Signs of the times

There's been significant activity in the Kilcullen area recently by the special operations being carried out by An Garda against drugs.

Several local people have reported seeing armed-support roadblocks set up at various strategic road locations in the town -- the most recent on the hill opposite Hillcrest.

"It's a sign of the times," one new resident told the Diary on Saturday. Not happy with such times.

Nor is the Diary, whose Editor grew up in a village where we never locked the doors. Where we never saw gardai with guns on our streets. Maybe we're getting too old for our town.

Except that, when so many people -- old and 'new' Kilcullen -- come up to say that they check in to the Diary, or their children do, it helps to know that there is still such a sense of community about Kilcullen.

And your Editor has been here long enough to know that locals causing problems eventually grow up or leave.

So it's worth hanging in here. Really.

Brian Byrne.