Happy New Year

Phena Bermingham tells us that the 'Miscellany' fund has now reached €4,019 ... and it is still open for further donations.

Happy New Year, everyone. The Diary will be back to normal next week.

Happy Christmas, all

As we're all pretty busy getting this close to Christmas, the Diary will fit into our usual practice of going into idle mode over the festive period. If any Wild Geese out there want to say a few words to their people at home, we'll post them.

Otherwise, your Editor wishes everybody a peaceful and happy Christmas, and thank you to all those who contributed to the Diary over the last year, whether as provider of news and pictures, or, indeed, as loyal and plentiful readers, without whom there would be no reason for doing it.

'Miscellany' closes towards €4K

Phena Bermingham tells us that the fundraising from the 'Miscellany on Sunday' in aid of the Michael Garry House hostel for the homeless as reached €3,951 ... and more is coming.

Well done, all concerned.

Conroy Park alight for Christmas

Without a doubt, the efforts of Conroy Park residents must have the best collective Christmas lights displays in town.

Games guys (and gals) have talent

The Kilcullen Community Games group are organising a talent show for 24 January, in the Town Hall Theatre.

The event will run from 11am-1pm and will include modern and Irish dancing, for groups and solo performers. There will also be solo and group musical acts as well as solo and group singing.

Registration for the show took place last week. If anybody wants further information, they should contact Anne Quigley on 087 7733576.

Santa sleighing in

The Bridge Community is getting its sleigh in shape for a visit by Santa and Mrs Claus to Kilcullen next week.



Depending on weather conditions and flying time from that magic place where the Clauses live, expect them in Kilcullen at around 4.30pm Monday.

Christmas coffee morning

A very pleasant morning was had by all to the special Christmas version of the regular Thursday Coffee Morning organised by Petra Conroy and Olivia Keaveney-James in the Parish Centre.



Mince pies, Yule logs, muffins, sausages and other goodies abounded. For this morning, the Senior Citizens regular get-together on Tuesday mornings, run by Michael and Nancy Fitzpatrick, joined up with Petra and Olivia's effort.

You can look in on the event here.

Christmas Services in Kilcullen

Kilcullen Parish Church

Sunday 21 December
Saturday: Vigil Mass at 7.30pm & Carol Service
Sunday: 9am & 11am

Monday 22 December: Parish Celebration of The Sacrament of Penance in preparation for Christmas 2007 at 7.30pm

Wednesday 24 December: Christmas Eve Mass 9.30am. Confessions 10am to 12 noon & 2pm to 4pm.

Masses for Christmas
Christmas Eve: 9pm - Carols from 8.30pm.
Christmas Day: 9am, 10am (Family Mass), 11am & 12 noon. No Evening Mass.


Gormanstown Church

Mass Christmas Eve at midnight. Carols from 11.30pm
No Mass Christmas Day in Gormanstown.

Friday 26 December and Saturday 27 December: Mass at 11am.

Sunday 28 December: Kilcullen - Saturday Vigil at 7.30pm; Sunday 9am & 11am; Gormanstown - 10am.

Monday 29 December to Saturday 3 January: Mass each day at 11am.

Thursday 1 January 2008 World Day of Peace: Mass at 11am.

Tuesday 6 January: The Epiphany of the Lord, Monday Vigil at 7.30pm. Tuesday masses 9am & 11am. No Mass in Gormanstown on Tuesday 6th January.


Church of Ireland

Christmas Day: Holy Communion, St Patrick's, Carnalway, 10am. Holy Communion, St John's Kilcullen, 10am.


Brannockstown Baptist Church

Christmas Day Family service 11am.

Tarmacadam laid

Tarmacadam has now been laid to finish the roadway from the main Milemill Road to New Abbey graveyard.



This follows a very successful fundraising effort which has to date raised €13,900.

A balance of €5,950 is needed, and an envelope collection is under way in the parish to make up the shortfall.

Funds raised so far have come through a significant donation to the project from New Abbey Stud, support from Kilcullen Lions Club and Kilcullen Drama Group, and a Table Quiz.

