It Says in The Bridge: Oct 07

The lead story in this issue is an important one, headlining that Kilcullen people have 'a chance to have a say' in the Draft Kilcullen Local Area Development Plan, currently up for public consultation.

The story notes that the Plan is on display in the Heritage Centre, and that a special Kilcullen Community Action meeting is being held on Wednesday 17 October to 'facilitate community input' into the Plan. 'Voice your opinion', the story says. Do.

The front-page picture is of the Kildare Ladies Pitch & Putt team which won for the third time the Inter-County Championship 2007. The Kilcullen connections are sisters Chrissie and Marian Byrne, and Tara Dillon. Well done all.

Inside, much space is given over to the full report of local performance in the National Tidy Towns Competition 2007. Kilcullen made 'only a little progress' and has slipped from the third best town in the county in 2005 to being the eighth best in 2007. Both Brannockstown and Calverstown improved much more significantly, the latter now at seventh place.

The Diary notes a comment from the adjudicators that Dave Clancy's florist shop got (much deserved) praise in part for the fact that it didn't have posters in the windows and on the door. That's all very well, but the placing of local notices in shop windows is an old tradition and an important way of getting the word out about a myriad of events and causes. They also give people a reason to stop and look in shop windows. We wouldn't want to see them go.

There are the usual strong schools news pages. Scoil Bhride pictorially welcomes the three new Junior Infant classes. CPC previews the upcoming presentation of 'Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat' by the fourth year students. The Kildare Steiner School welcomes new families to its 'educating through the hands, heart and head'.

There's also photo coverage of the 40th anniversary celebrations of the KARE service to people with disability, of the local Holy Wells Walk with Donncha O Duailing, and of Madge Clarke's 80th birthday celebrations. Lil Delaney's celebration of her 85th birthday also gets mention, and we in the Diary add our congratulations to both ladies.

Lorraine Hergarty-Kelly and Phena Bermingham write their thanks to all for the superb sponsorship of almost 20,000 euros for the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund. A 'great effort' by 'heroic volunteers'.

Other news refers to the establishment of a new massage clinic by Louise McGough in The Square, and how 94 years-old Elizabeth Talt achieved a dream by getting a flight in a heicopter at the recent Kilrush Open Day.

In musing pieces, Billy Redmond is prolific this month. His 'Off the Cuff' gently chides us who complain about a bit of rain, and he wonders if it is all about the frequent trips to Spain making Celtic Tigers expect that the weather should emulate their financial fortune? Billy also writes about 'The House of Stories' movement which revives the old musical and storytelling days of times past. He's organising one in Kilcullen, so watch your local media ... including the shop windows which still allow posters!

Billy also revives a recitation which commemorates the tragic ambush of Irish Army personnel at Niemba in the Congo, in 1960. He was himself a member of the first Irish battalion to travel to the Congo, and he will be writing a full account of his memories of that time in due course.

Other features -- Pat Behan writes about the 'Poets in Paradise' performance which was presented after the Bothar walk, Sean Landers details his experiences of typhoons and earthquakes in his particualr part of Asia, and Pauline Fagan both recalls the iconic Brigid and previews the Kilcullen Writing Group workshop taking place in the Heritage Centre on 20 October. John Mulhall profiles 'The Rasher' Behan, longtime coach to Kilcullen GAA. The piece also resurrects memories of many of Micky Behan's contemporaries.

Finally we must make mention of a story written by Pastor Robert Dunlop, 'Breathings of a Breaking Heart', joint winner in Ballymore of the inaugural Michael Ward Prize.

It is about 'a breed apart', the priest's housekeeper. Read it for the writing, and for its humanity.

Brian Byrne.