasis on the vehicle. Kind of over the top in our terms, but I suspect the particular hearse itself was not these days used for more than marking the funeral service premises.
But the undertaker himself, Peter Pirr, proved to be a bit of a character and a big showman. When he saw me photographing, he insisted on bringing me around the back to see his 'funeral cars'. Which turned out to be a high-powered pair indeed -- an Alfa Romeo GTA with a fire-breathing 3.2-litre engine (I've driven one, and know what it can do), and an even more punchy Porsche with some 480hp available from its V8 engine.
He said he could rent me either of the cars to drive down to, say, Monte Carlo, via Switzerland (to pick up petrol funding from the pocket money account, don't y'know?), from where I could do the Corniche Grand Tour at my leisure, and -- being a pilot as well -- he could pick me up from any point and fly me home to Ireland.
And, of course, if I did anything terminally stupid with all those horses, he could do the full final job too!
Amazing what you might see when you take a wrong turning in a strange city ...
Brian Byrne.
Kilcullen Community Action has decided to accept an outside contractor's offer to provide and set up Christmas lights on an annual basis.
The group is preparing to undertake a funding drive to cover the €10,960 cost of the lights for this year.
"That includes a lot of capital items that will not be a repeat annual cost," Tony Gahan told the recent KCA meeting. "The cost in following years should be considerably less."
The fundraising will involve sending envelopes to each home in the town, and the business community will also be tapped for support.
It is four years since the last collection for Christmas lights, which was well supported by the community.
Brian Byrne.
The Diary ran into Terry Meaney downtown recently and he reminded us of the final stirring paragraphs of the speech from the dock by Robert Emmet, which he is able to recite in toto.
For those who have forgotten it since their schooldays, we reproduce it below, as Terry enunciated it in the company of Donal St Leger.
I am going to my cold and silent grave: my lamp of life is nearly extinguished; my race is run; the grave opens to receive me, and I sink into its bosom! I have but one request to ask at my departure from this world -- it is the charity of its silence! Let no man write my epitaph; for as no man who knows my motives dare now vindicate them, let not prejudice or ignorance asperse them.
Let them and me repose in obscurity and peace, and my tomb remain uninscribed, until other times, and other men, can do justice to my character. When my country takes her place among the nations of the earth, then, and not till then, let my epitaph be written. I have done.
The difficulty in keeping the streets of Kilcullen litter-free was again raised at the recent KCA meeting, in a discussion on the town's improved performance in the national Tidy Towns competition.
There was some criticism of Kildare County Council in this respect, as a weekly official litter pick by the council hadn't taken place in the week of a second visit by the adjudicators.
"We just didn't get backup from the Council on litter," Noel Clare told the meeting. "That visit also coincided with when The Valley was going through a 'low period', before the guards started taking action."
There was a consensus of commendation for the garda actions, especially when Noel Clare said further fines have been issued to people drinking by the riverside.
In relation to the overall cleaning of the streets by Council operatives, KCA chairman Kieron Forde said he had been informed by the town engineer that he 'can't get the men to sweep the footpaths'.
"It must be something to do with their job description," he suggested.
Noel Clare said he had observed three of the operatives on one occasion walking down the footpath together, picking up litter by hand without even having bags to put it in.
Tony Gahan added that the operatives won't pick up anything that is not on the footpath either, nor do cigarette butts come under their brief.
"Cigarette butts need to be swept," Celia Travers noted. The situation was clear: if the Council operatives won't sweep, cigarette butts are ergo left on the footpaths.
An ensuing discussion rehearsed an old situation whereby the community cannot employ anybody to clean the streets except at weekends, when Council operatives don't work.
And the previous situation prior to the retirement from the Council of full-time Kilcullen street sweeper Paddy Mitchell was also recalled.
It was noted that at that time, there was a person in the town willing to take on the job, but the Council wouldn't continue the post.
"That person would still be available," Noel Clare said.
Brian Byrne.
A new exhibition at the Riverbank Arts Centre in Newbridge will explore the relationship between man and horse.
