TRANSPLANT FOOTBALLERS TRAINED IN KILCULLEN FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Back: Glen Clinton, James Reynolds, Mark Moore, Pat Huddleston, Brian Carney; Front: Mike Keohane, John Paul O’Neill, Val Weblin, Tim Lyons, Shane Riordan.

Ten Irish athletes who are taking part in the Transplant Football World Cup in Frankfurt from 13–18 September have been training over the last several months at Kilcullen Community Centre's Astro pitch, writes Brian Byrne. This morning was their last session at Kilcullen before the event.

As Team Ireland, they will be joining transplant recipients from around the world, in more than 60 teams celebrating life, resilience, friendship, and the extraordinary gift of organ donation.

Each athlete has a remarkable story. Just a few examples: Kilkenny-born JP O’Neill, who lives in Athy, has spent almost three decades showing what life after a kidney transplant can look like — as Football Sports Captain, he will lead the Transplant Sport Ireland team in Frankfurt. Val Weblin was in a wheelchair and on oxygen for two years and is now playing in this World Cup having received a double lung and kidney transplant. Mike Keohane was given just weeks to live and has been fit and healthy for 19 years since his liver transplant. For Shane Riordan, who had a life-saving bone marrow transplant in 2019, representing Ireland on the football pitch is something he never imagined would be possible.

Each of the other team members' stories is just as remarkable. "Tonight, the whole country will be rooting for the great Katie Taylor," says Kilcullen's own kidney transplant athlete, James Nolan. "But each of these guys is in the same brave league as Katie in terms of what they are achieving in their sport." Members of the team visited Nolan's Butchers this afternoon before returning home.

Players will compete in three preliminary rounds to qualify for a knockout semi-final. Each game is 20 minutes a side, with a 10-minute break. Transplant Sport Ireland team manager Harry Ward, watching today's training, said the players will be on the training pitch in Frankfurt tomorrow week just two hours after getting off the plane. "Then they'll show what they're made of through the week."

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TIDY TOWNS EFFORT APPRECIATED AT KCA GATHERING

A presentation was made last evening to Ann Cashman at a gathering of Kilcullen Community Action volunteers, CE workers, and supporters to mark recent years' Tidy Towns successes in winning bronze, silver and gold medals, writes Brian Byrne. Ann retired as KCA chair earlier this year after serving in the position for eight years.

Current chair Noel Clare paid tribute to all who have previously led KCA, including Kieran Forde, Niall McDonnell, Ray Kelly, and Esther Kiely. "The foundations of what has been achieved was laid down over those years, with those people," he said, adding that the key to success is 'having good people around, to do things'. "It does take a lot of energy, a lot of effort from a lot of people. And the more successful you are, the bigger you get, the more it demands."

Thanking all who had helped achieve major improvements to Kilcullen through the years, he expressed particular appreciation for the Community Employment teams, currently comprising Wayne Aspell, Ilona Brede, Joe Winder, and Michael Haslam. "We have been extremely fortunate, because their dedication and their skills are quite incredible."

Noel outlined some of the key projects undertaken this year, including the new Heritage mural, the revitalisation of the 'Fish' area at Hillside, refreshing of the Dun Ailinne Interpretive Park, and improvements in the Valley including new picnic tables recently installed. He specifically recalled the KCA input for the public realm work recently completed in downtown Kilcullen. "That's one of the most fantastic things that has happened in a long time in Kilcullen," he said, noting that the impetus had come from KCA's promotion of an overall plan for the Market Square area several years ago.

The table decorations at last night's event in Fallons were flowers grown by KCA's gardening crew, Black-eyed Susans, or rudbeckia. The particular variety was Goldstrum. With the judging for the 2026 Supervalu Tidy Towns completed a while ago, it was a reminder to the gathering that Kilcullen's hopes are high for another good performance at the upcoming results event.

Wayne Aspell, Ilona Brede and Joe Winder.

Derek Hoey presenting Ann Cashman with a bouquet — flowers all grown by KCA.

