Farewell, 2008; welcome, 2009

So, was 2008 a year, or was it what?

Nationally and globally a roller coaster, and all downhill. Just look at any economic graph for the year and the shape is just that, the track of roller coaster cars in free-fall after the long slow winch to the top. Gravity always wins in the end.

In Kilcullen it was more local ups and downs, of course. And it has to be said that there were plenty of highs, a couple of them really good peaks resulting from community goodwill and unstinting effort.

For a full lookback that you can keep, check out the Kilcullen Page in the next issue of the Kildare Nationalist. For here, you can easily scroll back through the individual months of 2008 for memory jolts. But in case that’s too much trouble, here are a few of the best and the worst.

It was a year when we were all both Christians and Pagans, the former exemplified by the very successful Chriunniú Chríost parish Gathering. It reminded many of the regular ‘processions’ of their childhood, brought into the 21st century. The pictures on the Diary tell the tale of a religious spirit still strong in Kilcullen.

For the Pagan in us, the erection of the javelin sculpture at the new Dun Ailinne Interpretive Park was the culmination of literally years of effort, on an individual level by our local sculptor Noel Scullion and collectively by the Kilcullen Community Action group. For those of us there to witness the first Spring Equinox sun shining through the edifice was an experience which we can only imagine as akin to that in Newgrange.

Later in the year, the official dedication of the Interpretive Park was a wonderful occasion to bring back both memories and the people involved in the ‘digs’ on Dun Ailinne in the 1960s/1070s. Underscored by the premiere performance of the commissioned music from Liam O’Flynn, the whole weekend was yet again an example of a community celebrating itself and its heritage.

Those last were rare sunshine days in a summer of mainly wet weather, but Sol was also prepared to shine on yet another official dedication, the opening of the new Kilcullen Canoe Club premises. The result of some of the late Pat Dunlea’s vision in tandem with the willingness of the club members to think outside the box, the new place is a fitting headquarters for a club that resulted from yet another visionary, Paddy Maloney.

The work of the afore-mentioned KCA was also splashed out colourfully in the floral window-boxes which gloriously lifted the sodden summer spirit of Kilcullen, as well as the new Christmas lights which helped to keep the legions of doom and gloom at the town limits. In each case, an infrastructure has now been put in place from which to put out even better displays in coming years.

The Community Awards was another splendid occasion to stimulate positivity and mark appropriately the work of individuals and groups for the general good of Kilcullen.

And we must also note the continuing good works undertaken by many of those groups, as illustrated by the Lions, the Senior Citizens, the Womens Mini Marathoners, and too many others to list ... but we all know who they are.

Achievements by our young people during 2008 must also be noted, including the Green Flags won by both Scoil Bhride and Brannockstown NS. Both occasions were marked appropriately, and will without doubt bear great fruit as those young generations grow into an adult world where they can bring the environmental benefits they learned in the projects.

The students of CPC did their own community things too, including the entertainment of ‘The Boyfriend’ produced and performed by the Transition Year students. Those performers who remain in the locality are surely the new blood for the Kilcullen Drama Group, which gave us a 'cracker' of a Christmas entertainment.

Kildare County Council must also be thanked for the success of the new street cleaning team, which certainly made a big difference to the tidiness of the town and backed up the continuing efforts of the Tidy Towns stalwarts.

Business people who invested in improving their street premises, and those who set up new enterprises despite the prospect of recession, also showed their faith in a growing town. It isn’t easy out there, and Kilcullen no more than any other community needs a bedrock of business to remain viable. A new year resolution to support local fist won’t go astray for 2009.

Plaudits must also be noted for the general Kilcullen community, big-hearted as always in supporting the local fundraising of the many worthy causes which are aided by local citizens.

There’s much more to recall with fondness about 2008 in Kilcullen. Unfortunately there were a few downsides too. Petty crime and vandalism remained far too problematical, and we can only hope for improvement as those responsible mature. And although it has for some time been just a small employer, the closure of Renley Engineering’s facility in Kilcullen ended a 38-year story which began when the late Gay Warren met up with Paddy Nugent of Kilcullen Development Association in McTernans. But, sin scéal eile, as they say.

Finally, we lost people too, in the inevitable natural attrition of life. Among others whose passing we may have missed were Ben Atkinson, Stephanie Sheehan, Jim Dempsey, Carmel Kennedy, Kevin Enright, Dick Hendy, Sam Sloan, Ellen O'Leary, Doreen Mullen, Paul Byrne, Sheila Bathe, Jimmy Phillips, David and Claire Broughall, Dolly Lynch, Mary Conway, Paddy Brangan, Ann Berney, Bob Hutton Snr, Andy O'Connor, Lazerian Kelly, Declan Wall, Ronan Conway, and Vincent O'Halloran.

May they, and all other absent friends, remain alive in our memories.

Brian Byrne.