French visitors firm up Kilcullen connections

FRIENDLY encounters on the street, welcomes in local schools, and a visit to the historic monastic site at Glendalough were all among highlight elements for 13 French people visiting Kilcullen recently. 

These were just a few of the experiences in a very packed itinerary organised by the Kilcullen Twinning Group for the town's Normandy twin of Saint-Contest.

It was the third direct interaction between the communities since the twinning was inaugurated in 2019 by a St Patrick's weekend delegation from France. After a pandemic hiatus, a Kilcullen group made their return visit in late 2023.

On their first of four days in Kilcullen, the French cohort visited the primary and second-level schools in Kilcullen where they were treated to performances of music, singing, dance, and even demonstrations of hurling and Gaelic football skills. 

A tour of the Old Kilcullen monastic site where the original settlement was started, reputedly by or at the direct behest of St Patrick himself, was in bitterly cold wind which necessitated huddling in the lee of the remains of the site’s round tower to hear the history of the location. But stories of Viking raids and 1798 rebellion fighting still enthralled.

On the second day the Saint-Contesters were brought to Kildare for a full immersion about St Brigid and other heritage features of the historic town. They were also fascinated by the National Stud and the related attractions of St Fiachra’s and the Japanese gardens before enjoying a bit of retail therapy at Kildare Village.

The trip to Glendalough on the Sunday provided opportunity to enjoy the scenery of West Wicklow, quite different to the relatively flat land of Normandy. 

The visitor centre at what was once one of the key dioceses in North Leinster was well appreciated — one of Glendalough’s illustrious abbots, St Laurence O’Toole, actually died while visiting Normandy in 1180 and is buried there and still venerated. On the way home the group inspected traditional Irish clothing at a local woollen mills outlet and on their return to Co Kildare were given a private tour of the Museum of Style Icons at Newbridge Silver.

The last day of their visit included a cookery demonstration at Kalbarri Cookery School outside Kilcullen and the concluding event in Kilcullen Heritage Centre where they met with officials and public representatives from Kildare County Council before being bid farewell with some local Irish music and dance.

For the Kilcullen Twinning Group's Tanya Flanagan the support the organisers had been given by the community was key to the visit's success. 

"It wasn't hard to put a good programme together because everybody we approached never hesitated." 

She particularly commended the effort put in by the schools, and the welcomes given by local businesses. The availability of the garda community Bus for trips away from Kilcullen was also really appreciated. 

"That was fabulous. Knowing that we had transport for two days made a big difference."

Deputy Mayor of Saint-Contest Stéphane Guillot said they really appreciated meeting 'real Irish people'. 

"We spoke to the kids in schools, we spoke to the teachers, to the people we met in Nolans, and in the bookshop. Twinning is all about people, and we have made good friends." 

He believes the twinning programme will develop further over the coming years, and one overriding sense that the people of Saint-Contest bring back to their home is of connection. 

"I feel we have a lot in common with the Irish people, I go back feeling we are very close to you."

Through their weekend the visitors sampled lunches and dinners in Kilcullen’s restaurants and cafes and had also enjoyed a traditional music evening in nearby Ballymore. “You are very lucky to have such lovely pubs and restaurants right in your town,” visitor Isabelle Lemaréchal said. “We don’t have them like this at home.” 

On the face of it a strange comment from a country renowned for its cuisine, but it was likely the atmosphere in the local hostelries that they found so engaging. 

“It was all the people on the street too,” she added. “In France, we would all be in our homes in the early evening.”

With little time to be at home with their host families during their visit, they all left Kilcullen tired. For the best of reasons.