Hillside art space upgrade

KCA CE crew Ilona Brede, Joe Winder and Wayne Aspell, working on the Hillside space.

A major upgrade to the Hillside 'fish and canoe' street art area is currently in progress, and will include information about the Kilcullen Canoe Club, writes Brian Byrne. The wall art has been refreshed by the original artist, Kieran Behan, and Ray Kelly, and a new decorated canoe will be a centrepiece.

The July meeting of Kilcullen Community Action heard that the replacement canoe was supplied by Sabina Reddy and has been decorated by artist Cian Mekitarian, whose work can also be found in other locations in Kilcullen, including the Valley Park, residential estates, and the public realm. 

Project leader Antoinette Buckley said local businessman Jonathan Keogh has had supports made for the canoe, which will be elevated from the ground, unlike the previous one, which rested on stones.

"We also have new stones and two new planters for the area," Antoinette told the meeting. After some discussion, it was decided to leave the existing metal planters in place until the flowering season is over, and possibly use them in another part of the town. 

The prospect of continuing the canoe-river visual theme at an edge-of-town location was also mooted.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Kilcullen scientist leading Ebola vaccine effort

A Kilcullen-born scientist is at the forefront of a race to develop a vaccine against the strain of Ebola virus that is devastating communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, writes Brian Byrne. Professor Teresa Lambe is the lead investigator in the team working on the vaccine at the University of Oxford.

Preparations are being made for a human trial of the vaccine, using 50 healthy adult volunteers in the UK. The vaccine uses the same viral vector as the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, which Prof Lambe helped to develop during the pandemic, and which is estimated to have saved 6 million lives.

The current Ebola outbreak is estimated to have infected more than 2,000 people and killed 700 since the outbreak was declared in May.

Teresa is the daughter of Mary and Tony Lambe of Nicholastown. She works at The Jennings Institute at Oxford University and is a former student of CPC Kilcullen. A Tess Lambe Bursary has been established at the school, applicable to female students in Leaving Certificate classes who are studying any STEM subject at third level. 

Tess Lambe speaking to CPC students in 2024.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Positive council responses to Kilcullen road safety issues

Cllr Tracey O’Dwyer has welcomed positive responses from Kildare County Council to two local safety and infrastructure issues, writes Brian Byrne. They relate to repairing a speed bump outside Scoil Bhride and a poor surface at St Brigid's Avenue.

Following her representations at today's Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District meeting, the Council has agreed to assess a damaged speed bump outside Scoil Bhríde on the busy Newbridge–Kilcullen Road (R413), with a view to carrying out urgent repairs. The critical traffic-calming measure, which slows vehicles directly outside the school gates, has developed a dangerously sharp edge, a concern for local motorists, due to heavy wear and tear. Cllr O’Dwyer has asked that works be prioritised and, where possible, completed during school holidays to minimise disruption.

Separately, the Council has committed to interim pothole repairs on the rear access road serving residents of St Brigid’s Avenue, Kilcullen, following another motion from Cllr O’Dwyer. The heavily deteriorated surface, which has not been fully resurfaced since the estate was built, will receive patch repairs to tackle the worst potholes. At the same time, officials continue to seek funding for full resurfacing. 

Cllr O’Dwyer said the commitments will provide immediate relief for residents and road users while longer-term solutions are pursued.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

River bank litter and behaviour raised at KCA meeting

Debris left by people swimming or hanging out on access areas to the river during the current hot spell has included mattresses, socks, and towels, in addition to the usual litter, writes Brian Byrne. There are also complaints of anti-social behaviour, including the setting off of fireworks.

The matter was raised at the July meeting of Kilcullen Community Action, as a spinoff from a discussion on the possibility of having a Designated Bathing Area for the town in the Liffey.

Two mattresses had been removed by the Canoe Club, one from its jetty and another from the river itself, the meeting heard. A report that a third was at a location on the bank would be checked out, the KCA group decided. (In fairness, on a walkaround this morning, the Diary found relatively little litter compared to previous occasions. The third mattress is still on the New Abbey side bank.)

