Remembering absent friends

Photo by David Dibert from Pexels.

At this time of the year we remember those from the parish, or with connections to Kilcullen, who have passed away during 2021. May they always be in the thoughts and memories of those to whom they were loved ones.

Tom Landers, Peter Lynch, Syl Gannon, Krystyna Pozarska-Dobrowolska, Madge Clarke, Dolores Duffy, Michael Kelleher, Mick Sayers, Maire Reilly, Sr Clare Looby, Patricia (Patty) Dunne, Arthur Duffy, Gertrude (Gertie) Sheehan, Kathleen Cahill, Sam Cole, Vera Berney, Margaret (Peg) Doran, Sr Seraphine (Sheila Bermingham), John Mulhall, Fiona Shanley, Billy Flanagan, Christy Aspell, Eileen O'Connor, Bernadette (Bernie) Meenehan, Brian St Leger (New Jersey), Myrtle Kelly, Christine Hurst, Anne Downey, Kathleen Lucey, Elizabeth (Betty) Keogh, John O'Neill, Sr Maria Cahill, Dallas Chamney, Tommy O'Connor, Thomas Byrne, Philip Mallon, Jérome Vittet, Hank van Zegveld, Margaret Mentos, Anthony Meaney, Joe O'Neill, Philippe Lafarge, Helen Whelan and Jason Kenna.

Rest in peace.

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Happy New Year from the Diary

Image: Karolina Grabowska from Pexels.

Wishing all our readers, contributors and supporters a very happy, peaceful and healthy New Year. 

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Weatherday: Bealach a Seacht

River scene, Bangkok, Thailand (2006).

A cloudy day, mostly dry, some sunny spells possible.

Temperature high of 13deg in moderate to fresh breezes from the south, with some strong gusts later and overnight.

On this day in 1961, Telefis Éireann, later RTÉ Television, began broadcasting, on Channel 7 (Bealach a Seacht).

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Local Notes bring Kilcullen of the 80s/90s alive

Local Notes have been, and still are, a staple element of regional newspapers, writes Brian Byrne. They document the minutiae of small communities, the items that mostly repeat themselves in one way or another all the time. Meetings, card game results, social organisation agendas and activities, and more. They are calendars of our community lives.

The thing is, Local Notes generally only live for the week the newspaper is lying on the dining room table, replaced in every further issue by much of the same, only different by date or people involved. Sometimes though, a Note can be elevated by a diligent reporter into a stronger position as a news feature, extracting more detail from the passing paragraph. Still, both only live on mostly in the dusty archives of the newspapers, or their digitised modern formats.

Or they can sometimes be found in the now very outdated concept of personal scrapbooks. A hobby that probably is a rarity now, if anyone does it at all in this everything online age. But, thanks to PJ Lydon, we have the loan of a collected set of Kilcullen Local Notes and some developed features which wonderfully document Kilcullen from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s out of the pages of the Leinster Leader and Kildare Nationalist.

We will extract individual stories in the upcoming weeks of 2022. Suffice to say now that the clippings cover, inter alia, the formation of Kilcullen Community Development — the predecessor of today's KCA — and activities which include the start of the campaign for a northern link to Kilcullen from the then imminent Bypass. Other stories document a resurgence, even the rescue of the Kilcullen Tennis Club (plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose!), the tricky prospect of rebuilding the Town Hall into a viable entity, and dealing with the consequences of the demise of the Irish Rubber factory.

There are also the celebrations and commiserations, births, marriages and passings, and all the life milestones in between. If you have in interest in much of what laid the renewal foundations of the Kilcullen you live in today, stay tuned.

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The passing of Jason Kenna

The Diary has learned of the unexpected death of Jason Kenna, The Limekiln, Clough, Ballacolla, Co Laois, and formerly of Lee Drive, Calverstown, Kilcullen, on 27 December 2021.

Jason's passing is very deeply regretted by his loving parents Seamus and Mairead, sons Fionn and Corey, brothers David and Paul, sister Gemma, sisters in law Sharon and Caroline, his niece Shannon and nephew Ryan, relatives and friends.

He will be reposing at his parents Seamus and Mairead's residence in Limekiln, Clough, Ballacolla on Friday 31 December from 4pm to 7pm, with removal on Saturday 1 January 2022 to the Church of SS Mary and Laurence, Crookstown, arriving for 12 noon funeral mass followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery.

The mass will be live-streamed on narraghmoreandmoone.ie. Please wear face coverings and adhere to social distancing at all times if you are attending in person. Those who would liked to attend the funeral but cannot due to current restrictions may leave a message in the condolence section on RIP.ie.  May he rest in peace.

Weatherday: They aren't just clouds of gas

Sailing boats moored at Geneva (2005).

A cloudy start with some patchy drizzle. More rain moving in from he south through the afternoon, will be heavy at times.

Local temperatures up to 12deg in moderate winds from the south which will freshen later.

On this day in 1924 astronomer Edwin Hubble formally announced the existence of other galactic systems at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society.

