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Kilkenny - Council 43 meets in Villa Maria, Freshford Road, Kilkenny, on the third Monday of each Month (excepting July and August)

The Council was established in 1927 and has a dedicated and active membership.
Some of the activities of the Council include:

Monthly Faith Formation at Council meetings with our Council Chaplain
Development of Substance Awareness Project for Primary Schools (see below)
Christmas Dinner and Party for deserving citizens
“Keep Christ in Christmas” Campaign every Advent
Annual Council Retreat
Pilgrimage to Knock (May)
Hosting of public Faith Formation talks in Advent and Lent
Ecumenical dialogue with other Christan Churches in Kilkenny
Support for clergy in local parishes including participation in lay ministry

The Council selects a local worthy cause each year as its Charitable Object. 
In recent years the Council has supported the following local charities:

Aislinn Adolescent Addiction Centre Ballyragget
SOS Kilkenny (support for persons with special needs)
Friends of St. Columba’s Hospital, Thomastown
Kilkenny Branch of the Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland
Amber (former Kilkenny Women's Refuge)
O’Neill Centre Kilkenny
Carlow/Kilkenny Homecare Team
Black Abbey Restoration Fund
Good Shepherd Centre.

The Council’s Charitable Object for 2008/09 was the Aislinn Adolescent Addiction
Treatment Centre, Ballyragget, Co.Kilkenny. The 2009/10 object is the Council’s Substance Awareness Project.


Order of Knights of St. Columbanus
CK 43 Kilkenny


KILKENNY KNIGHTS SUBSTANCE AWARENESS PROJECT 2009/10

The St Canice’s Primary School Substance Awareness Pilot Project for 2009/10, sponsored by the Knights of St Columbanus in Kilkenny (CK 43) has reached a very satisfactory conclusion with the presentation of prizes for the projects that were carried out by the students.

The Project was devised by the Knights in close consultation with  Jo O’Mara from Aislinn Adolescent Treatment Centre, John Leahy, Drug Education Officer with the Health Service Executive, V. Rev. Jim Murphy P.P. of St. Canice’s Parish and with the management and staff of St. Canice’s Co-Ed School Kilkenny.

The Project was launched in the school last October and comprised a number of stages during the year:

•    Autumn – the three sixth class teachers were trained by John Leahy (HSE) and Jo O’Mara (Aislinn) to deliver the programme to the pupils through a number of modules throughout the school year, highlighting the important issues surrounding addiction awareness
•    Winter – the children designed posters that reflected the issues as understood by them. The Knights sponsored a number of individual and class prizes which were presented before Christmas.  
•    Spring – The parents of the sixth class pupils were invited to attend a dedicated information evening on substance awareness. This was very well attended, and the parents completed an assessment form to indicate their views on the success of the programme based on reaction from their children.
•    Final Term – the children completed projects on Substance Awareness that required them to do some research on their chosen subject. The projects reflected what the children have learned in relation to awareness of substance addiction during the year. Again, the Knights sponsored the prizes for the best entries, as well as class prizes.
•    Every participating student received a special certificate at a ceremony held last week in the school.


 
Picture shows Padraig Crowley (Teacher), Bro. Jocilyn Begue (CK43), Aisling O'Connor (Teacher), Bro. Paul McKiernan (CK43 and PGK Area 9)
Jo O'Mara (Aislinn Juvenile Rehab Centre), Peter Nolan (Teacher), Maria Comerford (Principal), John Leahy (HSE Drug Education Officer)




St. Canice School 6th Classes

Kilkenny’s Knights thanked Fr. Jim Murphy PP St Canice’s, Ms Maria Comerford and the staff of St Canice’s School, for their enthusiasm in embracing this pilot project. The professionalism of Jo O’Mara and John Leahy ensured that this programme was of very high quality.

It is hoped to extend the project in 2010/11 to the sixth classes at Gaelscoil Osrai, the Presentation Primary and the CBS. By this time next year, some 300 pupils will be carrying the “armour of awareness” with them as they enter into secondary school as a result of participating in this project

Maria Comerford, Principal of St. Canice’s said:

“We are delighted to have introduced this programme to the school. It ties in with the S.P.H.E. curriculum and the lessons delivered by the teachers have raised the children’s awareness in an age-appropriate and relevant manner. Great credit is due to the Knights of St. Columbanus, to John and Jo, and to our own three teachers for the successful completion of this venture and I wish to thank them all.”

Jo O’Mara of Aislinn said she was very pleased with how the project had progressed in a short time:

   “We are grateful to the Knights of St Columbanus in Kilkenny for initiating this new approach to prevention of addiction and we are delighted to be involved in this project. Visitors to our website will see the words ‘ drug-free future begins with our children’ on our Homepage. This project was designed to maximise awareness in primary school children of the dangers of substance abuse. It is hoped that the lessons learnt by the children this year will help to protect them as they now move into adolescence. In this area, knowledge truly is power.”


John Leahy, the famous Tipperary hurler, now dedicates himself full time to his work as Drug Education officer with the HSE: 

“This project has proven to be a valuable way forward to provide education in the young people at primary school level as they move forward into adolescence. The three teachers involved, Aisling, Pádraig and Peter deserve great praise for their enthusiasm and dedication to their students. They have put wonderful effort and time into acquiring greater knowledge of the issue of substance use and particularly what to do in the event of a substance use incident. The programme has been able to reach parents who often find that they have concerns about their son or daughter as they enter a stage of their lives where there are new pressures. It has given parents the opportunity to raise their own concerns with us. The students are stronger because of the awareness that they now possess”.



