Burglary in Calverstown today

Gardai are seeking help over a burglary that took place in the Calverstown area today, writes Brian Byrne.

The crime happened between 12.45pm-1.45pm.

Anyone with information that might be relevant is asked to contact Kilcullen Garda Station on 045 481212 or 045 484070.

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Listen: Butterflies and Station Masters

When several dozens of people joined in the recent inaugural Family Ramble organised by Two Mile House Biodiversity & Heritage Group, they were in very solid hands in terms of the speakers guiding them through their locality. Jesmond Harding of Butterfly Conservation Ireland provided an in-depth commentary of biodiversity in a landscape literally with its roots in the last Ice Age, and John O'Brien recounted the much more recent experience of the railway age in Harristown that began in the 1880s and ended in the 1950s.

Produced by Brian Byrne for Kilcullen Diary.

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Sustainability Workshop planned in Narraghmore

A clothing Sustainability Workshop is being run in The Old Hardware in Narraghmore to encourage sewing, repair and upcycling.

The event is scheduled for Wednesday 16 November between 7pm-9pm.

It will be conducted by crafter Merrion Hibbits of A Material Thing and hosted by Narraghmore Tidy Towns. 

The cost is €15 per person and a place can be secured by calling Alison on 086 2567808.

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Lock Up and Light Up in the darker evenings

With the clock changed and darker evenings, the incidence of burglaries are likely to increase and the Garda are urging people to take precautions, writes Brian Byrne.

A few Simple steps can help protect your home.

•Lock all doors & windows

•Turn on some lights

•Use an alarm

•Don’t keep large amounts of cash

•Store keys away from windows/letter boxes

Also be vigilant to what's happening around you and in your area, and ALWAYS report any suspicious activity to your local Garda Station. In Kilcullen call 045 484070 or 045 481212.

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Tony Kirwan's 'Breakdown': a soundtrack to the messiness of life

Sometimes performing to a crowded pub, no matter how good the singer and the band, doesn't really show up the quality of an artist, writes Brian Byrne. It's not worse, it's just different. So when you've been used to listening to someone with the backing track of a couple of dozen competing conversations, clinking glasses and shouted requests for drinks, it's quite a shift to sit down in the peace of home with a CD of the same performer.

That's how it is with the latest album from Newbridge singer-songwriter Tony Kirwan — Breakdown. Different. Big different. And revealing, because listening on one's own to a CD provides a better chance of actually hearing the lyrics. When they are the original writings of the performer, they're a window into their soul.

Breakdown is Tony Kirwan's second album, and could well be described as the soundtrack to a romantic's life, in his own words 'written as I thought, over a six-year period'. There are 15 tracks, 15 stories mostly of love, much of it lost, or of friendships possibly much stronger than ever could be a romantic relationship. Someone wise may once have said, life is messy. The messiness of relationships, the angst and forlorn hopes and losses they can bring, are all scattered through this collection of words and notes from a longtime local singer who never actually wrote a song until he was 50.

The style throughout is generally country, but with a good underpinning of other genres. In the middle of the collection, with its definite change in accent and tone, Full Steam Ahead Now is a very Irish look at a night out in a pub with friends which nicely counterpoints the mood of unrequited, lost, or remembered love.

I suspect that Tony Kirwan doesn't always appreciate how good a voice he has. But his friend Colm Cahill certainly does. Colm brought that out in his excellent recording and production of this album, and also contributed some quite superb instrumentation himself. He also did the photography for the CD's cover, which was then made the most of by graphic designer Fran McCormack.

There's probably at least one song for everyone on this collection. Me, I was particularly taken with Just Another Day In Paradise because of the brilliantly balanced production, the thought-provoking River Kwai Soldier which came out of the singer's own time in Thailand, and Material Things and Plastic People which to my ears is a cautionary observation on the current era of influencers.

Breakdown is available through Tony Kirwan's new website or from a number of the venues in mid-Kildare where he regularly plays — for Kilcullen, it's available in The Spout. Check it out.

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Nature Trail reopening on Tuesday

A reminder that there will be celebrations on Tuesday afternoon next, 1 November, when the Bridge Camphill Nature Trail reopens to the public, writes Brian Byrne.

With the grand reopening kicking off at 2.30pm, there will be face-painting, refreshments, and a prize for the best fancy dress of the event.

The trail has been closed to the public since the beginning of the pandemic.

There is as yet no date set for a reopening of the An Tearmann cafe.

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Get fit to run with Rudolph for Kilcullen GAA

A 'Couch to 5km' programme organised by Kilcullen GAA with local fitness club No1 Fitness is the latest fundraiser from the GAA development team, writes Brian Byrne.

The programme will prepare participants for a 'Run, Run, Rudolph' event on Sunday 11 December designed to kick off a much fitter Christmas for many.

Personal trainers from No1 Fitness will oversee five 1-hour Friday sessions of the programme, starting at 7pm on next Friday 4 November. All involved will be given a detailed weekly fitness plan, and each Wednesday there will be a 5km guided walk/run.

The cost to participants is €20 a week, totalling €100 which will include the race ticket.

The 'Run, Run, Rudolph' event will also have a 2.5km Family segment.

More details from anyone on the GAA Club Development Committee.

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Local runners in Dublin City Marathon today

Two local people running in today's Dublin City Marathon are Gareth Landy and his friend Emma Webb, writes Brian Byrne.

Gareth is running to highlight the genetic condition XXY which he has and also to raise awareness around male infertility.

Emma is running to fundraise for the Irish Cancer Society.

