GAA Club's Lip Sync Challenge has €40,000 target

Alan McGuirk of SVEMS, with Killian Whelan who will be MC on the final night, project manager for the Club at the event Eamonn Wynne, and Kilcullen GAA chairman Des O'Brien.

Kilcullen GAA Club is hoping to raise €40,000 with a 'Lip Sync Challenge' that kicked off last night with an explainer session to potential team leaders, writes Brian Byrne.

Club chairman Des O'Brien said it was going to be a 'huge' undertaking for the Club. "We're aiming high with this, and everybody involved will have to sell it every day, at work, amongst their friends, wherever they are."

While the Club is 'doing very well' in all areas, he outlined some of the expenses occurring at the moment and in plans for its development. These include the cost of the new CCTV system, lights and resurfacing of the car park, a plan to put a roof on the stand, and other things.

"The Lip Sync will be a huge, huge task, but we have a wonderful committee," he said.

Alan McGuirk of event managers SVEMS, who run the Lip Sync events professionally, outlined the procedure. The actual show will be held in the 1,200-seat venue at Kilashee House Hotel on 29 October, with door tickets at €25. Around ten teams will be involved, each composed of about ten people, and there will be five weeks of rehearsals under the direction of coaches from his company.

The Lip Sync Challenge is run in a similar fashion to the 'Strictly Dancing' fundraising events, with 50pc of the votes on the night being given by a judging panel, the other half coming from public 'voting' both online and on the night, with every €1 raised counting as a vote. Sponsorship cards will also be given to contestants.

Alan McGuirk said the online facility will allow Kilcullen GAA supporters not in town or even outside the country to vote. He emphasised that it is a team effort for each entrant group, but that it would be very enjoyable for all concerned.

The Club is planning to have teams from within the playing membership at Senior, Junior, Women's, and Juvenile level, and also wants teams from local pubs and schools to take part.

The Club project manager for the Challenge is Eamonn Wynne.

Photos: Brian Byrne/Kilcullen Diary.

Mushrooms warning

At a time when people may be out picking mushrooms in the fields around Kilcullen, here's a timely warning about dangerous ones, writes Brian Byrne.

Frank Mitchell says that he has recently come across quite a few Yellow Stainer (Agaricus Xanthodermus) mushrooms in the fields around the town.

"These mushrooms are very similar in appearance to the Horse or Field mushroom (both edible)," he says. "If eaten, the Yellow Stainer mushroom can cause severe stomach cramp, nausea, vomiting, sweating and diarrhoea."

Frank has noticed quite a prolific growth of these mushrooms in areas where people regularly walk through local farmland. "So perhaps a note of caution might save someone from a very nasty experience," he says.

His pictures are of some he came across this morning, just off the New Abbey Mass Path. Be warned.

Brannockstown Youth Club restart

Brannockstown Youth Club gets back in gear on 8 September, catering for different age groups on alternate Fridays.

The Club times are 7.30pm-9pm, with the 5th Class to 1st Year members on the opening night. Members from 2nd Year and upwards will resume activities on 15 September.

More information on the Club's Facebook page.

GAA Lip-Sync Challenge launch tonight

A launch event for the GAA Lip-Sync Challenge will be held tonight, Wednesday, at the Clubhouse, writes Brian Byrne.

The actual Challenge is scheduled for 29 October in Kilashee Hotel, and is aimed at raising funds for the next stage of the Club's development plan.

All interested in taking part are welcome to tonight's event at 8pm, which will have representatives from the Lip Sync Battles company, who organise the competition.

They will help competitors choose songs and give tips on how to perform.

Parish Lotto Draw results

The numbers drawn in the Kilcullen & Gormanstown Parish Lotto Draw held on Tuesday 29 August 2017 were 1, 4, 18, and 21. There was no Jackpot winner and next week's main prize will be €10,400.

The winners of the €50 Open Draws were Mary Brown Snr (Promoter Vanessa Clarke), Mary Foley (Ger Hillery), and Eunice O’Connell (Mag O’Connell).

The winners of the Promoters Draw were Miriam McDonnell and the Wednesday Bridge Club, and the winner of the Draw for those in the Parish Centre on the night was Vivienne Clifford.

The Parish thanks all those who suppport the Lotto.

Judy Garland's clothes star in Newbridge Silverware

If you're an old-time movies buff, then a new exhibition at the Newbridge Silverware Museum of Style Icons will be like honey to a bear, writes Brian Byrne.

It's all about personal items, clothing and costumes once owned and worn by Judy Garland, who died when she was just 47 but left a wonderful silver screen legacy.

Her big child role was 'Dorothy' in the Wizard of Oz, but she is also remembered for stellar performances in Life Begins for Andy Hardy, Meet me in St Louis, Crazy Girl, and A Star is Born.

Clothing worn in some of those movies feature in the exhibition which runs until the end of September. The highlight exhibit for many will be the wedding dress she wore when she married her fourth husband Mark Heron in 1964.

Following the Newbridge exhibition, the collection is scheduled to be sold off by Julien Auctions in Los Angeles.

