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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Halverstown Cricket Club needs a new home

Happier times: At a schools cricket inaugural in 2024, Minister for Sport Catherine Martin pictured with Stuart Conroy, Halverstown, Anne O’ Meara, Cricket Leinster, Jim Hodgson, Halverstown, Syl Merrins, Kildare Sports Partnership, Senator Vincent Martin and Naomi Scott-Hayward, Cricket Leinster.

Halverstown Cricket Club, Ireland's oldest club outside Dublin, is facing closure if it can't find a new home by the end of the 2027 season, writes Brian Byrne. The lease on its current grounds at Harristown Estate runs out next year, and, despite two years’ searching, the 140-year-old club has not been able to find a new space. 

Chairman Des Drumm says Halverstown CC is very grateful for the extraordinary generosity of the Beaumont family, which has provided the beautiful setting for the club over the last 30 years. "But we have outgrown the facility and have been searching for a new ground. Concentrated attempts have been unsuccessful to date.”

The club was asked over two years ago by Cricket Leinster to be the tenant of a cricket pitch in the planned new park in Sallins. Unfortunately, due to a lack of funding, Kildare County Council was unable to accommodate cricket facilities in either the near or longer term. Following this, Halverstown engaged in extensive discussions regarding a ground share with another Kildare sporting club, but unfortunately, this too has been unsuccessful.

Club Secretary Stuart Conroy says the closure of the cricket club would be a very sad day for Kildare, particularly given the strides it has made in recent years. The club has developed youth cricket from scratch, now with over 100 members, five teams, and a women’s team. They also have two teams in the Cricket Leinster league and a thriving social team. The club coaches 16 primary schools annually, bringing cricket to over 800 youngsters since 2023. They’ve also coached at Piper’s Hill College, which reached two Leinster Schools’ Finals. The club ground has been used by local schools, and without a new home, schools’ cricket in Kildare will end. "It would be a bitter blow to lose all this," says Stuart Conroy. "Unfortunately, it is a very real prospect."

Despite a cricket boom, several clubs have been lost since the 1990s, including Athy in Kildare. Land availability is crucial for cricket, as it needs at least five acres of relatively flat, well-drained land. The club is willing to buy or rent and wants to stay in mid- or south Kildare, where they’ve been for 140 years. However, land pressure is high. "Nevertheless, we will continue to look," says Des Drumm. "You cannot walk away from all that history, and we have certainly never been stronger from a membership perspective. We just need a ground for them!"

The club welcomes suggestions and can be contacted via their website or by emailing info@halverstowncc.net, or call 086 2241761. 

Halverstown CC in the late 1930s. Pic courtesy Simon Fletcher, whose great great grandfather, Charlie Curran, is in the photograph.

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Camphill Grangebeg Open Day today

Camphill Grangebeg in Dunlavin, is hosting an Open Day today, Saturday, 22 August, from 12pm to 4pm. 

The event offers a family-friendly atmosphere with a BBQ, €5 meal deals, music, craft stalls, sports, games, and a raffle. 

Entry is free, with all proceeds supporting Camphill Grangebeg, part of Camphill Communities of Ireland, which aids adults with intellectual disabilities. 

The community is located at Grangebeg Camphill Community, Park Lane, Dunlavin, W91 WN96.

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The passing of Lynda Nolan

The death has occurred of Lynda Nolan, formerly of The Hermitage, Kilcullen, on 19 August, after a brief illness  peacefully in the care of the staff at the Mater Hospital.

Predeceased by her father Ray, Lynda is sadly missed by her heartbroken mother Margaret, brothers Ray, Nigel and Peter, Peter’s wife Ellen, niece Emily and nephew Raymond. Lynda is missed by her long term partner Damien.

She will be reposing at her mother’s residence, The Hermitage, Kilcullen, on Saturday afternoon (August 22nd) from 2pm to 4pm, subsequently reposing at Cunningham’s Funeral Home, Clonsilla on Sunday evening (August 23rd) from 4pm to 6pm.

Removal on Monday morning, August 24th, to the Church of St Philip the Apostle, Mountview, arriving for Funeral Mass at 11.30 am followed by burial in Esker Lawn Cemetery, Lucan.

Lynda’s Funeral Mass may be viewed online (live only) by following this link. 

Family flowers only, please. Donations if desired to the Irish Cancer Society.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam dílis.

Trees felled on convent grounds

Kilcullen's streetscape was changed a little yesterday with the felling of several trees on the former convent grounds. One on the corner was left, though substantially trimmed.

The work was deemed necessary both for safety and because of ill-health of some of the trees.

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Mattress Amnesty Day

Kildare County Council, in collaboration with AES Recycling and the Circular Economy Fund, is hosting a Free Mattress Amnesty Day on Sunday, 6 September. The event will take place at AES Recycling, Silliot Hill, Kilcullen, from 8:30am to 3:00pm. 

Residents can bring up to six double, single, or triple mattresses for free disposal. The event is exclusive to household customers and does not accept commercial or charity entities, nor does it accept other waste or bulky items like divans, pillows, or couches. 

For more details, contact the Environment Department at 045 980588 or environ@kildarecoco.ie.

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Inaugural Bruce Springsteen Festival in Rathangan

The inaugural Féile Springsteen will be held in Rathangan tomorrow, Saturday, 22 August. The festival will celebrate Bruce Springsteen’s connections to the town with music, talks, tours, art, films, and competitions. 

The main event is an outdoor concert by The Human Touch, Ireland’s first Bruce Springsteen tribute band, at The Village Pump at 8pm, supported by Hot Cross Dunnes. Tickets are €15.

The day starts at 11am with a talk by Mario Corrigan at Rathangan Library on Springsteen’s Irish roots, focusing on his great-great grandmother Ann Garrity’s journey to New Jersey. At 4pm, historian Larry Fullam will lead a guided tour, “Ann Garrity’s Rathangan,” visiting historical sites. Other activities include a Springsteen look-alike contest, reflections on his 2023 visit, at The Burrow at 7pm, and an all-day art exhibition by the An Scríobhláil Collective and the Freehold Art Group at Ma’s Kitchen. 

A Springsteen-themed film will be shown at the RYARC Centre at 2pm. 

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South Kildare Shamrocks U6-U8 Academy

The South Kildare Shamrocks Hurling Academy for U6-U8 age groups is back. Training sessions will be held every Wednesday from 6pm to 7pm at the Two-Mile House GAA Astro Pitch. 

The academy welcomes children aged 5 to 8, with helmets and hurleys available for beginners. 

Shamrocks is an amalgamation for Hurling of three clubs — Athgarvan GAA, Kilcullen GAA and Two-Mile House GAA. New players are encouraged to join. For updates and information on older age groups, follow their social media.

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