Community Association formed for Old Kilcullen area

Pic: Conor Williams.

About 45 people attended the Special General meeting last Thursday night at Halverstown School to form a local Community Association, writes Sabina Reddy. There was a great mix of new residents to the area and long-established families.

The guest speaker at the night was Doreen Daly, Community Liaison Officer of Kildare County Council, who outlined the advantages of forming a Community Association. Deputy Martin Heydon also attended.

A committee was elected on the night which included Chairperson Christy Howard, Secretary Kevin Sheehan, and Treasurer Pat Griffin.

Pictured are Kevin Sheehan, Trevor Howard, Deputy Martin Haydon, Doreen Daly, Pat Domican, Pat Griffin, Christy Howard, Sabina Reddy, Colm Feely, Austin Egan, Esther Reddy, and Cllr Ivan Keatley. Missing from the photograph are Peadar Howard and Martin Whyte.

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Council to be asked to remove dumped material

Kildare County Council is to be asked today to remove rubbish dumped at Avondale in anticipation of a Halloween bonfire, writes Brian Byrne.

Our pictures here, supplied by residents, show some of the material which has been brought in from outside in the last couple of weeks.

There's a bonfire at the site every year, organised mostly by the estate's children.

"I don't mind them going door to door in the estate looking for bonfire stuff - I did it myself as a kid," one resident said. "But this is being brought in by outsiders in vans, mostly at night. And some of the stuff dumped here won't burn."

At time of year, Kildare County Council and Kildare Fire Service issue appeals to home owners and businesses to not leave any material lying around that may be taken for a bonfire. These include warnings about toxic gases and fumes which are a danger to people.

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Tips on supporting a young person through 6th Year

Career Choice — Parents/Guardians can support a son/daughter by:

Encouraging Research, research and more research;
Reading the prospectus;
Visiting the Colleges and ask Questions.

Study — Parents/Guardians can support a son/daughter by:

Encouraging a study routine;
Encouraging participation in sport/exercise;
Reducing/Curtailing part-time work.

College Applications — Parents/Guardians can support a son/daughter by:

Being aware of closing dates for applications;
Being informed of the supplementary information required for HEAR/DARE/SUSI applications.

Right Choice Careers is your local career guidance service. For further information email Eoin and Sandra on rightchoicecareers@yahoo.com

Let us help you make that informed decision


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Badminton update

Five matches to report this week in the Leagues and we start with the South West League and the Grade 3B Men who visited a strong Ballinabranna side in a difficult hall on Tuesday 16th of October, writes Match Secretary  Enda O'Neill.

The lads didn’t get the dream start they wanted and were defeated 3-1 with new boy Soghan Andy and Owen Wallace rescuing a point for the team. The Grade 3 Men will host Johnswell of Kilkenny in the complex on Tuesday night. It’s a must win match even at this early stage of the league for captain Barry O’Neill, Enda O’Neill, Owen and Sochan as the Johnswell lads were also defeated in their first game against the dominant Ballinabranna and this match will have a big impact for the second place spot. Good luck to the lads in their next match.

On Thursday 18th of October three teams were in action. Our Grade 4 Men travelled to Carlow LTC in their second match of the season. After a solid draw in their first match the KBC men managed to grab another away draw with another good performance. This leaves captain Keith O’Neill and his team mates Kasi Va, Ross Cole and Giovannai with four points from two and in a great position. The lads have another away fixture next to Bough on Friday 26th of October and if they can get any points from that it will leave them in a great position coming into a home run of games.

In a highly entertaining home match on Court 2, KBC’s Grade 2 Men hosted local rivals Kildare CWMS, the KBC guys needed to improve on their first match after been defeated 4-0 by Johnswell. Kilcullen stepped up a gear in this one and beat their opponents 3-1 in an impressive display of badminton, well done to captain Martin (Murt) Dunne, John McGrane, Gareth Hogan and Mick Cass. The lads have the return match against Kildare on Thursday 30th of October.

In an equally impressive display on Court 3 our Grade 6 ladies hosted St Laurances. Our “Ragettes” dominated this fixture and beat Larries 4-0. Well done to captain Orla, Teresa, Maeve (the maker of beautiful cakes!) and another new member Lynda. Their next outing is away to Bough in November.

The Dublin District League also started for KBC with our Division 7 Men visiting PSLC in Portmarnock on Friday 19th October. Kasi, Ross, Giovannai and captain Keith got off to a flying start with a very impressive 4-0 win against their counterparts. This is a great start to the league and hopefully the lads will build from it in their next league encounter against Ashbourne next month.

Finally good luck to all our teams, good luck to all in their next round of matches.

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Big Woodbine Books programme for Irish Book Week

Woodbine Books has a range of events lined up for for Irish Book Week, which starts on 27 October and runs through to 3 November, writes Dawn Behan.

They include the recording of a live episode of the Chaos Theatre Podcast in the bookshop at 4pm on Saturday 27 November. Although normally aimed at older teens and adults with an interest in popular culture, this special episode will review Irish picture books and graphic novels aimed at children from 10 years upwards and YA readers.

On 30 October the bookshop is hosting a discussion panel in Kilcullen Town Hall from 6.30pm to 8.30pm, featuring local authors Orla McAlinden, Hazel Gaynor, Maria MacDonald, Amy Gaffney and Lissa Oliver, and chaired by Jo Doyle. The event will cover topics such as how the panellists began their writing careers, the difference between self publishing and being with an established publisher, the importance of social media to writers and everything else in between.

