Canoe Club in new era

A new era in Kilcullen Canoe Club's history got off to a sunny start last weekend when the club's new premises was officially opened. The new facility includes a clubhouse with changing rooms and showers, upstairs lounge area, secure boat store and a floating dock. It was provided as part of a land swap deal with the developers of the nearby Market Square complex, and built by local company Kilcullen Homes Ltd. The complex was officially opened by Nessa Dunlea, whose late husband Pat had the vision which made the project happen. This fact was emphasised by current club chairman Norman Hannigan, who also paid tribute to a handful of core members who had kept the club going during good and bad times. These included Maureen Barker, Ber Coleman, Joe McTernan, Mary Domican and Noel Brennan, Vourneen O'Connell, Paddy Maloney and Jock Kelly. Nessa Dunlea asked Paddy Maloney, whom she described as the 'father figure' of the club, to cut the ribbon with her. Earlier, Brendan O'Connell, a longtime club enthusiast who has represented Ireland in canoeing at the Olympic Games, detailed the history of the club since its formation in 1957. He said that this particular day half a century later had come about through a range of Kilcullen people working together, something for which the community has had an enduring reputation. The premises was blessed by Fr Cathal Price, who had been an enthusiastic member when assigned to Kilcullen Parish during the 1970s. He said he hoped that those who would have the use in the future of the club and its new facility would truly appreciate the effort and 'blood, sweat and tears' which had gone into putting it in place. "May they use it to the full, always thankful for those who had gone before them," he concluded. Brian Byrne.

Organ upgrade mooted

The organ in Kilcullen's parish church doesn't do justice to the quality of the acoustics in the 124 year-old building, and should be upgraded.

That's the view of local man Peter Moloney, an accomplished musician with a special passion for church organs and organ music.

And he'd like to see a project undertaken to upgrade the current instrument, which he feels was originally installed because the parish couldn't afford anything better.

"That was done in a lot of churches at the time," he says. "They were relatively cheap and did the job well enough. But the acoustics in Kilcullen are superb, and there should really be an instrument that they deserve."

Peter, who can often be found in his spare time playing the organ in Kilcullen when the church is empty, was inspired to take an interest in church music by the late Fr Henry Flanagan OP of Newbridge College.

"Most people know him for his sculpture, but he was also a wonderful musician," Peter recalls. After learning the basics from Fr Flanagan, he went on to further studies under David Lee RIA, organist at St CAnice's in Kilkenny.

Peter said an underlying problem with those cheaper organs was that they had a pneumatic action, which couldn't be improved on if funds became available later. "Better organs used a tracker action, and later an electric action. The current organ is also designed with one manual, or keyboard, while most organ music is built for two manuals. Also, it has no reed stops on it, like trumpets or cornets, and you just have the strings effect and a four-foot flute wind instrument."

Peter says there are other unsatisfactory elements to the instrument which makes it 'totally uncoordinated, really'.

Peter would like the advice of Trevor Crowe, Ireland's foremost organ builder and restorer, whose work has included the organ in the National Concert Hall, St Brendan's Church of Ireland in Birr, and a rebuild of the gallery organ in Galway Cathedral last year.

"I would also look to have the help of Professor Gerard Gillen, Titular Organist of the Pro Cathedral in Dublin, who is an excellent consultant on the building of these instruments."

Peter believes the job would be a mix of rebuilding and replacement of elements of the existing organ. "I imagine they would be able to reuse some of the pipes, for instance."

He says the acoustics in Kilcullen's JJ McCarthy-designed church are 'fabulous', and he believes also that interest in organ music is 'on the way back, big time'.

"If you realised the number of young people who are learning organ music in Dublin at the moment, it is unbelievable. At 19 and 20 years of age, they are playing major organ works very competently, and I've never seen that before. We have a number of very talented young organists now, including a local lad, Timmy Treacey, who studied under Professor Gillen and has recently won a scholarship to study in America. Another up and coming local musician is David Coonan."

Peter believes that if the effort and the funds were put into upgrading the organ in Kilcullen, there's no reason why it couldn't be one of the locations for 'Pipeworks', Ireland's International Organ Festival, which holds recitals in churches in Dublin, Dundalk, Kilkenny, Galway and Waterford during June.

"The church is also used by a lot of people from outside the parish who come to get married here. That's another reason to do it, not to mention the fact that it would also help to get a lot more local young people involved."

Peter believes that Kilcullen is now better placed to have more young people taking an interest in church music and organ playing. "We have a population now, a young population, which we didn't have 25 years ago. It's the right time to develop the choir, directly from the schools. There are plenty of experienced people around who could help get it going."

Brian Byrne.

Canoeing in Kilcullen: the beginning

When Kilcullen Canoe Club's new premises was dedicated last Sunday, the man whose interest in the river started it all was guest of honour.



Paddy Maloney, now 88, remembers well how he went about making his first canoe, and the design flaw that made it impossible to keep upright in the water.

Many of his own recollections about the time are part of a piece which will appear in the Kilcullen page of The Kildare Nationalist tomorrow.

Brian Byrne.

Jo's African story, coming soon

When Jo Wardhaugh went to war-torn Uganda as a 22-year-old nurse, she little thought that she would spend most of the next two decades working with some of the most deprived and most traumatised people in the world.

She ended up suffering from post-traumatic stress herself. Her book about her experiences, 'Labyrinth through the Elephant Grass', will be launched next week in Kilcullen's Heritage Centre.

