Ellie and Kevin wow at 'Liffey' gig

Everybody was expecting to enjoy Luka Bloom's performance on Friday night, but what really blew them all away was the opening act from Ellie McMahon and Kevin McMahon.



Both are students at CPC but not related to each other. Ellie, daughter of Marie Claire McMahon who runs the Stagecoach music and drama school, has been singing for several years at CPC. Kevin is in Transition Year, and took up guitar a couple of years ago.

As 'Life by The Liffey' organiser Ray Kelly revealed before the show started, the pair had just begun rehearsing together the week before.

But they came through with a set in their 'warm up' that brought sustained applause when it finished.

Ellie showed a poise on stage, and a control of voice that belied her young years, and a promise of serious musical ability if she ever wants to take that road.

Kevin, along with guitar, is into songwriting and gave us a rendition of one of his compositions. It sounded good, though he said later that he hadn't yet sorted out the lyrics properly.



Ray Kelly says he plans to provide similar spots for local talent as part of the 'Live by The Liffey' series.

The many faces of Luka

Luka Bloom gave a great concert to a highly appreciative audience in the Town Hall on Friday night.

Fishing licences

Trout and salmon licences are now available for the 2010 season.

They can be bought at Frasers filling station, €15 or €7 for juniors.

Date with Beauty Queen

Kilcullen Drama Group is busy in rehearsal for the 'Beauty Queen of Linane'.

The show opens on March 22. Tickets are on sale now from Bernard Berneys shop.

Crookstown Table Quiz

The annual Crookstown Millview Athletic Club Table Quiz will take place on 13 March in St Laurence's Clubhouse.

Time is 8pm and the cost is €40 a table.

Further information and booking from Mary at 087 9946526.

Luka on stage here tonight

When Luka Bloom takes the stage at Kilcullen's Town Hall Theatre tonight, he'll be quite a different man from the last time he played in the town.

He thinks that was in 1980, in Berney's back room. Which was about the time that he gave himself his current stage name, famously decided on a 747 on the way to the USA.

Among the songs to be heard at the weekend are likely to be a number from his soon to be released album celebrating those two decades as Luka. Last week he talked frankly to the Kildare Nationalist about the different guy he is since he made that transAtlantic crossing.

"We all change," he says. "And when somebody says that to you, the answer should be 'Oh, thank you'. To be honest about it, I think I'm a happier person. I hope I'm a bit more relaxed. And I'd like to think that I'm a little bit better at my job, too."

That last might sound a little coy. But it is a truism that music is the kind of business in which you're always serving your time. Certainly, for Luka, it is like a constant journey.

"You're always exploring and pushing out the boundaries. Sometimes you make good records, and sometimes they're not great. I never seek out a comfort zone, I'm always looking for ways to challenge myself. So that I'll be fresh, and that's what keeps me young."

And he's very clear about that challenge. Then, now, and tomorrow. It is always about the song. "Obviously you look forward to the gigs, and I'm really looking forward to Kilcullen, but it's always about the songs, because the songs determine the gig. The song is the raw material for every gig and every record."

The songs have changed. When he was younger there was a lot of introspection, with the weight of the world sitting firmly on his shoulders. A lot of tragedy. "But over recent years I have consciously opened out, to try and write songs that reflect the nature of my life now as an optimistic person, a very hopeful person."

He has a cycle in his musical life. About two years in duration, starting when he has written enough material for a new album. Then he stops writing, deliberately. "I like the feeling of stopping and just celebrating the songs that are already there. At a certain time my life will have shifted a bit and I go back to writing again and I feel like a newcomer to it."

After the latest hiatus, while working on the production of his latest album in his home in Blacktrench, he wrote his first recent song just a couple of weeks ago. It was a very personal one.

"It was based on a day I spent with my entire family, including my cousins from England who came over to visit my Uncle Jimmy's grave in Meath. It was the very first time seeing his grave, and I just wrote a very simple song about the dream-like experience we all had there.

He might not ever record that song, he says. Perhaps it will be kept for his family. He says that for every 10 songs he writes that end up on a record, there are 10 or 15 more which he sets aside. Maybe because they're too personal, or because he doesn't want to put them out in the public domain.

His audience in Kilcullen is likely to be a broad mix. The Berneys back room people ... and maybe their children. "I suppose it's one of the joys of getting a little bit older that you come across a second generation coming to hear you live for the first time. But I suppose, in truth, most of my audience are ageing along with me as well.

Tickets for the Luka Bloom gig are available at Bernard Berney's Chemists.

Maureen wins Trabolgan

Maureen O'Neill of Sunnyhill was the winner of the big prize of a holiday at Trabolgan in Co Cork, at the recent Playground Fund Table Quiz in The Hideout.



She's pictured above on the left being presented with her prize by Helen Brown.

The very successful event raised over €1,800 for the fund.

Meanwhile a Table Quiz for Kilcullen Lions is being held in The Hideout on 11 March, and Kilcullen Community Action has set the date for its annual Table Quiz, as 12 April.

Happy 100th Birthday, Bridgie

A very special Happy Birthday today to Granny 'Bridgie' Aspell, who has achieved the milestone of a hundred years.

She has had a great day already, chatting with Clem Ryan on KFM and advising him that the secret to a long life is a glass of whiskey every day, 'and a lot of hard work!'. Then a visit to The Hideout at lunchtime to meet some friends, and afterwards to Fallons to be guest of honour at the pub's annual post-Christmas get-together for the town's seniors. She's pictured above receiving a bouquet from Mary O'Neill of Fallons.



Still in very bright form, we pass on to her congratulations on behalf of all of our readers.

And, just in case anyone didn't know, the signs around town will make sure they find out!

Restaurants look to spring

The Good Food Gallery, recently opened in downtown Kilcullen, took the opportunity of Pancake Tuesday to launch a new outside catering menu.

