So that was 2020 in Kilcullen: Part 1
It was to be the kind of year that no one expected, but at the start of 2020 things kicked off in Kilcullen with a lot of the usual events in prospect.
JANUARY
The relief of the people of Ballyshannon at the pre-Christmas turning down of the Kilsaran planning application for a quarry in their community was tempered somewhat by the company's not unexpected decision to appeal to An Bord Pleanala. An early start to combating this was a meeting in mid-January, with only a short window available to get their own submissions under way. It was very well supported, and a strong plan was put in place.
There was, of course, the General Election campaign getting into gear, which meant a plethora of hats being thrown into the Kildare South ring by a wide range of well-knowns and unknowns. That was to take up a fair chunk of locaL and county conversation, on old election topics and new. From Kilcullen there was incumbent TD Martin Heydon for Fine Gael, and Anita Mhic Gib for Aontú.
The newly-formed U-Can Ukelele Band was formed and got going with its weekly rehearsals. This was a promising musical initiative, though destined for an enforced hibernation by the as-yet unappreciated coronavirus.
Almost 400 people turned out to take part in the 2020 Sarah Swaine Memorial Run, supported by individuals and running club members from all around the county. It resulted in €5,850 being raised for the Make A Wish Foundation.
Storm Brendan blew in, but fortunately without any major issues for Kilcullen, apart from a tree which fell and blocked the road near Silliot Hill and a power outage in part of Brannockstown.
The now-annual Operation Transformation training walks got under way at Kilcullen GAA grounds and attracted good support again. Local keep-fit gym No 1 Fitness directed the warm-ups. Another sign that as communities across the nation we are increasingly interested in being fit.
The renewed interest in having a Kilcullen Community First Responders had gathered a stone corps of volunteers and training sessions were under way. The group was officially launched by Dancing with the Stars judge Brian Redmond.
Final presentations of a series of Kilcullen 700 commemorative plaques were made to Pat Stafford for Kilcullen Credit Union, Geraldine and Tony Gahan, Jo Mallon of An Tearmann, and Kay Hartigan for arranging the 700 trees planted to mark the 2019 celebration.
The Kilcullen Drama Group started readings for a planned production of Ray Cooney's Funny Money, a farce which would likely suit the group very well.
FEBRUARY
Students in Transition Year at Cross and Passion College provided a night of fine dining, following a three months of work in a unique Food School module. Some 40 students were involved in setting up and operating the Cross Bistro under the supervision of Newbridge-based Food School owners Georgia Dowling and Conor Wafer. It was very much enjoyed by more than 70 paying guests.
The TY students also got together with teachers to produce their own college newsletter. The Blue and Gold was posted in hard copy on the school's notice boards, and made available electronically on the college network.
A Woodbine Books Harry Potter Night was one of those wonderfully spooky events replete with wands, wizards, mysterious people in black cloaks casting spells, mixing potions ... and pouring coffee. A great time was had by all.
The Suas Knitting Group unveiled their latest creation, a knotted representation of the Old Kilcullen Round Tower. It comprised more than a hundred knitted 'stone blocks' and was presented to the Parish Centre for permanent mounting on a wall.
Some further moves on the Market Square Redevelopment plan became apparent, when Kildare County Council said it was interacting with property owners in Kilcullen, with a view to providing a public car park in the town, in part to make up for spaces which would disappear when the plan would be implemented.
The Kilcullen Community Childcare and Education Centre opened its upstairs space in the next stage of its expansion plans. The attendance included the new Kildare South Independent TD, Dr Cathal Berry, but it was the children, fittingly, who actually cut the ribbon.
The first steps towards Kilcullen taking some control of its future in planning terms came about with an invited visit by the Westport Town Architect, Simon Wall, to talk about how that town reshaped its town centre. The event was organised by Kilcullen Community Action.
The first clearance work on the planned Community Garden in the grounds of the Library got under way. When completed, it is planned there will be fruit trees, a wildflower meadow, trees and vegetable planters, and there will be a secluded reflection area with benches beside plantings of lavender, ferns, and roses.
A bird box and pollinators workshop was well attended, and followed up by the installation of a number of new boxes for Swifts, by Paddy Sheridan of Wild Kildare.
There was a taste of quite wintry weather in the later part of the month, with wintry showers giving the Dun Ailinne monument a very chilly appearance.
A talk on Composting and Organic Gardening organised by the Kilcullen Biodiversity Group had an interested audience. On composting, Nuala Madigan from the Irish Peatland Conservation Council said it was 'just getting back to what our grandparents did', as was organic gardening according to Louise Rankin from Moyleabbey Organic Farm.
There was a lot of support through Scoil Bhride when it transpired that one of their teachers, Clodagh McGrath, would be playing for her native Sarsfields team in Co Galway in the AIB Senior Club Final at Croke Park.
A Crime Awareness Evening brought the good news that crime in Kilcullen is 'very low' when compared to other areas in the Naas Garda District, though there had been a spike in burglaries in the town at the end of 2019.
The work to plant more pollinator-friendly flowers and shrubs around Kilcullen got underway with members of Kilcullen Community Action visiting each of the estates which had signed up to the initiative to map out suitable locations.
MARCH
Until a dramatic and short speech by An Taoiseach, Leo Varadker, from Washington, things were generally working normally. A Drama Dynamics play from the adult class was in rehearsal, with a planned production date in May. At CPC, the annual musical was a sellout for its three nights, a rocking entertainment called 'All Shook Up'. There was another crash at Thompson's Cross. An International Women's Day Lunch in Fallons was a big success. An Tearmann was looking for a new Bakery Assistant. European Studies students at CPC had a visit from new Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh, ahead of their planned trip to the European Parliament at the end of the month.
It was 'the calm before the storm', An Taoiseach Leo Varadker told the nation on St Patrick's Day, a festival that didn't happen. A few days before, Kilcullen's pubs had closed voluntarily. So had the church to public masses.
Many of the normal community and social activities were suspended or abandoned, such as the National Spring Clean month scheduled for April. These were indicators of a lot more which would be missing from the normal yearly events, including further Biodiversity workshops which had been planned.
The world still kept on turning, though. Once again marked by the Spring Equinox magic as the rising sun flashed through the Noel Scullion spear sculpture at the Dun Ailinne Interpretive Park.
There was an element of confusion about regulations put in place that restricted movement except for essential work or health reasons. As the second half of the month progressed, these were clarified.
The schools were closed, having quickly put in place basic steps towards home learning. The message for all was simple: Stay at Home. Many shops and businesses closed their doors for the duration of the lockdown, with Ger Peacocke's notice putting his shoe and boot repair situation in very succinct terms. Bars, and restaurants closed, some maintaining a takeaway service. Kilcullen Community Centre closed its facilities. Local arts businesses such as the Drama Dynamics School of Speech and Drama pivoted to online teaching. Home delivery for older people advised to stay away from the shops became the norm. Social distancing became a thing, even in queues outside the shops that were open.
By the end of the month, much of the community and official activity designed to help out those caught up in cocooning and keeping out of the coronavirus way was in full swing. Kilcullen Garda Station became the control centre for managing the community help service in both Naas and Kildare Garda Districts. Kildare County Council set up a dedicated Community Support Helpline.
APRIL
A book based on the talks and events of the 2019 celebration of 700 years of Kilcullen was completed, but its launch had to be deferred because of coronavirus restrictions.
Different ways of reminding people to keep socially distant as one way of cutting the possibility of infection were produced. This one in Cnoc na Greine was specifically for the children.
With Good Friday services also curtailed by restrictions, a video of Stations of the Cross for children was produced by local videographer Niamh O'Connor, which included simple readings and prayers, for viewing on the parish website.
Local businesses which hadn't previously given much attention to showing and selling their wares online very quickly got the hang of how to beat Amazon at their own game, locally. These included Woodbine Books, and the Secret Kloset boutique operated by Shirley Kavanagh Hallion.
Easter wasn't what it usually was, but a socially-distanced form of Easter Vigil in Kilcullen saw some 130 candles lit and left in jars and other containers on the steps of the parish church.
Fallons of Kilcullen combined with Redmond Fine Foods in Naas, offering their kitchen facilities to produce meals for front-line health workers in and around Naas.
While many people were making the most of the 2kms exercise zone around Kilcullen, and finding walking spaces they might have ignored before, they were also finding the dark side of littering. These bags were found near Harristown.
With nursing homes the focus of much attention in the early weeks of the pandemic, Curragh Lawns operated by the Kilcullen McDonnell family paid tribute to local businesses and gardai for deliveries of supplies and for support in difficult circumstances.
Local woman Emma Birchall qualified in UCC as a doctor, and in a sign of the times had to receive her degree virtually online, along with almost 200 fellow graduates. A former CPC pupil, Emma had also been very active in Macra and two years previously had been 'the voice of farm safety'.
More than 300 tree saplings offered to Kilcullen by the Irish Beekeepers Association were quickly accepted by individuals and residents associations around Kilcullen. Again, the good weather was facilitating and encouraging an interest in gardens and green areas and places to walk and observe local nature and biodiversity.
Like many other organisations, Kilcullen Community Action had to cease having physical meetings, and resorted to Zoom. Given the restrictions, it worked well.
A 'Shave or Dye' fundraiser by gardai aimed at funding a garden for staff at Naas Hospital was enthusiastically participated in by Kilcullen gardai Joanne O'Sullivan and Jon Brien.
Though in lockdown, and not working, local musicians took advantage of the fine weather to provide impromptu open air entertainment for their neighbours, like Plan B at St Brigid's Avenue, and Pat Kelly in Bishop Rogan Park.