Our pictures show the actress at her wedding to Mark Heron, and as Betsy Booth in Life Begins for Andy Hardy.

Boxing Club resuming training in September

Kilcullen Boxing Club will restart training from Thursday 14 September, writes David O'Brien.

Sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays will be only for boxers aged 9 years and onwards, times for 9/10 year olds 7.30pm-8.30pm, all the rest 7.30pm-8.45/9pm, depending on the sparring sessions.

For all newcomers and current boxers interested, the annual fee of €20 per year covers insurance for the boxer, and there are subs of €2 per night. Any boxer aged 11 years of age in 2017, will be eligible for competition this season.

Boxing is a discipline and a contact sport, and gum shields, hand wraps and a skipping rope are required. We provide gloves and headgear, although I've noticed that the young lads prefer their own boxing gloves and we can advise as to proper equipment.

Parents are reminded that sparring is essential and compulsory, and we operate a drop-off and collect system. It's a distraction for the boxer to have parents or guardians in the hall.

Talented Kids restarting Kilcullen classes

Talented Kids Performing Arts School and MVW Talent Agency Ireland will recommence classes from Saturday 16 September 2017 in Kilcullen Community Centre.

Sessions for Tots aged 3-6 years will be from 3pm-4pm; for Kids aged 7-12 years (primary school age) from 4pm-6pm; and Teens aged 12-18 years (secondary school age) from 4pm-6pm.

Classes include Singing, Dance, Drama, Modelling and Musical Theatre

All classes are open to boys and girls in the Kilcullen area. Adult Classes are available in the School's Clondalkin location. Enrolment is on the first class day.

Classes are taught by experienced and qualified professionals in a friendly and encouraging atmosphere, where students will meet new friends, be encouraged to participate and perform in shows, events, tours and competitions. Most importantly they will develop a strong confidence which is needed to get ahead, not only in the world of showbiz but is also an essential tool for life.

For more information, please contact Artistic Director and Agent, Maureen V Ward on 087 2480348 or email talentedkids@hotmail.com or mvwtalent@gmail.com. See website for enrolment forms and term details.

(Pictures of pupils in Oliver! at National Concert Hall via Talented Kids.)

Hero welcome for Irish cyclists

The two Cycling Ireland competitors at the 2017 UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships got heroes welcomes from family, friends, school pals, club cycling representatives and supporters on their cheerful arrival home in Dublin airport late last night, writes Tom Horan.

JB Murphy and Xeno Young, silver medal winners at the recent European Championships, this time out added to their medals’ collection having won bronze and silver respectively at the 2017 UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships in the Velodromo Fassa Bortolo, Montochiari — located between Milan and Verona in north Italy.

JB, having crashed hard in the qualifiers, clocked up the points consistently and put in a fantastic solo attack with ten laps to go. He was passed just short of the finish line but powered over for his Points Race podium finish World Championship bronze medal — an incredible result for the Murphy Surveys Kilcullen Cycling Club young rider.

Shortly on the day after JB's success, Powerhouse Sport rider Xeno Young guaranteed his place on the World Championship podium for his Individual Persuit silver medal. His incredible time of 3:15.5 is the new Irish Junior Track Cycling record.

Kilcullen Cycling Club representatives Liam and John Walker had just flown home from their roles with the Irish team at the World Championships but made their way back to Dublin Airport to add to the welcome for JB and Zeno.

Well done to JB and to Xeno on a most memorable day for Irish cycling and best wishes for continued success with more medals for the collections in the future.

(Photos: Tom Horan.)

Kilcullen riders perform well at weekend

Weather and track conditions were ideal at Dublin's Sundrive Velodrome for two days of very tough and but competitively exciting racing in the Senior Track Racing Championships last weekend, writes Tom Horan.

Riding in top level sports events has its challenges and Murphy Survey/Kilcullen Cycling Club's John Lynch, Barry Talt and David Peelo performed very well on both days.

Well done all!

Works begin today at Thompson's Cross

Kildare County Council will be carrying out Footpath Works at Thomspons Cross, Kilcullen R448/R418 from Monday 28 August to Friday 8 September.

Working hours each day will be from 9.00am to 6.00pm. Traffic Management will be in place.

Kildare County Council apologises for any inconvenience caused.

Paddy Casey closes the Festival in style

And so it’s over for another year, with a finale gig from Paddy Casey who wowed the crowd at Kilcullen River Festival, and of all ages amongst them, writes Brian Byrne.

I have to say that I hadn’t heard of Paddy Casey before, but he reminded me very much, in style and ability to work with an audience, of Donovan Leitch in the mid-1970s. Donovan who did a gig in aid of the Kilcullen Tennis Club in the Town Hall Cinema of that time … we did a duet together.

But that’s another time, another space. Today’s space was for everybody who came along from within and outside Kilcullen for what was a great day to end the official summer. School is back next week, and it was a real family outing too before rules and the rulers come back into play.

And let's also give a big hand to Mollie Melia, who went on stage before Paddy Casey and gave us her first performance in this kind of venue, which promises of very good things to come as she gets more experience.

Well done to all the organisers. This was a good one.

Photos: Brian Byrne/Kilcullen Diary.