Kildare to unveil Ballitore Papers online archive

Kildare County Council’s County Archives and Local Studies service will unveil The Ballitore Papers, a new online archive, at Ballitore Community Library tomorrow, Saturday, 27 June 2026, writes Brian Byrne. The collection will be launched at 2pm by Cllr Ivan Keatley, Cathaoirleach of the Athy Municipal District, as part of a wider programme of local celebrations beginning at 1pm.

The archive marks the 200th anniversary of the death of Mary Leadbeater, the Ballitore-born Quaker author, and the 300th anniversary of the founding of the boarding school at Ballitore by Abraham Shackleton. It brings together letters, diaries, notebooks and other memorabilia relating to the Shackleton, Leadbeater and Barrington families.

Kildare Library Service is also republishing Annals of Ballitore, with a revised edition launched by playwright and novelist John MacKenna, who wrote the introduction. After the launch, visitors will be able to join MacKenna for a walk through the village, In the footsteps of Mary Leadbeater.

Archivist Karel Kiely said the project celebrates Leadbeater’s legacy and the wider Quaker history of Ballitore, adding that interest in the village has grown alongside the nearby Shackleton Experience in Athy.

The event is supported by Kildare County Council and the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.

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Council urges weather awareness

Kildare County Council has urged the public to stay weather aware as high temperatures bring an increased risk of thunderstorms and local flooding.

The council advises people to stay hydrated, seek shade during the hottest part of the day and avoid strenuous outdoor activity. It also reminds the public not to leave children, vulnerable people or animals in vehicles, even briefly, and to check in on neighbours who may need extra support.

People are advised to move indoors if thunder is heard, stop outdoor activity if lightning develops, and avoid driving in heavy rain unless necessary. Also, never to drive, walk or cycle through floodwater.

Additional advice covers water and fire safety, including supervising children near water, checking local conditions and not lighting fires in woodland or open countryside.

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National plan for Invasive Species needed - Kilcullen scientist

Dr Jan-Robert Baars with Brian Browne.

The lack of a national plan to deal with invasive species is leaving Ireland open to ever-increasing threats to the country's biodiversity, writes Brian Byrne. That was emphasised last night by Dr Jan-Robert Baars of the School of Biology and Environmental Science in UCD, at a talk in Kilcullen Town Hall for Invasive Species Week.

The event — which is being repeated tonight — was supported by Kildare County Council and included live exhibits and information panels on several invasive species which are currently problematic in Ireland and locally to the upper Liffey. There was also a demonstration on the physical control of Himalayan Balsam, which the Ballymore community has helped to eradicate from several locations along the Liffey in its area.

Dr Baars, who lives in Kilcullen, noted that while certain funding streams have been available for several years for individual invasive species monitoring and control, they are small-scale. "We have a national biodiversity plan that mentions invasives, but we really need a specific national plan to target and deal with them, and integrate it with other conservation plans."

Public awareness also needs to be ramped up. There's general awareness of invasive species such as the grey squirrel, mink, and Japanese knotweed, but there are many others which are already adversely affecting our national ecosystems. Dr Baars believes those in Ireland's waterways are probably the most dangerous. "In both freshwater and marine environments, they are difficult to monitor and control. Unless we're regularly monitoring, we don't pick them up until it's often too late. By the time we actually discover them, they are super-abundant and widespread."

Other things which people need to be aware of include plants for their gardens, as the garden trade can often offer plants which are actually on the invasive species list. Among these are variations of the flowering plant Hydrocharitaceae. "There are 16 species of these in the world which are invasive, and some of these are advertised and sold in Ireland, often misidentified. They are a disaster waiting to happen." Another common purchasable invasive is Lemna minuta, or duckweed. There are issues, too, with the implementation of the EU invasive species regulations here. "If things are on the EU list, they are not allowed to be distributed or sold. Whether that's being enforced here, I think, is questionable."

Pets are another issue, a specific example being the Alpine Newt, which arrived in Ireland through the pet trade. "We need to be careful and know what such pets are likely to do if they get released and out into our environment." The Alpine Newt consumes frogspawn, directly affecting the frog populations in Ireland. It doesn't have a natural predator here and is toxic to anything that tries to consume it. Dr Baars and his team have been conducting pilot eradication efforts at two sites, a bog in the Midlands and in Galway, the first such research in Europe. 