All about gold.

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KILCULLEN SISTERS' MEDALS HAUL IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS OF PERFORMING ARTS

Photos courtesy Liam Raftery.

Three Kilcullen sisters who took part in the World Championships of Performing Arts in Las Vegas brought home a total of 23 world medals across solo, trio and group dance, vocals and variety acts. Sofia (12), Nicole (10) and Lara (8) Raftery also won the overall Junior Ethnic Dance Division Award.

The three were proud members of 29 talented performers representing Team Ireland during an unforgettable 12-day trip in July. In total, the Irish team brought home 197 medals. WCOPA is the premier global talent competition, often cited as the official ‘Talent Olympics’ of the performing arts world. Managed by Worldstars International, it is where elite performers from over 70 countries compete in front of top industry judges, talent scouts, and producers. 

Among the Raftery sisters' medals haul were Sofia's Gold for Dance Acro and Bronze for Dance Ethnic, Nicole's Gold for Dance Open, and Lara's Golds for Variety Act Contortion and Dance Musical Theatre. As a trio they also won Golds for Vocal World, Dance Ethnic, and Variety Act Contortion, as well as scoring a semi-final medal in four different acts, and several invitations for meetings with professional agents. As members of the overall Team Ireland they contributed to wins of Silver for Vocal Open Group and Bronze for the Grand Final Group Vocal.

The Raftery sisters were coached by Katie and Niamh Conlan of the KNC Performing Arts Company, which led Team Ireland. Their family has expressed their gratitude to the coaches for helping the girls achieve remarkable success. They also thanked sponsors and supporters Glanbia, Marsh, Moreton & Company, Kildare Credit Union Kilcullen, and Eurospar Kilcullen.

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BLESSING OF GRAVES AT NEW ABBEY, ST BRIGID'S

File photo.

A reminder that this Sunday, 6 September, prayers and blessings of the graves will be held at 2pm in New Abbey Cemetery. 

At 3pm, Mass will be celebrated in St Brigid’s Cemetery, followed by the blessing of the graves.

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KILCULLEN HAS ONLINE ORDERING FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES

Cllr Tracey O’Dwyer officially launched Tap Retail in Kilcullen last evening, the first town in County Kildare to offer this online order and delivery service for local businesses, writes Brian Byrne. The initiative provides a platform for local businesses to reach a wider customer base, offering a convenient online shopping experience, with all deliveries free to the customer within 3km of Kilcullen. 

The initial participating businesses in Tap Retail Kilcullen are Eurospar, CarryOut, River Cafe, Kilcullen Opticians, and D Brennan & Sons. The Diary understands several other local businesses are interested in joining the scheme.

Cllr O'Dwyer congratulated Stephen Hallahan, founder and CEO of Tap Retail, and the local participating businesses. She also acknowledged the contributions of Nichola Kennedy, Lucia Brennan, and Dawn Behan as the driving forces bringing the project to life, as well as the support from Andrew Gaynor and Local Enterprise Office Kildare.

At last night's event, the Tap Retail team gave a presentation in the Town Hall Theatre, detailing the app which can be downloaded by anyone. A key element is that items from multiple shops can be ordered for the online 'basket', with all being delivered to the customer at the same time. Several local delivery drivers have been recruited by Tap Retail, who will operate on a per delivery basis. Each business is provided with a quota of renewable delivery 'credits' as part of their annual fee for participation. 

Discussions at the local level with Kilcullen Town Promoters began about 18 months ago, and the availability of 50 per cent funding for the businesses through the Digital for Business and the Grow Digital Voucher schemes operated by LEO Kildare was key to getting it off the ground.

Stephen Hallahan says he established the concept to give local independent businesses the ability to fight back against larger online players. "This is all about levelling the business playing field and making it easier for customers, if they can't get into town, to order online from their favourite local retailer and get that stuff delivered to their house by a local person. Or they can order ahead and click and collect it themselves."

