Eileen Tan bringing her fragrances enterprise to the next level of a roller-coaster ride

Eileen, centre, with participants at the workshop.

Kilcullen entrepreneur Eileen Tan conducted a workshop on fragrances today for influencers and practitioners in various aspects of the beauty and wellness industry in Kildare, writes Brian Byrne. The event at Keadeen Hotel invited participants to learn the building blocks of perfume and create a fragrance of their own.

Introducing the afternoon, Eileen provided a short background of her childhood in Malaysia, where her interest in scents came from visits to her aunt's garden. "It was full of plants, trees and flowers, and I remember the smell of lemongrass, the green sweetness of the pandan leaves, the warmth of the earth, and the little mimosa plant that I used to play with." As a teenager, she inherited a box of perfumes from her aunt, and one of them stayed in her memory, not as a smell but how it made her feel.

She told how another major interest, music, shaped how she thinks when composing a perfume. "In music, we compose notes and chords, and it's very similar in perfume: you have top notes, middle or heart notes, and base notes. We also have 'chords' in perfumery — we call them echoes." Suggesting that a perfume's effect is unique to each wearer, it can be considered a story about the wearer. She invited the workshop participants to 'write their own story' by creating their own fragrance.

The Compose Your Own Story: Mini Fragrance Experience session guided attendees through the basics of fragrance design using a curated palette of scent accords created by Eileen. Rather than focusing on whether a perfume was “right” or “wrong,” she encouraged people to notice what they were drawn to and what memories a scent might bring up.

Participants were introduced to three key layers of perfume: Top notes — the opening impression, often bright, fresh, sparkling or citrusy; Heart notes — the emotional core, which can feel floral, soft, romantic or spicy; and Base notes — the lasting memory, adding warmth, depth, musk or woods.

The experience was structured as a hands-on fragrance lesson. Attendees first smelled different accords, then chose one from each layer, and began blending by weight in a 10ml bottle. They started with 0.50g of each selected accord, then adjusted the formula in small increments until the scent felt balanced.

The workshop emphasised observation and reflection. Participants were asked to write down first impressions, describe the mood or memories each accord evoked, and record their final formula so the perfume could be recreated later. At the end, they were encouraged to name their fragrance and describe the story behind it.

Eileen first came to Ireland in 2008, having met and married Irishman Peter Farnan in Kuala Lumpur. An initial craft venture in making cute crocheted animals, along with developing scented candles, gave her the opportunity to renew previous entrepreneurial activities. Advised by Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer to approach the Local Enterprise Office Kildare, they put her forward for Enterprise Ireland's New Frontiers programme, where she pivoted to working on a fragrance development idea that could be scaled as a business. She first showcased her perfumes at Styled for Success on International Women's Day last October, as five fragrances under the banner of Maison d'Eileen, and recently completed the third and final phase of the New Frontiers programme.

"It has been a real roller-coaster ride," she told the Diary today, but is looking forward to the next twists and turns on her entrepreneurial journey.

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Gormanstown graves blessing today

The Gormanstown Church blessing of the graves will take place today, Sunday, 28 June, after the 9.30am Mass.

Families and parishioners are invited to attend this special time of prayer and remembrance.

On Sunday, 6 September, prayers and blessings of the graves will be held at 2pm in New Abbey Cemetery. At 3pm, Mass will be celebrated in St Brigid’s Cemetery, followed by the blessing of the graves.

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Mary Leadbeater remembered in Ballitore

The Annals of Ballitore, written by Mary Leadbeater and originally published in 1862, were described today as a "document from the heart of somebody who was at the heart of her community", writes Brian Byrne. Launching a revised edition of the book, as part of an honouring of her life on the 200th anniversary of her death, author and publisher John MacKenna said the Annals were her personal diaries, not written for publication, but are a celebration of her community.