The operation is operated by Paul and Suzanne Carey and following the widely acclaimed arrival of their specialty food shop and cafe to the Kilcullen scene, they are now in a position to cater for family celebrations at home or other special events. In addition to organising and serving the food, the Gallery has a wide range of specially selected wine for any party.

Paul is a qualified chef with a lot of outside catering experience. The new catering menu includes freshly made main courses, salads, desserts and buffet dishes ideal for home entertaining and events. For information, call 045 484551 or e-mail paul@goodfoodgallery.ie

Meanwhile, the Riverside Restaurant on The Square has been relaunched under the management of the Dunlea family.

A new menu will be available in March based on fresh ingredients from local suppliers, and Peter Dunlea says the aim is to provide customers with excellent food and wine at modest prices.

Head chef is Ronnie Wolf, who specialises giving a modern twist to classic favourite dishes. One of these is roast pork which has been spit-cooked in the open air over a wood fire.

The Riverside Restaurant is open seven days a week from 5-10pm Monday to Friday and 10am-10pm on Saturday and Sunday. Further information 045 4829666 or info@theriverside.ie

Next meeting on Transplant Games

Kilcullen will be to the fore in the organisation of a 'Day out in Kildare' for the participants in the European Transplant & Dialysis Games, being held in Dublin in August.

Following the last meeting of the local group set up to help with the Games, local places of interest such as the National Stud are being contacted to see how they can be involved.

Suggestions that local history groups might be asked to help, as well as having tour guides for the buses transporting the vistors are being progressed.

The next meeting of the Kilcullen group is on Thursday 25 at 8pm.

Worry raised over playground funds

The Kilcullen Community Playground Project has expressed concern at what could be a 'major problem' over the €200,000 funding promised by Kildare County Council.

Ironically, the possible hitch only became apparent just as the plans for the project went on public display in the Community Centre this week.

The problem is a statement that availability of the funds is dependent on the successful collection of development levies this year 'within the Athy Electoral Area'.

This flies against an understanding which the Playground Committee had that the relevant funding was to be from the totality of levies collected through the county.

If, as Simon Wallace of the Council's Parks department says in a report to the area councillors, the €200,000 provided for the playground is subject to the collection of this money 'within the Athy Electoral Area', it means the pool of such money is very small.

It excludes levies from Athy town itself, which has its own Council, and only leaves developments in a mostly rural part of the electoral area subject to the relevant collection.

And, while €200,000 might seem a small amount even in that context, it has to come from a small portion of the total levies collected in the area, dedicated to Leisure.

The matter is further complicated when it is estimated among councillors themselves that the income from development levies this year will be as low as a fifth of what they were as recently as three years ago.

Equally, while strenuous efforts are being made to collect levies which are due, it is understood that many are uncollectable. Either because developments haven't been commenced, completed, or developers concerned have gone bust.

Orla O'Neill of the Playground Committee contacted Cllr Martin Miley last night after being made aware of the Athy Electoral Area restriction stipulated by Simon Wallace.

"Obviously we have a major problem if we are awaiting collection of development levies in the Athy Electoral Area," she said, "given you have previously said all [local] levies have gone into the swimming pool and there would be nothing left for the playground. I assume this is an error as we have previously made sure to clarify this question. If you recall, we received and got specific clarification that it is the first €200,000 in development levies in the county of Kildare -- we were aware we were behind Monasterevin, Celbridge and St Lawrences."

Ms O'Neill asked for further clarification as soon as possible, 'as I'm sure none of us want to have a riot on our hands!'.

Cllr Miley told the Diary that he has asked for clarification, and has pointed out that because part of Kilcullen is still in the Naas Electoral Area, levies from that area should also be put into the mix. "The Naas Electoral Area has a responsibility to Kilcullen still," he said.

The provision of the €200,000 is also conditional on the local community raising a further €50,000, fundraising for which is under way.

Brian Byrne.

The Passing of Maisie Bolger

The Diary has learned of the death of Maisie Bolger, Cannycourt, Brannockstown.

Maisie is currently reposing at her residence. Removal from there will take place at 11.30am on Wednesday to St Peter's Church, Two Mile House, to arrive at 12 noon.

Burial will take place immediately afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam

Bardons GS Table Quiz

A fun night at Bardons Golf Society Table Quiz 2010.

It Says in The Bridge: Feb10

(Apologies for being late with this regular feature this month. I really have no excuse.)

There are celebrations from two ends of the age spectrum on the front of this month's Bridge. The headliner is for Bridgie Aspell, who celebrates her 100th birthday this month, and the front page leads to a profile inside by Bernard Berney.

The second congratulations is for the young scientists of Brannockstown NS who won first prize in their category at the recent BT Young Scientists Exhibition in Dublin's RDS.

Both stories are good examples of perseverance against the odds, and of hope and commitment. If there are parables needed for our current times, which really are a small segment both in Bridgie Aspell's life and the span of life which the Brannockstown schoolchildren's are likely to live in the future, they are both very apt.

And then we go inside to find the antithesis of those stories. In the Editorial, which is written to be positive, and overall is, there's a comment on how cutting corners in a local estate built during the Celtic Tiger left a number of homes in danger of flooding from their attic because overflow pipes were left too short. And in the Environmental News page there's a note that a building on Main Street which was erected with considerable variations from the original planning permission has been granted retention. Both those last reflect badly on our local authority, which doesn't seem to be able to monitor development to which it gives permission.

Moving back to the positive side of Kilcullen life, and how it often spreads beyond the town, there's a piece about the progress of local help for the upcoming European Transplant & Dialysis Games. Kilcullen folk can act as volunteer helpers for the event in August, or help with organising a Day Trip to Kildare which is planned.

In features, Shane Nolan gives us an update on 'Camphill Greenacres' in Dublin, where he went to live in 2005. Billy Redmond goes off the cuff on looking after older people in bad weather, younger ones coming out of the discos not at all dressed for the freezing weather, and 'recitations', of which he also gives an example of his own, on set dancing in Kilcullen.