Among several other species discussed at last night's talk was the Quagga mussel colonisation of lakes and rivers, which was described as a 'serious problem' that will, among other effects, result in more and more intense algae blooms. 

A new invasive crustacean, native to eastern Europe and first detected in Ireland last September, has now spread through the Shannon system, probably via boats, and to the canals. "It did trigger a national alert, but there should then have been a national response. If we had a better system in terms of treating boats, we could have reduced the likelihood of the spread. But it just shows that when we have found something has come in, it's almost too late."

Especially in the absence of a national invasive species plan, local authorities play a key role in current efforts of monitoring and control. Kildare County Council has funded work for the last six years to deal with both Himalayan Balsam and American Skunk Cabbage along the Liffey to Celbridge. The effort is arduous and time-consuming, and Dr Baars highlighted the dedication of the Ballymore Eustace community, who put in some 500 hours in 2024 to manually remove Himalayan Balsam, resulting in an 85 per cent reduction of the species in the area. "We have secured further funding, and this year our target is to clear about eight or nine kilometres downstream from Ballymore."

This evening's repeat of the exhibition and talk starts at 6pm.

Leah O'Donoghue who created an illustrated knowledge board during the event.

Kildare CC Biodiversity Officer Méabh Boylan, Damian Bannon, and Maria O'Neill.

Emer Gaj McKeever, Anne-Marie Gaj McKeever and Ethan Bannon.

Quagga mussels.

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KARE provides new scarecrow for Library Garden

A new scarecrow has been introduced to Kilcullen’s Library Community Garden, adding a cheerful new feature. The KARE KAT in the Hat was created and installed by KARE’s Kilcullen Local Service in partnership with Kilcullen Community Action.

KARE congratulated their team for their creativity, effort, and skill in bringing the installation to life, and thanked Ger Doyle for crafting the scarecrow’s frame, along with others in the community who helped along the way.

Visitors are encouraged to stop by and see the new addition.

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Scoil Bhride's young hurlers

The 2nd Year pupils of Scoil Bhride have enjoyed learning the skills of hurling over the last three weeks, writes Martin Sheridan, courtesy of SKS mentors and help from former students. 

Many thanks to Scoil Bhride for giving us the opportunity to encourage hurling with all the boys and girls. 

Hopefully, we will see them on Monday evenings at 6.30pm at the Juvenile Pitch in Kilcullen (up beside the ball wall). 

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Coffee Morning for Maintain Hope

A reminder that the annual Coffee Morning to raise funds for the Maintain Hope charity that supports families in Kenya will be held at Whitehall Cottage on this Saturday 27 June. Hosted by the Dooley family, the event will run from 11am to 2pm.

Maintain Hope currently supports around 80 Kenyan children within their families in the Ngong area to ensure they are healthy and can continue their education through primary, secondary and even third level.

For every child aided to learn and live a fuller life, the beneficial ripple effect for the future of their families and community is beyond measure.

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Cill Dara Lifeboat appeal exceeded target

A D-class lifeboat.

The Cill Dara Lifeboat appeal has exceeded its target, raising €143,768.75 against a goal of €117,000, writes Brian Byrne. The appeal, led by support from people across Kildare and beyond, was launched to help purchase a D-class lifeboat for Wexford Lifeboat Station. 

Organisers thanked everyone who supported fundraising events across the county, including the Wexford Fleadh in conjunction with the Wexford RNLI crew. The extra funds will help support the upkeep of RNLI lifeboat stations around Ireland. The new lifeboat, named Cill Dara, is expected to be on the water later this summer.

The North Kildare RNLI committee started the project to mark the bicentenary of the sea rescue organisation. Fundraising events included street collections, notably at the All-Ireland Fleadh in Wexford last summer, a cooking demonstration, an abseil challenge, and a concert by the Dublin Welsh Male Voice Choir. 

Fundraising efforts also took place in Newbridge, Athy, and Monasterevin, with local businesses in Kilcullen also making donations. Kilcullen's Pat Stafford is a member of the fundraising group.

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