KILDARE READERS FESTIVAL 2026 SCHEDULE

The Kildare Readers Festival 2026 includes a retrospective photographic exhibition by Ger Holland at the McKenna Gallery, running from Wednesday, 30 September to Saturday, 10 October 2026.

The main events schedule unfolds across Kildare venues as follows:

* Thursday, 01 October 2026: Writer John MacKenna discusses the life and 1798 rebellion memories of Quaker annalist Mary Leadbeater, portrayed by Mary Linehan, at Athy Library, commemorating the 200th anniversary of her death, at 7pm. The presentation is repeated on 3 October at 3:30pm at Naas Library & Cultural Centre, and Sunday, 4 October at 3pm at Ballitore Library.

* Friday, 02 October 2026: Riverbank Arts Centre hosts a screening and Q&A for A Quiet Love, the first feature documentary produced in Irish Sign Language, with producer Anne Heffernan.

* Saturday, 03 October 2026: Naas Library hosts youth workshops alongside jump jockey Barry Geraghty sharing insights into his racing career with Donn McClean.

* Sunday, 04 October 2026: Irish-language literary gathering An Tolg Liteartha convenes at The Silken Thomas in Kildare Town.

* Tuesday, 06 October 2026: Stephen Travers and Frank Shouldice discuss The Miami Showband Massacre: Memory, Truth and Legacy at Naas Library.

* Wednesday, 07 October 2026: Authors Dearbhla Mescal and Jan Brierton explore writing and resilience in The Poetry of Living.

* Friday, 09 October 2026: Riverbank Arts Centre officially opens the festival exhibition before hosting a panel on landscape, history, and personal identity with Lesley Bond and Miriam Mulcahy.

* Saturday, 10 October 2026: A full day of panels at Riverbank Arts Centre features Louise Nealon and Katriona O’Sullivan sharing key literary influences, a debut fiction showcase, heritage culinary talks, bestselling fiction writers, and a crime fiction event with John Banville, Patricia Gibney, and Edel Coffey.

* Sunday, 11 October 2026: The festival concludes with youth clay workshops, a screening of Puffin Rock and the New Friends, folklore storytelling, and comic book creation with Aoife Dooley.

* Other events include Creative Writing Workshops and Competitions, with the full schedule available here. 

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LOOKING BACK: KILDARE'S FIRST REGISTERED CAR

An historic occasion caught by the cameras, in a clipping from the Leinster Leader dated 1 October 1983, courtesy of Joe Murray. The first car registered in Kildare, IO 1, pictured under the Rathangan Road bridge on the Naas Bypass with the owner, Denis Lucey, and Liam Kenny, local historian and then a member of Kildare Co Council staff.

The car is the Silver Stream, a handcrafted luxury touring car built in Carnalway near Kilcullen between 1906 and 1909 by railway engineer Philip Townsend Somerville-Large, and which was the centrepiece for many years of Denis Lucey's collection at the Museum of Irish Transport in Killarney. In April 2007, it was sold at a Bonhams auction in London for £130,000.

The photo was taken the week before the official opening of the M7 Naas Bypass on 4 October 1983, by then Tánaiste Dick Spring. It was the Irish Republic's first section of motorway.

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HALVERSTOWN ANNUAL AWARDS DAY A HUGE SUCCESS

The attendance at the second annual Awards Night by Halverstown Cricket Club was such that extra seating had to be hastily procured by the committee. More than 100 people turned up to the event in Piper's Hill College, Naas.

It was a fitting end to the 141st season for the club, and its busiest one to date. Five youth teams, two league teams (which incorporate two T20 teams also), a social team (the Oaks) and, as of last month, a first-ever women’s team took to the field in the club’s colours. Summer camps were run, school coaching took place and the Halverstown Cup was held between 16 Primary schools in the county. 

Ava Canning, an Irish international cricketer with 70 caps already at the young age of 22, was there to help present the trophies. Des Drumm, Chairman, started with a brief summary of the season. For Halverstown 1 there was a second consecutive year of promotion following their runners-up position, though Halverstown 2 struggled following their promotion last season and finished 7th out of 8 teams. The U13 and U15 girls’ teams combined with North Kildare, which brought instant success with the U13s winning the Division B Leinster title. Anna Easdown, Stephanie Johnston, Lily Richardson and Maggie Lynch went on to representative honours with the province whilst Michaela Langford was in Leinster’s U15 Pathways programme. The Oaks did what they do best, providing friendly, enjoyable social cricket.

Award winners were: Under 13 Boys, Ansh Sarkar; Under 15 Boys, Owen Best; Under 13 Girls, Stephanie Johnston; Under 15 Girls, Maggie Lynch; Halverstown 1, Gaurav Kumar; Halverstown 2, Manish Muralidhar; Halverstown Oaks, Andy Barber.