Bernard Berney's profile of Granny Aspell is above all a tale 'of happy consequence', heart-warming and well told, but then he had the best of material to use. Instead of the seven deadly sins, he finishes with the seven secrets of longevity which he garnered from his discussions with Bridgie.

Sean Landers, apparently glad to be back in Taiwan after a 'hectic' two weeks home in Kilcullen, retails his return to work at Annie's English School. The annual prizegiving, an evening when Sean reports having managed to remain relatively sober, was followed by the Great Analysis of the Big Tests. An occasion of humble pie to be consumed, if one's students hadn't done well.

Sean also gives us a report of the destruction of Harristown House by fire in March, 1891. From the 'Kildare Observer' of the time, 'the gaunt walls of the noble mansion were standing, the interior being filled with smoking and charged debris'.

The Schools pages include a report on an ice skating excursion by pupils of Scoil Bhride, as well as their day at the Hallelujah Concert in the RDS. Brannoxtown NS reports on their Science Week organised by the pupils of Third and Fourth Class, while the CPC page leads with the South Leinster Trophy being retained by the school's Senior Boys GAA team. The pupils and parents also raised over €1,700 for Haiti relief, and sent the proceeds of a walk to Old Kilcullen to their regular charity of a C&P sisters medical centre in Lima, Peru.

There are the usual sports reports, from Kilcullen Canoe Club, the Bowling Club, Crookstown Millview Athletic Club, Kilcullen GAA, and the Soccer Club.

And finally, in Robert Dunlop's Pastor's Piece, a description of 'Conscience' from an American Indian. "It is a little three-cornered thing in here" — he laid his hand on his heart — "that stands still when I am good; but when I am bad it turns around and the corners hurt very much. But if I keep on doing wrong, by and by the corners wear off and it doesn't hurt any more."

Brian Byrne.

GAA News

Due to bad weather, all games in Kilcullen were cancelled over the weekend.

This weekend the minors play St Mochu on Sunday morning at 11.45 away venue. The senior team travel to Straffan to play in the Keogh Cup with throw-in at 2.30 on Saturday afternoon.

This weekend sees the start of the Bord Na Nog Competitions with the u-16s playing Round Towers on Saturday at 4pm in Round Towers. While the u-14 Feile starts on Sunday Morning, Kilcullen have a bye.

There was no lotto winner. Numbers drawn were 7, 11, 12, 15. €50 winner Danny O'Connell, €20 winner Albert Keenan.

The Club would like to welcome home Richie Kelly after his year away with work.

Vodafone GAA - support your club with Vodafone Ireland. Kilcullen are now registered on the Vodafone support your club scheme. To register please go to www.supportyourgaaclub.ie. Once on the website put in your name, your Vodafone number and select Kilcullen as the club you would like to support. You will receive a confirmation text from Vodafone within a few minutes. Once registered 5 percenr of your monthly top up or bill will go to our club, with no extra cost to you.

A fight night involving players from a number of clubs in the Kildare and West Wicklow area will take place in the St.Laurence's clubhouse on St.Patrick's night(March 17th). Representing Kilcullen on the night will be Warren Kinsella and Michael "Hook" Kelly. They will both be up against St Laurence's players, with Warren taking on John Fogarty, while Hook will face J P Byrne. Please contact Warren Kinsella for tickets on 086-3235728.

Well done to Jamie Lambe and Jimmy Burke who have both been called up to the Kildare Junior Panel for 2010.


KILCULLEN LADIES GAA

Junior training takes place on Friday at 6.30 at the training pitch. All new players are welcome to attend Tthe under 16 ladies will be getting back to business in the next week as the spring league commences march 14th. Training for the "Kilgarvan" under 14 amalgamation team takes place in Kilcullen on Monday 29th Feb at 7pm.

The presentation night for the 2009 Minor B champions will take place next week. Further details later.

The county minor trials took place over last Saturday and Sunday and the Ragettes were very well represented by Jayne Peacocke, Sinead Maher, Claire Mulrennan, Aoibhinn Smyth, and Emily Vaughan. We wish them all the best as the management decide on their final panel.

Well done to Emma Doyle on making the starting 15 in last weekend's County Senior Ladies match v Armagh. Were all very proud of Emma's achievements on the county team and wish her continued success.

On the county underage scene, three young Ragettes are representing the club at under 14 so we wish continued success to Daire Smyth, Rachel Byrne and Nicola Dowling.

And finally, we would like to thank Eddie Cross of Bardons for his continuous support for the ladies section of the club. For any details on the Ladies section please contact Warren Kelly on 0861991637.

Henry Barrett.

Transplant meeting Thursday

The next meeting of the Kilcullen group organising support for the European Transplant & Dialysis Games will be next Thursday at 8pm.

Kilcullen will be to the fore in the organisation of a 'Day out in Kildare' for the participants in the Games, being held in Dublin in August. Local places of interest such as the National Stud are being contacted to see how they can be involved.

Table Quiz tonight

Bardon's Golf Society are holding their annual table quiz tonight. All welcome.

Parallels of hubris

A couple of things happened this week in cities nearly two thousand kilometres apart. But they were uncannilly parallel to each other.

One was the meeting of Ireland's bishops with the Pope, the leader of a worldwide church. The other was the happenings in Dail Eireann, the gathering place of the leaders of our country.

In both places, the people concerned didn't seem to be aware that they were heading the way of the dinosaurs. And extinction might happen more quickly than anyone could believe.

The full article by Brian Byrne from the above introduction can be read here.

Not yet out of the winter

Well, the snow came back last night, if only in a little amount. Just winter's way of showing that we're not necessarily out of the cold times yet. And, as the young people pictured show, it is still hot coffee time.

Beekeeping course

A five-week introductory course in beekeeping is being run in Athy from February 24.

