ANIMALS ON M9 WARNING

Image: TII.

The M9 Northbound from Kilcullen is restricted at the moment due to animals on the road. The danger area is 3 kilometres north of Kilcullen.

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KILCULLEN AFC FUN RUN

Kilcullen AFC is organising a Fun Run taking place on 11 October. Runners of all levels can take part in either the 5K or 10K course.

The event will start and finish at the Kilcullen AFC Clubhouse with registration available now at JustRunsEvents.ie. 

The event promises fun for all ages, and a great day for the family while helping to support your local club.

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Kildare-made movies exhibition

Part of a poster for Dating Amber.

An exhibition beginning this week, From Hollywood To Kildare, will celebrate movies made or set in County Kildare through cinema posters. Curated by Michael Rowley, the exhibition will include films produced in Kildare from 1959 to the present. 

The event will commence at 6pm on Thursday, 27 August 2027, at the Kildare town library, with the official opening at 7pm. A presentation will include films featuring international stars like James Cagney and Mel Gibson. Visitors are encouraged to bring props or share memories related to movies made locally. 

One notable film featured is Dating Amber (2020), directed by Newbridge native David Freyne.

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National Play Day 2026

National Play Day takes place at Áras Chill Dara, Naas on Saturday, 5 September, from 12pm to 5pm. 

Enjoy over 30 activities, live stage acts, and accessible features for a fun-filled, inclusive event.

All activities and parking are free. All are welcome.

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Appleton's last move

Austin Egan moved his Appleton Property location recently to the former Peacocke premises, and he says it is the business's final move, writes Brian Byrne. All three locations, over 13 years, have been within 100 metres of each other, which says something about the appeal of that particular stretch of Kilcullen's main street. Also about Austin's belief in the town as a place to do business. 

The former shoemaker's shop is now completely changed, but updated in a manner respectful of Kilcullen's heritage streetscape. Inside, there's a comfortable public area, a conference room, and Austin's office looking out onto a low-key garden. The renovation has light flowing right through the building, for the benefit of those working there — Austin himself, his daughter and student Siún, and Laura White who has been office manager for the last eight years. "We've put a lot into the building, and we're very happy here. It's nice to have a pleasant work area. You can work better, and longer — it's good for productivity."

It's no secret that home-buying and renting is in a difficult place. In Austin's 13 years on Main Street, that has intensified with an increasing gap between prices and income, along with Ireland's strong population growth. Irish people have always had an appetite for home ownership, and that hasn't gone away, he says. But it's more difficult. "It has become much more challenging. Construction costs have gone up exponentially, which in turn has driven up the price of new houses. And secondhand ones have followed. There's a supply and demand issue now that wasn't there in 2013."

The rental side, too, has been going through substantial, and disruptive changes. There are fewer 'corporate' lettings, for professionals with critical skills working for global companies on a term contract. "Since Covid, many of those became tenants on their own. They settled here, wanted to stay, and eventually became buyers. That's driving a lot of demand." The squeeze on ordinary renters is painfully evident to many simply seeking a place to live, and also to those who want to get out of that space and into a home of their own. 

Is Ireland heading towards a more continental model of permanent renting? “Previously, Germany and other European countries were the examples of that, where they had a high percentage of permanent rental property. But I think that if our level of rentals haven’t already surpassed those countries, they will.” He notes that while other countries have traditionally different philosophies on renting, they also have different economies. "They have different legal structures, too. We have an evolving legal structure that’s causing its own disruption, with many unintended consequences.”

A ‘big withdrawal’ of individual landlords from the rental market last year is one of those. In many cases, tenants involved have bought the houses themselves. “They’re still homes, but they’re not providing a rental solution.” Landlords are leaving in part due to increasing complexity from changes in legislation, bringing a lot more rules to navigate. "Then you have heavy taxation. The sector is getting less attractive, and that’s not good, because we need to have a balanced rental market for young people.”

A similar balance is needed at the older homeowner end, with many living in family homes too large for them once their children have left. “The most common query that we can't immediately satisfy is people who want to move from a larger property into a smaller one that's appropriate for their needs. Those properties aren't available. If there was a substantial stock of two-bedroom houses, then the cycle would work. Families, as they grow, would move into those, and there'd be a proper cycle, a property ladder on which you can go up and down.”

Austin has always been interested in the property sectors in other countries, and he says similar pressures are being experienced elsewhere. “All developed European countries have the same challenges. They're all trying to meet them differently, but I don't know if any are doing it any better than us at the moment.”

Government initiatives to help bridge the affordability gap for first-time buyers, such as Help-to-Buy and the shared equity First Home scheme, are 'quite effective' in the new homes sector, Austin says. "But they're not available in the second-hand market." Tweaks could be made in mortgage rules and green incentive discounts: A- or B-rated homes already get a mortgage discount, for instance. "Various schemes have helped to increase people's capacity to borrow, and the government has the power to improve those programmes." While the Appleton crystal ball suggests that property prices won't be coming down in any foreseeable future, the rate of increase is likely to slow. "The rate is projected to decline, but that's different from house prices coming down — they're still going to grow."

