St John's Festival at Steiner

Scenes from last weekend's St John's Festival at the Kildare Steiner School. Trish Whelan/Kilcullen Diary.

Summer flowers collection

Thanks to investment in infrastructure over the last few years, the cost for window boxes for Kilcullen's now familiar summer floral display has been reduced to €30.

The boxes are now in place and are already showing a summery look to the Main Street.

A street collection on 3 July will be held to raise funds for the effort, to augment donations from businesses and householders on the street itself.

A spokesperson for KCA noted that the displays are enjoyed by everyone who comes into the town for their business and leisure needs, and hopes those outside the immediate Main Street area will show their appreciation for the effort on the collection day.

GAA plays Gracefield

Kilcullen face Offaly side Gracefield tonight in a challenge match.

The game takes place at 7.30pm at home in Kilcullen.

Library targeted by robbers

Kilcullen Library was the latest target last week in what seems to be a series of raids on part-time libraries around the county.

A small sum of money was taken when the emergency door at the rear of the premises was forced. It is a similar modus operandum to recent robberies at Monasterevin and Castledermot libraries.

The Kilcullen burglary happened at some time between Tuesday evening and Friday morning. The Library was closed for the day as a result.

Meanwhile, the local service will be closed for annual leave from 5-10 July, with actual reopening on Tuesday 13 July.

Paulo gives Riverside a thumbs up

The Riverside Restaurant in Kilcullen recently received a very favourable review from food and drink critic Paulo Tullio in his Saturday Independent Magazine column.

Operated by Nessa Dunlea, her son Peter and a very skilled staff, the Riverside and its The Kitchen companion establishments have established themselves as fine additions to the culinary options in Kilcullen, now of a variety and level far higher than might be expected of a small town.

Stagecoach Summer School

A Holiday Workshop organised by the Stagecoach Theatre Arts School will be held in Kilcullen's Cross & Passion College from 16-20 August.

The workshop caters for students aged 4-16 and promises small classes with professional tuition in drama, singing and dancing. It is open to those who are not already students of Stagecoach as well as existing pupils.

Further information and booking from 045 484879.

Knock pilgrimage set

The date for the Kilcullen Parish Pilgrimage to Knock has been set for Sunday 25 July.

The cost is €25 per person, and should be paid at the Parish Office prior to the date of the event. The price does NOT include food or refreshments, but there will be refreshment and meal stops in the course of the travel.

A bus will leave at 8am on the day, returning later in the evening. Highlights of the day will include Rosary around the Basilica, Mass, Blessing of the Sick, and Blessing of pious objects.

Eddie Relihan retires

Sergeant Eddie Relihan is retiring after being in charge of Kilcullen's Garda Station since July 2005.

A party in will be held in Bardons on Thursday night to mark his retirement.

Prior to coming to Kilcullen, Sgt Relihan served in Kildare town. He replaced Sgt Tom Duffy, who served as a member of the force in Kilcullen for 34 years.

Kilcullen quilter from the Oregon Trail

Kilcullen is a long way from the Oregon Trail, but one of the great traditions from that fabled part of America's Old West has found its way to this little mid-Kildare town.

Read more »

SPCA collection on Thursday

The annual collection day in aid of the Kildare & West Wicklow Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will be held on Thursday 1 July.

The organisation is dedicated to relieving the suffering of all animals and birds which are injured through accident or neglect, especially pets and farm animals in that situation.

Volunteers are needed to help with the collection, and anybody who would like to help should contact the KWWSPCA at 087 6887136 or 087 2054955.

Volunteers needed for animal welfare day

The annual collection day in aid of the Kildare & West Wicklow Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will be held on Thursday 1 July.

Volunteers are needed to help with the collection, and anybody who would like to help should contact the KWWSPCA at 087 6887136 or 087 2054955.

Adrienne is bloomin' gold

Kilcullen Flower and Garden Club 's chairperson and founder member Adrienne Thompson won a gold medal in the AOIFA (Association of Irish Floral Artists) at the recent Bloom Festival in Dublin.

It was the first time for AOIFA to run this particular competition and her exhibit was named 'Suffused with Style' and consisted of a classic triangle with pink roses.

Yellow Bog barbecue for kidneys

The residents of the Yellow Bog Road organised a Summer Barbecue to raise funds for the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund.