It is being run by the South Kildare Beekeepers Association and will be held on each Wednesday evenings from 7.30pm.

The cost is €40 and further information is available from Loretta or Jane at 045 401065.

Kildare not so attractive?

The National Stud in Kildare town is the only visitor attraction in the county that makes it into the top 50 such places on the island of Ireland. And in that context it languishes at a mere number 46.

The Guinness Storehouse in Dublin is the top attraction, according to Failte Ireland. It is followed by Dublin Zoo, the Cliffs of Moher, the Giant's Causeway in Antrim, and Ireland's National Gallery.

In all, Dublin has eight of the top ten attractions.

A pity that, with Dublin so close, we don't get more visitors to the capital out here.

Upcoming Table Quizzes

Kilcullen Lions are holding their annual Table Quiz on March 11. Venue is The Hideout.

And Kilcullen Community Action's TQ has been set for 12 April.

Star reading your Wikipedia ...

Luka coming Live by the Liffey

Luka Bloom is one of our own, a local lad from Newbridge who became a global minstrel, bringing his music and his thoughts on life to the world outside his home town, outside his home county, and outside his home country. He's coming to sing in the Town Hall Theatre next week, Friday 26th, for the latest gig in the Live By The Liffey series organised by Ray Kelly.

His mother many times tried to make your editor drink buttermilk as the price of playing after school with Luka's elder brother, but we don't hold that against any of the Moore family. Besides, the plant outside their kitchen door that actually suffered the stuff is long expired. This week, Luka shared his thoughts about just where he is in his own life at the moment. It seems a good place.

It's my first time to play in Kilcullen since I played Pat Keane's back room around 1980. I have changed. We all change. And when somebody says it to you, the answer should be 'Oh, thank you'.

To be honest about it, I think I'm a happier person. I hope I'm a bit more relaxed. And I'd like to think that I'm a little bit better at my job, too.

It's the kind of business in which you're always serving your time. It's a constant journey, you're always exploring and pushing out the boundaries. Sometimes you make good records, and sometimes they're not great. I never seek out a comfort zone, I'm always looking for ways to challenge myself. So that I'll be fresh, and that's what keeps me young.

The current challenge is just the same as it always was, to write a good song. That's really what it's all about, you always come back to the song. Obviously you look forward to the gigs, and I'm really looking forward to Kilcullen, but it's always about the songs, because the songs determine the gig. The song is the raw material for every gig and every record.

I'm about to launch an album to celebrate 20 years of making records as Luka Bloom, and I'm really quite thrilled about it because I recorded it in my home in Blacktrench. Once that's out I'll be hitting the road.

The focus of my inspiration has most definitely changed. When I was younger there was a lot of introspection involved, with the weight of the world sitting firmly on my shoulders. A lot of the songs that I wrote would have involved tragedy, not a lot of optimism. But over recent years I have consciously opened out, to try and write songs that reflect the nature of my life now as an optimistic person, a very hopeful person.

I haven't been writing at all for the last 18 months. I do this every now and then. After I wrote the 11 songs for my latest album I made a conscious decision to stop. I think it's very important for someone like myself to stop writing for a period of time. I like the feeling of stopping and just celebrating the songs that are already there. At a certain time my life will have shifted a bit and I go back to writing again and feel like a newcomer to it. And that's where I'm at right now, starting a whole new cycle of writing, and I'm determined that I won't do another record for at least two years.

I want to explore again what's out there, and what's within myself. The first song I've written in this cycle was a simple one last week, based on a day I spent with my entire family, including my cousins from England who came over to visit my Uncle Jimmy's grave in Meath. It was the very first time seeing his grave, and I just wrote a very simple song about the dream-like experience we all had there.

I don't know if I'll ever record this song, it might be one I'll just keep for my family. For every 10 songs I write that end up on a record, there are 10 or 15 more that are set aside. Maybe because they're too personal, or because I don't want to put them out in the public domain.

I'd like to think that I have both my old audience and new people. When I go to places like Holland or Australia I meet these young boys and girls who tell me that they grew up listening to their parents playing Luka Bloom. I suppose it's one of the joys of getting a little bit older that you come across a second generation who are coming to hear you live for the first time. But I suppose, in truth, most of my audience are ageing along with me as well.

Tickets for the Luka Bloom gig are available at Bernard Berney's Chemists.

Brian Byrne.

Open Night at St Joseph's

The weather was foul and nobody would have been surprised if the recent St Joseph’s NS Open Night had been a washout.

But it wasn’t. A really good cohort of parents and prospective pupils turned out to see what is arguably Kildare’s nicest primary school show off its wares.

“D’you want a bun?” one of the current pupils asked, just after she had pulled a new batch from an oven.

“Sure,” I said.

“Fifty cent,” she said, “or four for a euro. It’s all for Haiti.”

And they were good buns, too. Elsewhere there were demonstrations going on of the computer systems, and the whiteboards were all being busily worked on, the children themselves showing the parents how to use the technology. Many of them were probably bemused at the lack of chalk dust ...

Elsewhere, other St Joseph’s students were demonstrating painting skills, small science experiments, and various other things that simply weren’t on the agenda during this writer’s primary school days.

St Joseph’s recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, and opened a new extension which provides some really modern and bright learning space.

Brian Byrne.

Bardons GS table quiz

Bardons Golf Society is holding its Table Quiz on Monday 22 February.

Things kick off at 8.30 and the price is €40 a table.

All welcome to what should be a craicer of a night.

Did you miss it ...?

Frances Brennan of Old Kilcullen has just been on Derek Mooney's Radio 1 programme, talking about her recent run up the Empire State Building in New York.

No more than did the run itself faze here -- she was the third woman to reach the top, and did it in 19 minutes -- Frances was a natural on the programme today, talking from New York.

Daughter of Denis and Margaret, Frances works in Rosie O'Grady's pub in Manhattan. We had the story on the Diary here a couple of weeks ago, and on last week's Kildare Nationalist (see below).