Lions Club appeal

Kilcullen Lions Club Annual Collection in aid of St Vincent de Paul will take place on Saturday 20th and Tuesday 23rd December outside local shops.

Your support would be very much appreciated. If anyone is interested in helping out with the collection please contact Kevin on 086 7948115.

Fair will part-fund whiteboards

There was a very generous response to Scoil Bhride’s Christmas Fair last week, from which the funds will go towards the purchase of interactive whiteboards for the school.

“It was very well attended, and those who came were very generous in buying both tickets for the raffle and the Christmas items on sale,” says the school’s Principal, Maurice O’Mahony.

“We always have extra funding needs for school resources throughout the year, and the Parents Association work hard to help out. They have already raised considerable funds for a number of whiteboards, and the Fair proceeds will be going to this fund.”

The school has one whiteboard on trial at the moment, and it is envisaged that two will be bought in the coming weeks.

The Fair was organised by the Parents Association, currently chaired by Olivia Byrne.

Catriona goes with the birds

Just in case her friends here at home are wondering, Catriona Byrne is flying high in Australia at the moment, during her latest bout of travelling.



The picture above shows her after a hang-gliding session at Byron Bay. Her earlier, 'bird's eye', view is below.

Parish Draw results

The winner of the top prize of €12,000 in the 2008 Parish Draw is Coleman Ryan, from Castlemartin Lodge.



The draw took place this evening in the Kilcullen Parish Centre, and the second prize of €1,500 was won by Petra Conroy of Moanbane Park.

Bill and Aileen Mullins from Sunnyhill won the €500 third prize.

The remaining prizes of €100 each were won by Eileen Tougher of Hillsborough, Newbridge; Tom Coleman, Ballybrittas, Portlaoise; Brendan McMahon, Yellow Bog; John Archbold and Breda Kelly, Conroy Park; and Jack and Susan Curley of Gormanstown.

The total receipts were in excess of €30,000 (pending final recount). After deduction of the prize fund and expenses, the balance goes to parish funds.

Parish priest Fr Michael Murphy thanked the dedicated people involved in organising the draw, particularly the ticket sellers, and finally those who had 'parted' with a hundred euros each for the tickets. He is pictured above with Valerie Ryan, whose husband bought the winning ticket.

Brian Byrne.

Yellow Bog Carols

There was a very good attendance for the Carol Service held yesterday afternoon in St John's Church, Yellow Bog.




The service was conducted by Mr John Hillis.

Concerns about Sunnyhill traffic

Although speed limits were reduced on the Sunnyhill Road in the last changes, the residents of homes and estates are still very concerned about the accident rate.

The situation was underlined again recently when an SUV lost control on the Athy side of the motorway bridge at the ESB substation and went over the crash barriers.

“Luckily the trees sown on the incline stopped the vehicle from rolling down the slope to the lane 20 feet below,” says local man Brendan Duffy.

The Gardai were on the scene quickly and removed the vehicle, and the barriers have been repaired since.

“But this is another example of a lucky escape on the same 100 metre stretch of road where four entrances have been destroyed,” Brendan says. “Although lower speed limits have been introduced, driver attitudes haven’t changed and another death is inevitable.”

Brian Byrne.

It Says in The Bridge: Dec 08

'The Adoration of the Shepherds' by Jacopo Da Empoli is the very suitable picture reproduced on the cover of the Christmas 2008 Bridge Magazine, by kind permission from the National Gallery of Ireland. And a rare snowy picture of the Old Kilcullen Round Tower on the back of the special cover, by Pat Foley, is a seasonal reflection of early Christianity in Ireland.

The issue is, as always, packed with 'thanks for the year' advertisements from a wide variety of local businesses, clubs, and public representatives. As a guide to the facilities and services available in our own community, it is an issue worth hanging onto.

The inside of the cover is devoted to 'A Brief History of the Monastic Site at Old Kilcullen', originally published in The Bridge in 1972, and written by Brian Keyes and Sean Landers. Of more recent news value there's plenty of coverage of events since the last publication.

