It Says In The Bridge: Jan 09

As is to be expected, the first Bridge of 2009 looks back a lot at the end of last year. But one of the lead stories goes back much further, to many thousands of years ago. It's based on a report produced by Dr Susan Johnston about her work over recent summers on the ancient site of Dun Ailinne. Bottom line, it seems there really is more than meets the eye at the site.

Her investigations suggest there was a much more complex architecture than what had been discovered in the excavations of the 60s and 70s. Des Travers extracts some of the key details of her findings, and hopes that she gets funding and support to investigate further.

That front page also reports the success of the Soccer Club's second team recently, winning a league last conquered by the club in 1997.

Back to the more recent past again, and photographs retell a lot of Christmas tales. They include a presentation from the GAA to KCA towards the Christmas decoration of the square, the latest Credit Union Poster Competition winners, the gala opening night of 'A Christmas Cracker', and the presentation by the Lions of a cheque towards the New Abbey Cemetery Tarmacadam Fund.

There's coverage of Jeffrey Hovenden Keane's win in the RTE 'It's My Show' competition, and a Senior Citizens party hosted by the students of CPC. Junior classes at Scoil Bhride also feature in a spread of pictures taken while they performed their Christmas play ... photographer Pat Foley was certainly working hard over the festive season! He also got to cover the Carol Service held in the Parish Church by the children of Brannockstown and Halverstown national schools.

It is Community Games time again and there are pictures of the run-offs in the Draughts League to represent the town.

Sean Landers, home for the Christmas, records some of the difficulties in getting here from Taiwan, and also the familiar pre-Christmas scenes here in Kilcullen. In his historical article he recalls details of one of Cross & Passion Convents more illustrious past pupils, writer Maeve Brennan. In a later career with the 'New Yorker', she published stories like 'The Devil is in Us', which took inspiratiomn from her two years in Kilcullen's secondary school from 1929.

Billy Redmond goes 'Off the Cuff' on his usual wide range of topics. This time he muses about the fate of the 87 million euros at the centre of the recent Anglo Irish Bank scandal, the unfairness of comedians in their depiction of our current Taoiseach, a certain ennui about not being asked to play at a recent Senior Citizens party, waste depredation in the Church Car Park, and the seemingly insoluble problem of parking on the Church Road.

Finally, a look forward to a town organisation rooted 78 years in the past. Yes, 2009 is the 78th year of Kilcullen Drama Group, and as part of the celebration, they intend to produce Hugh Leonard's play 'A Life'.

We look forward to the party!

Brian Byrne.