Frances says she's looking forward to having all the Irish crowd over to Rosie's for St Patrick's Day.

FROM ROUND TOWER TO EMPIRE STATE

by Brian Byrne.

It’s probable that growing up in the shadow of Old Kilcullen’s ancient round tower that one would get a thing for tall buildings.

Which is maybe why Frances Brennan, daughter of Denis and Margaret, made her home in the Big Apple a decade and a half ago. And with a background in her Uncle Eugene’s pub on Old Kilcullen, it was logical enough to find some work behind a bar there.

In fact, Frances was the first ever woman bartender in the famous Rosie O’Grady’s Irish Pub on Manhattan, where she still works and welcomes anyone in the city from Kilcullen and who might be homesick for a voice from the old town.

She had a particular bit of fun last week, though, on the morning of her latest birthday. She ran up the 86 flights of stairs of the Empire State Building!

As you do on a birthday ...

“It was the annual Empire State Building Run Up, which is known all across America,” she told the Kildare Nationalist. “The event is by invitation only, and places are obviously limited. In a moment of madness I applied, and three weeks ago I was notified that I had got a place in the amateur section of the race.”

Being back in Old Kilcullen at the time on holiday, and with there being no stairs in the only ‘skyscraper’ there, the only training she could do was the loop from Old Kilcullen around Yellow Bog Lane and back up to the tower, while trying not to slip on black ice.

“Trying not to slip didn’t work very well, but I did it anyhow. And the hill up by Willis's was as tough as any staircase!”

So, on Tuesday week last she started the Empire State Building run at the back of the pack. A tactical mistake, as it meant she had to mostly walk the first 20 flights before there was room to pass people.

“I ended up doing pretty well, though. It took me under 19 minutes, and I was the third woman to reach the top. And my legs weren’t half as sore as after the hills around Old Kilcullen.”

Of course, Frances is fairly competitive anyhow. She has done the New York Marathon a couple of times and also competed a number of times in the Triathalon. And in April of this year she’s coming over to run the Paris Marathon.

Back in 2001 she used to play football with the Monaghan Ladies GAA team in New York and was picked to play for them on a tour back home, against Kildare. The night before they were to travel there was some celebration in the pub, and Frances didn’t get up in time the next day for a meeting at the south end of Manhattan Island. A friend woke her with a phone call to tell her that planes had flown into the Twin Towers, just across from where the meeting had been scheduled.

Needless to say, the team didn’t get to fly to Ireland that year.

After her most recent tall building episode, Frances can now offer at least one piece of advice. If anyone is over sightseeing in NYC and stuck in a two-hour queue to get to the top of the Empire State, check out the stairwell ... it's a lot quicker!

"Beam me home, Scotty!"
(Swishhh...)
"Hey, I meant ME! Not the whole dang building!"

In today's Kildare Nationalist

Your editor has a number of interesting pieces in today's Kildare Nationalist, including how concerned residents are considering a petition to Kildare County Council over the danger of the junction at Old Kilcullen/Athy Road.

There's also a profile of Pastor Mark Hamblen of Brannockstown, and pictures from the recent Playground Fund Table Quiz in The Hideout.

Another No Name meeting next week

The next meeting to work out the level of interest in having a No Name Club in Kilcullen will be held in the Parish Centre next Tuesday, at 7pm.

Anthony McCormack of the national No Name Club organisation says he hopes as many people as possible will turn up, for a very open discussion on the matter.

"There will be no agenda," he says. "This is a meeting to share information, after which a Committee might be formed to set up a Club."

Fine Gael meeting on health

A public meeting organised by Fine Gael for Thursday night next in Keadeen Hotel will be part of the party's ongoing consultations on how to fix the health services.

Registration will begin at 8pm. At 8.30pm there will be some brief presentations from the Fine Gael team followed by an open forum session.

The meeting will be attended by Fine Gael Party Leader, Enda Kenny TD.,Fine Gael Spokesperson for Health and Children, Dr James Reilly TD and Senator Frances Fitzgerald.

The purpose of the event will be to outline the Fine Gael approach to fixing the health service and to introduce Universal Health Insurance for all. The organisers hope to hear the views and ideas of local patients, people and health service staff on how to improve the health services.

The discussion and ideas generated will be fed into Fine Gael’s health strategy.

Any old phones?

If you have any old mobile phones around you could help Brannockstown NS get another interactive whiteboard.

Esther Reddy tells us the school is just 35 phones short of the 300 target in their collection for the Jack & Jill Foundation.

The pupils also collected more than €3,800 for the Haiti disaster, which has been given to GOAL.

GAA update

Congratulations to the Cross and Passion College Senior Boys GAA team who retained the South Leinster 'C' Championship after an outstanding display against Coláiste Eoin from Carlow in the final last Thursday on a scoreline of 3-12 to 0-9. Best for the CPC were Padraig Fogarty, Séamus Pembroke, Paul Bell, David Harris, Keith Kinsella and Man of the Match, team captain Fionn Dowling. They now advance to face the North Leinster champions in the Leinster semi-final in the coming weeks.

Kilcullen GAA would like to sympathise with Donal St Leger, on the passing of his sister Carmel. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Senior training has recommenced under new manager Dessie Brennan. Training takes place on Tuesday and Thursday nights at 7.30pm, new players welcome. Kilcullen play their first competitive match of 2010 with a home fixture against Ballykelly on Sunday 21st Feb at 2.30pm.

Well done to the minors who won their first rnd league match against Monasterevin on Sunday morning on a scoreline of 3-10 to 1-08. Next up for the minors is a home fixture on Sunday morning against Ballykelly at 11.45pm.

Membership for 2010 is now due and can be paid to any committee member.

Happy 21st Birthday to Ciaran "Curly" McMahon who celebrated his birthday lately.

