It Says in The Bridge - June 2025

There's a very summery outdoors look about the June edition, reflecting that lovely spell of early summer weather we had in May, writes Brian Byrne. Let's hope that wasn't it for our sunshine this year.

The front page leads with the great day of family fun that was had in the Valley, focusing on the reaction of some of the many children there to the antics on the Punch and Judy stage. Photographs are memories caught in an instant, and the main article makes a centre spread of many happy moments from the KCA-sponsored event. Also getting front-page lead-in is the regular Out and Away series, this time highlighting some walking space along the River Barrow. A colourful shot of children enjoying the outdoor classroom in Scoil Bhride underscores the room outside theme.

May was a busy month all around, necessitating some extra pages in this month's issue. So in news there's the Oakway Homes grant of planning permission, the opening of a new polytunnel at CPC, and a look at possible progress coming for the proposed Old Kilcullen Heritage Trail. 

There are people features too. Our own Prof Teresa Lambe telling graduates at a top US university to use their 'fighting Irish' spirit as they go on to make their lives and careers. A look at young Jack Courtney's current place and possible future in world-level darts. Some 20 Questions revelations by Stuart O'Neill. And lots of people pictured at the Kilcullen GAA Darkness Into Light walk for Pieta.

From our regular panel of contributors — much expanded in the last couple of years — Gillian Rea's Bit of Business is close to home for her this month, interviewing her sister Alison, the architect. Billy Redmond spreads his thoughts on travel to Galway, a recollection of the band he formed with Billy Horan to raise extra funds for the parish in the Kilcullen Carnival, and the possibility of having more homes built for older people in the town. Mary Orford is tripping to a personal family past this month and an Orfords staff outing to Killarney. Sean Landers looks at the history of the '100 Acres' field in Gilltown, and if you were in Carnalway NS in 1947, you're probably in the picture on his page. John Duffey revives some farming nomenclature in his recollections of making hay while the sun shone. Did you know there's a long stone at Punchestown that could be more than 4,000 years old? ... Daithi de Róiste puts us in the picture. Two pieces from the Creative Writers Group, from Geraldine Gahan and Julie O'Donoghue, reflect on the magic of rivers and babies respectively.

This month's colour in the page devoted to Kilcullen Photography Club is a lesson in what picture-takers call 'leading lines', and the various contributions show just how many such visual elements are around us. There's a lifting of the veil over the mysterious world of bridge from Carmel Gleeson, Julie Felsbergs muses on an alternative meaning for Father's Day, and Fr Gary considers the new father of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV. We have two Kilcullen Bridge Cinema offerings upcoming, A Real Pain next week and a screening of former CPC student David Freyne's Dating Amber on the 18th, with the writer-director himself to be there on the night. (To shamelessly mention another publication, there will be an extensive piece about David in next week's Kildare Nationalist.)

And so, another month, another Bridge. You know where to go.

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