It Says in The Bridge: Jan 10

The first 'Bridge' of the new year and the new decade punches home the cold start that both had, in Kilcullen terms. Pat Foley's main picture shows locals helping a van to climb Hillside, recalling snowy times of years ago when this was a 'pinch point' on the main road to Dublin, and often was where transport between the south and the capital broke down.

The front page also highlights a call for help in the European Transplant Games, which will be held in Dublin in August, and which has a special interest for Kilcullen people through their support of the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund established by our own James Nolan. There will be more about this in time, but meanwhile hold the date in your diary for 2 February and a public meeting on the matter.

In the first Editorial of 2010 -- the 'Bridge's 40th year -- we're reminded of the lesson recently learned by the fattened turkeys, 'take nothing for granted'. The words relate also to what has happened to the nation as a whole over the sudden onset of the Recession.

(Turkeys. Yeah. Guess we should have known when we sent one to represent us at Eurovision?)

News in the issue is mainly of the looking back at Christmas and the New Year format, with a lot of emphasis on photographs of various associated events. So we have pictures of parties, from the Canoe Club, the Pitch & Putt Captains Night, the Toddlers Group, Tom and Phena Bermingham's hosting of the 'Miscellany on Sunday', and the Kilcullen Seniors Christmas Part in Keadeen.

There's also visual memories from the Gala Night opening of 'Theft' by Kilcullen Drama Group, the Scoil Bhride Christmas Fair, and the Kilcullen GAA Presentation Night as well as the same club's 'Wags & Wellies' match on St Stephen's morning.

Feature articles have a couple of new twists. There's the first of a series on Kilcullen people at home and abroad working in interesting jobs -- the first is about Mary Bermingham who works with the EU in Brussels. Another piece tells you how to spot if your teenager is using hash. And, if you are interested in Kilcullen's social past, a reprising of entries in 'Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland', is fascinating.

The usual suspects venture rather further than usual, with Billy Redmond wondering about the direction Michael O'Leary of Ryanair might be taking, and Sean Landers sending his letters from Kilcullen and Cork instead of the Taiwan that has been his real home for so many years. He salutes various people who make his visits to Kilcullen special.

James Healy brings a rare enough byline to 'The Bridge' in an extended review of the Kilcullen Drama Group's 'Game of Two Halves'. The rest of us know it as 'Theft', the group's winter presentation that gave many much really good entertainment. James presents this as 'an able cast quickly getting to grips' with 'an intriguing concept'. If you saw it, you'll know. If you didn't, don't miss the spring production of 'The Beauty Queen of Leenane'.

There's also a piece about Gerry Crehan's recent retirement from managing the Silliot Hill recycling and waste distribution facility. Well, there's not getting away from it ... I did that.

Here's to 2010, and 40 years of 'The Bridge' recording Kilcullen past and today.

Brian Byrne.