Kilcullen junior ladies team are now back in training for the 2010 season. We are always looking for new girls to come down and be a part of the "Ragettes" regardless of age, fitness or ability levels. Training takes place on Mondays and Fridays at 7pm and anyone interested in taking part can call or text Warren Kelly on 0861991637.

Well done to Emma "Dezzy" Doyle who is currently flying the Kilcullen flag on the county senior team. Best of luck to Aoibhinn, Claire, Emily, Jayne, Kayle, Laura, Sinead and Zainab as they will take part in trials for the county minor panel this weekend.

All of our underage teams will be back in training in the next few weeks and we are playing teams in u12,u14 (amalgamation with Athgarvan) and u16 competitions. These teams are vital for the future of the ladies section and without mentors for these teams, we cannot continue to compete at any level. A ladies meeting will take place Friday 19th at 7pm in the clubhouse and we urge parents of our girls to come down and get involved in any way as help is always needed.

And finally, a big thanks to Eddie Cross of Bardons for his continuous support as sponsor of Kilcullen ladies GAA.

Henry Barrett
086 1677829

St Luke for Lent

Interested in doing something different this Lent? If so, why not join in a prayerful journey through St Luke’s Gospel?

Lectio Divina meditation and prayer will begin on Thursday 18 February at 10.30am. Places are limited to 10 per group so please book early.

You may sign up by contacting the Parish Office on 045-480727.

Chruiniu Chriost 2010

A preliminary meeting to organise the 2010 Chruinniu Chriost will take place on Thursday next.

The venue is the Parish Centre, the time 8pm.

Anyone interested in helping to get the ball rolling is welcome, especially those who have been involved in the event over the last couple of years.

More details available from Petra at 087 2941003.

Seniors party

Fallons cafe bar is hosting the annual senior citizens Spring Break Party on Wednesday 24 February.

Time is 2.30pm.

Early bird for Valentine weekend

The Riverside Restaurant has a special Early Bird menu for the Valentine Weekend.

The €25 price covers two courses and includes a glass of wine.

For something different why not try Carpaccio of venison as starter, with maybe Caramelised breast of Brackland duck for mains? Potatoes and vegetables selection included.

Meanwhile, with the arrival of spring, the Riverside plans to offer a new bistro menu at this all in price seven nights a week.

Watch this space.

Growing concerns about junction

After yet another traffic accident at the junction of the old Carlow road and the Athy road, local people are getting really angry about the situation.

The Diary has had a number of representations about it and will be doing a substantive report soon.

If there are more views and opinions out there on the junction, please let us know.

Storytelling coming

Storyteller Julie Duane will be making a return visit to Kilcullen Community Library on Saturday 27 February.



Fabulous fables, terrific tales, and stellar stories guaranteed.

All young people (and their parents) welcome.

Library closed for week

Kilcullen Community Library will be closed this coming week, from Tuesday 16 to Saturday 20 inclusive.

No Name Club planned

A preliminary meeting last night decided that there is enough interest in establishing a No Name Club in Kilcullen to warrant a full public meeting on the matter.

This will take place on 23 February in the Parish Centre, from 7pm.

All are welcome. The No Name Club organisation caters for young people from 15 upwards in an environment without drink or drugs.

Playground fund grows

Monday night's Table Quiz fundraiser in The Hideout for the Playground Fund was very successful, with €1,800 raised.

The well-supported event followed another successful initiative for the cause, the weekend Bag Fill held in Tesco, which raised €1,600.

The Community Playground Project will cost €250,000, a fifth of which must be raised by the community.

Retention application granted

A planning application for retention of a controversial development in Kilcullen has been granted to the developer concerned by Kildare County Council.



James Browne had applied for retention of the development beside The Hideout pub, subsequent to the serving of an Enforcement Order by the Council because of a number of significant variations from the original planning permission.

The retention was granted following a submission from the developer which addressed a number of points made in an objection by Kilcullen Community Development.

In regard to a key variation from the original permission, a higher roof ridge line, Fitzgibbon McGinley Architects produced photographs to show that there are already a number of such variations along the streetscape of Kilcullen. They claimed that the building represented a 'more coherent' addition to the existing streetscape than many of the buildings along the length of the street, and that it had 'no negative impact' on the existing streetscape.

Responding to the objection that the development as carried out had a negative impact on the adjoining Hideout building, the architects showed photographs from a number of points of view and suggested that Conservation and Visual impacts were 'neutral'.

On the matter of ridge heights, eaves and alignment of windows and cills, the architects submitted that there is 'no uniformity' of these elements in the existing streetscape, the present appearance of which is the result of 'piecemeal development' along its length. The report suggests that this variation is 'very much what forms part of the character' of the streetscape.

A letter from the developer to the Council referred to issues relating to sliding glass doors and raised parapet walls on a 'deck' at the rear, overlooking the vent pipes from the tanks of the nearby petrol filling station. In the original permission, fixed glazed units would have made it impossible for occupants to access this deck. Mr Browne stated that the sliding doors were provided 'to amalgamate the previously proposed functional elements and provision of day-light and ventilation'. The parapet walls were raised after a 'significant personnel protection hazard' was identified during construction.

In relation to the petrol station vent pipes, an accompanying report from Fergal FitzPatrick Architectural submitted that they were sufficiently offset from the boundary of the development and are 'in excess of the minimum requirements' for such installations.

In a Planning Report dated 12/11/2009, Executive Planner Alan Cunniffe recommended refusal of the application for retention. On the 13/01/10, Mr Cunniffe changed his recommendation, on the grounds that the developer had 'successfully argued' that the development as constructed had been amended in order to comply with a number of building control regulations and best practice in terms of Health & Safety. He also referred to the reports which showed a number of examples of developments in Kilcullen which 'do not exhibit symmetrical alignment.

He also said the the original development was 'poorly designed', which led to a number of 'mandatory amendments'.

The developer is required to pay Kildare County Council €30,900 in levies.

