Tuesday, October 06, 2026

THE PASSING OF JIM KEOGH

The death has occurred of Jim (Prof) Keogh, Conroy Park, Kilcullen, suddenly at his residence.
Predeceased by his parents Patrick and Sheila and his brother Paddy, Jim will be sadly missed by his sister Sheila, brother-in-law Noel, nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, relatives, friends and neighbours, especially Martina & Stephen.
Jim will be reposing at his residence on Wednesday 7 October from 4pm until conclusion of prayers at 7pm. Removal from there on Thursday 8 October to The Church Of The Sacred Heart & St Brigid, Kilcullen, arriving for 11.30am funeral mass, which may be viewed on this link. The mass will be followed by burial in St Brigid's Cemetery, Kilcullen.
May Jim Rest In Peace.

PARISH LOTTO DRAW RESULTS


The numbers drawn in the Kilcullen & Gormanstown Parish Lotto Draw held on 6th October 2026 were 17, 20, 27 and 28. 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 €10,000.

The winners of the €50 Open Draws are Dick Dunphy (Promoter Vivian Clarke), Caroline O’Gorman (Mick Dunne) and Francesca Broughall (Francesca Broughall).

The winners of the Promoters Draw were Anne Brennan and Vivian Clarke, and the winner of the draw for those in the Parish Centre on the night was Vivian Clarke.

The Parish thanks all who support the Lotto.

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COMMUNITY GROUPS AND SERVICES FOR KILCULLEN EXHIBITION


At least 19 organisations have confirmed their attendance at the Know Your Community Exhibition, planned for Kilcullen Community Centre on the coming Friday, 9 October, writes Brian Byrne. The event is hosted by Kildare Leader Partnership and runs from 11am-2pm.
Those taking part include The Old Hardware, Narraghmore; Small Jobs Kildare; Dúlra Cill Dara Forest School; Blueway Art Studio; Lullymore Heritage; Kildare Community Gardai; Kilcullen Drama Group; KARE; Age Friendly Kildare; Moone Ladies’ Group; GROW Mental Health; Citizen’s Information; Volunteer Kildare; Leinster Print; SEAI; Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme (SICAP); Kildare Leader; Age Action; and the Griese Youth Theatre. 
This event offers a valuable opportunity for the community to engage with these organisations. There is still time for other local groups, organisations, and services to take part: contact Rioana at Rioana@countykildarelp.ie or phone 086 8252120.

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LOOKING BACK: WHEN THE RUC PATROLLED KILCULLEN


On a Thursday morning in October 1983, motorists in Kilcullen were surprised to encounter an RUC roadblock and armed officers checking cars, writes Brian Byrne. Phone calls to the newsroom of the Leinster Leader (there was no social media then!) expressed outrage from some people that the Northern Ireland police were being allowed to operate in the south.
When Leader reporter John Lynch and a photographer arrived at the scene, they discovered the roadblock was a film set for Cal, based on Bernard McLaverty’s novella. The film, directed by Pat O’Connor and starring Ray McAnnally, John Lynch (NOT the Leader's man), and Helen Mirren, was shooting scenes involving RUC men directing traffic. 

In the story, resurrected by our regular correspondent, old newspapers burrower Joe Murray, it transpired that the production company had kept advance knowledge to local gardaí only, in order not to have crowds along to watch. 
The film, produced by Warner Brothers, was released the following year and was entered into the 1984 Cannes Film Festival, where Mirren won the award for Best Actress. Most of the movie was filmed in locations in Drogheda.



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NATIONAL WOMEN'S ENTERPRISE DAY


National Women’s Enterprise Day 2026 will celebrate female entrepreneurship with the theme Going Global – Her Way, highlighting Irish women expanding internationally. A County Kildare event, hosted by Sonya Lennon, will feature Marissa Carter of Cocoa Brown and Therese Murphy of Equi-Ed, winner of the 2026 National Enterprise Award Female Entrepreneur Award. 
It will take place on Thursday, 15 October 2026, at Keadeen Hotel, Newbridge. Those attending will gain insights and advice from these successful entrepreneurs. 
Early booking is advised due to limited spaces. For more information and to secure a spot, visit the Local Enterprise Office - Kildare website. 



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OPEN DAY AT ST JOSEPH'S


St Joseph’s NS, Halverstown, is hosting a Halloween Open Day for incoming junior infants for September 2027.
The event is on Thursday, 15 October, from 1:15pm to 2:30pm. 
It will feature stories, sweet treats, and lots of fun.



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DRAMA GROUP AUDITIONS


A reminder that Kilcullen Drama Group is holding an open casting call TOMORROW, Wednesday, 7 October, at 7:30pm at Kilcullen Town Hall for their February 2027 production. 
They welcome both new and experienced actors, and people for backstage or technical roles. No prior experience needed, just a little passion and a sense of fun.  
Rehearsals will run from October to February. For more information or to register interest, contact 087 4707652.

