It's that time of year again when the Christmas shopping hits the top level of everyone's daily lists, writes Brian Byrne. And again, we encourage people to shop locally, help keep your local businesses and friends in business. There's no charge for the mention on this page, so if you are a local business and have something to tell us about, email the Diary.
Who doesn't love
a few flowers at Christmas, and especially if they have been put together in a personal bouquet of just what the recipient wants? Well, for that
very personal touch for a loved one this year, contact
Catherine Mulrennan's Kildare Flowers. She has been designing floral arrangement for all occasions in Kilcullen and the wider area for a long time now. Based in Kinneagh, she'll take orders on 086 3275668, or 045 481092.
If you don't know exactly what you need, she'll advise.
Though his
Clarkes Menswear shop isn't actually in Kilcullen,
Vivian Clarke is a Kilcullen man through and through, and for a gift for the man in your life there's no better place to go. A
Gift Voucher might well be the idea for those hard to buy for. Even if they're not in to buy on any given day, customers from over the years
will always stop for a chat with Vivian when on their way up or down the street in Newbridge.
Another local business, by
Niamh O'Connor, offers an option for unusual Christmas presents as well as
unique gifts for all occasions — her
Curious Quirkes are framed caricatures and quirky pictures, available in a number of local outlets and on her
Facebook page Curious Quirkes. There are
Christmas cards available too.
With the long Christmas holiday looming, there's a lot of pressure on the ladies to have their hair in best shape, and among the local salons none is better known than
Hair by Eilis, which is offering special deals for the season. Specialists in
colour correction, and dealing with problems like hair breakage.
There's something very special about a personalised gift in real leather, and in Kilcullen we have
Carve On who specialise in just those things. Whether for the
golfer, the
traveller, the
note-taker, or the
lugger of stuff, the range of specialised hand-made gifts is well worth
browsing on their website for. Your
someone special's Christmas gift problem might well be solved.
Now, here's a thought. Is there someone you want to
give a Christmas nod to who would love to have themselves or one of their children get the boost of a course at the
Drama Dynamics School of Speech & Drama during 2018?
Evelyn O'Sullivan (she recently completed an MA, congratulate her!) tells us she has gift vouchers available, and her range of courses include adult acting classes as well as her very vibrant children's courses.
It's hardly necessary to mention
Nolans at all, so widespread is their fame for providing the
best poultry and meats, not to mention the
seriously individual deli items. But there's a special emphasis on Christmas with
free range turkeys that have people queuing right along the street every Christmas Even when it comes to collection. Don't forget either the
spiced beef,
oak smoked hams and — if you fancy something different on Christmas Day — free range
chickens,
geese ducks,
pheasants and mallard. For after Christmas, it's when the delicacies come into their own, the
home-made sausages, the
puddings,
rashers,
cheeses and
smoked salmon.
Hampers can also be made to order as presents.
Always a mouth-watering exercise looking at the
Kalbarri Cookery School's Facebook page, Siobhan Murphy's classes are a superb way both to enjoy
learning new kitchen tricks and having a good time with friends old and new. Check out what's upcoming and maybe
book yourself or a loved one in for a class in the new year. Kalbarri also provides full Christmas dinners
to prior order on a collection basis.
As we face the
food and drink rush of Christmas and New Year, some will be wondering if they should be already preparing to do something about it all afterwards?
The No1 Fitness gym and fitness centre beside Bishop Rogan Park might be just the best idea. Functional Training, Iron Circuit Training, Cardio/Strength Training and more. Phone 045 484935.
Don’t miss
Crean's Place last two
supper clubs of the decade. Because one Christmas dinner is not enough to celebrate with everyone you love, start the festivities early with their Christmas supper club on
Sunday December 22nd.
Then unwind and chill at their
Tapas night on
Saturday Dec 28th.
All the Christmas menus are operating in
Kilcullen's various eateries, with really good value offers for small or larger groups who want to hold their
pre-Christmas get-togethers. For the size of the town we have an amazing selection of bistros, food pubs and restaurants. Think
The Hideout (045 484602),
Crean's Place (045 830000),
Fallons (045 481063),
Bardons (045 482286), and
Walls of the Priory at Kilgowan (045 403355).