In the meantime, her story as told to your Editor can be read in this week's edition of The Kildare Nationalist, published next Wednesday.

Brian Byrne.

Weather smiles on clubhouse dedication

In glorious weather, Kilcullen Canoe Club's new clubhouse was officially opened this afternoon.



The opening was performed by Nessa Dunlea with club founder Paddy Maloney, and a blessing was given by Fr Cathal Price, a former member of the club.

There will be a full report in due course, but for the moment here's the afternoon in pictures.

Brian Byrne.

CCTV security at Canoe Club

Kilcullen Canoe Club has installed a CCTV system following some minor but annoying vandalism even before it has been officially opened.



There was damage to chains on the floating dock, as well as to a flagpole, despite the club premises being surrounded by high walls.

Meanwhile, work continued yesterday on getting the whole place ship-shape for this afternoon's dedication. The blessing will be given by Fr Cathal Price, who was an enthusiastic member when he was attached to the parish during the 70s.

Brian Byrne.

Sports with Macra

Any young people interested in getting involved in sports and social weekends away could do worse than contacting Macra.

And a fun way to do so would be tho go to the Tag Rugby meetings every Wednesday night in Naas Sports Centre. The meetings begin at 8pm at the New Caragh Road facility.

Further information from Jaqueline Walsh on 087 7735659.

Scouts looking to Jamboree

Kilcullen Scouts are looking forward to the International Jamboree at Punchestown, beginning August 7.

By a nice coincidence, the sub-camp they will share with some 2,000 other scouts is called Dun Ailinne, the ancient royal site just south of Kilcullen which was recently the focus of a weekend of celebrations.

Each of the Irish scout troops have been 'tagged' with an international troop, and the Kilcullen group are associated with Chile.

"We have to do a noticeboard all about Chile," says scout Emma Birchall. "And it just happened that one of our Leaders was born in Santiago and he got us everything we wanted to know."

The troop acknowledges many generous donations from local individuals and businesses, as well as from companies in other parts of the country, which have made it possible to attend the Jamboree.

Vintage Rally soon

The annual Mac & Norman's Vintage Rally in aid of the Irish Cancer Society will take place on August 17.

As usual it will start at 12 noon in Cannycourt and travel through Brannockstown, Carnalway, Logstown, Main Street in Kilcullen, Old KIlcullen and finish at Markeys' Stray Inn in Milemill.

The event is now in its sixth year and to date has raised almost €170,000 for the ICS.

Last year's entry included 261 tractors, 72 old cars and many motorbikes.

Anyone wanting to get involved, either as a marshall or to enter an old tractor, car, or bike, should call 097 2430052/045 483700.

Usk still 'disappointed and frustrated'

Residents of the Usk townland south of Kilcullen have once again expressed their anger at the failure of An Bord Pleanala to meet a target date for a decision on a planning application for a landfill in the area.

The Usk & District Residents Association have been fighting the application for eight years and have spent some €300,000 of their own money on the issue. Four years after the planning appeals bord became involved, no final decision has been given.

"We are extremely disappointed and frustrated, but not surprised," says UDRA spokesman Des Henry. "They are now saying that due to a 'technical reason' they have again deferred the decision and they cannot say when they will have a decision on this case."

Mr Henry says that when UDRA's chairman last contacted the Bord, they would not give any further information. "We have become used to type of offhand and dismissive treatment," he adds, calling for a 'more open and transparent' system of dealing with planning applications.

"Certainly, in excess of four years to make a decision on an application such as this, with still no end in sight, represents massive inefficiency and leads to serious suspicion."

Brian Byrne.

Plea for flowers funding

With 210 floral window boxes now making Kilcullen's main street a growing riot of colour, Kilcullen Community Action has put out a special appeal to raise the €10,000 cost.

The effort this year added a number of hanging baskets to the window boxes project which was 'seeded' last year by local businessman Brian Fallon.

All boxes and baskets now have their own permanent automatic irrigation system.

"It works out at €50 per unit, box or basket," says local Tidy Towns leader Noel Clare. "Already generous donations have been coming in, but anybody else who wants to support the project can give a donation to any member of our group, or KCA."

The more than €1,500 raised from a recent street and pubs collection by KCA has already been put towards the costs of the project.

Query about family links

I have come across your web site whilst carrying out some family history research in the Kilcullen/Athy region.

Having found links to what was a local family (the Hogan’s) I wondered if I could use your good offices to include all or part of the following information in one of your future “Diaries”. Possibly there are still distant relatives in the area who may be willing to fill in the missing parts of the jigsaw.

Currently, I (and a second cousin) have sourced all known family in England (mainly Liverpool) and are now working on the movement between Ireland and Liverpool of my Great Grandfather and his family.

My Great Grandfather was Garret Hogan (b.1852 in Kilcullen) who married a Catherine (Kate) Montgomery (b.1852 in Dublin). The marriage took place in 1876 but not known if it was in Kilcullen or Dublin. Their first child, Mary was born in Dublin in 1877 and the family moved to Liverpool soon after. Her brother, Edward (my Grand father) was born 1879 in Liverpool as were John (b.1881) and Margaret Ann (b.1883). Note that Margaret Ann died in childbirth along with her mother. Garrets mother (Mary) spent some time in Liverpool looking after the children following the death of Catherine.

Garret's parents were Edward Hogan (b.1813 in Kilcullen) and a Mary Rourke (b.1816 in Castledermot) who married in Kilcullen in 1840.

