It Says in The Bridge: January 06
The main focus of the first Bridge of the year is on our Senior Citizens, with many pages taken up by pictures from Pat Foley of the Christmas Party organised for them in Keadeen Hotel. And a great time they were obviously having too!
In News there's a report from the Kilcullen Blood Donor Clinic held before Christmas, which had 177 volunteer donors and a number of local people received silver and gold awards. The next clinic is March 2.
There's also word of the CPC students' Sponsored Leg Wax in aid of the Pakistan earthquake relief, which raised a creditable €2,085. And the St Stephen's Day Mystery Walk in aid of cancer research, organised by Elizabeth Meehan, raised more than €500. Still on fundraising, there's a substantial story from the Christmas Fair held by the Parents Association of Scoil Bhride, which netted in excess of €6,000.
The prolific pen of Pat Behan has two profiles this month, one about Ida Zainal from Malaysia who is living here with her chef husband Aji and their three children. She likes most things about Ireland except our weather ...
Pat also scribes the work of Maureen Ward, living in Calverstown and artistic director of the Talented Kids Performing Arts School. Any of you who are avid watchers of Fair City should know that most of the younger actors in the series are graduates of her school, notably Jenny Kavanagh who is playing homeless youngster Cleo Collins in one of the current major storylines.
In an extended article, Pat Behan also looks at the traditions of 'Happy Christmas' and 'Happy New Year' with tongue in cheek towards the political correctness of using such terms in today's multicultural Ireland.
Most of the regular columnists seem not to have resurfaced from the festivities yet, but Sean Landers's Letter from Taiwan -- written before he made his way home for the Christmas -- looks back at some of the travails of his early days in that country, and a few more of the current ones because of language barriers.
Sean in his other regular historical presentations publishes an extract about Old Kilcullen from the 19th century Brewer's Beauties of Ireland.
There are a number of recognitions of the recent death of Paddy Mitchell, notably a very touching one from Ger Peacocke in which he reflects on some of the idiosyncracies that made Paddy unique and so well liked.
Other items to note include a personal reflection from Roy Thompson, prompted by the anniversary of Lil Phillips, and, in the early ramping up of election fever which has recently become apparent, Brian Dunne from Castlemartin muses on the value of the vote.
Brian Byrne.
