A Bridge for 50 Christmases
Inside, though many of the usual events that would be covered at this time of the year are absent because they aren't happening, there's still much to appreciate, including a collage of the Christmas Lights which are, quite simply, better than they have ever been.
There's also a look at the Nativities Exhibition in the Parish Centre — which ends after Mass this morning, in case you haven't had a chance to see it.
Given what the upset and upheaval which the pandemic has wrought, it's natural that it gets a look in at the end of the year. The centre spread colour article by Nuala Collins which, in 2020 Hindsight, looks back at the good things that came out of how we responded to this insidious and unseen enemy. And there has been a lot, so it's worth a ready if for nothing else than to give us some cheer over Christmas.
Other Covid-19 pieces include an interview with Anthony and Mary Lambe of Nicholastown, very proud parents of Prof Teresa Lambe from the team which has developed the Oxford vaccine. Another is an explainer by Noel Clare of how such vaccines work, and why he'll be quite happy to have it once it becomes available.
The school pages are full of lively activity, including how the Kildare Steiner School celebrated Martinmas in a time of Lockdown, and Brannockstown CNS learning to make a willow hut in their school garden. Science Week in Scoil Bhride seems to have been a hoot, while Halloween in St Joseph's NS was spooky.
There's also a good science story from CPC, with Aideen Stein making it to the final selection for this year's BT Young Scientists Exhibition with her food safety app for animals.
It's the time of year for connections, though there won't be as many direct interactions as usual this year. But Mary Orford has an interesting piece on the satisfaction which can be achieved by helping people make connection with their family tree.
Sean Landers won't be making his usual Christmas connection with his home town this year, but reveals that since he will have top stay in Taiwan, the school where he works has given him a new job — as Santa for their own Christmas Day celebrations.
The KCA page rounds up the effort for the Christmas Lights, KWWSPCA tells us about Spike the Hedgehog preparing for his big sleep, and Julie Dunlop Felsbergs reminds us that Christmas is a time of new beginnings and hope.
And there's more. Of course there's more. Including the advertisers taking the opportunity to wish all their customers in Kilcullen a happy and healthy festive season and 2021.
Which brings me to one final note. As usual, there's no January Bridge, but the February one will mark the completion of a full 50 years of The Bridge. Half a century on from its own beginning is a good time to be thinking about the next phase of Ireland's longest-running community magazine.
Let's have those thoughts.
