Kilcullen's 'She Paddles Polo' day

Image: Kilcullen Canoe Club.

Kilcullen Canoe Club hosted its first-ever women’s canoe polo event on Sunday. The “She Paddles Polo” day, run in partnership with She Paddles Ireland, brought 16 enthusiastic paddlers onto the water. 

For some, it was their first experience of canoe polo, while others used the opportunity to build on existing skills in a friendly, supportive environment. The event was organised by Laura King and Kilcullen Canoe Club’s own Roisin Rua Phelan. 

The club thanked everyone who came along, took part, and helped out on the day, and it looks forward to hosting more She Paddles Polo events and further developing opportunities for women and girls to get involved in canoe polo.

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KWWSPCA needs more volunteers

The Kildare & West Wicklow Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (KWWSPCA) is appealing for more volunteers to help care for rescue dogs at its shelter near Athgarvan in Co Kildare. 

The charity, which is run entirely by volunteers and has no paid staff, says it urgently needs dependable individuals to assist with daily dog care, including walking, feeding, cleaning kennels, and general shelter duties. 

Volunteers need to be hardworking, dog-confident, over 21, fit, have no relevant physical impairments, and can travel to the shelter independently, as public transport is not available. Regular availability for either a morning shift (7.30am–1pm) or an afternoon shift (1pm–6pm, earlier in winter) is particularly required.

Anyone interested in volunteering is asked to complete the online application form or email kwwspca@gmail.com for more information.

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Winner of Kilcullen GAA Jackpot

Kilcullen GAA’s club lotto jackpot of €3,200 has been won by local man Brian Bell. He scooped the top prize in this week's draw, in which the winning numbers were 2, 8, 10 and 18.

Because the jackpot was won, there were no lucky dip winners this week. The lotto will now reset, with the next draw taking place on 30 March, when the new top prize will be €1,000.

Kilcullen GAA has congratulated Brian and thanked all who took part in the fundraiser. Entries for the next draw can be made via a link in the club’s social media or at kilcullengaa.ie.

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Visual Merchandising workshop

Local retailers are being offered fresh tools to grow sales and sustain local jobs through a new visual merchandising workshop taking place next month, writes Brian Byrne.

Focus on Retail: Boost Sales with Visual Merchandising aims to empower businesses to display their products and services with greater flair, helping them attract more customers in-store and online. 

By improving how goods are presented, retailers can increase turnover, protect existing employment and create engaging digital content for their social media and e‑commerce platforms.

The workshop will be held on 20 April at MERITS in Naas and is supported by the Government of Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Kildare County Council and Local Enterprise Office Kildare.

Owners and managers of retail businesses are encouraged to attend.

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More than €8,000 raised on Kilcullen Daffodil Day

Once again, a big thank you to everyone who supported our local Daffodil Day collection, writes Trish Dowling and Ann Brennan, Eurospar, Nolans, Berneys Chemist, DayBreak, Centra, Kildare Credit Union, the Library, and Mace in Athgarvan. 

Your kind generosity helped raise €8,014, which will be greatly appreciated by the Irish Cancer Society.

Thank you so much to the regular volunteers and the new volunteers who came on board this year, including two of our longest-serving, pictured above. 

Your time and help on the day are so important to the success of the day.

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Successful CFR training day for children

Image: Kilcullen First Responders.

Kilcullen Community First Responders hosted a highly successful training day for local children, equipping them with vital lifesaving skills, including CPR.

Children aged eight and upwards took part in the session, which focused on what to do in an emergency and how to respond calmly and effectively. By the end of the training, participants had learned how to:

• Ring the emergency services • Have their Eircode ready to give to the call taker • Check if a person is responding when called or gently shaken • Start CPR if the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally • Use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), including placing the pads correctly and delivering a shock if advised

The organisers said they were delighted to see the children leave with such important skills and the confidence to use them.

Parents who would like their child to take part in the next course are invited to email kilcullenfirstresponders@gmail.com to have their names added to the list.

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Night-time roadworks on M7/N7

Night-time road closures will take place on the M7 and N7 this week as essential works get underway. The closures will run from 10pm to 6am from Monday, 23 March, with multiple junctions affected on different nights.

On Monday and Tuesday, the M7 eastbound entry at Junction 10 (Naas South) will close, with a diversion via the R445 to Junction 9a (Millennium Park). Westbound, both the entry and exit at Junction 10 will close, with diversions via the M9 and Junction 9a.

On Wednesday, the westbound entry at Junction 9a will close, with traffic redirected to Junction 9 (Naas North).

On Thursday, closures will affect the M7 eastbound entry and exit at Junction 9, the N7 westbound entry at Junction 7 (Kill), and a stop/go system will operate at Junction 4 (Saggart).

On Friday, westbound entry and exit at Junction 9 on the M7, and entry and exit at Junction 6 (Castledwarden) on the N7, will close.

Motorists are advised to allow extra time, follow diversions and drive with care.

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St Laurence’s Camogie Club fun run

A 5km fundraising fun run and walk, followed by a community bake sale, will be held in Narraghmore on Easter Monday, 6 April, hosted by St Laurence’s Camogie Club.

The run will take place at the Old Hardware in Narraghmore, with the event starting at 12pm. Registration opens from 11.30am, with entry fees of €10 for adults and €5 for children.

The club encourages everyone, including families and walkers of all abilities, to take part, which will conclude with the bake sale. All proceeds support St Laurence’s Camogie Club.

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Have your pet's 'pawtrait' done at Kilcullen book sale

Artist Lisa will be offering unique ‘Pet Pawtraits’ at Kilcullen Town Hall, writes Brian Byrne, as part of a two-day book sale in aid of the Kildare and West Wicklow SPCA (KWWSPCA) in late April.

On Saturday, 25 April, visitors are invited to bring a photo of their pet, and Lisa will create a cartoon-style portrait while they browse the book stalls. The portraits could also be popular as personalised keepsakes and gifts from pet owners' friends.

The book sale will take place on Friday, 24 April, and Saturday, 25 April. Opening hours are from 11am to 5pm on the Friday and from 11am to 4pm on the Saturday. A very large selection of books will be on offer, with most priced at €1.

Donations of books are welcome in advance of the event. Anyone wishing to contribute is asked to contact Sally on 087 6803295.

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