Despite the weather not being cooperative, a great night was had. Nolans Butchers provided the food and the event was organised by Frances Fagan and Teresa O'Brien. A cheque for €500 was subsequently presented to John Lambe, representing PKRF.

Strong Kilcullen group in Half-Marathon

There was a strong contingent of Kilcullen people competing in the recent Kildare Half-Marathon, the 13.1-mile precursor to a full Marathon next year.

They included Ray Kelly; James Delaney; David, James and Albert Keenan; Sean Clissman;, Derek McCallan and Orla O'Neill; Harry Reddy; Joan Dempsey; Beano Hughes; and Sinead Foley.

The event took in the Curragh Camp, Ballysax, Cutbush, Japanese Gardens and finished in Kildare Town.

Halverstown NS rally

Halverstown School Vintage & Classic Rally Sunday 26th September 2010.

Motorbikes – Cars - Tractors

Registration €20 (inc. Refreshments)

To Register your vehicle please contact Alan (086) 8624895 or email halverstownrally@eircom.net

It Says In The Bridge: June 10

The front page stories this month both relate to roads. In the main case, the FBD Ras cycle road race which had a stage end and start during the last month, and illustrated in a picture of a bunch of competitors pumping up Hillside to the finish. Also pictured is Pat Berney, KIlcullen's 'best known cyclist', looking on.

Read more »

'When you have children, you're living in a different world'

"It needed to have the kind of information about bringing up a young child in Kilcullen that I wish I'd had at first."

That's how Iseult O'Donoghue describes the just-launched publication 'It Takes a Village', a collaborative effort by members of the Carer & Toddler Group that meets once a week in Kilcullen's Parish Centre.

Which is, in a way, strange, because Iseult was herself raised in Kilcullen, and the group itself was set up by her mother, local librarian Julie O'Donoghue.

"But when I came back here after being away for 13 years, Kilcullen had changed immeasurably," says Iseult, a teacher like her dad. "Besides, when you have children you're living in a different world. You're looking for different things."

And you find out things like, as she says, that 'everywhere has stairs when you're pushing a buggy'.

Talking with other young mothers, Iseult found them mentioning places they would take their families to that she had never known existed. And it gave her the idea that some kind of handbook or guide to parent/child resources would be very useful.

"In the Carer & Toddler Group we talked about it for quite a while, brainstorming ideas, looking around to see what was out there. Eventually some months ago we decided we'd have to get down to doing it if we wanted a publication done before the summer."



The result is 'It Takes a Village', the title based on the old African proverb that 'It takes a village to raise a child'. The 16-page booklet was distributed last week as an insert to Kilcullen's Community magazine, 'The Bridge', and was launched at an event in The Hideout pub.

It includes listings of places to go out and about with the family in the area, available leisure activities and services, articles on a number of parent-child matters, recipes, and the results of a survey of parents, teenagers and primary school children in Kilcullen.

"It's not perfect, but we're happy that it is a start," says Iseult. "We're looking for feedback, and we hope that services and resources who aren't listed will get in touch and we can add them when we publish the guide on our internet site."

The practical aspects of doing the publication were restricted by the time and work constraints on the crew doing the work, who included Darina O'Brien, Jen Wilson, Siobhan Purves, Lynn Worrall, and Leonie McNabb. "It was put together at our kitchen tables, with kids running around or at our feet," Iseult recalls. "But it was a great experience, both making the publication and working with the other women."

The publication was launched by Mary Berney, one of the founders of the Carer & Toddler Group, who said she was very glad to have been in on the start of 'something that has turned out so well'.

Brian Byrne

(This article was originally published on the Kilcullen Page of The Kildare Nationalist.)

Brannockstown call for artists

Artists from across Kildare are invited to provide examples of their work for a special showcase at the Brannockstown Village Festival, planned for the weekend of 10-11 July.

Those participating will join with the works of local non-professional and child artists at the festival, which has the theme 'Brannockstown - Our Village, Our People, Our Heritage & Culture.

The exhibitors will also take part in a competition with categories of Visual Art, Sculpture, and Photography. Age ranges go from 3-adult. Details of rules and specifications are available from Amanda Horan at 086 8034910.

