Looking Back: Parish trip to Lourdes 2008

This photo is from the Diary in September 2008, showing the group heading out on the Parish pilgrimage to Lourdes, led by Fr Michael Murphy. Were you there?

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Looking Back: Memories of child's play

Looking back this morning in another photo from PJ Lydon's memorabilia collection is a nostalgic one for your editor — these are children I grew up with and played with.

I estimate the date at the early to mid-1950s, and the youngsters are Mary Molloy, John Bardon, Seamus Orford, Paddy Molloy, Mary Bardon, Michael Lambe, Peter Bardon and PJ Johnston.

Many, many memories ... 

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Looking Back: outing to Clontarf

In another blast from the past, this an undated photo from the seemingly endless PJ Lydon collection.

It seems to be an outing to Clontarf — the picture caption says it's on the seafront there.

From the notation on the photo they are (back) Mr Sherry, Alice Coleman and Mrs Redmond; centre - Nan MacKay, Molly Maher, Mrs Sherry and Kitty Tougher; front - Nan Fitzpatrick and Noreen Lynch.

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Looking Back: Kilcullen in the 1960s

Interesting postcard of Kilcullen Main Street from the 1960s, courtesy of PJ Lydon, shows on the left PG Dowling's petrol and motor repairs, JJ Quinn's confectionery shop, two dwelling houses, then Byrne & Co Ltd Hardware and Drapery. 

Beside that is Nora and Peg Byrne's Grocery and Bar, then Miss Kenny's shop, and (hidden by the bus) Orford's drapery. On the right is Orford's Knockaulin Bar on the corner, down from it Orford's butcher stall and (I think) the sweetshop run by Miss Hayes.

Note the plethora of bicycles parked in front of the pub and further down on the left and those in use by the gentleman on the corner and the other riding down the street (he wouldn't be able to ride so carefree there today). 

  

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Looking Back: Logstown 1965

This photo sent in from the UK by Patsy Coleman, the late Ger Coleman's sister, is a Logstown time capsule from March 28th 1965.

Pictured are (back) Paddy 'Kings' O'Neill, Claire Morris, Noel Coleman and Pat Nolan, and (front) Pat and Ber Coleman with Patsy's 8 months-old daughter Fiona, and Scamp.

Pic courtesy of PJ Lydon.

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Looking Back: Boys First Communion 1973

This photograph, scanned from the 1973 Bridge Magazine, was sent in by Eugene Brennan, with some names of the Boys First Communion group of that year. Perhaps Diary readers can fill in the gaps?

Back Row: Christopher Thorpe, ????, David O'Connell, ????, Andrew Geoghegan and John Martin;

Middle: Thomas Orford, Owen Barker, ????, David Dempsey, Eugene Brennan, David King (RIP);

Front: ????, Damian Thorpe, Richard Brophy, ????, ????, Godfrey Hegarty.

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Looking Back: Haymaking in Castlemartin

This intriguing photograph of Castlemartin House during autumn haymaking came to the Diary courtesy of PJ Lydon, writes Brian Byrne. It had been in the possession of the Nolan family of Logstown — Pat Nolan recently passed away in Seattle.

The photograph is undated, and the original is very dark, but what fascinates are the two children on the haystack in the foreground, their clothes suggesting late 1800s or early 1900s. Although the child on the left is dressed in girls' clothing, it could be a little boy as it was the fashion of those times have boys so dressed when they were very small.

It would be really nice to know who they were. The Castlemartin estate became the property of the Blacker family in the mid-1800s, so it is likely they were Blackers.

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Looking Back: Fundraiser for Fr Gene McGeogh

In this blast from the past we have a cheque from a fundraising event for the mission of Fr Gene McGeogh being handed over.

Pictured at back are Tom Morris, Dolly Lynch, Betty Lambe and Julia Morris, and (front) Pat Lynch, Fr Gene, and Michael Porky Lambe.

The event was some time in the early 1970s, and the photo was sent in by Michael Lambe.

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Looking Back: the 2003 Mac and Norman's Vintage Rally

With the 21st Mac and Norman's Vintage Rally ready for the off tomorrow week, Sunday 13 August, we look back 20 years here to the second run on 17 August 2003, writes Brian Byrne.

These pictures are enlarged from low resolution ones in my report of that event on KNN, the experimental online news service I set up with colleague Trish Whelan and which predated the Kilcullen Diary.

This run had some 40 vehicles — in later rallies the number climbed to more than 350 — and began in Brannockstown with the convoy driving to Carnalway, Kilcullen, up to Old Kilcullen and back to the Stray Inn at Brannockstown.

These pics, and apologies for the low quality, were taken in Kilcullen and at Old Kilcullen, and we're pretty sure will raise some tears of nostalgia. The full set can be viewed here.

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Looking Back: Kevin and his campaign angels

Do you remember this poster? The year 1977. The event, Kilcullen's Mayoral race to raise funds for the Valley Park.

This was Kevin Doyle's promotion with his campaign team of 'Charley's Angels', who included Angela Keogh, Catherine Peacocke, Catherine Cahill, Marcella Singleton, Theresa Meaney and Beverly O'Connor. 

The winner that year was Michael Porky Lambe, and Kevin came sixth behind 'Suffering Brothers' John and Simmy Doyle, Vincent Darby, and Vincent Conway.

"Great memories indeed," Kevin told the Diary. "Can you remember me riding the horse through the town ...?"

(Pictured below are the full complement of 'mayoral' candidates that year.)

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Looking Back: Kilcullen hosted Kenya in Special Olympics World Games

When the Special Olympics World Games were held in Ireland in 2003, Kilcullen played host to participants from Kenya during the event, writes Brian Byrne. 

Held in the last week in June of that year, the theme of the Games was Share the Feeling, and included 7,000 athletes who came from around the world with 28,000 family members. Some 30,000 volunteers were involved in running the event.

Thanks to the ever-present camera of PJ Lydon, we have the images here of a local parade to celebrate the Kenyan contingent in Kilcullen. It culminated in a big reception at Kilcullen Community Centre. You can also scroll through 600 photos taken locally by Joseph Robinson during of the event, uploaded here. 

In addition to training and competing, those hosted in Kilcullen had visits to local places of interest such as the Aga Khan's Gilltown Stud, and when all was over they were treated to a farewell meal and party at O'Sullivan's Guesthouse in Gormanstown.

The Kilcullen Special Olympics Committee was more than 30 strong, chaired by Phil Griffin, with Fiona Sloan acting as secretary. Needing to raise €12,000 to cover costs, one of the initiatives in the summer of 2002 was a revival of the 'toll' at Kilcullen — the village was an important place on the country's first toll road in the 18th century — where travellers coming through were asked for a voluntary donation of a euro for the privilege. In a Leinster Leader article under the byline of James Healy, committee member PJ Lydon was quoted as hoping the 'Mock Toll' would raise €1,500 to start the fund off. "When the Kenyans get here, we want to give them the time of their lives," he told the paper.

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