There are various unconfirmed birth and marriage records in Kilcullen giving possible brother and sisters for Garret. In fact a James Hogan moved from Kilcullen to Liverpool at a similar time to Garret –- could this be a brother or cousin?

Based on rather sparse information, it seems likely that Edwards parents were James Hogan (b.1773 in Athy) and Mary Maguire (b.1796 in Kilcullen) who married in 1811 in Kilcullen. There is a confusion however, in that a Hester Ryan (b.1792) is given as the mother of Edward but no records of a second marriage can be found.

Again I have potential brothers and sisters from both birth and marriage records but none are confirmed.

An Edward and other Hogans owned land around Kilcullen according to Griffiths Valuations but this need confirming as not known if it is the same family.

Finally, I have a tentative record of James parents. These are Thomas Hogan (b.c1750 in Athy) and a Frances Malloy (b.c1750) who married in Athy in 1770.

Obviously there are a number of links which need confirming for the direct family line but also for those of brothers and sisters and their subsequent families.

If there is anyone who can confirm or deny the above, I would be delighted to hear from you. Please reply to phillipsk47@hotmail.com in the first instance.

Keith Phillips.

Missionary's book launch

The life of a missionary in warring countries of Africa is the theme of a book to be launched in Kilcullen Town Hall Theatre on Wednesday 6 August.

Labyrinth Through the Elephant Grass is written by Jo Wardhaugh-Doyle and published by The Georgian Rose Press.

The book charts her missionary journey through Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia, and is described as a 'healing' narrative rather than concentrating on the horrors of war.

The event begins at 7.30pm and the guest speaker is Alan Dukes.

Brian Byrne.

Down memory lane: Pals

Picture from the past: Tom O'Connell from Kennycourt, Brendan Coleman from Kilcullen, and Donal St Leger from Kilcullen, snapped by a street photographer in Dublin in the late 1940s. Pic courtesy Donal St Leger.

Good night at Sports Quiz

It was a night of craic and sometimes consternation, but there was a very good turnout for the Kilcullen GAA Sports Quiz in Bardons on Thursday night last.



Some views from the event are here.

It Says In The Bridge: July 08

After this issue, The Bridge takes a holiday and the next one won't be seen until September.

But before the break there was plenty of stuff to record, and upcoming things to flag. The lead story this month has now been overtaken by the actual dedication of the Dun Ailinne Interpretive Park and sculpture, and the associated events which the Bridge promoed as 'significant' certainly proved to be so.

The front page also marks the raising of Brannockstown NS's Green Flag, and the fact that Kilcullen is to be split by the revision of electoral areas.

The environment pages has a lot of news this month, reporting on the artwork that has brightened main street, a piece from Jim Collins on how good the Valley is looking, and a positive updater on progress towards a public playground. And in two separate items, Kilcullen Community Action thanks those who donated funds during the recent street and pub collection, and also asks for donations specifically towards the cost of the flower box installations.

Nice community picture pieces include shots of the Hillcrest residents out in force for an area clean-up and the Field Day organised by Naomh Bhride Community Playschool.

There's also big photographic coverage of the Brannockstown Green Flag Day, some snaps from Kilcullen drivers in the Gordon Bennett Rally, and a bunch of pics from the Kilcullen Community Games.

For the time of the year that's in it, a feature on possibilities to entertain children during the summer holidays is certainly a helpful one for harrier parents, who are cheered up by the out-line that 'another six weeks and it will all be over!'.

The details of the Lions Club Summer Photographic Project makes another useful page, and is another possibility for keeping the amateur snappers in our midst busy.

Billy Redmond is as always with us, and this month he wonders how so many people living in Kilcullen don't know where key buildings are, particularly the Parish Centre where he recently held his annual fundraising Bazzar.

Robert Dunlop writes about intolerance, and suggests that we owe every human being every right that we claim for ourselves. In that, he says, we would do well to 'take a page out of the book' of Jesus of Nazareth, the ultimate model for humanity.

Sean Landers in his 'Letter from Taiwan' reflects on the difficulties of teaching people where he lives the basics of conversational English, and how equally difficult it is at the moment to get a job in so doing. Sean's local interest this month is the Portelester Cross, the remains of which are in the ruined medieval church of St James near Ballymore.

The 'Spout' pages which highlight local writing have their usual mix of interesting content, including a lovely memoir of the Dandelion Market from Sylvia Hickey.

Which brings me finally to the Scoil Bhride Notice Board, which has many thoughts from its pupils who are saying a summer goodbye for the last time. The lines below are by Ben Kavanagh from 6th Class.

SCHOOL

The holidays are near
I'm beginning to drool
A few days more until the end of primary school.

We learned to write
We learned to read
We stopped twice a day to have a good feed.

Some teachers were happy
Some teachers were sad
Now we're leaving we think they're glad.

As primary school ends
And we've made such good friends
It's time to say thank you, goodbye and the end.

Marella's place an 'ecoescape'

The Omagh Hostel, which Kilcullen-born Marella Fyffe runs with her husband Bill has been recognised as a 'responsible ecoescape'.

The hostel emphasises eco-friendly practices in both its running and attractions, and has gathered a wide base of regular visitors as well as a constant stream of new ones.

Marella -- daughter of the late Tom and Carmel Byrne -- was recently delighted to find that the hostel merited three pages in a newly-published book, 'Ecoescape', written by journalist Catherine Mack.