Provenance by Laurence Riddell runs from Friday 30 September to Saturday 29 October. Admission is free.
The works are the result of a residency at Kildangan Stud by Laurence Riddell, and are a selection of photographs that examine the notion of tradition synonymous with the thoroughbred horse through an investigation into the nature of representation.
The images are staged re-enactments involving a range of processes and an interplay of elements that allows for the co-existence of illusion and reality. This creates a disjunction between what a work appears to say and what is said, while questioning the traditional criteria of meaning, which is already in place to receive such imagery.
Laurence Riddell studied Fine Art at The University of Ulster, Belfast. He is currently lecturing on the B.A Visual Arts Practice programme at the Dun Laoighaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology.
EDITOR NOTE: If anyone can understand the above, I would be grateful for a translation in real English.
The traditional annual local Tidy Towns Awards night is to be expanded to become a Community Awards event.
But for this year, because of time constraints, there will only be two 'outside' awards, one being for a Pitch & Putt Club involvement in a European Championship. The second is as yet not confirmed.
After some discussion at the recent Kilcullen Community Action meeting, it was agreed that all other clubs and organisations in the town would be invited to take part in next year's event.
There was also some consideration given to having a 'celebrity' to present the awards this year, with Eddie Hobbs and Claire Byrne being mentioned.
In the end it was agreed that a well known person involved with sport would be approached (ED: in fairness, the Diary feels it is inappropriate to name the person until the approach has been made).
The event is scheduled for 21 October in the Town Hall.
Brian Byrne.
The Diary's final pictures of some of the participants at the Dun Ailline Seminar held recently in the Heritage Centre.
Brian Byrne.
The next gig at the Ballymore Inn is September 26 and sees the welcome return of the Foghorn String Band.
These guys were with us last year and certainly blew the cobwebs off! They are based in Portland, Oregon and have received countless accolades for their no-nonsense approach to playing oldtime american fiddle tunes and songs.
This five-piece band which comprises fiddle, mandolin, banjo, guitar and upright bass plays with an energy and passion for the music that is truly impressive. They tour extensively in the US, playing venues and the big festivals including a double-bill appearance with the legendary Doc Watson.
Composer/arranger of the soundtrack for the movie Cold Mountain, Dirk Powell has engaged the guys to tour with him as The Dirk Powell Band -- not bad for five guys mostly still in their twenties.
These guys are some of the very best contemporary musicians in their genre and are highly recommended. More info from their website www.foghornstringband.com
Roy Thompson.
Though we all knew that he was seriously ill, the news of the death of Pat Dunlea has come as a shock to the community as a whole and to the legions of his individual friends both in Kilcullen and across the country.
It is always sad when somebody dies at a relatively young age. It is particularly so when that person is vibrant, visionary and committed to the betterment of the place he lives in and the people who live in it.
Pat Dunlea was all of those things and more. He was successful and innovative in business. He had the gift of being able to take the long view as well as being equally adept at evaluating an immediate difficulty or opportunity and taking the correct action.
As an entrepreneur he was also prepared to share his expertise, and there are many enterprises around in which he acted as patron, temporary partner while helping to nurture an embryo business to its own success, or as ongoing advisor and mentor.
At community level there are lots of examples of his love of Kilcullen, and it is absolutely without question that many of the facilities which we enjoy today would not exist if Pat Dunlea had not been involved in them. His ability to turn around an apparently lost position has become the stuff of local legend, and the story of his part in the resurrection of the Community Sports and Recreation Complex from financial collapse is just one testament to this.
He didn't always win, but those of us who helped in his political campaign for the 'northern link road' from the motorway can now say that he was right, even if the powers-that-be of the time were unimpressed.
His skill in 'thinking outside the box' was also behind the provision of such amenities as the all-weather pitch, and there are also numerous small facilities and organisations throughout Kilcullen which owe him a debt of at least gratitude: except that, from Pat's perspective, nothing was owed at all.