The festival schedule already includes a Heritage Talk & Walk, a Village Picnic for residents and their families, and Trad Seisun and Ceili night with dancing at the crossroads. A Crafts and Artisan Fair as well as a 'Brannockstown's Got Talent' contest is also planned. The festival is being supported by a grant from Kildare County Council.

Full details from the brannockstown.com website.

GAA Family Day upcoming

Kilcullen GAA is holding its annual Family Day on Sunday 27 June.

The event is always a lot of fun and includes a Barbecue and refreshments as well as novelty games and contests for members and their families alike.

It runs from 1-4pm.

Great response to CPC classic

The Cross and Passion College Golf Classic takes place on this Friday, June 18th, in The Heritage at Killenard.

At this stage there are only two slots left for teams. Anyone interested in playing can contact Derek Phelan on 0878094900.

The Parents Association will be giving out prizes at around 10pm on the day. There are lots of great prizes in the raffle, for which tickets can still be bought.

Festival invitation to business

The organisers of the Kilcullen River Festival, scheduled for 22 August, have issued an invitation to any business in Kilcullen to set up a stand at the one-day event.

They say it is an excellent way for any business to promote itself locally.

Further details can be found by emailing kilcullenriverfestival@gmail.com

An older Ireland

This map of Ireland from the 1500s is interesting from a lot of perspectives, not least the fact that Kilcullen is designated only as Castlemartin.

The proportions are crazy of course, quite apart from the overall shape of the country, and the positioning with the East down. But it's interesting to see the names around Kildare: Carloo (Carlow), Palemone (Moone), Kylmans (Kill), Clame (Clane), Nosse (Naas), Luceon (Lucan), Kyldar (Kildare) Glandalag (Glendalough), Balkynglas (Baltinglass). It is also very much a map of the fiefdoms of the time.

The mispelling of the O'Byrne as O'Bryne is still one that I come across today, especially when I'm booked into a hotel abroad, where getting the head (and the tongue) around the Byrne name is a little difficult.

Balloons of memory and hopes

When a hundred Sixth Year Cross & Passion College students released their blue-and-white balloons into the sky above Kilcullen recently, they were marking a rite of passager to a new stage in their lives.



School Principal Paul Tyrrell told them it was a 'very special' night on a number of levels.

"It is a new stage in your life's journey, with new freedoms, new responsibilities and new challenges," he said at the Mass which preceded the symbolic release of the balloons.

He said there will be new opportunities for them, which will mean choices that would bring them in different directions, make them new friends.

"We hope you will sieze those opportunities, and grasp them with enthusiasm and confidence," he said, adding that the only limitations on their lives would be the ones that they place on themselves.

"You are the powerhouse, the driving force in your lives. Please make sure you use that power."

The school's chaplain, Fr Paddy Ryan, asked them to 'be a light to the world' that would bring goodness and hope into the lives of all those around them'.

"Think what you can bring to the world," he said. "You will get from the world exactly what you put into it, no more, no less."

He concluded by expressing his hope, and the hopes of their parents and teachers, that they would live up to the ideas and values which had been set before them in their homes and at the school.

The Mass concluded with music provided by the students, and presentations to Fr Paddy and to their teachers.

A reception back in the CPC Assembly Hall was organised by the Parents Association.

Brian Byrne.

(This piece was originally published on the Kilcullen Page of the Kildare Nationalist.)

Church footpath works next week

Work will begin next week to cobble-lock the footpath from the church car park to the parish church, according to local councillor Martin Heydon.

Following his representations at Kildare County Council a year ago, when a woman who returning from having competed in the Flora Womens Mini Marathon tripped and was injured on the broken surface of the path, the Council provided a temporary tarmacadam surface last autumn.

The cobble-lock will be the final and permanent improvement and is part of the summer works programme of the Council. Other very welcome similar works have included the improvement of the footpath up to Hillcrest, and in front of the bank, both of which have elicited appreciative comments from local people.

Entertainers needed for River Festival

The organisers of the River Festival planned for August 22 are currently looking for face painters, clowns, magicians and street entertainers to keep the kids entertained on the day.

If you know of anyone who would be interested in helping us out, please email.

'It Takes a Village' is launched

"I'm glad to have been in at the beginning of something that has done so well," Mary Berney said at the launch of a parents/children resource publication by the Carer & Toddler Group in The Hideout last night.