And lots of it is good news. The 'Miscellany on Sunday' has pictures and words aplenty, and this regular event in aid of the homeless of mid-Kildare has become another celebrated example of the generosity of ordinary people even in times of recession.

There's also photographic coverage of the Senior Citizens Party recently organised by the Kilcullen Scouts, the Cheese & Wine evening hosted by Kilcullen Lions in aid of the Jack & Jill Foundation, and the latest presentation to the Irish Cancer Society from the endeavours of Ann Sully and friends with the Vintage Rally.

There are a number of world class uplifiting stories about members of St Bridget's Pitch & Putt Club recorded also, and worth a read to see just how successful the hard-working members have made this club.

Thumbs up are given, too, to Nolans, who have been family butchers to the people of Kilcullen for generations, and who won a prestigious national retail stores competition.

We have the usual suspects rounding out their 2008, with Sean Landers flagging his Christmas homecoming amid reports of significant unrest in his current place of residence, Taiwan. It's not Sean's fault, thought ...

Billy Redmond muses towards 2009 with stories about his completion of the Dublin City Marathon, politics and medical cards, the proposed new Church Car Park and its related development, and why people shouldn't nudge him in from his preferred outside seat while at Mass.

There are the topical Christmas messages from the representatives of the various religious denominations in the parish, and I'll leave you to absorb these for yourselves.

And in sadness the Bridge also records the loss of Vincent O'Halloran this month, a gentle giant of a man who served Kilcullen in a number of ways, most visibly in Kilcullen Credit Union.

From this column, which tries to give a flavour of what is between the pages of Kilcullen's pre-eminent local publication, we wish all involved a very happy and peaceful Christmas season, and thank them also for their, as always, sterling efforts.

Brian Byrne.

Last chance for Parish Draw

Just a reminder that time is running out for getting a ticket in the Parish Draw, taking place on Monday night. Tickets are €100 and the first prize is €12,000.

Renley is closing

The Renley Engineering operation in Kilcullen is to close after 38 years, according to recently published reports. It currently employs five people.

Renley was set up by the late Gay Warren, who left his engineering job in Unidare Ltd in Finglas in 1970 to set up his own business.

With the help of Kilcullen Development Association, who supplied the building behind what is now the King Koil factory, Gay set up Renley Engineering with a start-up local workforce of 10 men. This was great news for Kilcullen, as at that time Renley was the one of the first industries in the town to employ men.

Renley Engineering Works manufactured lamp standards, transformer boxes, switch gear and other electrical items to supply under contract to the ESB. At one stage, Renley employed over 60 people.

Renley's main operations base has been for many years in Walkinstown, Dublin. During the 90s the company tried to close the Kilcullen operation on the basis that there wasn't space for expansion. This caused local business interests to persuade Kildare County Council to buy land at Knockbounce for a new Business Park, which recently opened. Ironically, Renley decided subsequently not to move into the park.

Brian Byrne.

Poster Competition presentations

Prizes were presented to the winners of the Kilcullen Credit Union Poster Competition 2008 last Monday night.



The individual presentations by KCU chairman Pat Stafford can be seen here.

Busy Santa

Santa was a busy man in Kilcullen last weekend. Apart from officially switching on Kilcullen's lights, he found time the next day to meet the young people who might have missed him the evening before.



They queued up in the Christmas Shop in Bernard Berney's Chemist to meet the great man (no, not Bernard this time!), and some took the opportunity to give him extra copies of their letters.

How they do it in Barcelona

Continuing the Christmas theme, your Editor came across this life-sized 'crib' in a civic square in Barcelona yesterday.






Wouldn't it be nice if we tried this in Kilcullen next year?

What a Cracker!

Apologies ... your editor has been away, and the Diary is a little tardy this week.



Here are some pictures from 'A Christmas Cracker' last weekend.

The passing of Peter Rankin

The Diary has learned of the death of Peter Rankin, brother of Patsy O'Halloran and Una Waters. He was 88.