Always a stalwart of the Kilcullen Drama Group, he was never happier than when wielding a hammer and saw in the building of a set, or sourcing some obscure artifact to complete its dressing. But the very existence of Kilcullen's magnificent Town Hall Theatre will always be a major part of his enduring legacy to Kilcullen, along with the Heritage Centre which forms the basis of his interest in the history of the village, now town, he loved.
His relatively recent forays into development will have in a significant way shaped how the heart of Kilcullen will look in years to come. He had more in mind, and in one of the last conversations I had with him he was already looking much further than any of the constructions now in progress, finished, or publicly in planning.
Most of all, though, Pat Dunlea was a warm, generous and compassionate man. His passing will be most deeply felt by his own family. Nessa, his soulmate since they were children and an equal partner and best friend in every part of their lives together. Their children Shane, Peter and Ann, his sister Miriam and her husband Liam, and daughter-in-law Sandra. Nothing I can write about Pat could replace even a minute fraction of their personal loss, or touch adequately on the full humanity of the man they were the closest to.
From the distance of a small village in the Alberes region of France, where being on holiday precludes me from attending the funeral this evening and tomorrow, I send my most heartfelt condolences. And I salute the memory of a friend, on behalf of all his friends and the whole community of Kilcullen.
Ar dheis De go raibh a anam.
Brian Byrne.
More pictures of some of the participants at the Dun Ailline Seminar held recently in the Heritage Centre.
Brian Byrne.
Some of the features used in the streetscape development of Abbeyleix in Co Laois have been used in examples of details proposed for the refurbishment of the bridge in Kilcullen.
They include lighting and pavement designs, the recent meeting of Kilcullen Community Action was told.
KCA chairman Kieron Forde was reporting on a meeting which he'd had with the new town engineer, Willie Purcell, and the architects retained by Kildare County Council to come up with a scheme for the work.
The essentials of the presentation made at the meeting were that new lighting would be installed, the existing railings would be capped, and the footpaths would be resurfaced using a high-quality cobble-lock.
The consultants also showed proposals for tree planting at either end of the bridge, and provisions for hanging baskets on the pillars between the railings.
The phone boxes would also be removed. The consultants also suggested that the footpaths should remain the same width, with any provision for seating being catered for by current riverside developments.
Kieran Forde said he had made it clear that it was the strong feeling in the community that one-off money shouldn't be used for repairing footpaths, but the engineer had said it could otherwise be 20 years before they were repaired under the normal maintenance programme.
"And he made it clear that he had the last word on how the money will be spent, and it won't be on new railings, which could cost in the region of E50,000 on their own."
In the ensuing discussion, the KCA meeting participants decided on the preferred style of lighting, and concluded that a brass capping would be preferable to a wooden one which might be easily vandalised. They also agreed on the suggestions for high-placed hanging baskets, provided the work included the provision of automatic irrigation.
But there was also a fairly robust discussion on the evident difference between the engineer's priorities and the community preferences.
Pat Canny said he believed it was 'gravely wrong' that money provided specifically for the enhancement of the bridge should be 'hijacked' to repair footpaths. He said the community should find out what conditions had originally been made around the provision of the money by the Department of the Environment.
Kieran Forde said it might be worth checking what had been in the formal proposal made by Kildare County Council for the bridge money.
Siobhan Tutty-Bardon said it was 'disingenuous' for the engineer to say that it could take 20 years to have the footpath repaired under normal council maintenance programmes.
Noel Clare pointed out that in Ballymore similiar funding had been spent on footpaths and bollards.
Noel Quinn expressed his worry that any open-ended contract work could see the money 'run out' before the proposed works would be completed.
The overall feeling from the meeting, however, was the the scheme as proposed was 'quite good'.
"I am pleasantly surprised," Esther Kiely commented. "It will enhance the environment."
Brian Byrne.
The Silken Thomas Players from Kildare will present Trainspotting in the Riverbank Arts Centre in newbridge for three nights beginning September 22.
The performances begin at 8pm and admission is €12/10.
Based on the best selling novel, blockbuster cult movie and award winning stage play Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh has been described as ‘the best piece of writing ever by man or woman'.