The marathon, sponsored by Irish Life, gets under way at 8.40am today in staged starts that will happen through 9.45am. Some 25,000 people are expected to take part.

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Moon River time with the Messy Choir

A small musical interlude this afternoon was the first Kilcullen meeting of the Messy Choir, which will be rehearsing in the Community Centre every second Saturday.

Members pick the songs they will rehearse, and today's included Moon River and Shenandoah. 

The ethos of the choir, organised by Niamh Traynor, is that no regular commitment is needed ... just come along when you can and join in.

Walk-ins welcome. Next session 12 November. Starts 1pm and sessions last an hour and a half.

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Kicking off the bank holiday weekend

There's lots happening in the Kilcullen area today to kick off the bank holiday weekend, writes Brian Byrne.

Among them for the ladies, there's the pop-up fashion shop in the Heritage Centre operated by the Kildare West Wicklow SPCA, kicking off at 11am and running until 4pm. Lots of bargains.

Kalbarri Cookery School is open for brunch and chat this morning from 9am, finishing up at 3pm.

For those with a song in their heart that they're like to let loose, there's the Messy Choir practice in the Community Centre, a lunchtime opportunity from 1pm-2.30pm, everybody welcome and no need to commit to regular participation.

There's a Calverstown Litter Pick beginning at 2pm, and a Kids Halloween Disco in Ballyshannon Community Hall at 3pm.

In The Spout tonight it's music by Karl Ivers.

Enjoy whichever is your choice.

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Positions available at Dunlavin Nursing Home

There are vacancies for Health Care Assistants at Dunlavin Nursing Home, both full time and part time.

Day time and night time positions are available, and remuneration is at new revised and competitive rates.

Anyone interested should email their CV to bvarghese@silverstream.ie.

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Alan running Sunday's marathon for Bridge Camphill

Alan Beale, who avails of the day services at Kilcullen's Bridge Camphill, will be running in the Dublin City Marathon on Sunday to raise funds for the Kilcullen facility, writes Brian Byrne.

Alan will be running with his father, also Alan, and it is his first marathon. He would very much appreciate all support, which can be given via his iDonate page here. Running 42.195 km is an amazing challenge for anyone to undertake, and Alan would also love to get messages and good luck wishes.

"I'm fundraising for Camphill as I would like to be able to give back to them as they do a lot for me," he says.

Alan set a target to raise €2,800. At the time of writing he had reached €2,630 of that. Let's help get him over that target line — he'll do the business himself to reach the marathon one.

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Big improvement in Kilcullen Tidy Towns result

Kilcullen has achieved 14 extra marks in the Supervalu Tidy Towns Competition 2022, writes Brian Byrne.

The efforts by Kilcullen Community Action and its volunteers and workers won the town 338 out of a possible 550 marks.

The extra points were gained in the areas of Planning and involvement (+3), Streetscape and Public Places (+1), Green Spaces & Landscaping (+3), Nature & Biodiversity (+2), Sustainability (+2), Tidiness & Litter Control (+1), Residential Streets & Housing Areas (+1), and Approach Roads, Streets & Lanes (+1).

KCA has thanked all those who helped make these improvements possible. 

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Would you like to sing with Messy Choir tomorrow?

A reminder that a community choir with a difference is now located at Kilcullen Community Centre and meets every second Saturday at 1pm.

The Messy Choir has been in existence since November of last year, and operates in an easy-going pop-up manner. The next session is tomorrow 29 October, and each meeting lasts 90 minutes.

"No serious obligation or long term commitment," says the group's Niamh Traynor. "We do one song each session; the songs are not difficult but we do cover some music theory. Songs are chosen randomly from choir members’ suggestions. If you miss a session, no big deal; just come when you can."

Niamh promises that participation will bring a different experience every time, but a commonality is enjoyment and making friends.

The only fee is a sharing of the cost of the venue between those who turn up. "The more who come, the less it costs."

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The passing of Mairead Keegan (née Walker)

The Diary has learned of the death of Mairead Keegan (née Walker), of Beaumont, Dublin, and formerly of Nicholastown, Kilcullen, who died on 27 October 2022 peacefully at St Francis hospice Blanchardstown.

Beloved mother of Fiona, Siobhan, Fergus, Elaine and Cathal, sister to Liam, Ethna and the late Shay, Mairead is sadly missed by her grandchildren Brian, Peter, Ben, Matthew, Louise, Paddy, Ellie, Emma, Joe, Sophie, Eve and Tom and great-grandchildren Isla and Calum, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, relatives, neighbours and friends.

Mairead's funeral is arriving at the Church of the Nativity of our Lord, Beaumont, for reception prayers this Friday evening, 28th October at 7pm. Her funeral mass is tomorrow Saturday 29 October in the Church of the Sacred Heart and St Brigid Kilcullen, at 11am, followed by burial in New Abbey Cemetery, Kilcullen.

Rest in Peace.

Cafe service reopens next week at Riverbank Arts Centre

Patrons of the Riverbank Arts Centre in Newbridge will be very pleased to hear that the cafe service there is being reinstated, next Tuesday 1 November, having not reopened since Covid.

Following a competitive tendering process carried out by centre owners Kildare County Council, local event catering company Catering365 will be opening The Strand Café on the premises.

Catering365 is operated by Deiric Walsh and Davis Zhang, alongside café Head Chef Fiona (Flo) Byrne. The trio have worked together for some 20 years.

The café will be open from 10am –3pm weekdays and Saturday, and an hour before evening events at Riverbank Arts Centre.

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