Peter died at Beaumont Hospital, after a short illness, surrounded by his loving family. He was the beloved husband of the late Dolly and loving father to Carol, Susan and Mary, a wonderful grandfather to Elaine, Kate, Lucy, Jeff and Sophie.

He will be sadly missed by his sisters, sons-in-law, extended family and all his friends and neighbours in Beaumont Road, Dublin, and beyond.

Reposing at his home today (Monday) from 2 o'clock until Removal to the Church of the Holy Child, Whitehall, Swords Road arriving at 6 o'cclock. Funeral tomorrow (Tuesday) after 10o'clock Mass to St Fintan's Cemetery, Sutton.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Santa lights up Kilcullen

Santa switched on Kilcullen's Christmas lights at the weekend, and met with a number of young Kilcullen people.



A picset of the event can be viewed here.

Remembering 'The Chief'

A seat just inside the door of the original Hideout, in a corner against the remains of the original lounge's small counter, was always 'The Chief's' place.

When Vincent ‘Vinny’ O'Halloran was in, nobody else sat there. And nobody went in or out without a salute, a few words, maybe a yarn, of which latter he had an enormous fund.

I heard of Vinny's death while racing between planes at Charles de Gaulle Airport, and the first image that flashed into my mind was of him in that very corner.

It was a corner with its own sentimental attachment for Vinny, as the counter was the only remaining piece of the original behind which Patsy Rankin worked before he married her. Indeed, a decorative plate by the artist R Budd depicts Patsy there.

In marriage, they were the love of each other's lives for more than 55 years. The loss to her, and to Sean, Vincent, Eugene, Monica, Freda, Aisling and Mary, as well as his surviving siblings, is the kind that only a very close family can know. But it may be softened to some degree by a legacy of community love and respect for Vinny of which they can be proud.

The O'Halloran brothers -- Vinny, Buddy and Jackie -- followed in their own father John's trade as contract builders. They worked in every county in Ireland, and were known as a team that would come through on their work with an unstinting dedication to quality and finishing on time.

When away from home, Vinny wasn't cut off from his other passion, golf. Martin (Buddy) recalls how his brother’s membership card from the Curragh Golf Club opened doors in any local club which might be near their place of work.

Vinny was most content when contract requirements had the O'Hallorans in the West of Ireland, as it was the homeland from which their father had come before his emigration to America, where the lads were born.

As a returned emigrant, John O'Halloran came to Kilcullen to work for Cormac Murray on the building of Old Nicholastown. It was settling down time for himself and his family, and their first home here was in that same Nicholastown. A friendship then between John and my grandfather, James J Byrne Snr, was to wind its way down the generations to Vinny's close friendship with my own late father.

Dad and Vinny did their own travelling together on many occasions, some of the later ones with me taking over Vinny's position as driver. A particular trip to Clifden is especially memorable, not least because of the time it took to get there. One or other of the pair always knew some publican in each town on the route. The passing through was therefore sometimes delayed. In Clifden itself, both of them renewed acquaintance with wonderful people, all characters in their own right.

In retrospect, trips like these probably very much developed my own interest in people and their doings, and laid foundation for some of my subsequent writing and journalism.

Though born in New York and spending his early years in Pittsburgh, Vinny was very much of the Kilcullen where he grew up. He loved his adopted village, and was very involved in its development. The best example of this was his involvement in the Credit Union.

The O'Halloran family were in there from the beginning. Martin's wife Judy was the first to open an account, Patsy was the fourth. Vinny served over the decades in many capacities, including chairman and as Kilcullen's representative at Chapter 7, the regional level of the movement.

His building expertise was also very useful. When the Credit Union bought its own premises, the former home of schoolteachers the Misses Griffin and Duffy, he took charge of making the interior useable as offices. Much later, when the current flagship building project was mooted, his knowledge of design, plans, and the tendering process was invaluable. And when the building was actually in construction, his eagle eye as the appointed foreman on behalf of the Credit Union was crucial to the successful completion of the project.