Stuart Conroy, Honorary Secretary and driving force behind the youth and women’s cricket, thanked the parents who had helped during the year and who turned up in such numbers to support Awards Day. Des finished by paying tribute to the Beaumont family which had facilitated the club playing in the beautiful grounds of Harristown House in Brannockstown for a nominal rent for the last 30 years but noted that, with the lease expiring at the end of 2027, they were still working to find a new home for the more than 130 members to have somewhere to play from 2028 onwards. 

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PARISH LOTTO DRAW RESULTS

The numbers drawn in the Kilcullen & Gormanstown Parish Lotto Draw held on 29th September 2026 were 1, 6, 17 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 €9,800.

The winners of the €50 Open Draws are Jim Keogh (Promoter Vanessa Clarke), Tony Talbot (Vivian Clarke) and Michael Dixon (Kay Dixon).

The winners of the Promoters Draw were Anne Brennan and Berney’s Chemist, and the winner of the draw for those in the Parish Centre on the night was Francesca Broughall.

The Parish thanks all who support the Lotto.

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LEADBEATER CONVERSATION LAUNCH EVENT OF READERS FESTIVAL

The 2026 Kildare Readers Festival will kick off with the event The Annalist of Ballitore: Mary Leadbeater in Conversation, marking the 200th anniversary of her death. 

The presentation, in three locations during the festival, features Quaker annalist, poet, and humanitarian Mary Leadbeater, portrayed by Mary Linehan, discussing her life, writing, and memories of the 1798 rebellion with writer John MacKenna. 

The events will take place on Thursday, 1 October at 7pm at Athy Library, Saturday, 3 October at 3:30pm at Naas Library & Cultural Centre, and Sunday, 4 October at 3pm at Ballitore Library. 

Tickets can be booked online via the festival’s website. The festival is supported by Kildare County Council, RTE Arts, CKAN, Riverbank Arts Centre, and Ernie’s@Shackleton Experience.

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NARRAGHMORE PINK RUN 2026

The Narraghmore Pink Run, supporting Breast Cancer Ireland, will take place on Sunday, 18 October, at 11am. Participants can choose between a 5km or 10km walk/run starting from The Old Hardware. 

Registration is available on the day, with a €5 donation for individuals and €20 for families. Funds raised will aid in breast cancer research.

For more information and to donate, visit this link. 

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2027 HERITAGE GRANT SCHEME NOW OPEN

The Heritage Council has opened the Expression of Interest stage for its 2027 Community Heritage Grant Scheme, encouraging community groups to apply for funding to protect and celebrate local heritage. The scheme supports projects on historic buildings, biodiversity, traditional skills, and more, with over €9 million awarded to 680 projects since 2022. 

New for 2027, the application process includes a two-stage approach, simplifying initial submissions and allowing for project testing before full applications. The Expression of Interest deadline is 16 October 2026, with funding decisions expected in Spring 2027. 

“People in County Kildare pass and engage with local heritage every day," says Kildare Heritage Officer, Dara Wyer, "whether that be a woodland, a townland name, a landmark building, a shoreline, a family tradition or a story shared by a neighbour. These are the connections that make heritage meaningful, and they are also the starting point for strong community projects."

Applications are invited under themes such as Heritage at Risk and Biodiversity Restoration. For more details, visit heritagecouncil.ie. 

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ST THERESE TRIDUUM

A special St Thérèse Triduum begins tomorrow, Tuesday 29 September, at the Carmelite Church, White Abbey, Kildare Town, marking 25 years since the historic arrival of the saint’ relics in Ireland in 2001.

The programme for the Triduum is as follows:

Tuesday 29th – 10am Mass & Veneration until 12pm.

Wednesday 30th – 8am Mass, Blessing of the Roses & Veneration until 10am.

Thursday 1st October – 7pm Solemn Feast Day Mass with Bishop Denis Nulty & Veneration until 9.30pm.

All are warmly welcome to join in three special days of prayer, thanksgiving and devotion to the Little Flower. 

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AFC FUN RUN

A reminder that Kilcullen AFC is hosting a Fun Run on Sunday, 11 October 2026, starting at 11am from the clubhouse in Kilcullen. 

Participants can choose between a 5K or 10K race. The first 200 registrants for the 5K will receive a bespoke pin, while the first 70 registrants for the 10K will receive a bespoke medal. 

Registration is currently open. 

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PILGRIMAGE TO MALTA

Illustration of St Paul's Island in 1881.

A pilgrimage to Malta is being led by Fr Gary on 28 February 2027. The cost for the 5 nights is €1,185 pps, including flights, transfers, accommodation and meals.

The trip will follow in the footsteps of St Paul, who is said to have been shipwrecked on Malta around 60 AD while being brought to Rome as a prisoner. Having healed the sick father of the chief official on the island, he spent three months there preaching and establishing Christianity on the island.

The key sites associated with the saint are Paul’s Grotto and the Catacombs in Rabat, the Church of St Paul’s Shipwreck in Valletta, and St Paul’s Island.

Further information and booking from Marian Shrines at 01 8788159 or visit marian.ie.

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