Kilcullen News Update

Call for upgrade to pedestrian crossing ... Carols by Candlelight 2025 in Kilcullen ... Kildare Draft Biodiversity Plan information meeting ... Singers and musicians call for Christmas Festival day ... Parish Lotto Draw results ...

Reporting since 2005 on a Village Grown Bigger. Produced by Brian Byrne for Kilcullen Diary.

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Kildare Draft Biodiversity Plan information meeting

KCC Biodiversity Officer, Méabh Boylan.

There's an opportunity today to meet Kildare County Council's Biodiversity Officer and discuss the Kildare Draft Biodiversity Plan 2026-2031, writes Brian Byrne. The document will be on display at Kildare Town Library from 2pm to 5pm, with the Biodiversity Officer, Méabh Boylan, in attendance.

The document is available to view on KCC's live online submissions portal. Submissions to the draft can be made up to 1 December 2025, at this link, or by post to "Submissions on Biodiversity Action Plan”, Forward Planning, Kildare County Council, Aras Chill Dara, Newbridge Road, Naas, Co. Kildare W91X77F.

All submissions and observations received will be fully considered before the plan is finalised.

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Singers and musicians call for Christmas Festival day

Main picture by Diana, via Pexels.

The Kilcullen Town Promoters (Kilcullen Business Group) have issued a call for singers, choirs, bands, duets, and quartets to bring festive musical cheer to their Christmas Festival day on Friday, 28 November.

The event will run from 11am to 6pm, and it would also be appreciated if anyone who wished could dress in a Christmas costume for the day.

The KTP has also asked its members to have all shop windows decorated in a festive style, as the event is taking place before the town's Christmas Lights are switched on.

It's the second such Christmas Festival Day, and each business will have its Christmas gift offerings and some festive cheers. At the Town Hall, there will be stalls from local producers and crafters, along with some Christmas music. 

There will be a Santa's Grotto in the afternoon and a window Treasure Hunt trail to complete during the day for a prize.

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Parish Lotto Draw results

The numbers drawn in the Kilcullen and Gormanstown Parish Lotto Draw held on 11 October 2025 were 1, 5, 20 and 30. There was no Jackpot winner and next week's main prize will again be €20,000. The value of the follow-up Draw stands at €18,800.

The winners of the €50 Open Draws were Noel Dunne (Promoter Noel Dunne), Domhnaill Joyce (Wednesday Bridge Club) and Faise Haslam (Vanessa Clarke).

The winners of the Promoters Draw were Ger Hillery and Miriam McDonnell, and the winner of the Draw for those in the Parish Centre on the night was Liam McDonnell.

The Parish thanks all who support the Lotto.

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Call for upgrade to pedestrian crossing

A request that the council explore the possibility of upgrading the current pedestrian crossing outside Cross and Passion College to a push-button crossing has been made by Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer, writes Brian Byrne.  She has the matter down for discussion at the next meeting of the Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District.

The crossing is on a stretch of road where traffic backs up significantly from the crossroads traffic lights. The councillor says a push-button system would benefit both pedestrian safety and traffic management at the location.

"Because people cross individually, it can lead to further traffic buildup," she says. "With a push-button, a group can cross together, and this allows more time for traffic to flow."

A similar crossing to that requested is in use outside Scoil Bhride.

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Carols by Candlelight 2025 in Kilcullen

Tickets are now on sale for Carols by Candlelight 2025, featuring The Camphill Lamh Choir, Kilcullen Gospel Choir, and Naas Hospital Choir, writes Lorna Brophy. Special guests this year are the Baldonnel Singers and Paul Linehan, the renowned tenor.

Tickets are €20 and are on sale from the Parish Centre, Berney’s Pharmacy, Eilis Hair, and Lorna Brophy. Children are free. Proceeds this year go to the Kilcullen Church Painting Fund.

This is our 14th year of Carols by Candlelight in Kilcullen, and I would like to say thank you to everyone who supported it over the years. Your consistent support has helped us provide funds for several projects in Kilcullen, including Meals on Wheels, the Bridge Camphill Nature Trail, SVP, KCA projects, Brannoxtown NS, First Responders, and some church projects, to name a few.

Looking forward to seeing you all on Thursday, 4 December 2025, for another Carols by Candlelight. All are welcome.

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Kilcullen News Update

Local family dairy farm visited by European Commissioner for the Environment ... National survey of primary education views ... Garda home safety meeting ... November cinema from Kilcullen Lions ... Songwriters in the Round for Moone's Croí Anú ... The passing of Paschal O'Brien ...

Reporting since 2005 from a Village Grown Bigger. Produced by Brian Byrne for Kilcullen Diary.

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Local family dairy farm visited by European Commissioner for the Environment

A Ballyshannon farm was shown as an exemplar of how Irish farmers are working to improve water quality, writes Brian Byrne, during a visit to Kildare by European Commissioner for the Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall.