Full details on Marella's always-fascinating Banana Rambles website.

MS Charity Night

The annual Teresa Mulhall Charity Night in aid of the Kildare branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society will be held in The Belfry at Toughers, Newhall, Naas on Friday 22 August.

Entertainment will be by Diarmuid O'Leary & The Bards along with a support band. Tickets are €25 each.

The event is organised each year by John Mulhall, a stalwart of Kilcullen GAA.

Lifting the spirit

A fundraising Garden Party at his home in Brannockstown next month will be Robert Dunlop's last official function for the World Vision charity.

Connected with the charity since the Irish branch was founded 25 years ago, and chairman for many years, the retired pastor of Brannockstown's Baptist community says it is 'time to let go now'.

The reason for stepping down is his current poor sight, a restriction resulting from a sudden and very serious bout of ill-health following his retirement as pastor a few years ago.

The Garden Party on August 16 will be in the form of an Open House, with everybody welcome to come for a short or longer period, during which they can donate to the fund. A variety of local performers will entertain for the afternoon, with song, music, poetry, drama and prose recitals.

To undertake such a venture, with the help of his wife Olive and a number of his many friends, is also a signal that Robert Dunlop is continuing on a path of recovery which might have daunted others. But a dogged persistence in the face of difficulty has always been part of the nature of the man who first came to Brannockstown as pastor some four and a half decades ago.

He has also gone back to writing, something which has been at the core of his being all his life. In addition to a significant body of published poetry, he has also been a longtime contributor to Kilcullen's community magazine, 'The Bridge'.

The National Council for the Blind in Ireland has provided him with a large-text monitor for his computer, and this has enabled him to write even with his limited remaining sight.

Facinated all his life in Brannockstown by the local La Touche family, Robert is now considering a historical novel based on them.

With the help of a network of friends, Robert walks through nearby Harristown Estate almost every day, with his dog Aslan. He finds that though his sight may be compromised, a greater acuity with his hearing has him more aware of birdsong, which he says 'lifts the spirit'.

Lifting the spirit of those helped by World Vision, with the garden party fundraiser, in particular the people of Burma suffering almost beyond belief following the recent cyclone is in part Robert Dunlop's thanks for what he can still enjoy.

Brian Byrne.

Kilcullen's first canoes

Fifty years ago in the winter of 1958/59, as a lad of 20 I was working in the ESB. I was transferred from the ESB power station in Ringsend to the ESB power station in Donegal.



Having signed up for a woodworking class in Ballyshannon Technical School, I decided I would build a two-man kayak canoe. In April 1959, with the canoe finished, I was transferred back to Ringsend Power Station, leaving the canoe behind in Donegal.

The following month I arranged for the canoe to be transported on top of a load of fruit by Dolan’s Fruit Importers from Donegal to their warehouse in Castleforbes St, North Wall, Dublin. The transport was FOC, and from Dublin Andy Blaney brought the canoe home to Kilcullen on Brennan’s lorry, again FOC.

Within weeks of it appearing on the river, Paddy Maloney, who always had a great eye for construction, studied the plans and built two replicas of the kayak. So in the summer of 1959, Kilcullen Canoe Club was formed. It was the first canoe club in Ireland.

Almost 50 years later it is indeed a great achievement for Kilcullen Canoe Club to be opening their new Club House on Sunday July 27th.



Jim Collins.

The day the sun god shone

The gods worshipped by those who originally came to Dun Ailinne must have heeded Kieran Forde's prayers.

Beautiful weather for the dedication of the Dun Ailinne Interpretive Park crowned a wonderful day of ancient story and new music.



"I was up at the sculpture at 7.30 this morning, asking them to make it work" the chairman of KCA quipped as sunshine lit up the afternoon.

And what an afternoon. There's a tradition of Kilcullen being able to push out the boat even when the tide is against it, but the Dun Ailinne dedication weekend will go down as one of the better ones in whatever annals are read about the town in the future.

A day full of highlights was underpinned by the talk and forum the previous evening in the Town Hall Theatre, when Professor Bernard Wailes outlined the work he had directed back in the late 1960s and first half of the 70s.



The Sunday afternoon return visit to the site itself by Professor Wailes and several of his colleagues from the excavation days was a physical highlight in its own right. Unfamiliar sunshine dappled by small clouds, a soothing breeze which masked potential sunburn, and a discussion on just what had been done where on the summit of a hill that is arguably as important as Tara, Eamhain Macha, and Crochaun. It doesn't come much better, either for the archaeologists themselves or those fortunate enough to be there with them.

But then there was the dedication of the Interpretive Park back in the town, and its associated sculpture adorned with a yellow ribbon for the occasion.

Kilcullen people and representatives of local and national organisations of various kinds had gathered to bear witness to the event. Again, the sun god -- which had already performed morning and evening miracles with the edifice at the spring equinox, just as designed by artist Noel Scullion -- smiled even on those who had doubted enough not to bring sunhats.

Opening the proceedings, KCA Chairman Kieran Forde recalled that the 'mission statement' of the project was to increase awareness of in interest in Dun Ailinne for 'present and future generations'. He said the javelin sculpture, inspired by an artefact found in the excavations, was a testament to the artist's skills.

Noel Scullion's dedication was both personal and all-encompassing. He presented his work to all the community of the area, from our Neolithic ancestors to those family and friends today who had themselves become part of the landscape. He also said the sculpture would always remind him of his sister Anita and wife Brenda, both of whom had passed on during its creation.