In his most recent years, despite a succession of health issues, the Chief retained an almost daily interest in the building that anybody in Kilcullen Credit Union will tell you is part of his legacy to the modern community of Kilcullen. If there was a problem in the structure, it was Vinny who made the phone call with the necessary directness to have it rectified.

In Ireland, having your coffin draped in a flag is mostly related to a connection with the Defence Forces or, much less frequently now, the old IRA. When Vinny O'Halloran was brought from his home to the church, and subsequently to St Brigid's Cemetery, he was covered in the blue and white flag of the Credit Union movement. Different, but no less recognising a love of community in cooperation, than is the blue and white of the UN flag.

In stature, Vinny O'Halloran was a big man. He was also a man with a big heart, full of both love and good humour. Both of these last will be sorely missed, but not forgotten until we who knew him are also long gone.

Even when forgotten, though, the contributions of everybody to their community impacts far beyond their memory. For his own, the Chief will always rule.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Brian Byrne.

New Baptist pastor

Brannockstown Baptist Church invites everyone to the Induction Service of their new pastor, Mark Hamblen, on Sunday, 14 December, 7pm at the church.

Mark and his wife Alisha are both originally from California and have been living in Ireland for two years.

All are also welcome to the Annual Carol Service at Brannockstown Baptist on Friday 19 December, 8pm at the church.

Christmas Day Service will be held at 11am and all are very welcome to attend.

The church would also like to announce the launch of its brand new website.

Any questions, please ring 045 420 811.

Good opening night to 'Cracker'

There was an enthusiastic crowd at last night's presentation of 'Christmas Cracker' in the Town Hall Theatre. The pictures below are from the reception before and backstage.



(Click the 'go' triangle in the bottom left of the screen if the sequence doesn't start after clicking the main triangle.)

Lift the gloom!

Just a reminder of two Christmas events tonight: the Christmas Lights will be switched on at 7pm, by Santa, and the 'Christmas Cracker' entertainment starts at 8pm in the Town Hall Theatre.

Both events are lifters of gloom. Come along and enjoy them.

Lights switch on tomorrow night

Kilcullen's Christmas lights will be officially switched on tomorrow (Friday) night at 7pm.

The Christmas Tree in the square will also be lit. All are welcome to the event, which will be the official start to the Christmas Season. The switch on will be followed by the first of two performances of Christmas Cracker by Kilcullen Drama Group and friends.

The passing of Vincent O'Halloran

We have learned with deep personal sadness of the death of Vincent (Vinny) O'Halloran at the age of 79.

He is reposing at his residence in St Brigid's Avenue until removal this evening at 7 o'clock, to arrive at Kilcullen Parish Church at 7.30.

Requiem Mass will be celebrated tomorrow (Friday) morning at 11 o'clock. Interment will take place immediately afterwards in St Bridget's Cemetery, Kilcullen.

We express our heartfelt condolences to his wife Patsy and all the children -- Sean, Eugene, Vincent, Monica, Aisling, Freda and Mary -- his brother Buddy, and sisters Sally and Anne, grandchildren and other family members.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

GAA AGM

Kilcullen GAA club's Annual General Meeting will take place on Monday 8th December at 8pm in the club house.

As always all residents of the parish, both old and new, are invited.

'Cracker' of an event this weekend

The ‘Christmas Cracker’ entertainment being presented this weekend by Kilcullen Drama Group and friends promises to be a great start to the Christmas season.

Producer Mischa Fekete says the production will mix a number of past successes of the various elements involved, including the ‘Christmas Carol’ production of several years ago, and ‘Poets in Paradise’.

It won’t, however, have a complex and expensive set. Indeed, three tea chests are the sum of all the props used on the production.

Special Guest Artists include local Soprano Philomena Breslin, Jim Stewart (Baritone), and Clive Armstrong (Accompanist).

The event runs on Friday and Saturday nights only, and admission is €15.

Great 'Miscellany'

'Miscellany on Sunday' 2008, in aid of Michael Garry House, Newbridge, was very well supported. In fact, best yet.

All reports of well paid executives' abuse of expense funds, expensive 'hair dos', luxury travel etc at the tax payer's expense, all paled into insignificance with the huge turnout of generous, caring and happy people who came to support those who have nowhere to call home.