The issues come against a background of some reported bad behaviour in riverside areas, including damage and trespass at the Canoe Club, which has forced the club to upgrade security around its premises. Loud music has also disturbed residents who live in the vicinity of the river.

There have also been some complaints of confrontations with young people coming into Kilcullen from Newbridge. After specific instances of intimidation and shoplifting last month, Kilcullen Gardaí arrested two minors.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Summer candlelight picnic at Russborough

A candlelit picnic experience will take place on three nights over the weekend of 31 July, at Russborough House in County Wicklow, offering an atmospheric outdoor evening accompanied by live piano music at sunset. 

The event invites guests to bring their own food, drinks, outdoor chairs or picnic blankets, with the grounds illuminated by more than 2,000 candles. Gates open at 8:30pm, with live music from 9:30pm to 10:30pm and background music before and after the performance. 

Tickets are €38.52 — minimum age for guests 16 — and can be booked at Eventbrite. Free parking is available on-site, and the event will proceed if there is light drizzle, though it will be cancelled with refunds issued if an orange weather warning is in place.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Canoe Club forced to introduce anti-trespass measures

Kilcullen Canoe Club has said it has been left with no choice but to introduce additional anti-trespass measures following a series of incidents at its premises.

The volunteer-run club has experienced repeated problems and safety concerns in recent weeks, including vandalism, rubbish being left on site, broken windows, and the dumping of items such as mattresses, stools and other waste into the river.

As a result, the club is now putting stronger security arrangements in place. These include more closely monitored security, an upgrade to the existing alarm system, and the use of anti-climb paint.

The decision was not taken lightly, but the recent damage and dumping have created safety concerns and placed an unfair burden on volunteers.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Parish Lotto Draw result

The numbers drawn in the Kilcullen & Gormanstown Parish Lotto Draw held on 14th July 2026 were 20, 27, 29 and 30. 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 €7,600.

The winners of the €50 Open Draws are Frank & Anne Bathe (Promoter Vivian Clarke), Miriam McDonnell (Miriam McDonnell) and Miriam McDonnell (Miriam McDonnell).

The winners of the Promoters Draw were The Parish and Siobhan Tuite, and the winner of the draw for those in the Parish Centre on the night was Breda McCormack.

The Parish thanks all who support the Lotto.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Call for 'urgent measures' at 'lethal' Kinneagh junction

Image: Tracey O'Dwyer.

Following a serious crash today that makes three in just a few months at Kinneagh Cross, Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer says she is seeking urgent interim measures to make the junction safer, writes Brian Byrne. Kinneagh Cross is notorious for its blind approach — particularly for drivers pulling out or approaching from the Newbridge side.

The councillor says the junction approaches are high speed and therefore a crash results in high impact. "It’s lethal, and the speed at which an impact happens is a real worry," she told the Diary, adding that the issue is similar to that at Thompson's Cross, near Kilcullen. "High speed, huge impact."

She says that she has been consistently raising the Kinneagh issue with the Council. "It is now on the list for upgrade works, and I would hope those works can start as soon as possible," she said after today's incident, which held up traffic in the area for some time. "The speed review is also currently underway, and if possible, I will be looking for the speed to be reduced at the approach to this junction."

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

A special two-day celebration will take place at the Carmelite Church, White Abbey, Kildare Town (R51 K379) on 15/16 July as part of the Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

Veneration will be held on Wednesday, 15 July, from after 10am Mass until 7pm, and on Thursday, 16 July, from after 10am Mass until 8pm. Fr Simon Nolan O’Carm, Provincial of the Irish Carmelites, will celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

An exhibition on the life of St Thérèse of Lisieux, the Martin family, and elements of the 2001 exhibition will be on display in the Carmel Hall beside the church on both days after 10am Mass. 