The scouts, who had provided honour guards both for an earlier parade and the ceremonies at the park itself, did their ribbon-pulling perfectly. The project, begun in a 'I have a dream' conversation between Noel Clare and Kieran Forde some four years ago, was completed.

But there was more in store. Back at the Heritage Centre that is a jewel in the memory of the late Pat Dunlea, Chairman of the Heritage Council Conor Newman performed the Irish launch of 'Dun Ailinne, excavations of a Royal Site, 1968-1975'. The book is the final report on the seminal investigations on Knockaulin, and represents some of the 'very few surviving footprints of previous generations'.

"If you trace those footprints forward in time, they actually converge with our own," he added. "It is that seamlessness which creates interest in the past and makes it relevant. Looking around here today, the fact is that we have a really vibrant community here, which is actively engaged with its past."

A variation on Bernard Wailes's presentation of the night before offered further insights into both the archaeology and the people involved. It wasn't even felt to be repetitive by those of us who had been there on the Saturday evening.



Could it get better? Oh yes, it could. And it did. The performance by Liam O'Flynn of 'Dun Ailinne and the Clann March', a piece commissioned from him by the organisers and sponsored by Sir Anthony and Lady O'Reilly of Castlemartin, proved to be evocative, haunting, sublime and stirring, and lifted the audience to standing ovations.



Follow that, Susan Johnston, co-author of the Dun Ailinne book, who has been conducting her own investigations on the hill over the past two summers.



She did, you know. Against any odds you might wager, she presented the results to date of her own work with humourous asides that engaged and entertained in equal measure. In so doing, she ensured that the interest of her listeners in the history of Dun Ailinne will continue into the future.

The event concluded with the usual round of thanks to people and organisations too numerous to mention here. But one which should be singled out is the appreciation for the Thompson family, who have given unstinting cooperation to the archaeologists and the Interpretive Park project in relation to access to the site.



A specially-compiled booklet of visual memories from the original and current works, and the new Interpretive Park, was presented to Professor Wailes, to Noel Scullion, and to Conor Newman.

All in all, another wonderful chapter has been completed in the ongoing story of life that is Kilcullen. In the spirit of a picture being worth a thousand words, here are some images of the day.

(Unfortunately, a batch of pictures centered around the dedication itself were corrupt. I tried to retrieve them but it wasn't possible. Apologies.)

Brian Byrne.

Note from New Zealand

What a pleasure this bright sunny Monday morning to open A Kilcullen Diary and see all those wonderful familiar faces, knowing that each would have been regaling the other with their own tales from the 70s and Dun Ailnne.

The photos from the Spring Equinox were a joy to behold and how fortunate we are to have such a talented artist as Noel Scullion to make this mark on posterity.

Thirty-eight years of The Bridge is no mean feat. I remember well going into Quinns after Mass to buy the papers and get the first copy of The Bridge -- well done to all.

Here in Christchurch, although the other side of the world, Kilcullen doesn't seem so far away with A Kilcullen Diary. Thank you.

Irene McDonnell.

Fascinating Dun Ailinne evening

An almost capacity audience in Kilcullen's Town Hall Theatre was last night treated to a fascinating look back into the area's recent and far past.



The occasion was a talk and discussion on the excavations and likely history of Dun Ailinne, one of Ireland's four key ancient 'royal' sites -- the others being Tara, Cruachan, and Emain Macha near Armagh.

The director of excavations carried out during the 1960s/1970s, Professor Bernard Wailes of the University of Pennsylvania, was the keynote speaker and guest of honour.



Professor Wailes outlined the progress of those excavations at the time, which revealed very many artefacts dating back to Neolithic times as well as more recent Iron Age finds. He said the evidence from the digs, carried out at the top of Dun Ailinne inside the still-visible henge, suggested the location was the scene of periodic assemblies rather than permanent residence.

The excavations also indicated five different phases of development on the hill, in the form of timber enclosures.

Local environmental geophysics graduate Alan Corcoran made a presentation on recent investigations he carried out using magnetic gradiometer equipment. Making the caveat that his methods were 'highly interpretive', he showed images which indicated ancient ploughlines and circular structures under the modern topography.

"I believe a wealth of archaeology is still to be found around Dun Ailinne," he concluded.

In a subsequent open forum chaired by John Martin, local teacher Noel Clare recalled working as a labourer on the site during his student summers, for what was 'great money' at £25 a week. "That was at a time when a pint cost the equivalent of 18 cents," he said. This was presumably important in the context of his observation that when weather became too inclement for working, the team sometimes had to take shelter in nearby Brennans pub at Old Kilcullen!

Dr Kathleen Ryan, who worked on the excavations as Professor Wailes's PA while studying archaeology at UCD, also reminisced about the summers spent on the site. "I got the job because I was prepared to do work that nobody else wanted to," she quipped. "That included working out the wages each week in £sd for 30 workmen, with everyone on different rates. It was a horrendous job until after three seasons we acquired a calculator, and also moved into decimal money."

Judith Barden highlighted in a humourous way other aspects of archaeological life on Dun Ailinne, including the team's transport, such as the Bedford van 'that kept the local mechanic in business for the summer months'. There was too the VW van 'with a matteress for seating in the back' that guzzled more petrol on a trip to Dublin than her Renault 4L did in a week. "We also warned the American students about the nasty habits of nettles, and that they shouldn't be used for hygienic purposes on field trips."