While the first group get the headlines in the national media, the goodness of the second group would go unrecorded only for our own local press. Long may you continue to spread the good news.

The weather, though cold, was great. Finbar Ryan braved the elements to oversee the parking, incoming and outgoing. Thank you Finbar.

Ann Fitzsimons as usual kept the mulled wine mulling, and she's good at it. Caroline, Olive and Lilian, with many helping hands, kept the gathering supplied with drinks and mince pies. Everyone was there to help and support.

The music and song entertained. Philomena Breslin's beautiful singing never fails. Phil ODonnell's wonderful voice followed, while Ludhaigh sang and played his guitar with gusto. Dorley O'Sullivan never lets us down and this time a quartet of young people grew in number when Denise Healy (Kildare Rose Of Tralee) and friend joined, Aoife Kelly then joined in and what a wonderful sound they made. They were a picture of happiness and fun even though they had given their Sunday afternoon to help the cause.

Clifford, Sean, Aoife and Roy were superb and appreciated by all. Annie Morris was a howl with her own 'The Dotted Line', her version of The Flora Ladies 'Mini Marathon'. Nessa Dunlea brought back memories to many as she recited 'The Old Woman Of The Roads' by Padraigh Colum. Then came Dick Jeffers with 'the Cremation of Sam Magee' and other Robert Service poems. Jo Doyle, yet again, was a joy to hear, as she read from her own book 'Labyrinth Through The Elephant Grass'.

It didn't end there as Andrew Buchanan took the floor, in verse. Bernard 's 'sermon' was, well, a bit different, as he began 'Dearly Beloved' (think I'll say no more). At least no broken limbs to report as the congregation took to the floor, when they fell off their chairs ...

The spontaneous entertainers came into the open, as Pastor Dunlop told a funny story, Andy Nolan sang and Jim Berney did his Al Jolson party piece.

Tim Gallagher, President of St Christopher's Conference of the Vincent de Paul, who look after Michael Garry House, spoke on how easy it is to become homeless. He gave details on how the hostel operates and also said that all street collections for 'The Homeless' do not go to them. Collections for Michael Garry House are clearly identifable by signage with 'Michael Garry House' plainly visible. He thanked everyone for their support.

A special 'thank you' to Roy Thompson. Roy tells me we are nearly on €3,000 and growing.

Phena Bermingham.

ED Note: Unfortunately your Editor was unable to be there due to business commitments abroad. But there will be pictures from the event later this week.

Dun Ailinne DVD

The special commemorative DVD from the Dun Ailinne Interpretive Park dedication has now gone on sale.

Commissioned from locally-based videographer Michelle Ryan by Kilcullen Community Action, the recording details the official opening of the park, as well as the premiere performance of 'Dun Ailinne & The Clann March', composed and played by Liam O'Flynn.

It also shows the launch of 'Dun Ailinne, excavations of a Royal Site, 1968-1975', the recently-published book of Professor Bernard Wailes's excavation edited by Dr Susan Johnston.

A new greeting card depicting the sun shining through Noel Scullion's spear sculpture on its first equinox comes with the DVD, which sells for €20, two for €30, or three for €40.

It can be ordered from any member of KCA.

Praise for street cleaning

There was high praise for the street cleaning scheme operated by Kildare County Council, at the recent meeting of Kilcullen Community Action.

The scheme, which was set up on a pilot basis, provides cleaning three days a week by a team 'shared' with Ballymore and other towns in the area.

Reporting on a meeting with the Council official in charge of the scheme, Ray Kelly said it had been positive, and he had been told there would be 'no difficulty' in extending the 'sweep' of the cleaning machine out to the Link Park. It currently operates as far as Dunleas Garage at the north end of town.

He also reported that the Council was prepared to collect bags of rubbish from estates during spring and autumn cleanups, if requested.

He said if any estate or town area wanted the cleaning teams to do a specific area, himself of Noel Clare should be contacted and they would pass on the request to the Council.

Brian Byrne.