PILGRIMAGE TO MALTA

Illustration of St Paul's Island in 1881.

A pilgrimage to Malta is being led by Fr Gary on 28 February 2027. The cost for the 5 nights is €1,185 pps, including flights, transfers, accommodation and meals.

The trip will follow in the footsteps of St Paul, who is said to have been shipwrecked on Malta around 60 AD while being brought to Rome as a prisoner. Having healed the sick father of the chief official on the island, he spent three months there preaching and establishing Christianity on the island.

The key sites associated with the saint are Paul’s Grotto and the Catacombs in Rabat, the Church of St Paul’s Shipwreck in Valletta, and St Paul’s Island.

Further information and booking from Marian Shrines at 01 8788159 or visit marian.ie.

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RUGBY CLUB QUIZ NIGHT

Newbridge Rugby Club is hosting a Quiz Night on Friday, 23 October 2026, at 7:30pm at the NRFC Clubhouse. The event will raise funds for the U16 Girls Rugby Tour to Italy in 2027. 

Tickets are €40 for a table of four, with a bar open on the night and raffle prizes available. 

Prebooking is encouraged by contacting Afton at 085 1644451 or Welmie at 085 8003775.

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PARISH LOTTO DRAW RESULTS

The numbers drawn in the Kilcullen & Gormanstown Parish Lotto Draw held on 22nd September 2026 were 9, 15, 18 and 22. There was no Jackpot winner, and next week's main prize will again be €20,000. The value of the follow-up draws is €20,000 and €9,600.

The winners of the €50 Open Draws are Tracey O’Dwyer (Promoter Adrienne Byrne), Caroline McCarton (Tom McCarton) and Marie Brennan (Kay Dixon).

The winners of the Promoters Draw were Vivienne Clifford and May Coyne, and the winner of the draw for those in the Parish Centre on the night was Mick Dunne.

The Parish thanks all who support the Lotto.

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A HISTORIC FIRST FOR HALVERSTOWN CRICKET

After 141 years, women have taken to the field in the colours of Halverstown Cricket Club for the first time, writes Des Drumm. On a historic day on Sunday last, as the sun shone brightly on the beautiful grounds of Harristown Estate, Halverstown Women took on North Kildare CC Women. 

The men of Halverstown have been playing at this wonderful location since the mid-1990s, but on Sunday, it was the women's turn. Providing the opposition was an experienced North Kildare side, a club with over 20 years of women's cricket. They now have a county rival and, more importantly, the beginning of a new chapter in Halverstown’s story. 

North Kildare captain Naomi Scott-Hayward won the toss and elected to bat. They made a steady start before Síle Conroy became the first player in Halverstown history to take a wicket in women's cricket. North Kildare quickly regrouped and looked assured, as expected from such an experienced team. 

It was only in the final over that Michaela Langford claimed Halverstown's second wicket of the innings. After 15 overs, North Kildare had posted an impressive 100 runs for the loss of two wickets. 

Halverstown got off to a strong start in reply with Michaela Langford and captain Leah Egar playing important roles. However, North Kildare's Melissa Miering and Jessica Swartz bowled superbly, restricting Halverstown's momentum and demonstrating the benefit of experience. For many Halverstown players, this was their first-ever competitive match, having only completed a handful of training sessions. 

Despite their best efforts, Halverstown fell 34 runs short, scoring 66. This did not take away from the sense of occasion surrounding the match. 

Perhaps the most heartwarming aspect was seeing mothers and daughters take to the field together. For years, Halverstown has celebrated fathers and sons sharing the cricket pitch. Today, it was the turn of the Langford, Mahady and Dobson families to create their own special memories, batting alongside one another and making history together. This was more than just a cricket match. It was the beginning of something — a very special moment in the history of Halverstown Cricket Club and hopefully the first of many years of women's cricket, friendship and family memories at Halverstown. 

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DUNNSTOWN BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE GRANTED PLANNING PERMISSION

A TMHSN meeting in 2023.

Planning permission for a battery energy storage system (BESS) at Dunnstown has been granted by An Coimisiún Pleanála, writes Brian Byrne. The project was previously rejected by Kildare County Council in 2021, a decision overturned on appeal by An Bord Pleanála in September 2022, and that decision subsequently quashed by order of the High Court in March 2024.

The case was reactivated and lodged again on 16 April 2024, and the latest permission was granted last week, on 15 September. The applicant is Strategic Power Projects Limited. A proposed substation related to the project is currently the subject of a strategic infrastructure development pre-application consultation with ACP.

A campaign against the original proposal, Two Mile House Says No, included residents, community groups, and agriculture and equine business interests in the area. They have major concerns on environmental and biodiversity grounds, and risks of fire and explosion. 

The group put together an extensively researched opposition to the plan that included details of over 50 instances of fire incidents in such installations around the world. They also showed the unsuitability of the project's design and location in the event of a battery fire incident requiring access by emergency services and possible evacuation of the local community. The inadequacy of the county's current fire service resources in dealing with such an incident was also noted.

KCC had refused permission on the basis that the proposed development was premature pending the outcome of a related application for a 220kV sub-station which had not yet been determined, that fire safety aspects of the proposed development had not been adequately addressed, and that there had been inadequate details for dealing with waste-water as well as lack of information in relation to noise and vibration.