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Wonderlights at Malahide Castle

Views from the Wonderlights light show at Malahide Castle, Co Dublin, Ireland, during Christmas 2021.

Produced by Brian Byrne for Kilcullen Diary. Music: Shetland by GarageBand.

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Weatherday: 'The best and most euphonious'

Boats at Poulaphuca, Wicklow (2021).

A dull start with some rain that will clear through the morning. Sunny spells and cloud through the afternoon.

Temperature up to 13deg in fresh to strong breezes from the west which will moderate later.

On this day in 1902, musician Scott Joplin copyrighted his composition 'The Entertainer', which became one of the most enduring piano rag pieces.

Headline: A description of 'The Entertainer' by a contemporary music critic.

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Parish Lotto Draw results

The numbers drawn in the Kilcullen & Gormanstown Parish Lotto Draw on 28 December 2021 were 7, 17, 19 and 27. There was no Jackpot winner and next week's main prize will again be €18,000. The value of the follow up draw stands at €12,800.

The winners of the €50 Open Draws were Gillian Lambe (Promoter Kilcullen Credit Union), Ronan Murray (Vivian Clarke) and Patricia Dowling (Mags O'Connell).

The winners of the Promoters Draws were PJ Lydon and Anne Brennan.

The Parish thanks all who support the Lotto.

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Podcast: Sir Charles Parsons, Engineer

Much of the electricity used in our homes even in today’s age of renewable energy is produced with the help of an invention from 1884 by a County Offaly-educated engineer, Charles Parsons — a person of interest in the world’s ever-growing hunger for reliable energy.

A Kilcullen Diary Podcast, produced by Brian Byrne.

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Weatherday: You don’t want to see me angry

Poulaphuca Lake, Wicklow (2021).

A wet start will clear to a mostly cloudy day in light breezes from the west becoming variable, then settling from the south. Temperature high of 7deg. 

Comic book writer Stan Lee, who created The Hulk, Spider-Man, the X-Men and Thor, was born on this day in 1922. 

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Weatherday: Amharclann na Mainistreach

Gardens at Lullymore (2016).

A mainly dry day, with possibility of some light rain moving up in the later evening.

Mostly cloudy with a temperature high of 9deg in light breezes from the northeast.

On this day in 1904, The Abbey Theatre first opened its doors to the Dublin public. The first plays were 'Cathleen Ní Houlihan’ and ‘On Baile’s Strand’, both written by WB Yeats.

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A Happy Christmas to all from the Diary

The Kilcullen Diary wishes all readers, contributors, and supporters a very happy and peaceful Christmas and New Year. As we are expecting a very busy family festive season, activity on the Diary will be limited until we get into 2022. In the meantime, enjoy the selection of Nativity scenes above, from more than 175 sets collected by Lorraine Kelly over the last few years, which show that the story of the birth of Christ is enduring and global. The full collection can be viewed here.

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The passing of Helen Whelan, née Quinn

The Diary has learned of the death of Helen Whelan (née Quinn), Dublin Rd, Monasterevin, and formerly of Kilcullen, on 17 December 2021.

Helen was predeceased by her parents, and brothers Aidan and PJ. Beloved wife of the late Vincent and much loved sister of Peter, her passing is deeply regretted by her loving family, sisters in law, nieces and nephews, extended family, relatives and friends.

Helen's life was celebrated with Requiem Mass in St Peter & Paul's Church, Monasterevin, with interment afterwards in St Evin's Cemetery.

May she rest in peace.

Kilcullen Christmas Lights 2021

A nice atmospheric production around Kilcullen's Christmas lights, with music by Fionn Sloan Kelly, singing from Ray Kelly. Produced by Niamh O'Connor.

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Weatherday: Stille Nacht

Titanica sculpture, Belfast (2015).

A cloudy morning with outbreaks of rain moving in from the south. Some heavy showers in the afternoon.

Highest temperature 9deg in  moderate to fresh breezes from the south and east.

On this day in 1818, the song Silent Night (Stille Nacht) was performed for the first time at midnight mass on Christmas Eve in Oberndorf, Austria.

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Christmas Mass times, Kilcullen & Gormanstown

Gormanstown 

(Friday) Christmas Eve: 9pm
(Saturday) Christmas Day: No mass in Gormanstown on Christmas Day
(Sunday) Dec 26th: 9.30am

Kilcullen

(Friday) Christmas Eve: 6.30pm & 9pm
(Saturday) Christmas Day: 10.00am & 12pm
(Sunday) St Stephen’s Day Feast of the Holy Family: 10am & 12pm 
(Monday) Dec 27th: 11am 
Dec 28th to 31st: 11am 
(Saturday) Jan 1st: 11am World Day for Peace; 6.30pm (Vigil Mass for Sunday
(Sunday) Jan 2nd: 11am
(Monday) Jan 3rd: 10am (Bank Holiday)

We have put on extra masses this year in the hope that it will accommodate our parishioners who would like to join us in celebrating the birth of Jesus.

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