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Monday, October 05, 2026

CPC STUDENTS ATTENDED MUN IN POLAND

Image and information: CPC.

Seven CPC students — Dara, Emma, Maci, Jan, Alex, Ryan, and Aleks — recently returned from Toruń, Poland, after participating in an Erasmus+ mobility at a Model UN Conference hosted by partner school I Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Mikołaja Kopernika. 
The event welcomed 19 schools from 12 countries, providing students with a chance to experience Polish culture and engage in discussions on international cooperation in the age of AI. 
Jan was awarded Outstanding Speaker in the UNEP committee, and Dara co-chaired her committee. 
The students appreciated the opportunity to meet peers from various nationalities and enhance their negotiation skills. 
The mobility was funded by the Erasmus+ programme, with gratitude extended to the hosts in Toruń.

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ARMELLE'S KITCHEN IS FOR SALE


Armelle’s Kitchen has been placed on sale by its owner as a going concern, at an asking price of €99,000, writes Brian Byrne. The sale offers a rare opportunity for someone to take on an established local business and make it their own.
The full details of the sale are available on the business's Facebook page. Established in September 2010 across the road in a smaller premises, Armelle Soimboing and her husband Kenny Rorie moved the growing cake shop business to the present location in August 2017. Armelle emphasises that the business will be trading as normal, with all existing orders, deposits and vouchers continuing to be handled as usual. "I’ll be here running Armelle’s Kitchen until the right buyer is found and the business is ready to move into its next chapter," she says.
The concept of a French-style cake shop had been a dream of Armelle’s for many years, reflecting her childhood in northern France when she’d help her father bake Yule cakes for Christmas dinners involving up to 20 family members. After working in Ireland in several high-end commercial kitchens until the financial crash, she transformed a redundancy setback by developing in early 2010, with Kenny, a markets-based business in fine traditional macarons, from her home kitchen in Newberry, Castlemartin.
In the new larger premises where the business is now located, Armelle and Kenny expanded into giving fine French bakery masterclasses in 2018, and the shop offerings were further extended into savoury items. During the pandemic lockdown, Armelle’s Kitchen was among several local food establishments providing regular takeaway services to Kilcullen families.
The signature pink colour of Armelle’s Kitchen, now with the mural of a Parisian scene painted inside the shop in January of this year by local artist Madalina Cîrlig, has become a fixture bit of France in Kilcullen.

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Sunday, October 04, 2026

TEXACO CHILDREN'S ART EXHIBITION


Junction 14 Mayfield on the M7 in County Kildare is hosting an exhibition of the top 21 artworks from the 72nd Texaco Children’s Art Competition, running until 1st November. The competition dates back to 1955.
Located off the M7 motorway near Monasterevin, the exhibition features 1.5-metre-tall artworks visible to thousands of daily visitors. Liam Fitzpatrick, co-owner of the venue, praised the young artists’ talents, while James Twohig of Valero Energy highlighted the long-standing partnership with the Fitzpatrick family. 
The exhibition showcases artists from counties including Cork, Dublin, and Galway.
Pictured at the opening is James Twohig, Director of Operation, Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited; Pauline O’Connell, Final Adjudicator of the Texaco Children’s Art Competition; Mary Therese Fitzpatrick, co-owner of Junction 14 Mayfield; Laois student artist, Abdul Ahad Zulfiqar; and local art teachers Sandra Doyle and Ciara Connolly.

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COMMUNITY SAFETY SURVEY


The Kildare Local Community Safety Partnership (LCSP) has launched a survey to gather residents’ opinions on community safety in County Kildare. The aim of the public consultation is to understand what makes people feel safe or unsafe and to identify actions that can enhance safety, health, and happiness in the area. 
The survey, which is anonymous, is open to those living, working, and studying in Kildare. It can be completed at this link. 
Support services are available for anyone needing to talk, including the Samaritans, Pieta House, Women’s Aid, Teach Tearmainn, and An Garda Síochána. 
The closing date for submissions is 30 October 2026.

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LOOKING BACK: STAYING AWAKE FOR UNICEF


From our old newspaper peruser Joe Murray comes this Pat Deasy photograph of students from CPC Kilcullen who spent 24 hours of their Easter break staying awake to raise funds for UNICEF. The picture was published on 12 November 1992, and the event was held in Kilcullen Community Centre, from 6pm on a Wednesday to 6pm on the following day. 
The organisers were Michael Burke, David Keenan, Ronan Doyle, Shane Lambe, Trevor Duggan, Maria Keatley and Alan Coyne, and at the time of publication they were hoping to have raised £1,000.
The 24 hours were spent availing of the Centre's sports facilities, watching videos and listening to music.

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