VALLEY VOICES CHRISTMAS SINGALONG

Valley Voices Kilcullen Community Choir is hosting a Christmas Family Singalong on Sunday, 20 December, at 7:30pm. The event will take place at Kilcullen National School, and all ticket proceeds will benefit the Kilcullen Lions Club. 

Tickets are priced at €10 and can be bouugt from Frances Clare at 087 9746000, Daragh Fitzgerald at 087 2563340, or via Eventbrite at this link. 

A wonderful evening of music and community spirit is promised.

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BOOK YOUR SCARY SEAT FOR HOKUM

Just in time for getting into the Halloween spirit, Kilcullen Bridge Cinema is showing an atmospheric folk horror film on Tuesday 20 October. Hokum is an Irish ghost story with a sense of fun. 

Directed by Damian McCarthy and starring Adam Scott, Peter Coonan, David Wilmot and Florence Ordesh, Hokum tells the story of successful American author Ohm Bauman. He travels to a creaky hotel in Ireland to scatter his parents’ ashes. Rude and dismissive towards the locals and staff, Ohm is nonetheless fascinated by the stories about the hotel’s supposedly haunted honeymoon suite. When one staff member mysteriously disappears, Ohm investigates and uncovers the hotel’s many dark secrets. But he also draws the attention of some very sinister and dangerous forces.

It is a delightfully eerie story, both blackly comic and genuinely creepy. Severance star Adam Scott leads the cast, giving what has been described as his best work to date. Hokum promises an evening of scares, chills, wicked jokes and supernatural gloom.

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

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REGISTRATION OPEN FOR RUN RUN RUDOLPH

Registration is now open for Kilcullen GAA's 2026 Run Run Rudolph event, which promises to be bigger and better than ever. The event takes place on Saturday and Sunday Dec 12th and 13th, with distance options of 2.5km, 5km, 10km, and half-marathon.

Participants can register at popupraces.ie and enjoy a 10 per cent early bird discount by using the code KilcullenGAA before October 31st. 

For more information on the event and routes, visit the Run Run Rudolph page on kilcullengaa.ie. Note that entry is limited to maximum capacity, so early registration is advised. 

All proceeds will support the upkeep of the facilities.

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WHIST ON THURSDAY

The monthly Whist Drive organised by Kilcullen Lions is on Thursday, 15 October, in Scoil Bhride. Start time is, as usual, 8pm.

All card players welcome.

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OPEN DAY FOR 2027 JUNIOR INFANTS AT HALVERSTOWN NS

A reminder that an open day at Halverstown National School for prospective Junior Infants will be held next Thursday, 15 October, from 1:15pm to 2:30pm. It will feature stories, sweet treats, and lots of fun.

The school has also provided details about the after-school care provided by Cairdeas Childcare, which includes an infant story club from 1:40pm to 2:40pm and a homework club from 2:40pm to 6:00pm, with flexible pick-up times. 

Children receive a snack during sessions, and evening activities include homework supervision and games. Various attendance options are available. 

Cairdeas is an independent registered company and all staff are fully trained, Garda vetted, and insured. Contact Mary Sherlock at 087 7798235 for any inquiries.

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CLIMATE AND ENERGY TO DOMINATE COUNCIL MEETING

Climate and energy topics will dominate at the full meeting of Kildare County Council at Áras Chill Dara on 19 October, writes Brian Byrne. Topping the agenda is a cross-party call for the government to impose an immediate national moratorium on new data centres until formal planning rules are in place to assess peak electricity demand, local grid capacity, and the mandatory use of district heating systems. 

Members will also ask the council to consider a feasibility study to install photovoltaic solar panels as a canopy on the car park at Áras Chill Dara, to help reduce the emissions footprint of the council's HQ. 

Measures called for to future-proof the local authority itself include mandatory climate literacy training for councillors, to support oversight within statutory carbon budgets, and a dedicated climate adaptation programme targeting surface-water flooding caused by intense rainfall.

Another motion seeks fresh updates on the county’s long-term Wind Energy Strategy and there is also a request that the authority accelerates home retrofits to a minimum B2 standard, alongside a pilot scheme funding energy audits for local community halls.

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ATHY HOSTING 26TH ERNEST SHACKLETON AUTUMN SCHOOL

Image: Shackleton Experience.

The 26th Ernest Shackleton Autumn School will take place next week from 16 to 18 October, welcoming polar enthusiasts, historians, and explorers for a weekend of talks, exhibitions, and interactive events celebrating polar history and exploration.

Highlights include youth workshops, global live-streamed panels, and the official opening by broadcaster Ryan Tubridy on Friday. Saturday features a lecture series at The Abbey, with talks by Katherine MacInnes, Craig Mathieson, and Stephen Marston, alongside the ShackleTown Market featuring polar books, arts, and crafts. The day concludes with a formal dinner at the Clanard Court Hotel. 

Sunday offers academic sessions, a screening of Zero Kelvin, and hands-on activities, including museum tours, polar photography, and explorations of ‘Shackleton Country’ with local award-winning author John MacKenna. 

Tickets are still available. Full weekend tickets cost €250, with Saturday day tickets at €90, Sunday day tickets at €70, and Autumn School Dinner tickets at €65. The Autumn School’s journal Nimrod will be on sale throughout the event.

FULL BROCHURE HERE

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KILCULLEN PARISH NOVEMBER REMEMBRANCE MASS 2026

The November Remembrance Mass for those who died in the last year will take place in the Parish Church in Kilcullen on Friday 6 November at 7.30pm, writes Mary Dillon. At this mass we pray especially for the loved ones we lost since we met last November.

The service is in two parts. For those whose funerals took place in Kilcullen Parish we will call their names and a family member will put their names on the remembrance tree and light a candle in their honour.

We also remember those from the parish whose funerals took place elsewhere over the past year. Their names will be called out and a single large candle will be lit by Fr Gary in their memory.

We celebrate their memory, their contributions to our lives, our parish, and the happy times we had together.

After mass anyone in attendance who wishes to place a loved one’s name on the remembrance tree will get the opportunity to do so. This facility will also be available to anyone visiting the church during the month of November.

Nessa and Mary from the Parish Funeral Team will be in contact with families who have suffered a bereavement in the past year to ensure they have the details of the mass and what it entails for them on the night.

A lovely part of the evening is when we gather in the Parish Centre for a cup of tea and a chat. Everyone is very welcome to join us and share memories of loved ones gone before us.

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CANCER AWARENESS INFORMATION SESSION

Athy Cancer Support Group, supported by Kildare Age Friendly, is hosting a free Cancer Awareness Information Session on Wednesday, 21 October from 10am–1pm in the Clanard Court Hotel, Athy.

The session is open to anyone affected by cancer, as well as family members, friends and supporters, and will offer practical information, advice and support in a friendly and welcoming setting.

Guest speakers will cover a range of topics including prostate, lung, skin and breast cancer awareness, oncology advice, local cancer support services, practical and financial supports, transport and lived experiences.

Lunch will be provided and the event is open to people beyond the Athy area.

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