Samantha serves Kilcullen with a taste of Americana

When Covid finally forced a decision on a long-distance romance, Arizona casino floor manager Samantha Morton chose Ireland, writes Brian Byrne, and today her Fun Foods horse-box outside Kilcullen Community Centre is serving up hot dogs and pizza, in a new life chapter far from the casino tables.

She made that life switch because she had met and fallen in love with an Irishman. For twelve years, the relationship flipped back and forth between Ireland and the US. Then Covid came and, after a year apart, he urged her to move here. “I told him that had been my end plan anyway," she says with a smile, "and we got married five years ago.”

Openings in County Kildare for blackjack and poker dealers were, well, not. But Samantha had a hospitality background: her entertainer father owned a B&B and bar-restaurant, and she’d grown up around food. After moving to Ireland, she began going to craft markets with a friend and saw people selling food at them. “I was, like, yes, I could do that.”

Starting small with crêpes and waffles, she gradually extended her Fun Foods offerings to savoury dishes. Authentic American in style, they include jumbo hot dogs, homemade pizzas with her own family secret sauce, nachos with optional toppings, and breakfast baps and bagels that are popular all day. She also makes her own healthy energy snack protein balls. Specials can feature her particular take on a burger or a barbecue selection of pulled pork, beef, or chicken.

The Fun Foods name was deliberate, rather than ‘Samantha’s Pizzas’ or ‘Samantha’s Burgers’. It allows her, at markets or festivals, to pivot to something that doesn’t directly compete with fellow traders.

The current Kilcullen location grew from a link with the Community Centre about three years ago, when she began providing food at Sunday events. “That was really successful, and we’d be rocking all day, with up to 1,000 dancers involved.” This year, centre manager Enda O’Neill suggested she trade through the weekend, complementing the centre’s very busy Coffee Hatch. She is still refining opening hours to match demand. She also offers a party service, setting up at customers’ homes, providing customised food from a bespoke menu and clearing everything afterwards, which has proved very popular.

Now living in Prosperous, Samantha is in every respect a world away from the high-pressure, neon-lit casino floors of Arizona — a life which she recalls with deep affection. But she's happy to be here, bringing a real taste of Americana to her Irish and Kilcullen customers. 

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The passing of Joseph (Joe) Murphy

The death has occurred of Joseph (Joe) Murphy, Old Kilcullen, and late of Rosetown, Athy, on 10 July 2026, peacefully in the tender loving care of the staff of St Brigid's Hospice.

Predeceased by his parents Joseph and Margaret, brother Kevin and sister Mary, Joe's passing is very deeply regretted by his loving wife Marion, son Alan, darling daughters Karen and Brenda, sons-in-law Joe and Johnny, daughter-in-law Jennifer, sister Dolores, and grandchildren Ava, Dara, Finn, Cian and Devin.

He will be reposing at his family home (R56 WC58) from 4pm until 8pm on Sunday, 12th, with prayers at 7.30pm. Removal from there on Monday 13th to The Church of the Sacred Heart & St Brigid, Kilcullen, arriving for the 11am funeral mass, which may be viewed on this link. The mass will be followed by burial in St Brigid's Cemetery.

House private on Monday morning, please.

Rest in peace.

Hot weather warning from Asthma Society

Images: Asthma Society of Ireland.

The Asthma Society of Ireland has warned that this weekend’s hot, humid weather could be dangerous for people with asthma and other lung conditions, writes Brian Byrne. With Met Éireann heat and forest fire warnings in place, the Society is urging the public to look out for vulnerable groups, particularly children and older people.

Parents, sports coaches, and camp leaders are being asked to take extra care with children spending long periods outdoors. Older people with respiratory conditions are also at increased risk, and neighbours and family members are encouraged to check in on them regularly.

Hot and humid conditions can make breathing more difficult and raise the risk of an asthma attack, especially at night or in the early morning. Forest-fire smoke, barbecue smoke, and high pollen levels are adding to the danger by irritating the lungs and worsening symptoms.

The Society is advising people with asthma to reduce strenuous activity during the hottest part of the day, keep indoor spaces as cool as possible, check daily pollen and air-quality forecasts, and follow their Asthma Action Plan.

Anyone with worsening symptoms is urged to seek medical advice, while anyone experiencing severe breathing difficulties or symptoms that do not improve after using a reliever inhaler should call 112 or 999 immediately. Free nurse-led support is available via the Asthma Adviceline and WhatsApp services, with further information at www.asthma.ie.

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Scouts celebrate end of year with BBQ

The 9th Kilcullen Scout Troop celebrated their end-of-year last evening with a barbecue on the site designated for their new den on the Community Centre campus, writes Brian Byrne. The event brought together parents and other family members to mark the occasion.

Kilcullen Scouts have had a busy year, and recently took part in the Portlick Scout Campsite, at Athlone, with kayaking, hiking, a fishing trip, archery, crate stacking, and a cookery challenge. In June, the Beavers and Cubs had a weekend in the Lilliput Adventure Centre in Mullingar, enjoying activities that included climbing walls, lake activities, bog jumping, capture the flag, and orienteering.