In an exhilarating and unremitting powerhouse stage production by Silken Thomas, Trainspotting is a loosely knotted string of jagged, dislocated tales that lay bare the hearts of darkness of the junkies, wildboys and psychos who ride the down escalator of opportunity in every town and city.
Loud with laughter in the dark, this play is the voice of punk, grown up, grown wiser and grown eloquent. Trainspotting is a play daring and important and not to be missed.
SÃnead Redmond.
Kilcullen is 'showing good progress' according to the report from the adjudicators in the 2005 Tidy Towns competition.
The town is building well on its 'integral core values' of the river, the bridge and the attractive streetscape, they say in their general impressions of Kilcullen.
On the bridge specifically, they say that it is important that the 'lovely structure' be highlighted 'as best as can be done'. They also commended the Credit Union as a 'very imposing building' that 'adds well to the built environment of the town'.
Bardons and the the Town Hall again came in for positive comment, as did in general the business premises along the street, though 'there are still some that require attention'.
The judges were pleased with the landscape development of the riverside areas, and say that the Dun Ailline project work is 'very rewarding'. They also commended the 'attractive appearances' of the new estates, and the retention of mature trees in the landscaping of Cnoc na Greine.
Road surfaces and the condition of footpaths, especially going towards the church and down towards the bridge, came in for some criticism, and the adjudicators suggested a need for better definition between roadside surfaces and verge areas in some places.
Because Kilcullen has entered the upper section of the competition, it received a second round adjudication in early August.
This judge's previous experience of Kilcullen had been of a 'quiet village' on stops at the Hideout on journeys south. Now he found it a 'vibrant town'.
He also said that the town seems to be coping well with the increase in population, 'clearly due to the work of community action'.
Out of a possible 300 marks, Kilcullen received 232 and was placed third in the county in its category.
The extra three points that came this year were in the Built Environment, Landscaping and Residential Areas categories.
Brian Byrne.
It's that time of year of again and this year it's a beast of a line up. Over three nights next weekend September 23, 24, 25 Hollywood will be dripping with more of the finest traditional musicians than you could shake a stick at!
The days aren't too shabby either, with workshops in St Kevin's NS and traditional sessions in The Hollywood Inn and Tutty's Bar both Saturday and Sunday afternoons. These will include traditional singing sessions and workshops hosted by Phil Callery, Cajun and Zydeco dance workshops, US old style fiddle tune workshops etc. and impromptu fringe sessions.
There are nightly concerts in St Kevin's Heritage Centre (the old Church of Ireland church) at 8.30pm. Friday night's concert will be given by Mairead Ni Mhaonigh (fiddle) and Dermot Byrne (accordion) of Altan, picured above. These are two of the finest musicians on the traditional scene and it is sure to be a truly memorable show.
Saturday night will boast a double bill with Josephine Marsh (accordion), Siobhan Peoples (fiddle) and Tommy Carew (guitar & vocals) bringing their collection of tunes and songs to an evening that also includes 'Celjun'. From Louisiana, USA, this outfit, as the name suggests blends Cajun and Celtic influences to weave a rich tapestry of sounds from both sides of the Atlantic.
The Grand Finale of the festival is in the form of a concert of solo uileann piping by Liam O'Flynn on Sunday night. Liam O'Flynn needs no introduction (sure he used to live just out the road) and is one of the most respected pipers the world over and for the author is probably the greatest piper of our time.
So, if you're a 'Trad junkie', Hollywood is the place to be next weekend! Go on, it's only over the road, and maybe we'll see you there.
Further info from Eric Greaves 045 867380 or 087 2248509, Christopher Darby 045 864325, Larry Roddy 045 864017 or from the website http://www.geocities.com/pcrib/
Roy Thompson.
The Kilcullen Playground Committee is calling for views from the public about the proposed playground.
In a circular the committee says it would like to hear from individuals and groups, especially those who have sought the views of children.
They also want to know what might be considered the priorities in terms of access for children with disabilities, and the 'good and bad' experiences of people with other playgrounds.