This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the historic visit of the relics of St Thérèse to Ireland in 2001.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

'Huge' support and goodwill for summer flowers

The recent KCA street collection for the Kilcullen in Bloom flowers was very well supported, with more than €4,200 donated by individuals and businesses, writes Brian Byrne. The July members meeting of KCA heard that it represents a record in donations since the initiative began. 

While the total cost of the summer flowers programme is substantially more, supported by grants and other fundraisers, the street collection represents a 'huge' contribution towards it, meeting chair Noel Clare said. “It is our biggest ongoing project, and it would be very difficult to do it without this support,” he added. He also commented on the level of goodwill shown by those donating during the collection, an experience that was echoed by several of those at the meeting who had carried out collector shifts. A remark by one donor was related to the meeting, who had said, “Twenty years ago, the town was a dump. Now it's gorgeous.”

That remark elicited some amusement, but Noel Clare said that when one looked back at older photographs from then, “they would shock you, sometimes.”

There was a discussion about watering the various planters around the town, the chair noting that there were lots of volunteers who had committed to doing it. In light of the current efforts to conserve water, he suggested that the spout in the Valley is an ideal source and an easy place to fill containers.

He concluded the item by thanking all concerned with getting the flowers prepared and positioned, especially the CE scheme workers who did the “heavy lifting” with the project.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

38th Gerard Manley Hopkins International Festival

The 38th Gerard Manley Hopkins International Festival is set to return to Newbridge College from Friday, 24 July, to Thursday, 30 July 2026. The week-long event celebrates the life and wide-ranging interests of poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, including poetry, music, philosophy, and conservation.

The festival will officially commence with a Grand Opening and Reception on Friday, 24 July, at 7:30pm in the Newbridge College Theatre. The ceremony will be performed by HE David Gill, Ambassador of Germany, with Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon TD, and representatives of Kildare County Council in attendance. Music at the event will be performed by Conor Mahony and Flamenco guitarist John Walsh.

A highlight of this year’s cultural programme is once again a concert by the legendary Swedish pianist Hans Pålsson on Saturday, 25 July, at 8pm. Pålsson will perform a repertoire featuring works by Beethoven, Haydn, and Schubert. A Poetry Ireland Reading will take place in the Walker Building on Monday, the 27th, featuring Dermot Bolger, Donald Gardner, and Desmond Egan.

Other events in a comprehensive schedule include:

Academic Lectures and Workshops — Sessions on "Practical Prosody," creative writing, and a translation workshop focused on Hopkins's poem "Binsey Poplars".

Art Exhibitions — A group exhibition curated by Artistic Director Desmond Egan, featuring artists such as Brian Bourke and Jay Murphy.

Youth Programme — A parallel programme for young people directed by Derek Egan.

Community Events — Daily "Festival Club" gatherings at local venues like Cummins’s and O’Rourke’s, as well as a field trip to Moone High Cross.

For further information and registration, visit gerardmanleyhopkins.org.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

KCC issues weather advisory for this week

A moderate weather advisory has been issued for County Kildare, with a prolonged spell of very warm or hot conditions expected to continue through the week. Daytime temperatures will widely exceed 25°C, reaching the high 20s and possibly 30°C in places, while night-time temperatures will stay at or above 15°C, leading to warm and humid nights. The UV index will be high to very high.

Met Éireann warns of a chance of heavy showers or isolated thunderstorms on Wednesday, though these are expected to be localised. People are being urged to check met.ie and the Met Éireann app for updated forecasts and warnings, and to consult watersafety.ie and the Department of Agriculture website for further advice.

Potential impacts include water safety risks due to increased use of waterways, lakes and beaches, uncomfortable sleeping conditions, heat stress and dehydration, especially among vulnerable and older people, and possible disruption to public transport. Authorities also highlight concerns about animal welfare, potential drought conditions, and an increased risk of wildfires and forest fires. The advisory is valid from Tuesday, 14 July at 9am until Saturday, 18 July at 6am.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy