It Says in The Bridge: April 2010
There's a fine lot of reading to start off the spring in this month's issue, kicking off with a picture of a crane swinging over the CPC as work on the new Sacred Space proceeds apace. The College is hoping that it will be completed by the end of the summer, in time for the new school year.
Meanwhile, another front page story highlights the great entertainment that has been produced in the town over the last while, including the Ger Wolfe Concert, the production of 'Grease' by the CPC Transition Years, and the Drama Group's presentation of 'The Beauty Queen of Leenane'. Not at all bad for a one-street town, and the story points to reviews of each inside.
This year is also 50 years since Irish peacekeepers first landed in The Congo, and there's a promo for an extensive piece inside by Billy Redmond, who was with that 32nd Infantry Battalion which made that particular piece of military history. We'll be doing a piece on Billy's recollections here soon, but in the meantime his first hand record of the event, and of life and times in Kilcullen in those years, are worth buying the Bridge for on their own.
Other news stories in this issue include details of an upcoming summer festival in Brannockstown, that particular village's first. There's an extensive preview of the Solas Youth Cafe which is at last getting ready for launch, the reopening of Stonebrook Pet Farm due in May, and progress on the Community Playground project which has now actually gone to tender. The Carer & Toddler Group mention that they'll be holding a Teddy Bear's Picnic soon for their young members.
In schools news, Brannoxtown NS reports achieving its second Green Flag, the pupils at St Joseph's in Halverstown write about their science experiments and a project on global warming, and the Kildare Steiner School has planted a woodland garden and will shortly be putting down a thousand saplings donated from Canada.
Pauline Fagan and Siodhna Kavanagh report from the very successful (in glorious weather) Manna Market Day, an occasion which also receives extensive photographic coverage. Other photos cover the various concerts and theatre productions, including the Gala Night of 'Beauty Queen', this time donating proceeds to Halverstown NS.
The Environmental News this month focuses on how water is both precious and wasted enormously. Sean Landers returns to the days spent by writer Maeve Brennan in Cross & Passion, at a time when dining there was far from fine. From his Taiwan hideaway he also treats us to his involvement in the local celebrations to start the Year of the Tiger.
Pastor Robert Dunlop muses on moving forward and the inevitable pain that comes when moving 'against the stream'. Bernard Berney says he doesn't know the answer to the question 'Is God Dead?', but he will keep striving to find out. And Sean Clissman tells how he is running the upcoming Kildare Half Marathon to raise funds for cancer research, because his Mam has been fighting the disease for the last two years.
In the sports pages, the Pitch & Putt Club reports on the difficult start to the season because of the weather, the Canoe Club is working on its own website, and there's words and pictures coverage of the young Millview athletes' activities in the Leinster Indoor Championships 2010. Kilcullen GAA is proud of winning the Keogh Cup, and the Badminton Club will be hosting the KBA Juvenile finals on 11 April.
And to end on a congratulatory sporting note, there's a pic and words about Roisin Archbold who won the All Ireland Ladies Youth Boxing Championship in her class. Roisin's grandad is Billy Aspell, one of the founders of Kilcullen Boxing Club. It is Roisin's second All Ireland title in a row.
Brian Byrne.