The troop is now in its 49th year, and there's a wait list for membership. The group caters for young people aged 6-18 through Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, and Ventures. After that, they can become Adult Scouters.  

Kilcullen Scouts were originally located in the Tennis Club. After going through several temporary premises, they got their first purpose-built Den in 2000 in the Community Centre.

In addition to their own activities, Kilcullen scouts get involved in community work, including helping with Tidy Towns and organising events for the town's older people.

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Drop the hosepipe, urges Uisce Éireann

A watering can uses less water.

Uisce Éireann has urged people in the greater Dublin area, which includes Kildare, not to use hosepipes to water their gardens during the current hot spell, writes Brian Byrne. The service says that if water usage continues at current rates, it will be forced to impose nighttime restrictions on supply.

A new record for water usage in the region was set in recent days, with reservoir levels dropping by up to 30 million litres a day.

Across the country, 25 water supplies out of a nationwide total of more than 700 are currently under nighttime restriction. These include parts of Kilkenny, Tipperary, Donegal, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, and Meath.

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Road closure Mile Mill-Grangemore on Monday

The R‑413 will be closed on Monday, 13 July 2026, between Mile Mill Cross and Grangemore, Brannockstown, during the day for surface dressing works. 

A signed diversion will be in place, local access maintained, and motorists should expect some delays.

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The passing of May Keogh (nee Crone)

The death has occurred of May Keogh (nee Crone), The Hill, Kilcullen, on 9 July, 2026, in the tender loving care of Curragh Lawn Nursing Home.

Predeceased by her parents, Robert and Margaret, May's passing is very deeply regretted by her loving husband, Kevin and her loving friend Stella, sister-in-law Mary, brother-in-law Michael, nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.

May will be reposing at her residence, (R56 AV97), on Friday, 10 July, from 4pm until 8pm with prayers at 7.30pm.

House private at all other times.

Removal will be on Saturday morning, 11 July, to The Church of the Sacred Heart & St Brigid, Kilcullen, arriving for 11 am Funeral Mass, which may be viewed on this link.  This will be followed by burial in St Brigid's cemetery.

Family flowers only, please. 

Rest in Eternal Peace, May.

Designated bathing area sought for Kilcullen

File photos: Kilcullen Diary.

Waterways Ireland and Kildare County Council have carried out a risk assessment on potential designated bathing areas in the Liffey at Kilcullen, writes Brian Byrne. This follows requests from local swimming enthusiasts to have an official swimming location established.

The initiative is one of a list of project ambitions produced by Kilcullen Community Action earlier this year. Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer, who says it is 'a worthy project worth pursuing', has previously walked the Liffey area with representatives from the Kildare Sports Partnership, "to start the discussion about various locations."

Following the recent assessment visit by Waterways Ireland and KCC, the next phase in this project is an environmental impact analysis, followed by a water quality analysis to ensure there is good water quality if people are going to swim. At that point, a detailed design would be done and costings assessed.

The matter has come into sharp focus with the current and earlier heatwave spells, with scores of mainly young people cooling off at what were traditional swimming places in the river, but which are now fenced off from public access. 

KCA's Tony Gahan, a keen swimmer, is leading the call for Designated Bathing, suggesting that a pontoon structure that would rise and fall with the flood could be located on the Riverside Manor bank side of the river. The location had a temporary wooden dock for many years while the new Kilcullen Canoe Club premises were being constructed as part of the Market Square development in the late 2000s. It fell into disrepair when it was no longer needed by the club and was dismantled for safety reasons several years ago.

A request that KCC designate a generationally popular swimming spot at Carnalway, made by Cllr O'Dwyer last year, didn't succeed. Identified bathing waters are monitored, managed, and assessed under the requirements of the 2008 Bathing Water Quality Regulations. The regulations followed the transposition of the Bathing Water Directive (2006/7/EC) into Irish law in 2008, aimed at enhancing the protection of bathers' health and introducing stricter standards for water quality. Local authorities are required under the legislation to identify such locations.

In 2024, KCC sought public assistance in identifying such locations so a profile of each could be developed, including an assessment of the risk of pollution and what action would be taken if pollution occurs. Among details requested from the public were how swimming areas have been used up to now, how many people use the site, what facilities (eg, signage, parking, toilets, etc.) exist at the site, how accessible it is, and what safety issues exist. 

To our knowledge, there are as yet no Designated Bathing Waters in County Kildare.

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New self-storage facility opens in Halverstown

A new self-storage business has opened in Halverstown, Kilcullen, offering secure and flexible space for both household and commercial customers.

The Self Storage Yard Ltd is a modern container yard that provides new, clean, dry and fully insulated storage units with flexible rental options. The fully gated facility features 24/7 CCTV, secure access control and well‑lit surroundings.

The site offers easy drive-up access and a simple online booking process, designed for anyone needing extra space for household items, tools, business stock, equipment or vehicle storage in the Kilcullen, Kildare, Naas and Newbridge areas.

Contact 089 4149738, info@tssy.ie, or visit the website at tssy.ie for full information and booking.

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