It Says in The Bridge — October 2024
The celebration of Conroy Park's 50th anniversary makes the front page and centre spread in this month's issue, marking half a century of a close-knit community, writes Brian Byrne. The pictures alone illustrate the intergenerational story of the estate that very much deserves congratulation.
Sharing that front page are the recent business workshop in Kilcullen that provided tips towards making the most of the busy retail last quarter, and a report on the Erasmus+ connection at CPC where students were urged to make the most of the educational mobility the scheme offers. Both of those stories are detailed inside, with the business story headlining how the human face is still very much a business asset.
Other news covered this month includes the recent overnight camp by the Kilcullen Scouts group on the site where they are hoping to build a brand new den, some happy pictures of the very well attended Seniors day out with the Lions Club, and a number of KCA stories including the official presentation of the Bronze Medal won in last year's Tidy Towns.
In the regular features, Mary Orford delves back into the local newspapers to find out about the wild west movies that were popular back in the 1950s, specifically those shown in the Town Hall Cinema. Some forgotten star names are recalled. John Duffey also casts his usual sideways look at the past, this time on the subject of paints. Sean Landers goes even further back, as usual, with the start of a series on Canon Somerville-Large of Carnalway who arrived there in 1887 and was contemporaneously described as 'an active minister'. The story of pugilist Dan Donnelly has the attention of Daithi de Róiste in his Places Around us.
Gillian Rea's Bit of Business this month details the wedding stationery and greeting cards enterprise of locally-based Little Ivory Weddings and Bláthín Makes. Billy Redmond has concerns about our national security and what he sees as the nation's security forces being 'way down the list' of government interest, "and we don't even qualify for a dedicated Minister for Defence." Meantime, on the spiritual side, Julie Felsbergs has had a number of airport adventures recently which had unexpected and thought-provoking outcomes. Fr Gary muses on anxiety, which 'is like being followed by a voice'. "It knows all our insecurities and and uses them against us," he says. Getting out and away from all that, Noel Clare's local travel piece this month is about Brittas Wood and Lake in Clonaslee.
The return of the Kilcullen Community Awards, last held pre-pandemic, gets a page of its own and also an insert of a nomination form for those who would like to highlight the positive contributions of individuals and groups in our community. Fill it in today, "I'll do it later" often never happens.
Finally, news of the passing of Sr Joan Smith of the Cross and Passion Sisters as this Bridge was going to press prompted Noel Clare to pen an appreciation of her work in the development of the college and also steering the transfers of lands that today underpin a wide range of Kilcullen's community activities. "A progressive teacher and a Principal with a sense of vision, justice and fairness that was often ahead of her time," he says. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-Anam Dílis.
All those and, as usual, more. Usual outlets.
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