The Dun Ailinne weekend continues today with the dedication of the new Interpretive Park and Noel Scullion's javelin sculpture. This will be preceded by a parade from the Market Square at 2.30pm. From 4pm, the launch of a book on the excavations will take place in the Heritage Centre, followed by the premiere of a special musical piece commissioned from and performed by uileann piper Liam O'Flynn.

There will also be a presentation from Dr Susan Johnston, co-author of the book, on investigations she has undertaken over recent summers with sponsorship from The Heritage Council.

(Here's a photographic record of last evening's event.)

Brian Byrne.

Weekend of celebration

A weekend of celebration on the Dun Ailinne theme kicks off this evening with a talk and public discussion on the ancient site and the investigations which have taken place on it.

The discussion in the Town Hall Theatre starts with refreshments in the Heritage Centre at 8pm this evening. It will involve Professor Bernard Wailes of the University of Pennsylvania, who directed excavations at Dun Ailinne between 1968-1974. A number of panel members will include local people who worked on the excavations.

The event is planned as an informal and audience interactive one and all are welcome to come and take part. The event is free.

Boxing Club on the move soon

After almost 45 years in the JFK Hall, Kilcullen Boxing Club is getting close to moving into its new premises at the Community Centre campus.



The state of the art new facility is currently being fitted out by Kilcullen Homes Limited and should be ready for training use in a couple of weeks.

Amongst the facilities will be a permanent ring, a maple floored general training area which can also be used for seats during tournaments, a sauna and gym as well as associated changing rooms, toilets and showers.

The Club has a long history. It was first established in the 1940s after the mother of local lad Jim 'The Brad' Berney's mother presented him with a pair of boxing gloves and along with pals such as Pat Lynch a first tournament was held in a barn on Hillside.

It subsequently moved to a more permanent premises further down the hill, where they were trained by a Corporal Guilfoyle who was stationed on The Curragh. By this time there was quite a cohort of members, including Fr Ned Connors, Jack brennan, Paddy Aspell, Dick Jeffers and Paddy Bathe.

Corporal Guilfoyle, who had boxed for Ireland himself, was a stern fight master and the lads took their boxing seriously. "He pulled no punches, and you either mixed with him or you got out of the way," Pat Lynch recalls. "But he was a lovely fellow."

At the end of the 40s, the club moved on again to the loft at the back of what was to become The Hideout pub, courtesy of the late Jim Byrne Jr. Jim Berney recalls that amateur boxing in Kilcullen was arguably in its heyday in that era, producing an Olympics representative with Colm McCoy.

The club members fought in tournaments all over Ireland, and also took part in the re-enactments during the 50s of the Donnelly and Cooper fight at Donnelly's Hollow, as part of the national An Tostal festivals programme.

The move to the new JFK Hall happened just after President John F Kennedy was assassinated, hence the name. It is pictured below, today a little the worse for wear.



Jim Aspell is chairman of the club, and coaches include Joe Orford, David O'Brien, Stephen Thackerbery, and Billy Aspell.

Brian Byrne.

Weekend dedication ready

Plans are fully in place for this weekend's dedication of the Dun Ailinne Interpretive Park in Kilcullen.

The actual dedication will be carried out by members of the town's Scout Troop in the presence of a many guests from the locality and beyond.

The park is a representation of the Dun Ailinne royal site a few kilometres south-west of Kilcullen, and includes a landmark sculpture based on the head of a javelin found during archeological excavations at the site in the 60s/70s.

Sir Anthony and Lady O'Reilly of Castlemartin have provided sponsorship for a specially composed piece of music which will get its inaugural performance during the dedication programme.

The piece has been written by uileann piper Liam O'Flynn, a founder member of the famous Planxty group. It is described as a 'musical celebration' of the ancient Royal site.

The javelin sculpture was commissioned from local sculptor Noel Scullion by Kilcullen Community Action and paid for with the help of grants from KELT and Kildare County Council. An explanatory sign at the site was funded by the Heritage Council.

The director of the original archaeological digs at Dun Ailinne, Professor Bernard Wailes, will be the main guest of the opening. Dr Pat Wallace, Director of the National Museum of Ireland will also be there, along with guests from a variety of cultural and heritage groups in Ireland.

In addition, the occasion will incorporate the Irish launch of the Report on the Dun Ailinne excavations, edited by Dr Susan Johnston, a colleague of Professor Wailes.

Steiner friends step it out

The Kildare Steiner School students, faculty and parents celebrated St John's Festival on 27th June.



The event included music and dance, and the the day was capped off with the comedic Class 5/6 play, 'The Search For A Nose'.



The school has also just launched its own blog at http://www.kildaresteinerschool.blogspot.com

GAA Table Quiz

A Sports Table Quiz in aid of Kilcullen GAA Club will be held in Bardons Pub, Kilcullen, on Thursday July 17th at 9pm.

Tables of four will be charged at €80 per team. There are promised various great prizes for the top teams teams, along with spot prizes and a raffle on the night.

Contact Aidan Gleeson on 087-4170329, Des O’Brien on 087-2326225 or Warren Kinsella on 086-3235728 for further details.

Dunshane looks to expand

Expansion on a couple of fronts is on the minds of the people who run the Camphill Community at Dunshane, outside Kilcullen.

The community is negotiating grant funding towards the building of another house on the 28-acre estate where it was established 22 years ago. In addition, it hopes to buy more land to extend its farm.