The developer and the objector were notified of granting of retention permission on 21 January 2010. Any appeal to An Bord Pleanala must be made withing four weeks of that date.

Brian Byrne.

Fallons gets another award

Fallons Cafe Bar has added another award to its already crowded shelf of accolades with the achievement of the Service Excellence Award at the recent Failte Ireland Optimus Awards.

The event was held in Galway and Fallons were among 20 operations given the award for their ongoing commitment to continuous improvement and business excellence.

The Optimus programme, developed by Fáilte Ireland, aims to help tourism establishments – including hotels, restaurants and visitor centres - achieve excellence in every aspect of their business.

Pictured at the awards ceremony are Brian Fallon; Adrian Cummins, Restaurant Association of Ireland; with Mary O’Neill, Sarah Kelly and Grace Brannock of Fallon’s of Kilcullen.

The Passing of Don Charlton

The Diary has learned, with sadness, of the death of Don Charlton, The Fields, Carnalway.

Don is reposing at his residence from 1pm Tuesday and removal will take place on Wednesday afternoon at 2pm to St Peter's Church, Two Mile House.

The funeral in the adjoining cemetery will take place after 2.30pm Requiem Mass.

The family has requested no flowers, but donations may be made, if desired, to St Luke's Hospice.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam

GAA update

The lotto jackpot of €3,800 was won on sunday 7/2/10, winning no's 6,8,13,18, winner Martin Deegan, promoter Bobby Walker; €50 winner John Ivers; €20 Johnny Goulding.

The minor league starts on Sunday with Kilcullen away to Monasterevin, throw in at 11.45. The Keogh Cup starts on the 20th Feb, Kilcullen have been drawn against Sallins, Straffan and Ballykelly.

Senior league will start on the 27th March. Junior leagues will start 8th April.

Membership now due for 2010, can be paid to any committee member.

Henry Barrett.

The Passing of Brigid Clifford

The Diary has learned of the death of Brigid Clifford of Grangemore.

Brigid is reposing at Doyle's Funeral Home, Ballymount, from 7 o'lock this evening.

Her removal will take place on Wednesday morning at 10.15 to Kilcullen Parish Church, via Gormanstown and Grangemore, arriving for 11am Requiem Mass. Interment will take place afterwards in St Brigid's Cemetery.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam

Rude Health Week

The Healthy Living Centre in Athy is organising a Rude Health Week for the area, beginning Monday 15 February.

Kevin Connolly, owner of the Healthy Living Centre, hopes that by introducing people to the many ways they can improve their wellbeing during this week, it will help them to embrace a naturally healthier lifestyle.

The week follows on from the Rude Health Exhibition held each September, organised by the Irish Association of Health Stores (IAHS).

Irish Lightweight boxing champion Eric Donovan will open the week at a tea party and launch at lunchtime on the Monday.

Over the five days there will be a variety of healthy living items featured, including reflexology for babies, yoga for mums and kids, women's health consultations and spiritual healing sessions.

A draw for a hamper will take place on the concluding day, Friday, carried out by Jack Wall TD.

Further information and bookings for any of the events can be obtained by calling Kevin Connolly, 059 8641535 and 087 4183021.

Most of the activities are free, but space and time is limited, so booking is advised.

New Health Care Centre in Crookstown

(This is the full story which was published recently in the Kilcullen page of the Kildare Nationalist.)

A new Health Care Centre in Crookstown is aimed at filling a gap in such services in the area, where people needing medical help currently have to go to one of the larger towns in mid-Kildare or Carlow.

The centre, which includes a Well Woman Centre, is the brainchild of a husband and wife who are both doctors, and who have made their home in Ireland for many years.

Dr Haroon Sabri previously worked in Portlaoise General Hospital, and prior to that in Naas Hospital, as a consultant in the A&E Department. He has also worked in Galway and Cork. His wife Roohina, a gynaecologist, had also set up a Well Woman Clinic in Portlaoise in recent years.

“One of my staff in Portlaoise who lives around here mentioned that anyone who needed a doctor had to go to somewhere like Kilcullen, Athy Carlow or Portlaoise,” Dr Sabri says. “She suggested that there was an opening for a medical centre in the area. “As it happens, foreign doctors like myself are not allowed to work for more than three years in the one hospital, and I was going to have to move anyway. So we decided to set up a practice in Crookstown.”

Dr Sabri was facilitated by local businessman Seamus Reilly, who redesigned two retail units in Crookstown to provide all the accommodation needed by a full medical centre.

“There is a definite potential for our practice here, because in the hinterland of Crookstown, which includes Halverstown, Timolin and Ballitire, there are some 8,000 people living in the area.”

The Haroons are originally from Pakistan, which Dr Sabri recalls as being very beautiful, but is now very troubled and not an easy place to live in since the events of 9/11. “My family is there, and there are many opportunities for a doctor to work, but security is now the issue. You have to wonder also about bringing up your children in such a situation.”

The Haroons’ son is studying Fifth Year medicine himself in the UCD Medical School.

Dr Sabri is very aware of the challenges involved in setting up a complete new medical practice where there hasn’t been one before. “It isn’t easy, or quick. But it is mainly about personal contact, and letting people know that we are here. We have planned two Open Day sessions, for instance, where people can come and see the facilities which we have here, and meet with us.”

As well as the General Practice service, Dr Roohina will be operating a Well Woman Clinic in the Crookstown centre, in addition to the one in Portlaoise.

What the new centre is offering to a quite scattered rural community is a convenience which they haven’t had up to now, and a GP practice with access to any particular speciialists who may be needed.

“A number of consultant colleagues, including paediatrics and ENT, have agreed to come to the centre when required, and we have the latest computer link-ups with the local hospital system, so we can immediately access the results of tests, x-rays, and other information.”

Indeed, a number of new online systems are imminent in in Ireland which will make the work of a rural medical centre even more efficient, allowing direct computer to computer links between consultants and other sources of expertise.