The village character which Kilcullen has retained is an asset. “It is very much regarded as a safe town and a nice place to live. I meet a lot of people who come here to consider buying houses, and they may not buy a particular house from me at the time. But they may well be sold on Kilcullen, and I could sell them a house next month.” He's not expecting the town to grow as big as neighbouring Naas and Newbridge, because they have the main rail links where concentrating development makes sense. "I don't see the town exceeding 5,000 in population, and that extra thousand isn't going to change the character of Kilcullen. But I have three children, and I want them to be able to live here. We need housing for the next generation, how that is managed is the key thing."

In the 16 years Austin has been in business for himself, he has seen estate agency technology move fast and far. "When I was studying in Bolton Street, we had a measuring tape and a camera with film that we handed in for developing. Then the internet and Daft and MyHome came along, and that changed things immensely. Now we're moving into the next space, an upsurge in technology and AI tools." He notes this is also bringing a change in customer habits. "People are now not necessarily using Daft as their main tool — they may eventually arrive at it through search engines, be it with Google or with AI." 

But the link back to the individual estate agent is still critically important. "We learned during Covid that putting this business totally virtual just does not work. At the end of the day, people want to physically turn up. For us, we're in a village mindset, with a very person-based service, and we have to integrate the technology into that without losing the personal side."

Well, there's nowhere more personal than Main Street Kilcullen.

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Hermitage Park Summer BBQ

Hermitage Park had their Summer BBQ on Saturday afternoon, writes Martin Sheridan. A great day of fun and games for the young, and it was great to see the adults joining in.

The kids enjoyed the games and the BBQ foods were appreciated by all. 

A big thanks to Danielle and Andrew for organising and feeding us all on the day. Also to the Hermitage Park Residents Committee for organising this event each year.

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Last day of National Heritage Week 2026

Today, Sunday, 23 August, is the last day of National Heritage Week 2026, writes Brian Byrne, with the final opportunity to visit heritage exhibitions, family-friendly festivals, and exclusive historic tours in 18 locations across County Kildare. 

Art and Unveilings: Art and local history take centre stage today in North Kildare. The Office of Public Works (OPW) is hosting a double-feature of exhibitions at Castletown House in Celbridge, opening with Old Masters from 11am to 12pm, followed by 300 Years of Irish Art from 2pm to 3pm. Meanwhile, the Kilcock Heritage and Historical Society will commemorate the historic Fair Green in Kilcock with a talk, From Fairs to Rebellion, culminating in the unveiling of a brand-new community storyboard from 3pm to 4pm. 

Festivals and Family Days: For those seeking a livelier atmosphere, Milltown is celebrating with the Grand Canal Festival and Family Fun Day, running from 12pm to 5pm. Maynooth University’s North Campus is hosting Lá Teaghlaigh (Family Day) from 12pm to 2:30. In Monasterevin, the Blueway Art Studio invites the public to a unique Sensory Mapping the River Barrow event from 2pm to 4pm.

Historic Homes and Monuments Open to the Public: A select number of Kildare’s finest private estates and landmarks are offering special access today — Moyglare Glebe (Maynooth): Open for morning tours from 8:30am to 12:30pm. Harristown House (Brannockstown): Welcoming visitors from 9am to 1pm. Tower of Allen (Hill of Allen): Open to explore from 10am to 4pm. Burtown House (Athy): Tours running from 10am to 2pm. Leixlip Castle (Leixlip): Open for morning tours from 10:15am to 12:15pm. Kildrought House (Celbridge village): Open from 10:45am to 12:45pm. St Mary's Church (Maynooth): Open for visitors on Parson Street from 2pm to 5pm.

Local History and Natural Heritage: In South Kildare, the Athy Historical Society is conducting an afternoon tour of the historic Old Saint Michael’s Graveyard in Athy from 3pm to 4:15. In Sallins, residents can explore the Sallins - A Visual History Photo Exhibition at Cafe Grange, open today from 9am to 4pm. In addition, The Steam Museum & Lodge Park Walled Garden in Straffan is open from 1pm to 4:30pm, and animal lovers can attend an Ireland's Unique Wildlife talk hosted by Kildare Wildlife Rescue in Kildare town from 2pm to 3pm.

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Applications for Credit Union educational bursary

A reminder that there is still time to apply for the Chris Kelly Educational Bursary for 2026, continuing a long-running initiative that honours one of Kildare Credit Union’s founding members.

Open to KCU members attending third-level education for the first time in 2026, including mature students, the bursary offers the successful applicant €1,000 per year for up to three years to support the cost of further education. An application can be made here.

The bursary, which has been running since 2005, will be awarded by draw from all eligible applicants. Applications can be submitted using either the downloadable application form or the online application form.

The closing date for completed applications is Wednesday, 30 September 2026.

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