The committee is also seeking suggestions on locations.
There's also room on the committee for others to become involved.
Suggestions or any other points can be sent to Orla O'Neill, Lorgha Daibhi, Sunnyhill, Kilcullen. Fone and fax is 045 480988, and email is oponeill@iol.ie
Brian Byrne.
The Diary records with deep sadness the recent passing of Betty Doyle (Nolan).
A longtime resident of Kilcullen, she will be remembered by many as an intrinsic presence in Leslie's Super Valu and before that in the businesses operated by the Byrne family at the same premises.
Ar dheis De go raibh a anam.
The Maptech 3D surveying company from the Link Business Park has produced a survey map of the bridge.
The survey, provided free as a community service, can be used by consultants and architects in the proposed refurbishment project for which €130,000 has been provided by the Department of the Environment.
Brian Byrne.
More pictures of some of the participants at the Dun Ailline Seminar held recently in the Heritage Centre.
Brian Byrne.
For many years now the Ballymore Inn (obviously in Ballymore Eustace) has been home to a regular Monday night acoustic gig.
Six nights a week the Ballymore Inn is one of the finest restaurants around, but on Mondays it's transformed into an intimate music venue with a warmth and ambience that is remarked upon by audience and performers alike. It's a listening room where artists are given full and due attention free from competition with the telly and other distractions and in return interact with their appreciative audience in a way that is impossible in bigger venues.
It can seat 50-60 people comfortably, many of whom are quite literally only feet from the performers - it really is that personal.
Gigs are fully amplified but the approach is subtle and volume levels are only to the point of augmenting the natural voice of instrument and singer.
Liam Geraghty returns to host an all-new season of the off-beat literary series in the Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge, once a month from Sept-Dec 2005.
The series kicks off in spectacular style on Wed 21st Sept at 8pm with Dublin master of teen angst Claire Hennessy, whose books include Dear Diary, Stereotype, Good Girls Don't and the forthcoming Afterwards.
She'll be joined by IMPAC nominated Kildare author Martin Malone (Us, After Kafra and The Broken Cedar) winner of the K250 International short story awards for 2004.
Wed 19th Oct will see author, playwright and Irish Times columnist John Waters read from his work. His books include Jiving at the Crossroads and An Intelligent Person's Guide to Modern Ireland. More authors to be announced for October.
Then on Wed 16th Nov Naas author Mae Leonard will take to the microphone. Mae is regular contributor to Sunday Miscellany and Lyric FM's Quiet Quarter. Also reading will be Terry Donnelly who won the 2004 Hennessy New Irish Writer Award and was also presented with the Hennessy Literary Award for Best First Fiction Writer.
The explosive ending of the Riverbank Reading Series' Autumn run will take place on Mon 14th Dec at 8pm with Sunday Tribune columnist Ross O'Carroll-Kelly roysh! O'Carroll-Kelly's books include PS I Scored the Bridesmaid and The Orange Mocha-Chip Frappuccino Years. Also reading will be the Japanese author of Against the Wind, Yasuyuki Ozeki, who undertook an epic adventure when he cycled from Japan to Ireland!
Also reading every night will be some of the most exciting up and coming writers from around Kildare including Leo Cluxton and Mary Barber. Expect the usual off-the-wall humour from Liam Geraghty and Paul Winters!
SÃnead Redmond.
The recent field trip by the Kilcullen Heritage Group to Dun Ailline heard a number of theories about the ancient Royal site from group leader Des Travers, and also details from the guest experts, Dr Edel Bhreathnach and archeological surveyer Padraic Clancy.
Commenting on the amount of energy and organisation required to build the perimeter wall and ditch, Des Travers suggested that the feat was the equivalent of the time to 'sending a spacecraft to the moon today'.
And he was of the opinion that the population at one time in the region of Dun Ailline may have been of the order of 3,000 people, but the scale of the task was such that others must have been involved.
Edel Bhreathnach, who had earlier in the day given a paper based on the literature through the centuries referring to the royal site, noted that according the laws of the era, all the King's 'free and unfree' were required to give a certain number of days in the year to help in 'public works', which would include perimeter ditch and wall construction as well as possibly roadbuilding.