Following an initial project developed in Dublin's Foxrock area, Tap Retail is also now operating in Enniscorthy in County Wexford, and Hallahan says the initiative will be launching in another nine towns this year.

Leaflets are being distributed to the customers of participating Kilcullen businesses with details of how to download the app and order.

(Photos for the Diary by Noel Clare.)

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NEIGHBOURS COOPERATION BEST DEFENCE AGAINST CRIME - MEETING

Deputy Mark Wall, Community Garda Jim Lacey, Pat Duggan of Muintir na Tire, Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh, and Elaine Jackson.

Criminals are actively looking to pick off people whom nobody is looking after, a community safety meeting in Kilcullen heard last night, writes Brian Byrne. Participants were told the answer to that is neighbours looking out for each other.

The well-attended event was designed to reinvigorate the former Community Text Alert scheme through the use of the Cáirde app. Developed by Muintir na Tire, the originators of Text Alert, the app is an enhanced method of communication between the members of a community alert group, providing a range of crime prevention and emergency action features.

Opening the meeting, Elaine Jackson of Kilcullen & Surrounding Areas Community Text Alert said community safety is all about communication, being alert, and working together. "There's only so much our Gardai can do, so we have to play our part as well."

The Eastern Region Community Alert Development Officer for Muintir na Tíre, Pat Duggan, said the original Text Alert groups had waned somewhat since Covid. These weakened community ties had contributed to an 'epidemic' of loneliness as well as increased risks of crime, and to the safety and care of vulnerable people. "This is about neighbours making sure if someone's on their own, that they knock on their door and see if they're all right? If they need messages done? If they need a service that they could be hooked up to?" 

He also outlined initiatives which Muintir na Tire offer to support this community alert work, including marking property with owners' unique identifiers, so that, if stolen and found, it can be returned to them. He said a community safety 'tool-kit' will be available before the end of this year, providing information on all aspects of crime prevention in one place.

Detailing the advantages of the Cáirde app, which is available free in the Kildare area thanks to LPT funds allocated by councillors, he noted the Property Log feature that provides a private space for photographs and serial numbers of valuable items. There's also an Emergency Button by which someone who has a fall or other urgent situation can summon help from either nominated friends or a 24-hour call centre. "Cybercrime is also huge now, and in association with the Banking Federation, they send us alerts on new types of fraud, which are passed on through the app." 

Seeking cooperation from other community groups and associations, Elaine Jackson asked for representatives to get in touch to help get the Cáirde app adopted in the area. Community Garda Jim Lacey told the meeting that the big thing to take away was to "spread the word about it, and encourage other people from the different areas to join in."

Responding to concerns expressed that smartphone apps may not be suitable for communicating with elderly people, some of whom might only have old-style mobile phones, Elaine Jackson suggested that family members or friends could set up a small text group to pass on information coming through the Cáirde system. She also agreed that providing the long-established emergency pendant scheme for seniors would remain a priority.

Deputies Mark Wall of Labour and Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh of Sinn Féin were present for the meeting, as was John Healy, the nominated Kilcullen-Newbridge Local Area Representative for Fianna Fáil. Apologies were received from several other local representatives, including Minister Martin Heydon.

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RAINBOW DOME OVER GAA

This rainbow formed a visual dome over Kilcullen GAA's main pitch last evening before the start of the Kilcullen-Sallins game. (Pic: Brian Byrne.)

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NEW RETAIL APP FOR KILCULLEN

Tap Retail, a new app that allows Kilcullen residents to order items from local shops and have them delivered directly to their homes, is being launched this evening, writes Brian Byrne. The facility is an initiative of Kilcullen Town Promoters.

The app offers convenience by eliminating the need for navigating traffic, parking, and queues, enabling users to order from cafes, grocery stores, off-licences, and more in the town. Features include the ability to order from multiple shops in one checkout, choose delivery times, and opt for click & collect. 

The first delivery is free, and the initiative supports local businesses by directing orders to town shops rather than distant warehouses. 

The launch is 6.30pm this evening in the Kilcullen Heritage Centre. All welcome.

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