"It's the things that happened, the people who were here, and their interaction with their society," he said. "It was a small community, and she names names, and by the time you finish reading the Annals, you almost know them. It's a bit like reading the local notes in today's Nationalist or Leader — you actually get to know the people."

Born Mary Shackleton in the Quaker village of Ballitore in 1758, Leadbeater was a poet, correspondent, and chronicler of local life whose works included Poems, Cottage Dialogues among the Irish Peasantry, and Cottage Biography. The Annals were edited from her personal diaries about her observations and events in Ballitore between 1766 and 1823. They were first published in 1862 as two volumes under the title The Leadbeater Papers. The new revised edition includes a foreword by John MacKenna.

Also present today was Cllr Ivan Keatley, Cathaoirleach of the Athy Municipal District, who noted particularly her accounts of the lead-up to and the local happenings surrounding the 1798 Rebellion. "How lucky we are to have her completely impartial account of what actually happened, not taking one side or another. Stuff that is not ordinarily written down, and probably is still skirted around in times of war."

Mario Corrigan, Senior Executive Librarian with Kildare County Council, thanked everyone involved with the celebration of Mary Leadbeater's life, recalling the fortunate happenstance in the 1970s of the preservation of the old Quaker Meeting House that allows it to be the village Library and Museum today. He also remarked that the statue of Mary Leadbeater on the site had been created by a young artist, Eamon Keenan, who today works in Kildare Library Service.

The afternoon included a walk, In the Footsteps of Mary Leadbeater, conducted by John MacKenna, as well as an exhibition hosted by The Thread Shed, in the Meeting House, Reflections on the Life of Mary Leadbeater through Contemporary Art and Craft.

Afternoon tea was served, and many of those present wore vintage dress from the era described in the Annals.

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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 TODAY, 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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Tracey is Deputy Mayor of Kildare

Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer has been elected as Deputy Mayor (Leas-Chathaoirleach) of County Kildare. Cllr Tim Durkan is the new Mayor (Chathaoirleach). Representing the Newbridge Electoral Area, which forms part of the Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District on Kildare County Council, Tracey was first elected in 2019. She is a keen community person and supports local groups, schools, and businesses through her work. 

Tracey is a self-employed working mother who attended Cross and Passion College Kilcullen, and later went on to study German and Business Studies and worked for over eight years at Barretstown Children’s Camp. She lives in Grangemore.

Her election to this important position is good for Kildare, for Kilcullen, and for Brannockstown.

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Enrolments open at Brannoxtown CNS

Brannoxtown Community National School has opened enrolments for the 2026/2027 school year. The school offers a caring, child-centred community where pupils can learn, grow, and thrive.

The school’s values are ambition, effort, respect, and teamwork, along with active, hands-on, and playful learning. It encourages strong relationships, high expectations, and supports include breakfast club and after-school care.

Families interested in applying can visit the enrolment page at brannoxtowncns.ie/enrol or contact the school by phone at 045 483729. 

The school has established pathways to secondary schools, including Cross and Passion College, Piper’s Hill College, and Naas Community College.

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Silver for James Nolan in the Netherlands

A sun-soaked Netherlands is providing the backdrop for the European Transplant Games, where Kilcullen's James Nolan has enjoyed a memorable week of competition and camaraderie.

He teamed up with Kilkenny’s John Paul O’Neill for the team golf event on Wednesday, though the pair were unable to produce a strong score. He bounced back in style on Thursday, however, delivering an excellent performance in the individual golf competition to claim a silver medal.

Reflecting on the event, James described the Dutch Games as “absolutely incredible,” praising the organisation and the setting. The team is staying at the Papendal Hotel, the Dutch Olympic training centre for high-performance athletes, which he said has added to the experience.

There was disappointment for some competitors after a government red alert weather warning led to the cancellation of the athletics programme. But James said the decision was widely understood, with health and safety taking priority.

Above all, he said, the Games have been a reminder of how fortunate the athletes are to be there, thanks to the generosity of their donors.

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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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