Padraig Clancy said that the bronze and iron age residents were people who were 'well used to working with earth' and could do the work 'efficiently and quickly'.
And Edel Bhreathnach added that the carrying out of such works was an indication of the 'power or the King'.
Des Travers remarked on the placing of the perimeter structure from a military perspective, noting that it had been built on the 'military shoulder' all round, the place from which there would be the best views down the rest of the hill.
"However, there is no indication that the ditch was ever used for defensive purposes," he said. "And in any case it was too deep to be used for defence. It may have been where the inhabitants slept, because there was no other part of the hill except for the king's structures on the top where it would be possible to rest in comfort."
Reflecting on the geography of the times, Des Travers suggested that the ancient Bog of Allen may then have actually stretched to the foot of Dun Ailline, and that a study of ancient and modern derived placenames could indicate that the land between neighbouring hills like Dun Ailline, Allen, and Old Kilcullen was much more marshy than it is today.
In support of his theory, he noted the placenames east of Old Kilcullen of 'the Black Bog', now part of the Carlow Road, and 'Yellow Bog' further east, still in common use.
He also suggested that the existance of the contour from Dunmurry Hill to Dun Ailline was the reason for the turning of the River Liffey towards the north and eventually being forced to run back into Dublin Bay.
In terms of the relationship between Dun Ailline and other hill settlements, he noted that where one major structure had been built, there was charcoal evidence of many burnings which suggested it might have been the location for signal fires.
"From that point, Tara is in line of sight some 50 kilometres away," he said. "I don't know if it would be possible to actually see Tara from Knockaulin, but it certainly would be possible to see fires lit on each."
Edel Bhreatnach, who has made an extensive study of Tara and its inhabitants, said that in the 'heyday' of the settlements, both would have been ruled by the same people in a 'greater Leinster'.
Brian Byrne.
The Editor was out of the country on business most of the week, and missed the publication of the Tidy Towns results.
So, belated congratulations to the hardworking committees of Kilcullen, Brannockstown, and Calverstown for the improved performance.
Brannockstown particularly gained great ground, improving by no less than 10 points to achieve 61 percent. The highest numerical improvement won it the Supervalu Endeavor Award.
Kilcullen's extra four points pushed the village to 75.7 percent, and to third place in the county in its class.
The county results are below:
Category A: Calverstown 224 (+3) (74.7%); Johnstown 233 (-2) (77.7%); Kildangan 188 (+3) (62.7%); Kilkea 207 (+8) (69.0%); Kilmeade 222 (+2) (74.0%); Milltown-Kildare 210 (same) (70.0%); Moone 198 (+3) (66.0%); Timolin 194 (+9) (64.7%).
Category B: Ardclough 183 (+2) (61.0%); Ballitore 193 (same) (64.3%); Ballymore Eustace 219 (same)(73.0%); Brannockstown 183 (+10) (61.0%); Broadford 222 (+4) (74.0%); Coill Dubh 172 (+2) (57.3%); Johnstownbridge 209 (+1) (69.7%); Kilteel 209 (+8) (69.7%); Narraghmore 229 (+2) (76.3%); Robertstown 174 (+2) (58.0%); Straffan 213 (+6) (71.0%); Suncroft 198 (+1) (66.0%).
Category C: Kilcock 195 (+1) (65.0%); Kilcullen 227 (+4) (75.7%); Rathangan 246 (+6) (82.0%).
Category D: Clane 217 (+4) (72.3%); Kill 252 (+5) (84.0%).
Category E: Athy 207 (same) (69.0%); Kildare 145 (-2) (48.3%).
Category F: Newbridge 226 (same) (75.3%); Leixlip 206 (same) (68.7%); Maynooth 214 (+8) (71.3%); Naas 224 (+5) (74.7%).
Brian Byrne.
The sculpture being prepared for the Athy Road junction as the 'Knockaulin Project' is on track to be ready for placing in early 2006.