ENDS
 





KILKENNY KNIGHTS LAUNCH SUBSTANCE AWARENESS PROJECT

The Knights of St Columbanus in Kilkenny (CK 43) have launched their 2009/2010 Substance Awareness Project. The project is being conducted on a pilot basis with the children in the 6th Classes at St. Canice’s Primary School Kilkenny, and it is hoped that the project will roll out to other Kilkenny schools in 2010/2011.

The Project has been devised by the Knights in close consultation with the management and staff of St. Canice’s Primary School, with V. Rev. Jim Murphy P.P. of St. Canice’s Parish, John Leahy of the Health Service Executive, Aislinn Adolescent Treatment Centre, Ballyragget and An Garda Siochána.

The Project comprises a number of stages in the 2009/10 academic year:

•    Autumn – Teachers delivered the beginning of the programme through talks given to the children on the important issues surrounding addiction awareness
•    Winter – the children created posters that highlight the issues as understood by them. The Knights sponsored attractive and appropriate individual and class prizes for the best posters. It is intended to arrange for publication and printing of winning entries for distribution in other schools  
•    Spring – Talks will be given to the parents of the children on substance addiction awareness
•    Final Term – the children will be invited to prepare a project or essay in which they set out what they have learned in relation to awareness of substance addiction in the previous school year. The Knights will arrange for publication, and will sponsor prizes for the best entries, including class prizes.
It is intended that prizes and certificates will be presented at a special ceremony at the end of the academic year.

Kilkenny’s Knights also handed over €6,000 to the Aislinn Adolescent Addiction centre in Ballyragget. The Knights had adopted the centre as their charitable object for 2009. The Grand Knight in Kilkenny, Mr. Vincent Millet, explained how the project had caught the imagination of all those involved:

“As we discussed the issue of addiction in young people within our own Council, it was clear that every member was anxious for something worthwhile to be done to try and reduce the numbers of our young people who unfortunately drift into addiction. From talking to the experts at Aislinn we realised that there was a need to get this message to where it is needed most – that is to primary school children. As Knights, we then thought about how we might help with facilitation and sponsorship.”
 
The project was first discussed with Bishop Seamus Freeman who gave his support. Mr Millet then convened a small but effective group of “can-do” people to progress the project, and found he was pushing an open door:

“When we approached other agencies to discuss the next steps, we found that there was wonderful enthusiasm and everyone got behind the project. I am particularly grateful to Fr. Jim Murphy PP of St Canice’s Parish, to Maria Comerford, Principal of St Canice’s, to John Leahy of the HSE, to Jo O’Meara of Aislinn and to Garda Agnes Reddy the Juvenile Liaison Officer for their time and commitment. I also wish to commend the members of the Knights in Kilkenny for their enthusiasm and support for this project”.

Mr Millet hopes that this year is the start of something exciting and worthwhile that could spread to involve all primary schools in Ossory:

“We felt that it needed more than just a talk or talks in front of a captive audience. By inviting the children to go away and do some thinking themselves, and then to create something that reflects how they have understood the importance of the message, there is a much better chance of it leaving a deeper impression. When we spoke to the experts, they fully agreed with this approach”

We hope to invite other schools in Kilkenny and Ossory to participate in 2010/11 depending on the success of this project. Who knows, in the future this may be an approach that schools right across Ireland might see as worthwhile?”


Kilkenny Knights Keep the Festive Fare Flowing

It may have been two weeks later than planned due to the adverse weather, but on Sunday 24th January 2010,the Kilkenny Knights of St. Columbanus annual party for deserving citizens proved to be no less enjoyable than usual.

The new venue, provided courtesy of the Irish Wheelchair Association on College Road, was a big hit in terms of facilities and comfort for the 45 guests.  A first class Christmas-style feast was served with soup, turkey and ham, roast beef, tasty vegetables and Tess Buggy’s renowned trifle to finish it off!

Afterwards, the guests sang and danced the day away to the superb sound of Roy Barry’s music. There were also many guest singers including one shy Knight making his singing debut at this event!

Kilkenny Knights are very grateful to all who made this occasion such a success including, the Irish Wheelchair Association, the many hotels in Kilkenny who provided and cooked the food, Tess Buggy, Irma Cody and their highly efficient team of volunteers, Roy Barry, and the many generous sponsors of this event and the Knights’ other projects.

As reported above, in recent months, the Knights are working closely with John Leahy of the HSE, Jo O’Mara of Aislinn Ballyragget and the staff and sixth class students at St. Canice’s School Kilkenny on a very exciting and worthwhile Substance Abuse Awareness Project. Already students and participating classes have been rewarded with prizes for their work in designing posters on the theme of substance awareness.

The project will continue to the end of the academic year with students undertaking projects on this very important issue. Parents of these students will also be invited to attend information sessions in order to be better informed on all of the dangers that are linked with abuse of alcohol, prescription and non-prescription drugs, and other harmful substances. It is planned to roll this project out to other primary schools in the 2010/2011 academic year.

The Knights will continue to raise funds in the coming months to support this and other important projects.   

CK 43 is always happy to talk to those who are interested in our work and that of the Order, and hold Information Nights from time to time.


For further details on CK 43 please contact the Secretary at:
bmace@mac.com

or telephone Paul at 087 9043071

“His Holiness… sees the work of the Knights of St. Columbanus as standing not on the margin but at the very centre of the Church’s life and mission in this time of great change in Ireland.”  - Apostolic Blessing from John Paul II