Dr Sabri’s work in A&E departments has given him a wide range of experience in the typical ailments of different age and demographic groups, so there’s not likely to be anything presented which he hasn’t been in contact with.

The facilities at Crookstown have been designed so that there is plenty of space as the practice grows, and it will include nurse, physiotherapist and chiropody services in due course.

The receptionist at the centre is well known to Kilcullen people. Patricia Deering is one of the popular Shortt family.

Information on Women’s Health Care and Family Planning will be available at an upcoming Open Day sessions on Thursday 11 February from 7-9pm.

Further information is available from 059 8623558 or email crookstownhc@hotmail.com

Brian Byrne.

Live by the Liffey

Live by the Liffey presents Luka Bloom in concert on Friday February 26th at 8pm.

Adm €20. Ticket info - 0872636375. Ticket sales Bernard Berneys Chemist Main St Kilcullen.

Live music in an intimate setting.

Coming on March 18th - Ger Wolfe Adm €15.

And now we hand over to Dallas ...

I live in Dallas, Texas, and read the Kilcullen Diary daily. THANK YOU! It is a great way to stay in touch with all the goings on back home!

Just read the note from Frances Brennan re the Empire State Building Run Up. It was on the news here in Dallas and they showed the first woman to finish ... congrats, Frances.

I too was home for Christmas and New Years and impressed that Frances was out running in those conditions!

Suzanne Dixon.

Old Kilcullen conquers the Empire State

Congrats on your five years anniversary of The Diary

I live in NY and it's a great way to follow the news and goings on from home!! Have some news from NY today that you might be interested in. The annual Empire State Building Run Up was on this morning ... consists of running 86 flights of stairs to the top of the Empire State! In a moment of madness I decided to apply for a place (it's invitational only) as it was been held on morning of my birthday.

I was notified three weeks ago that I'd been accepted to run the amateur race. As I was home at time and only 'skyscraper' in Old Kilcullen has no stairs, the only training could I get in was the loop from Old Kilcullen down around Yellow Bog lane and back up to OK, while trying not to slip on black ice (didn't work). But the hill up by Willis's was as tough as any staircase or stairmaster!!!

Started the climb this morning at back of pack, as my only intention was to finish in one piece. It ended up being really slow start -- had to walk the first 18/20 flights before there was room to pass people, but ended up doing pretty well. I completed the climb in under 19 minutes and was the third woman over the finish line; and legs not half as sore as after the hills in Old Kilcullen!!

So, if anyone is over sightseeing in NY and stuck in a two-hour queue to get to the top of the Empire State, check out the stairwell ... it's a lot quicker!!

Frances Brennan (Old Kilcullen).

Playground project website

The Kilcullen Community Playground Committee has set up its own website, so that information on the project and the fundraising programme can be easily found.

The site is here.

The passing of Carmel St Leger

The Diary has been informed of the death in London of Carmel St Leger, formerly of Kilcullen, on February 2.

Carmel, sister of Donal, left Kilcullen in the late 1940s and nursed in London for many years.

Carmel was predeceased by her parents Mick and Louie, her sister Lourda and her brother Jim. She is survived by Donal (in New Jersey), several nieces and nephews.

She will be cremated in England and her ashes will be brought to Kilcullen for burial at a later date.

To Donal and the St Leger family members we extend our condolences.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam

Badminton news

Kilcullen Juvenille Badminton Club, building on last year's success, once again came home with Trophies from the recent Leinster Branch BUI tournament.

This event was held in Terenure on Jan 30/31. Our juveniles were represented in most age groupings and reached the finals in four categories:

Gareth Hogan & Darren Lee-WINNERS Boys U17 Doubles; Darren Lee-R/Up Up Boys U15 Singles; Aisling Wilmot-R/Up Girls U11 Plate; Ben O Shea-R/Up I Boys U11 Doubles with his Dublin partner.

Special mention to Alex Houlihan and Eoghan Stafford who played really well in their Group but missed out on the finals.

This year Kilcullen Juvenile B Club have been very successful in having 10 of our players chosen to represent Kildare in the Inter-County Competition scheduled for February in two venues - Dublin and Kilkenny.

They are: U17 Hannah Byrne, Gareth Hogan, John Byrne, Eoin Stafford, Alex Houlihan; U15 Yvonne Phelan,Darren lee, Harry Murphy; U13 Melissa McMahon, Jack Kelly.

Well done to all, we wish them all the best in their matches.
Special thanks must go to our Club Coaches - Clare Flood and Sheila Smyth - for their dedication and enthusiasm to our Juveniles and for making this season our most successful to date.

We eagerly await the Westside Tournament which will be held in Kilcullen on 6 and 7 Feb. The KBA finals are scheduled for 10 April.

Ronan Murphy.

Sunset

Sunset beyond the pond on Old Kilcullen Green. Brian Byrne/Kilcullen Diary.

GAA Juvenille Registration

Kilcullen GAA Juvenille Registration day will take place on Saturday 6th Feburary at 1.30pm in the clubhouse. For more information contact Franny Kenny 087-2215389.

Club membership is now due for 2010, and can be paid to any committee member.

There was no winner of this weeks Lotto Jackpot, numbers drawn were 6, 9, 11, 19. €50 winner Tom Cross jnr, €20 winner Eddie Cross.

Senior training has recommenced under new manager Dessie Brennan, training Tuesday and Thursday nights 7.30pm, new players welcome.

The U-16s Boys football league will commence on the 27th February, and will compete in Division 2. The U-14 Seile will commence on sunday 28th Febuary and will compete in the C competition.

Credit Union quiz

The annual Kilcullen Credit Union Schools Quiz was held yesterday afternoon in Scoil Bride.

There was a full house. The questions weren't easy but the young people didn't seem to be having too much difficulty in answering them.

Obviously all a credit to their parents and teachers.