The piece, by artist Noel Scullion, is understood to be 'about two-thirds complete.
The sculpture will complete a project that has been estimated to cost €80,000. Support for the work has been received from KELT and Kildare County Council.
Brian Byrne.
Information on pastoral councils is available from the Dublin Diocese website.
When you get there, just click on 'Pastoral Councils'.
Lessons in Bridge for beginners are available from September 27.
They will be given in the Parish Centre on Tuesday nights, from 8pm-10pm.
Bookings from 481329.
Mary Berney.
Next summer should see 'significant movement' in the plans for a playground for Kilcullen.
According to Orla O'Neill of the group working on the project, the main problem at the moment is the acquisition of a site.
"We need 1,000 square metres," she says. "Our preferred site is near the Community Sports and Recreation Complex, because it can be monitored with cameras."
But issues because of the multiple landowners involved in the preferred site acquisition may well mean the playground will go elsewhere.
"For instance, Scoil Bhride has to be very careful about what land it gives away, with classrooms bulging," Orla says. "If we don't get this site, though, we'll get another. But it is still our preferred site."
Brian Byrne.
A suggestion that a local electrical company provide and maintain the Christmas lights for Kilcullen was well received at the recent meeting of Kilcullen Community Action.
Ray Kelly, who organised the lights last year on a voluntary basis, said he didn't have the time 'or the interest' to repeat the exercise this year.
He said that local electrician Enda Dunne, who provided the service for Naas last Christmas, had offered to do them in Kilcullen this year.
"An initial estimate suggests the service would cost between €6,000-€8,000, which would include the capital cost of lights to add to our existing stock," he said. "It would also include the cost of brackets, maintaining the lights during the Christmas season, and taking them down and storing them for next year."
He said the contractor had already come up with suggestions for highlight areas around the Credit Union and the Town Hall.
Agreeing with the idea, Herbie Sheehan said that even from a health ad safety issue, such projects needed to have qualified people doing them.
The question of financing the lights provoked further discussion, with Ray Kelly recalling that the last 'trawl' of the community for lights three yeears ago 'got a fair response'.
Tony Gahan said that there were a lot of new businesses in the town, and it was worthwhile doing 'another trawl'.
But Orla O'Neill suggested that developers should be tapped for the money, as they were 'making a lot of money out of the town'. "It is the people who can afford it should pay for it, not the smaller businesses who get hit all the time."
Tony Gahan said the KCA had written to every developer over the last few years, 'and we didn't get a penny out of them'. But Noel Clare demurred, instancing a number of situations where developers had contributed to various areas and organisations, 'not necessarily through KCA'.
Orla O'Neill, reiterating that €6,000-€8,000 seemed to be a 'lot to expect from the small group of businesses' noted that developers also benefited from a good-looking display. "People interested in buying homes are more likely to do so here if the place is tidy and looks good," she said.
Siobhan Tutty Bardon said the residents benefited too, so they should also be able to pay a little.
Noel Clare recalled that the last appeal to residents had 'brought €5 notes from everywhere'.
"Yes, but they are the same people who are contributing to everything in the parish," Herbie Sheehan noted.
Niall McDonnell said he didn't think that KCA should be funding the lights. "If the people of Kilcullen want them, then they should pay for them," he said.
In the end it was agreed that a group from the meeting should progress the matter further. They include Siobhan Tutty Bardon, Orla O'Neill, Tony Gahan, Sheila O'Reilly and Ray Kelly.
Brian Byrne.
There's been a lot of comment on the new paint job on An Tearmann.
Some of it has been a little negative, the Diary has been told, but most people like it.
It's different. Brave. And, to the Dairy's eye, very close in rather Celtic terms to the ideal for the style of the building.
Meanwhile, let's wish the Camphill Bridge Community best wishes on their annual holidays. They're all decamped to various parts of the Continent for a week, some in Germany and others in Portugal.
Brian Byrne.
The sixth annual World Heart Day is taking place on Sunday September 18th.
Once again a 4.5k walk is taking place in Kilcullen on the existing Sli na Slainte route.