On that second reason, the ABP Inspector had overturned the fire safety concerns of KCC on the basis that they were 'matters of technical detail better left to the certification system managed under the Building Control Act' and did not give rise to reasons for refusal of planning permission in this case.

There were 170 submissions from locals to the original application to KCC, including a 500-signature petition attached to the TMHSN submission.

The relodged submission proposed changes to the original project, including using Lithium Iron Phosphate rather than Lithium Ion batteries to store energy at the site. The battery storage area was also reduced by circa 50 per cent due to the use of smaller battery containers. The applicant claimed that using LFP battery technology overcomes third-party fire and safety concerns expressed in a report previously lodged with the board.

The campaign argued that the proposed changes were 'substantial and material' and should not be part of an appeal, as opposed to the submission of a totally new application to Kildare County Council. But the case was reactivated anyway.

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PADRE PIO HEALING MASS

A special Healing Mass on the feast day of St Padre Pio, tomorrow, Wednesday 23 September, will be celebrated in Kilcullen Parish Church.

The mass begins at 7pm and there will be a special individual blessing with a first-class relic of the saint.

Padre Pio was an Italian Capuchin Franciscan priest and mystic, known for bearing the stigmata — the wounds of Christ.

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LOCAL MAN SEARCHING OUT PIPE ORGANS

Organs in Kilcullen, Carnalway, and Yellow Bog.

A Kilcullen resident is currently undertaking a journey through Ireland in search of traditional pipe organs hidden away in quiet corners of church spaces. Patrick Byrne — a pen name for privacy reasons — plans that his project will someday become a book, or books, detailing the organs in Catholic and Church of Ireland churches on the whole island of Ireland. 

To date, over three hundred churches have been visited, filmed, photographed and shared online.

There are three pipe organs in Kilcullen and the surrounding area: The Church of the Sacred Heart & St Brigid has a large pipe organ, played mostly on Saturday evenings. St John's Church of Ireland, Yellow Bog, has a smaller Telford & Telford pipe organ, played mostly every second Sunday. And Saint Patrick's Church of Ireland, Carnalway, has a Telford & Telford single-keyboard pipe organ, played most Sundays. Everyone is welcome to go and listen. 

Many other historic pipe organs are to be seen and heard throughout the county and the nation, including a magnificent three-keyboard pipe organ in Kildare Cathedral. 

A YouTube channel, Irish Church Pipe Organs – Thy Are What Thy Are (youtube.com/@patrickbyrne2044) brings the viewer on a visual journey to many examples of this craftsmanship — type 'Irish Church Pipe Organs' into a browser search bar. A website, Irish Pipe Organ Register (ipor.ie), is a developing record of all pipe organs found in Ireland.

Information or comments welcome. Email antoniopappano12@gmail.com, referencing Irish Pipe Organs.

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INVITATION TO CONTRIBUTE TO CALENDAR 2027

Club members at the launch of the 2026 Calendar last winter.

Kilcullen Photography Club is inviting non-members to submit photos for the 2027 Calendar. It’s the 9th such publication by the club, which uses the proceeds for club development and donations to local organisations and charities. 

There's a maximum of two entries per person and the photos must be taken in Kilcullen. 

Email them to kilcullenphotoclub@gmail.com. The closing date is 18 October.

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DATE FOR PIETA'S TEA & TALK MORNING

Lauren McCarthy, Head of Campaigns & Community Fundraising at Pieta, Laura Hallinan, Pieta Supporter, and Fiona Collins, Head of Marketing at Lyons. Pic: Marc O'Sullivan.

The Pieta Tea & Talk Morning in association with Lyons Tea will be held on World Mental Health Day, 10 October, to support Pieta’s free suicide and self-harm prevention services. 

Now in its second year, the initiative encourages families, friends, and community groups to gather over tea, raising funds to aid those experiencing suicidal thoughts, self-harm, or bereavement by suicide. 

Supporting this year’s campaign is Laura Hallinan, who lost her brother Conor by suicide in 2016, and sought support through Pieta’s suicide bereavement services. Pieta provides free services for people who are experiencing suicidal thoughts, engaging in self-harm, or who have been bereaved by suicide. 

Pieta also offers support and guidance for family members, friends, colleagues and anyone concerned about someone who may be at risk.

Specially marked Tea & Talk packs are available nationwide, with 20c from each sale donated to Pieta. Register to host an event at teaandtalk.ie.

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CPC CLOTHING FUNDRAISER ON SATURDAY

The CPC regular Bag2School fundraiser is approaching as the new state-of-the-art school extension is under construction. Organised by the CPC Parents Association, the event will take place next Saturday, 26 September, from 10am to 3pm at the back steps/bike shelter. 

Some new items are now on the collection list. Accepted items include clean soft toys and teddies, adult and children’s clothes, paired shoes, hats, handbags, rucksack bags, school bags, scarves, jewellery, belts, ties, socks, and bras. Items NOT accepted are bedding, duvets, pillows, mobile phones, tablets, offcuts, and crested uniforms. 

All donations are gratefully received, with funds supporting the school and a portion going to Laura Lynn Children’s Hospice.

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