With time on their hands, and the pandemic conditions fostering a certain sense of introspection, sharing of old photographs and memories increased. Via social media, these pictures prompted many stories of people and places in Kilcullen, like this one from the late 1980s of the Committee of Kilcullen Community Centre with (back) Frank Nugent, Anthony Lambe, Joe Corrigan, John Archbold, Michael Callaghan, PJ Lydon; and (seated) Jody Keogh, Tom Carter, Ber Corrigan, and Frances Clare.
By the end of the month, everybody had more or less gotten used to the restrictions and especially having only takeaway options from the regular eating out establishments. Kalbarri Cookery School, Bardons, The Brown Bear, along with Crean's Place and Armelle's Kitchen patisserie and the normal cafe and fast food outlets were all into the swing of offering 'eating out at home' possibilities.
MAY
One of the first eatery casualties of the pandemic was the news that Crean's Place would not be reopening, after three years in business. However, the bakery business that it had established was to continue at pop-up and market locations.
A garden concert by Pat Kelly in Bishop Rogan Park raised €1,721 for the Jack and Jill Foundation, and was streamed around the world on Facebook.
The first stage of Kilcullen in Bloom appeared on the bridge, in a series of colourful planters made by Ger Doyle. This new addition to the scheme turned out to be very successful.
Reflecting the increased number of families with young children using the Valley park, the phenomenon of painted stones appearing in the facility came to be. Some lovely artwork in miniature resulted.
As 'cocooning' older and vulnerable people were getting out and about, KCA asked the community to reserve the 1.30pm-3.30pm time for them in the Valley Park, in line with a general request from Kildare County Council for the parks under its jurisdiction.
Members of Kilcullen Gospel Choir took part in an online combined choirs presentation of The Parting Glass in the Ireland On Call programme, in a tribute to those who had died of Covid-19 and the health workers who had been treating patients.
Friends and colleagues from the Kilcullen Tidy Towns group gathered on the green in the Sunnyhill estate to give Seamus McCoy a surprise 86th birthday celebration. Cake, whiskey and cards were presented.
Transition Year students in CPC received the Localise Youth Volunteering Award for various initiatives, including fundraising for a range of charities and teaching older people how to manage in the digital world.
On one day in Kilcullen Community Centre, members of the County Kildare Red Cross assembled 500 'comfort parcels' for people around the county who were isolated in their homes during the restrictions.
In line with the restrictions, Sixth Year students of Cross and Passion College graduated by video, with the help of a compilation of photographs, music, and clips of interviews and events through the college year.
Fallons, which had not gone the hot food takeaway route, opened their Gourmet Garage, with ready-to-heat meals prepared by their chefs that offered something of the Fallons experience while dining at home.
An earlier decision by KCA to continue with the annual Kilcullen in Bloom summer flowers project had the initiative well under way, with fundraising through a number of traditional and not so usual ways. In this instance, a contribution cheque from Kilcullen Community Centre was handed over in an appropriate manner.
The fine weather brought out many people to something which hadn't been a feature for years, swimming in the Liffey.
Fr Niall Mackey was given a socially-distanced celebration in the grounds of the Parish Church to mark the 55th anniversary of his ordination. He was presented with a photograph of Howth lighthouse.
With bars closed and the long evenings of fine weather, the issue of antisocial behaviour and drinking gatherings in various areas raised its head. Among the problem locations was Kilcullen GAA, which asked the gardai to investigate the consequent littering and damage.
JUNE
An absorbing talk by Brendan O'Connell on his experiences as an Olympics canoe athlete, and later as an official with the Irish Olympics teams, gathered a fascinated audience on Zoom. It was facilitated by Kilcullen Canoe Club, of which Brendan was a founding member.
After a long absence since being knocked down in 2017, the pump outside the Hideout was restored. It was welcomed by KCA's Ray Kelly.
Manager of Kilcullen Mart Jimmy Walsh said that the country's cattle marts had lost a third of their business during the pandemic so far. He was speaking to Brianna Parkins on Virgin media's Ireland AM programme.
An event of two 'firsts', the Jennifer Landers Irish Dance School held its first outdoor class, and it was also the first time that an Irish dancing class had taken place on the Kilcullen Community Centre all-weather pitch.
Much delayed, an outdoors and socially distanced launch took place of Kilcullen before our Time, the book produced by the Kilcullen 700 committee with essays from contributors to heritage talks during 2019 and photos from the various celebration events.
A strong gathering of local people came along to Kilcullen Garda Station to show their support during a short ceremony while the funeral of slain Detective Garda Colm Horkan was taking place in the west of Ireland.
The Ballyshannon Action Group launched an online funding campaign to pay for €12,830 in costs incurred in their bid to stop the development of a quarry in their area.
The Kilcullen in Bloom initiative was really showing dividends, with a very colourful display around town benefiting from recent sunshine and showers.
Some of the restrictions were lifted towards the end of the month, and among the facilities and businesses which were again welcoming visitors were Kilcullen Community Centre, the town's Library (by appointment), the Hair Emporium and other salons, and Woodbine Books.
LINK TO PART 2