Mary was the prime mover behind the group from 1995 to 2004, and had been asked to officially launch 'It Takes a Village', a publication produced by the group in conjunction with The Bridge, which is to be the basis of a developing resource for carers of young children in the community.



The 'Village' was developed by six members of the group, Jen Wilson, Siobhan Purves, Darina O'Brien, Iseult O'Donoghue, Lynn Worrall, and Leonie McNabb. "It was put together at our kitchen tables, with kids running around or at our feet," Iseult recalls. "But it was a great experience, both making the publication and working with the other women."

The publication includes listings of places to go out and about with the family in the area, available leisure activities and services, articles on a number of parent-child matters, recipes, and the results of a survey of parents, teenagers and primary school children in Kilcullen.

The title is based on an African proverb which says 'it takes a village to raise a child'.

Mini Marathon 2010 ladies

Ladies on the Flora Mini Marathon setting off to raise funds for the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund.

Maureen's students in 'Fame' final

Jessica Cervi and Ben Morris, who are in the finals of RTE's 'Fame, The Musical', are students coached by Maureen Ward of Calverstown.

Maureen, who runs the Talented Kids Performing Arts School and Agency based in Calverstown, is also Head of Musical Theatre at the Royal Irish academy of Music and at the College of Dance.

She teaches Ben and Jessica on a weekly basis, and during their 'Fame' journey they have regularly received extra coaching at Maureen's home in Calverstown.

"They are lovely kids, with huge talent and personality to match," she says. "They deserve to go all the way with this."

Sunday's final will be held at the Helix Theatre, and Maureen is hoping that her students will get the voting support from the viewing public on the night.

Meanwhile, Kilcullen's Ellen Gallagher is part of a group (below) from the Talented Kids school who have got into the Top 20 of the TV3 Glee Competition.

Ellen is a contemporary dancer in the group, which is performing a song about going for your goals called 'I Believe'.

KiloMarathon Table Quiz Friday

Next Friday night in the Sportsmans Inn Timolin, there will be a Table Quiz in aid of Crumlin Children’s Hospital.

This is a pre- Marathon fundraiser associated with the First Irish KiloMarathon which will take place in South Kildare, through Moone and Timolin on August 8. The winner of this new race being run for the first time in Ireland will be the first Irish Record Holder for a KiloMarathon. The man behind the event is Tony Donoghue of Timolin, who has already raised over €50,000 for Crumlin walking in traditional marathons all over the world.

Friday night’s Table Quiz starts at 9 o’clock sharp! Fees for a table of four will be €40, and the first prize will be dnner for four at Kilkea Castle Golf Club plus Green Fees for four to play this beautiful 18-hole course. If you don't play golf you can barter the Green Fees to one who is a golfer ot you could gift it to a friend - and still enjoy the special meal. That First Prize is worth over €250.

The Quizmaster will be the well respected Donal Ryan of Manor Kilbride, but I am assured that the questions have been set by a Quiz Committee, so they might be a little less taxing than those associated with the Master. Great Prizes and a raffle for more great prizes on the night. Don’t miss it, 9 o'clock at the Sportsmans, Timolin - just off the old N9.

Sean Cleary.

The passing of Ann Brennan

The Diary has learned with sadness of the death of Ann Brennan, nee Flood, Old Kilcullen, and formerly of Clonfert, Maynooth.

Ann is reposing at her residence. Removal will take place tomorrow Monday morning at 10.30, to arrive at Kilcullen Parish Church for 11 o'clock Requiem Mass. Burial will take place afterwards in Old Kilcullen Cemetery.

Family flowers only, please. Donations, if desired, to St Brigid's Hospice, The Curragh.

To her husband Eugene, and all their family, we extend our heartfelt condolences.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Yellow Jersey helps St Joseph's NS

The raffle for the FBD Ras yellow jersey worn in the penultimate stage of this year's race helped to bring €1,500 to the funds of St Joseph's NS.

The raffle was part of a bric a brac sale held in the Parish Centre. The jersey was won by a spectator at the race in Kilcullen.

Council puts rumble strips at Thompsons

After persistent complaints by local residents and Cllr Martin Heydon, Kildare County Council has put warning rumble strips coming up to the Kilgowan/Athy road T-junction at Thompson's Cross.