The planned new building will help with the aim of providing the 20 residents at Dunshane with individual rooms of their own.

When the project comes through, it will be the latest in a number of facilities which the community has built over the years to provide for its residents and co-workers.



In addition to the farm part of its operation, Dunshane also operates a nursery business, and there are baking, basketry and pottery making enterprises, all aimed at enhancing the skills of the community's residents.

Camphill asks prospective co-workers to stay for at least a year, but quite often they stay longer. Although they are quite happy to have young people who haven't yet begun a career, the ideal are people in their 30s who might already have established a career and want to make a change, or take a break from it.

Self-sufficiency is a basic element of the Camphill ethos, hence the need to acquire more land. In addition to growing food, and plants for same through the nursery, all the willows used in basket-making are also grown on the property. The farm operation has just been put under the direction of a trained biodynamic farm graduate from Holland.

The development in recent years of conference and meetings rooms, by a 'hospitality group' within the Dunshane operation has added further income-generating ability as well as serving another of the Camphill key tenets, integration with the wider community.

Dunshane was the original Camphill in this area, and from it came the Bridge Camphill Community in Kilcullen, and the more recent farm initiative at Grangbeg between Kilcullen and Dunlavin.

Brian Byrne.

Electoral shift divides Kilcullen

Kilcullen will be divided in local election voting terms under the revision of the electoral boundaries recently announced.



The main thrust of the change as far as it relates here is that 'part' of Kilcullen is being shifted into the Athy electoral area, along with the townland of Gilltown and the Ballymore area.

Carnalway electoral area remains in Naas.

Although detailed plans aren't available yet, it looks like the Moanbane and Rogan Park estates will be voting for a Naas-based councillor, as also will be the right hand side of the town north of the river, including Logstown and Riverside Manor.

The Athy area part of Kilcullen will be voting for four seats, one extra compared to the existing situation. The three existing seats are currently held by Councillor Rainsford Hendy (FG), Councillor Martin Miley Jnr (FF), and Councillor Mark Dalton (FF).

The changes mean that Naas Area councillors who have been actively courting the votes of Kilcullen people, like Cllr Willie Callaghan (FF) of Naas and Cllr JJ Power (Green), lose much of the benefit of their work here.

The move also splits the base of local FG Councillor Billy Hillis, who loses most of his Kilcullen support as well as Ballymore voters. If he decided to run in the Athy area he would lose a strong cohort of votes from Blessington, half of which remains in the Naas Area. At the other side of the area, Francis Browne of Labour has shifted from Kildare to Athy and will likely be contesting for the new seat.

Brian Byrne.

Arty touch-up for buildings

A group of Fifth Year students from Cross & Passion College have taken on the job of adding a bit of colour to closed shops on Main Street.



Leaning on the tradition behind the former Carroll's Butchers at the bottom of the hill north of the bridge, they came up with a stylised cow that had elements of the Táin times.



At the time the pictures were taken, it wasn't clear what the windows near Dr Kelly's surgery were going to be, but Liz Kilgannon, Elaine Hanlon, Gordon Bond and Lindsey Harnwell were busy at their own concept.

The project is under the auspices of Kilcullen Community Action and follows on discussion at a recent meeting on how closed premises were giving the town a poor image.

Brian Byrne.

Drama Dynamics on the boards

Just another reminder that Evelyn O'Sullivan's Drama Dynamics Summer Stage 2008 runs from Monday July 7 to Friday July 11 in the Town Hall Theatre, Kilcullen.

The school provides an introduction to theatre and improvised acting; auditions for roles where everyone gets their own individual part; set design and costume; and ends with a performance for all the family to enjoy.

The sessions start at 10am and run until 2pm each day.

Contact Evelyn O'Sullivan at 087 6441504.

Marathon take tops €17,000

To date the proceeds of the Kilcullen participants in the Flora Womens Mini Marathon on behalf of the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund stands at €17,233.

There will be no further collection of outstanding money and cards at The Parish Centre. Just phone Phena at 045--485232 or 087--9767531 or leave envelope in Nolan's marked 'mini marathon', as soon as possible.

Niall raises Brannockstown's green

When Brannockstown NS was recently awarded its first Green Flag, they called on Irish football icon Niall Quinn to do the raising honours.



It was an historic day for the school, and a very proud one, according to Principal Esther Reddy on the morning the flag was raised last week.

To get the Green Flag, the School had to implement seven steps. These involved setting up the committee, making an environmental review of the school, developing an action plan, monitoring and evaluating its implementation, some curriculum work, involving everybody, and learning the Green Code.

The original impetus came in 2004 and the inaugural committee worked on a number of projects, including making compost, recycling school supplies and waste packaging, as well as mobile phones and electrical items.

A subsequent committee came up with a slogan competition -- 'The Green Team is our Name and Being Clean is our Game' was the winning one from Tara Fitzgerald.

The book of application was submitted to An Taisce and the school's work was evaluated by Kildare County Council on their behalf. The Council's representative also gave advice on how to improve.



As part of the project, the pupils used the compost they made to fertilise a garden in which they grew potatoes, strawberries, lettuce and herbs. They cleaned out a pond and fed birds as part of the overall scheme, and a 'walking bus' pilot scheme involved the students along with their parents and teachers in walking from a set point outside the village rather than being driven there.

The pupils are clear that this isn't the end of the work. The next stage is to work towards achieving a Green Flag for energy.