The walk begins at 11.30am (registration from 11.15am) from the Town Hall, and should take about an hour to complete. The focus of the day is good fun and everyone is welcome, regardless of fitness.
For further information, contact Frank Mitchell or 086 0657787. You can also get more information by logging on to the Irish Heart Foundation website.
Frank Mitchell.
Kilcullen Badminton Club meet on Tuesday & Thursday nights 9-11pm in Kilcullen Community Centre.
New members very welcome. Come along and join in the fun.
For further information contact Mark 087-9050999 or Hilary 085-7387727
The link between the Curragh Road and the Athy Road via the new business park has come a step closer following a recent local area meeting of Kildare County Council.
The project was passed at the meeting, and can go to tender 30 days after.
Much of the roadway is already in place as part of the developments on the Curragh Road end, and for the business park.
But a 100-metre length had to be negotiated with the GAA and one of the developers. The proposed road had to be realigned because of the position of two houses.
The Council did a land swap with Kilcullen GAA to facilitate the road, which will allow some traffic to bypass Kilcullen itself when travelling from the south to Newbridge and points west.
Brian Byrne.
Paula Murray from Bank of Ireland is going back to Malawi this November in a revisit of the self-help trip she did last year.
In order to raise funds for the project, she's 'selling' parts of a 'virtual' golf club. The cost is a euro a yard, and all 'buyers' will be put in a draw for green fees for four at the Heritage GC in Co Laois.
You can get further information from Paula at Bank of Ireland, Kilcullen.
Brian Byrne.
Kilcullen people have been asked to send submissions on speed limits in the area to Cllr Billy Hillis.
All speed limits are now being reviewed, and although a submission has been made since earlier this year by Kilcullen Community Action, Cllr Hillis has asked that it be copied directly to him.
"Any changes have to be voted on by the council members," he said this week, adding that there are many instances of inappropriate speed limits across the county.
"Some town limits, for example, are set much too far outside the towns," he said. "It means that many motorists are left wondering whether they are still in a speed limited area."
Brian Byrne.
A most impressive turnout to the seminar about, and subsequent walk on Dun Ailline today confirmed the strong interest in Kilcullen's heritage across a wide stratum of the community.
The second speaker was Padraig Clancy MA, whose Masters thesis was based on a two-year research structured around a fieldwork survey of the Curragh landscape. His theme at the seminar was Dun Ailline: 'Royalties' and its Landscape, and his presentation was based on the position of the monument within the surrounding landscape, and how a 'build-up' of Dun Ailline in the bronze and iron ages led to an importance 'which we call royalty today'.
Dr Edel Bhreathnach of the Michael S Cleirigh Institute at UCD presented a paper -- Dun Ailline: A Literary and Historical Perspective -- which looked at the literature and the historical references to Knockaulin. "They go back to around 600-650AD, and they describe what is already a very ancient monument. And through the medieval period until around 1100, the descriptions particularly refer to the 'huge rampart'. But by around 800AD, they indicate that the place had been deserted. Possibly because the politics of the area had shifted, and maybe because Kildare itself had become important."
Well, it was more than three years ago in a corner of the Stray Inn, in the time-honoured way of a conversation 'over a pint', that the starter button for the Mac and Norman's Vintage Drive was first pressed.
Last night, in a third result of the event, the organisers handed over a cheque for €32,000 to the Irish Cancer Society, making a grand total raised so far of €85,000 for cancer research.
An awful lot more than the initial €5,000 a year for five years which the organisers had committed themselves to raising.
Mareid Mangan of the Irish Cancer Society gave them a 'huge thank you' at last night's presentation, which came after a lively auction of a number of items left over from the day of the event itself.
"It is an enormous amount of money and a major feat of fundraising," she said, adding that it will be 'very well spent'.
A bouquet was presented by Norman Eagar to Anne Sully, 'the real chief of the committee'.
In this year's run, up to 200 vehicles were driven in what has now become one of the highlight days out in the year for the farming community and anyone else interested in agricultural and other vintage machinery.
