The walkabout that didn't...

It was planned as a brief introductory chat, and then a walk around town looking at and talking about a number of heritage aspects of Kilcullen.



But the town's first contribution to National Heritage Week 2010 never left base last night, because those present were telling such interesting stories about the town over the last century or so.

The contributions will add much to the walk planned for Saturday afternoon as part of the overall Heritage Week presentation, because more is now known from last evening about the people aspects of that heritage.



Heritage Group chair Nessa Dunlea opened proceedings with a description of Kilcullen in 1910, a time when the village supported 33 shops and was substantially larger than Newbridge.

This might have been due partly to the fact that in the mid-1800s, Kilcullen was on the main road to Cork from Dublin, thanks to being the location of the key bridge south over the Liffey river for some five centuries.

After the introduction, continuing contributions from the audience made it clear that staying put was the preferable option to breaking up the party and going walkabout.



The stories were mostly personal, and included Jim Collins recalling his family's milling history; Brendan O'Connell's reminiscences of the bakery operated by his father; Joe Kelly on his family background as master tailors; and Jim Berney on the saddlery beginnings which resulted in his family name being the most respected in their craft in this country today.



Nuggets of new information were found, such as Peter Bardon's mention that the hotel which was run since his great-grandfather's time in the late 1800s was originally owned by a Dunne family. That triggered an immediate connection with the current filming of a documentary by TG4 about Daniel O'Connell's famous walk from Kilcullen to Mullaghmast, the location of 'The Liberator's famous 'Monster Meeting' locally on his Repeal of the Union campaign. It seems that O'Connell is on record as having visited 'Dunnes Hotel' at the time, but nobody knew where it was.



Other contributions came from John Brady on the history of the New Abbey Cemetery, from Noel Clare on the arrival and eventual departure of the Cross and Passion Sisters, and their legacy to Kilcullen; and Pat Lynch's recollections of the Ball Alley built in 1938.

These and other stories will be recalled on Saturday afternoon next, when the actual 'heritage walk' will start at 3pm from the Heritage Centre. Anyone with Kilcullen memories who wasn't there last night is very welcome to come along and say their pieces. If you just want to listen, and hear some of where today's Kilcullen came from, it's all free.



And if it all ends up in a pub, as it did for some last night, you might even hear some of the 'other' yarns that make up the fabric of the place you live.

Brian Byrne.