Mrs Audrey Finnegan, the school coordinator with the current committee, emphasised that it had been a project involving all the pupils of the school. "Without them it wouldn't have happened," she said.

Esther Reddy said it was an achievement not only for the school, but for the whole community.

Brannockstown Community Committee Chairman Steve Schwer complimented all who had been involved in the school project and said the wider community was very proud of them.

"I hope this award will bring home to the children the importance of the environment and recycling," he said, "and that the good ideas in this project will be brought into their adult life. It's a great day for the school and a wonderful one for the village of Brannockstown."

Green Flag Committee member for 2008 Tara Fitzgerald said the project 'wasn't that hard when we had everybody helping'. "As we went on with it, it got easier to do," she said. Gemma Carey described how they had to 'encourage everybody to put stuff in the right bins', while Colm O'Brien noted that the effort for the next Green flag will involve looking at transport and fuel issues, 'and using less energy in our classrooms'.

Niall Quinn said that as well as all the environmental issues, the students would take from this project the importance of teamwork in their lives.

"You'll understand the importance of a team and that all its components must work together," he said. "Sometimes at Sunderland we don't do it all the time, but we try very hard, and we know that teams that do it right have an entire team that works together."

Using household names from his own career like Ronaldo and Denis Irwin and Paul McGrath, he made the point that it was often the quiet and unassuming ones who could be far more important than 'the ones that were saying everything'.

"Everyone must have their say, and you can learn an awful lot from that," he concluded.

Brian Byrne.

The passing of Dolly Lynch

The Diary has learned with sadness of the death of Dolly Lynch, of Logstown.

Dolly, formerly Margaret Curran of Kennycourt, is reposing at her residence from five o'clock this evening.

She will be sadly missed by her loving husband Pat, and their children Eamonn, Peter, Noel, Padraig and Maread.

Removal will take place on Friday evening at seven o'clock to arrive at Kilcullen Parish Church at 7.30.

Requiem Mass will be celebrated on Saturday at 11am and will be followed by interment in New Abbey Cemetery.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam

The passing of David Broughall

The recent tragic death of David Broughall and his wife Claire in an accident has left many people sad in Kilcullen, where David formerly lived.

He will be particularly missed by his loving father Jim, mother Rosaleen, sisters Anne, Jeannette, Rosemary, Una and Lorraine, brothers Breffni and Michael, his grandmother and extended family, and many friends of the family.

David and Claire are reposing at O'Connor's Funeral Home, Dingle. Removal will take place tomorrow (Friday) evening at 6 o'clock to St Mary's Church, Dingle. The funeral will take place on Saturday after 11am Requiem Mass to St Brendan's Cemetery, Dingle.

The family has requested that no flowers be sent, but donations, if desired, can be made to Dingle Coast and Cliff Rescue c/o AIB, Dingle.

May they rest in peace.

Katie's a four-medal winner

Local young athlete Katie Berney participated in the recent Leinster Athletics Championships in Tullamore and won four medals in the following U/13 events: Gold in 4x 100m relay; Silver in 80m sprint; Bronze in Long Jump and Bronze in 600m.

She qualifies to represent Leinster in the All Ireland Championships in Antrim in July in all four events.

Arts and Crafts courses

An Arts and Crafts course is on offer at Herbert Lodge, The Curragh, during July and August.

The sessions available are from July 21-25, July 28-August 1, and August 4-8.

The activities include painting, drawing, sculpting, and paper crafts as well as dram, juggling, percussion and stories.

Information and booking is available at www.kildare.ie/artycats, artycats@eircom.net, or phone 085 7247666.

Scouts hold Cake Sale

Kilcullen Scouts held a Cake Sale recently to raise funds towards the cost of participating in an upcoming Jamboree.



In typical fashion, the after-mass event in the Parish Centre saw the tables swept clean of a variety of mouth-watering confections provided by the parents and friends of the scouts.



Brian Byrne.

Brannockstown NS Green Flag

There was great excitement last week at Brannockstown NS when Niall Quinn raised their first Green Flag.



There's a slide show here. A full report appears on Friday.

John thinking in novel terms

Kilcullen writer John Martin, who most recently won the Short Story prize at the 26th Dunlavin Festival of the Arts, is considering a novel which will incorporate characters connected with the story, and with his recently performed play.

John's story, 'One Way Ticket', tells the earlier story of one of the characters from his play, 'Over the Top', which was premiered some months ago in the Riverbank Theatre, Newbridge.

"The character is a young lad who is living on a small farm above Donard, a handful of acres," John says. "He went down to Donard and saw British soldiers there, and decided he was going to join up. The theme is, of course, that it was going to be a one way ticket for him, and by extension for 50,000 other Irishmen who died in WW1. The play starts when this lad arrives in France, the short story tells how he arrived in France."

John recently took part in a creative writing course in Kilkenny, and one of the tasks was to come up with an idea for a novel. Now he's trying to structure this same theme and character, along with the other people connected to him, into what he hopes will provide the form for a novel on the same theme.

"Watch this space," he says with a grin.

Brian Byrne.

Fun Day at Scoil Bhride

Parents and teachers at Scoil Bhride held a recent Fun Day for pupils and their siblings as an alternative to the usual Field Day, during poor weather conditions.



Most of the usual activities, including pillow fights and face-painting were held indoors, though a break in the rain and wind allowed the use of bouncy castles and slides outside, as well the usual penalty shootouts.



A great day was had by all.