Free cooking apples

A reminder that Julie in the Library has lots of free cooking apples available. 

You don't even have to go in; they're in a regularly refilled box on a table in the front garden.

Nothing like proper cookers to make a tasty tart.

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Thornton Lace evening

Our Wednesday night Heritage Week event in the library was a great success, writes Julie O'Donoghue. Our speaker, Mary Barber, the local expert on the Thornton Lace project, presented it.

The project began in 1847 in the townland of Grangebeg as a response to the devastation locally caused by the Great Famine. Mary brought this period to life for the audience and connected us to this part of our story in a real way.  

Most importantly, she put Martha, aka Mrs W C Roberts, back into her rightful place in the story of An Gorta Mor in our locality.

We were fortunate to also have Irish Crochet Lace expert Kathie Earle with us, with examples that participants could try their hand at.

UPDATE: Geraldine Nugent has since done some digging, and it turns out that our Martha Roberts was actually Elizabeth Roberts! Martha is her mother-in-law. 

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Free cooking apples

Julie in the Library has free cooking apples available for anyone who wants them. There are plenty of supplies, so get those apple tarts a-baking.

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Library Garden all ready for Pincic

Images: KCA.

All is now in place for Saturday's KCA-sponsored Picnic in the Library Garden.

Blooms and vegetables in the raised beds, grass trimmed, and paths cleared around the wild meadow section, hidden places for children to explore.

Just bring along a rug for the ground, picnic basket, and a few baked goodies to share.

From 1 pm. Free.

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Library Garden Family Picnic

The annual Library Garden Family Picnic will take place on Saturday, 26 July, starting at 1pm. The theme for dressing up is Characters from Books.

Families are invited to bring their own picnics as well as cakes and buns and similar for sharing with others at the event. The garden is in full bloom at the moment, and a new picnic table, made from recycled plastic, has been added recently.

This is a free event, organised by Kilcullen Community Action in association with Kildare Library Service.

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International Literacy Day

Today is International Literacy Day and here are some of the literacy aids available from Kildare Library Service, writes Brian Byrne. 

They include dyslexia-friendly books for adults and children, audiobooks, a reader pen to aid reading, and a series of Quick Reads by popular writers.

All to be availed of by contacting Julie in Kilcullen Community Library. The Library is open Tuesdays 10:30am–1 pm, 1:30–5pm; Thursdays 2:30pm–5pm, 6pm–8pm; Saturdays 10am–1pm.

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Busy in the Library Garden today

It was a busy morning in the Library Community Garden, writes KCA's Martin Sheridan. 

The Primary School children finished up there after a morning of litter picking, while some TY students from CPC came along to help get the garden ready for the upcoming Teddy Bear's Picnic on 18 May.

Meanwhile younger children from the town were also enjoying the garden.

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Last Memory Monday of 2023

The last Memory Monday of the year will take place in Kilcullen Community Library on Monday next, 27 November.

As usual, things kick off at 11am, and lots of tea, chat and memory musings will be the order of the morning.

There might even be a touch of Christmas about the event as there will be no Memory Monday in December.

All welcome.

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Change of date for 'Finding Brigid' walk

There's been a change of date for the Heritage Week 2023 walking tour of Kilcullen following traces of Brigid in the area. It will now be on Saturday 19 August (NOT the 12th as previously posted).

Starting at 2pm in Kilcullen Community Library and taking in the Church of The Sacred Heart and St Brigid, St Brigid's Well and various other locations in the town, there will be refreshments on the return to the Library.

Suitable walking shoes or boots are essential for walking through the the Valley park, which may be wet and a little slippy underfoot.

This event is being supported by Kildare County Council and is also part of the Brigid 1500 Festival.

Further Information from Kilcullen Community Library 087 1334784 or email kilcullenlib@kildarecoco.ie

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Free fruit and veg

Library Garden fruit and veg free to take home. 

Don't forget to take some Lettuce or Herbs. 

Strawberries are very tasty.

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Poetry and diseases at Brigid 1500 Memory Monday

It was wonderful to see a full house for our February Memory Monday, writes Mary Orford. Thanks to Kildare Library Service and our local community librarian, Julie O'Donoghue, for hosting our monthly get together. The tea and biscuits were most welcome after our walk down memory lane. 

As Brigid is patroness of poets and healing, we had poetry and diseases as topics of conversation. What a combination! Cures from the School Folklore Collection entertained us (and appalled us) and I suspect we're all very grateful for advances in modern medicine. Thanks to those who read poems for adding a touch of class to the morning. 

We'll do it all again on Monday 27th March at 11am in Kilcullen Community Library. Please join us.

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Children's thoughts on Brigid on view in Library

When children were asked by Kilcullen Community Library to send in drawings on the theme of Brigid, some came up with very imaginative ideas, writes Brian Byrne.

Among the to be expected images of St Brigid crosses, there were drawings of the saint in a number of capacities and activities that are not normally attributed to her.

"There's one of St Brigid having a picnic on the Curragh, for instance," says Librarian Julie O'Donoghue. "And when you think about it, why wouldn't she?" Another is Brigid alongside a JCB digger, with a caption noting her supervising the building of Kilcullen Parish Church ... which would mean she lived to be a little older than has been thought! "Then there's one of her with a wolf, which looks like a very tame and friendly one," Julie points out.

Several relate to the story of Brigid's 'magic' cloak, spreading out to take in land promised for her abbey in Kildare. One consistency through the collection, which can be viewed in the Library, is that Brigid is always smiling, which suggests that's how today's children feel about a woman whose time of 1,500 years ago we are celebrating now.

(In our selection of pictures above, we have left out any names, for privacy reasons.)

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Library in Kilcullen closed today

Kilcullen Library is closed today, due to unforeseen circumstances.

The Kildare Library Service apologises for any inconvenience.

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Magician wows everyone at Library show

It was sitting-on-the-floor room only for many children at this afternoon's Magic Show in Kilcullen Library, writes Brian Byrne.

(It did seem that their parents had hogged most of the chairs!)

But master magician Jamie Skelton kept everybody amused and mystified through the session, which brought out lots of 'ooohs' and 'aaahs' and 'wow!s' through the hour (and those were just the adults).

Another lovely free initiative from one of Kilcullen's best resources, the Library, under the spell of our own books magician Julie.

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Quiet concentration at Library crafting session

Deep concentration yesterday afternoon at the Winter Crafting Workshop in Kilcullen Library, conducted by Emma-Jane Leeson, writes Brian Byrne.

Emma-Jane is the author of the Johnny Magory series of children's books, and is also the current County Kildare Reader in Residence. 

Her latest publication is the Johnny Magory Songs of Ireland, where Johnny explains the stories behind some of the country's favourite songs to his sister Lily-May. The RTE children's TV News2day team recently filmed a session with a Prosperous school about the book which will be broadcast shortly.

Meantime, don't forget that next Saturday there's a free Comedy Magic Show in the Library with magician Jamie Skelton, kicking off at 12.30pm. Fun for all.

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