The Durkin family farm between Kilcullen and Athy was presented as a typical Irish dairy farm, where Pat Durkin and his daughter, Kayleigh, work side by side, adopting the latest technology to produce top-quality food while improving the farm’s environmental impact.

Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon arranged the visit as part of his campaign to retain Ireland’s nitrates derogation. It was followed by meetings with Oireachtas TDs, senators, and environmental stakeholders in Teagasc’s Ashtown research facility in Dublin.

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Songwriters in the Round for Moone's Croí Anú

If anyone missed Songwriters in the Round at the Red Hot Music Club last March, they have another chance to hear Megan O'Neill, Emma Langford and Grainne Hunt in their amazing show, writes Brian Byrne. The show will be presented at Croí Anú in Moone on 21 November.

Megan O’Neill, who has shared the stage with Sir Tom Jones, Lighthouse Family, and Glen Hansard, has had her songs featured in Netflix's Firefly Lane and ABC's Nashville. Grainne Hunt, with her rich and complex voice, is affectionately dubbed Ireland’s answer to Joni Mitchell. She has opened for Gladys Knight and performed twice on Ireland’s Late Late Show. Emma Langford, blending folk, traditional, and contemporary sounds, has established herself in both the Irish and international music scenes with songs like The Winding Way Down to Kells Bay and Birdsong. 

'In the round' is an intimate style that originated in Nashville and features three songwriters, each taking turns performing their original songs and sharing the stories behind them.

At Croí Anú, each will also be invited to include a song on the yellow stool, a signature element of Croí Anú gigs. The stool was from the kitchen of venue owner Mary Pat Moloney's mother.

Tickets are available on Eventbrite, The Piers Café in Moone and at Croí Anú.

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Garda home safety meeting

A Home Safety meeting with Kilcullen gardai will take place in Kilcullen Parish Centre on Monday, 1 December, from 6pm to 7pm. The event will also be an opportunity to meet the new Community Garda, following the recent retirement of Gda Jon Brien.

In addition to home safety, there will also be a discussion on how to recognise and avoid online fraud.

All are welcome.

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November cinema from Kilcullen Lions

The Ballad of Wallis Island, the next presentation from Kilcullen Bridge Cinema, on Tuesday 18 November, is a gem of a movie. Directed by James Griffiths and starring Tom Basden, Tim Key, Carey Mulligan and Sian Clifford, it has developed a devoted audience. Richard Curtis called it one of the best British films of all time. 

It tells the story of musician Herb McGwyer, who made his name in a popular folk duo with former creative and romantic partner Nell Mortimer. Now a struggling solo artist, Herb accepts a lucrative offer from eccentric lottery winner Charles Heath to perform a private gig on a remote island. 

The film has a perfect mix of humour and poignant character work. A winning crowd pleaser, it is the perfect film for dark November evenings. 

Tickets are €7 and are now on sale in Woodbine Books, Kilcullen, and on Eventbrite.

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National survey of primary education views

A national survey of parents and guardians of children in primary schools is underway, hosted by the Department of Education, writes Brian Byrne. The initiative is designed to inform future primary education provision.

The online survey, the largest of its kind, invites parents and guardians of all children from birth to 12 years old to share their preferences on school ethos, including whether they would like a religious or multi-denominational setting. It also asks for views on co-educational or single-sex schooling, as well as whether parents would prefer English or Irish as the primary language of instruction. 

The survey can be accessed at this link, and the closing date is 16 December. 

A tandem separate survey for primary school staff and board of management members is part of the initiative.

Locally-based Senator Fiona O'Loughlin has urged parents to participate, saying the education system must reflect what parents want for their children.

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The passing of Paschal O'Brien

The Diary has learned of the death of Paschal O'Brien, Black Hall, Calverstown, peacefully on 8 November 2025, at home, in the company of his loving family. 

Paschal will be sadly missed by his loving wife Angela, daughter Adelle, sons Keith, Stephen and Trevor, son-in-law Christopher, Trevor's partner Emma, grandchildren Lauren, Christopher, Darragh, Aimee, Katelyn, Callum and Donna, brothers and sisters in law, nieces, nephews, extended family, neighbours and friends.

Paschal's funeral mass will take place on Wednesday morning, 12 November, in the Church of the Sacred Heart and St Brigid, Kilcullen, at 10.30am, followed by a cremation service in Newlands Cross Crematorium at 12.30pm.

Rest in peace.

Kilcullen News Update

Shamrocks U12 hurlers bring home the Shield ... Special GAA Lotto offer for November ... Generous support for Christmas Lights Appeal ... Eurospar to charge for parking after a free hour ... November Bridge on sale ... KWWSPCA Craft Fair fundraiser ... The passing of Giselle Mentos ...

Reporting since 2005 from a Village Grown Bigger. Produced by Brian Byrne for Kilcullen Diary.

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