Benji Bennett (author of Adam's Cloud books including Before You Sleep and Adam Saves the Seasons) will be in the shop at 2pm on 2 November for a reading and a chat followed by a book signing.

Author and Irish Book Week Ambassador Donal Ryan will be in conversation with local journalist Brian Byrne at 2.30pm on Saturday 3 November, followed by a book signing. His first published novel, The Spinning Heart, has won several awards including Newcomer of the Year in the Irish Book Awards 2012, Guardian First Book Award in 2013, and the European Union Prize for Literature in 2015. It was also long-listed for the Booker Prize in 2013.

Pictured at top, clockwise from top left, are Hazel Gaynor, Miriam McDonald, Jo Doyle, Donal Ryan, Lissa Oliver, Orla McAlinden, and Amy Gaffney.

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Fr Niall completes another half-marathon

Fr Niall Mackey completed the 2018 Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Half-Marathon in Ohio, USA, on Sunday, writes Brian Byrne.

He has taken part in the event for a number of years. Since 2011 participants have raised many millions of dollars for Nationwide Children's Hospital.

The Columbus Marathon and Half-Marathon are the largest in Ohio.

(If you look at the small print on the top of his number, it notes his address as Kilcullen.)

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Ciaran Steed wins Duathlon bronze

Ciaran Steed today won a European bronze medal in Ibiza in the age-related Duathlon, writes Liam Walker.

The race was made up of a 5K run, a 20K cycle and a 2K run.

The achievement brings Ciaran's year to a great conclusion.

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UPDATE: Lily found

If anyone has seen this dog (named Lily) around Kilcullen please contact 087 7696503. She was last seen outside Castlemartin.

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Mac and Norman 2018 cheque presented

Last night's cheque presentation. Pic by organisers.

The amount raised by the 2018 Mac and Norman Vintage Rally was €26,650, writes Brian Byrne.

A cheque for that amount was presented to a representative of the Irish Cancer Society last evening at an event in Walls of The Priory, Kilgowan.

In a total of 330 vehicles which registered for the Rally there were at least 104 truck and some 60 tractors.

It was the 16th running of the Rally, which up to last year had collected more than €435,000 for the Irish Cancer Society.

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Save the date for Miscellany on Sunday

Scene from 2016 'Miscellany'. Pic Conor Williams.

Phenagh Bermingham's charity fundraiser Miscellany on Sunday will be held this year at the Bermingham family home in Mooretown on Sunday 9 December.

The initiative sees friends and neighbours, well wishers and supporters gathering to perform songs, stories, poems and more besides. Proceeds of the event will be donated to Father John Bermingham's missionary work in Mozambique.

The people of Mozambique have experienced many hardships since they won their independence at the end of the colonial era and, if you'd like to make a small gesture to help them, you could do worse than supporting Phenagh's Miscellany on Sunday occasion.

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'Stop dumping at Avondale'

Entrance to Avondale. Pic: Google Maps.

Residents of Avondale are angry at recent dumping of furniture, mattresses and other combustible items in the estate, writes Brian Byrne.

The material has been appearing over the last couple of weeks, apparently in anticipation of a bonfire on Halloween.

"It has mostly been happening at night time," one resident told the Diary. "I know there is a bonfire every year there, but it is ridiculous that they are coming in vans to dump. It just isn't acceptable."


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Christmas Market 2018 fully booked

Scenes from last year's Christmas Market.

The Christmas Market at Market Square Kilcullen planned for 8 December is fully booked, writes Antoinette Buckley of the Christmas Market Committee.

The committee are absolutely delighted to organise this very successful event again this year for the town. It really worked so well last Christmas, businesses reported great business on the day and follow-up business in the lead up to the busy Christmas shopping period.

We decided to test out a Christmas Market last year to help support the local businesses in Kilcullen and to increase footfall into the town on the day. Shop Local Campaign posters were put up on the bridge poles to get the message out.

Due to the success of the event businesses asked if we would consider an Easter Market. We were happy to go ahead with that and again it proved to be a very good day for all.

This year we have great local stalls lined up. Those offering food include Crean's, Fallons, the River Cafe, Kalbarri Cookery School, Armelle's, Nolans Butchers, the Hideout, and Jane Russell sausages.

Other attractions and seasonal buying opportunities will be provided by Woodbine Books, the Secret Kloset Boutique, and stalls selling fresh Christmas trees, flowers, memory boards, crafts, personalised Christmas decorations, hand made jewellery, artwork, lanterns, handmade knits and crochet, Christmas wreaths, Markus landscape gifts, Camphill organic foods, preserves, mince pies, Christmas cakes, choc biscuit pudding, mulled wine, and Christmas gift sets. There will be a face painter, and DJ Georgia will entertain with festive music on the day.

KCA are buying new Christmas lights for the bridge and for the tree on the river at Market Square. A large Christmas tree and three smaller Christmas trees with lights will be put up in the flower bed on Market Square. Thanks to KCA for their support.

This year we will have a Santa's Grotto in the Heritage Centre from 12 noon to 5pm, with Berney's Pharmacy sponsoring the Santa gifts on the day. Photographer Conor Williams will offer a photo with Santa service.

The official switch-on of the Christmas lights will take place at 5pm on the day by KCA (Kilcullen Community Action). The Kilcullen Gospel Choir will perform some festive songs between 4pm-5pm before the switch on.

Looking forward to a fun, happy, festive Christmas Market 2018 at Kilcullen Market Square.

Shop Local, Support Local this Christmas.

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