Click on picture to see the video.

That wasn't what those complaining to the Council wanted, and is already causing angst to nearby residents because of the noise generated. But the move may do something towards cutting down the accident rate at the junction.

However, Cllr Heydon is emphatic that other remedies are necessary, including immediate installation of good advance warning signs that a T-junction is imminent.

The Athy Road speed limit has been reduced to 80km/h since June 1. The Kilgowan/Castledermot Road is still mostly 100km/h, although a contractor's sign left over from the work says it is 60km/h at the bend before the junction.

Viewpoint: Not many out to see colour

"It's not such a big turnout," Kilcullen Cycling Club chairman Liam Walker mused as he checked last minute details for the arrival of the penultimate stage of the FBD Insurance Ras cycle race into Kilcullen.

And it wasn't, really, even though the weather was kind and the Saturday afternoon time a good one to attract local interest. But the arrangements were spot on, and the garda and race marshalls had everything in place for the safety of both riders and onlookers.







The last push for the riders coming in from Gorey was a tough one, up Kilcullen's north hill out of the Liffey valley, to where a welcome to the county by Kildare"s Deputy Mayor Brendan Weld.

The 151ms across the Wicklow Mountains from Gorey might have been expected to bring more attrition than it did, with just one of the 136 riders who started out failing to finish in Kilcullen. The Stage winner was Irishman Mark Cassidy of the An Post Sean Kelly Belgium Team, who got to Kilcullen in a time of 3h 43'48", fractionally ahead of Jakob Steigmiller and Maximilian May from the Germany Thuringer Energie team.

The next morning they all left town again for the final 151kms run to Skerries, where Alexander Wetterhall of Sprocket Promotions, Sweden, was presented with the overall win for the 2010 FBD Ras by Adrian Taheny, Director of Marketing & Sales FBD Insurance Plc.

Bicycle road racing is a 'now they're coming/now they're gone' kind of an affair, which may account for the low spectator turnout for the Saturday arrival. The Sunday morning start had a bit more jizz about it, with the riders being paraded up the town with a team of pipers to the official start.

For some brief minutes over the weekend, Kilcullen had a little more colour than usual to it. It seems a pity not many bothered to come out and see.

Brian Byrne.

Badminton Summer Club

A Summer Club 2010 is being run by Kilcullen Badminton Club from 1 June to 1 September, with sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-11pm.

The fee is €50 for club members or 65 for non members. A €5 play per night facility is also available.

Further information from Keith Pearson, Chairperson, at (086) 8164123; Niamh O'Loughlin, Secretary at (087) 9520879; or on www.kbc.mywebweb.com.

More pics of the Ras.

Well, the 2010 FBD Ras has been and gone. But these pictures from Noel Kelly show well what it was like at the finish on Saturday.

Noel is a member of Athy Photographic Club, and his family has a long association with Kilcullen.

It Takes a Village ...

The parenting guide which has been compiled by the Kilcullen Toddler & Carer Group is titled 'It Takes a Village ...' a theme based on an old African proverb which says it takes a village to raise a child.

The guide focuses on resources for parents in the Kilcullen area, and will be published as a supplement to 'The Bridge'. Its contents includes contacts, websites addresses, information, articles and reviews for parents by parents.

It will be launched at a function in The Hideout on 9 June, at 8.30pm. All parents from the area are welcome.

Scouts hold Group Camp

Last Saturday saw our Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Venturers all come together for a fun day out in Forest Farm (Athy) for a day of outdoor fun, ranging from assault courses, crazy football, shelter building and gutter ball.



The weather held off for a good day and the Scouts and Venturers had a great time in the woods, while the Cubs and Beavers went for a hike through the farm itself. We had a BBQ in the evening time followed by an evening's entertainment by the camp-fire which had some rocking songs by the Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Venturers.



A special word of thanks to the leaders who joined in helping and making the day such a fun event and thanks to the parents who came and joined in the fun by the fire.



The evening finished with a camp fire investiture, and, as if by perfect timing the drizzle arrived right at the end.

Richard Reade.

Cleanup in the 'Woods'

Residents of Cnoc na Greine Woods organised a cleanup session last night.




Pics courtesy of Kieran Behan.


(Click above to go directly to Armelle's Kitchen.)