Also our coffee shops for those less formal meet-ups,
The Final Furlong,
An Tearmann, and the
River Cafe. And don't forget that a
voucher towards dinner at any of the restaurants makes a very acceptable Christmas present.
The local chemist's shop has always been a traditional stop for the Christmas present, and though our old favourite
Berneys Chemists are not having their Christmas Shop this year, they still have a great selection of very acceptable gifts for loved ones.
Mouthwatering treats for those with a sweet tooth are always on sale in
Armelles's Kitchen, and the seasonal offerings from
Kenny and Armelle are nothing less than
pure baking artistry. Their Main Street shop and bakery offers their extraordinary range of
cakes and patisserie specialities are a joy to experience, and would make an intriguing and very acceptable gift for virtually anyone.
For those with interest in all things horses,
Berney Bros is almost a place of pilgrimage.
Saddles, harnesses and other
riding necessities, and also a big range of
outdoor clothing which is of interest to everyone. One of the Kilcullen's flagship stores, it is worth a visit even for the wonderful smells and colours of the leatherwork, and the sound of the craftwork going on in the back rooms.
Burkes Chemists on Hillcrest, another shop with a great range and very friendly staff. And you might also like to contribute to their
Vincent de Paul Christmas Tree presents, which they will choose and wrap for whatever gender and age you want to contribute to making it a happier Christmas for those less fortunate. There's also a very
nice selection of toys.
Nichola Kennedy Optometrist is asking have you stocked up on your
contact lenses and solutions for over the Christmas season? For dry eye customers make sure to stock up on your lotions and potions to make sure your
eyes get well looked after over the Christmas break. Eyebags make a great gift too, and there are other
accessories for family and friends with glasses. And make a resolution to give yourself
a new look with some snazzy new glasses in the new year. And have you ever considered
a gift voucher for Nichola Kennedy Optometrist? Those who receive them love them because they can use it to buy glasses, prescription
sunglasses, prescription
swimming goggles, contact lenses, or even some designer sunglasses to
wear over contact lenses. Nichola and her staff wish all their loyal customers
a very happy Christmas and best wishes for 2018.
Local photographer
Conor Williams has a special touch with local and abstract prints, and his work is available as
unique and affordable Christmas gifts. He's also offering
gift vouchers for portrait sessions, individual photography lessons and a one-day photography course. Contact him on 086 8721707.
Ger Dooley's Kildare Bathroom Company is well into the festive spirit, and now is the time to maybe make a note to put by a little time in the new year to go to the
Link Business Park and browse through the latest in bathroom ware.
Our local
Eurospar as always has put together value for money selections of top Christmas season
food and drink favourites, and it's well worth considering the convenience and hassle-free experience of shopping local for them. Business owner
Derek Walsh and his staff are on hand to help with any queries.
The Tech Service shop on Main Street offers
a repair and sales service for phones and computers, and is an easy local stop to get that present for the gadget person in your life. It is operated by
Leo Chen and his wife
Rachel. The business specialises in repairs of all kinds of phones and tablets, and stocks a range of new and used phones and tablets as well. Typical repairs such as replacing broken phone screens or batteries
can be carried out on an almost while you wait basis, or certainly 'come back after a cup of coffee'.
Since
Shirley Kavanagh-Hallion opened her
Secret Kloset Designer Outlet on Hillcrest, local ladies and others from much further have been making the trek to find
her unique choices in style and fashion. In addition to the range of
dresses, coats and other wear, there's a wide selection of interesting ladies'
clothing accessories perfectly themed for the cooler weather of the season.
To encourage and remember the
spiritual origins of Christmas, a browse through the wide range of items in the
Parish Centre Shop will certainly provide gift ideas for all ages. With Christmas Cards, Christmas Mass Bouquets, Cribs, Angel Gifts and much more. Call by and talk to
Valerie or
Geraldine.
Ger's Fruit and Veg Kilcullen now have beautiful candle arrangements in stock, a perfect gift. Also
wreaths, top quality Christmas
trees and for a healthy alternative present why not order a
fruit hamper? Fresh fruit and vegetables as always, if you drop your list in they'll have your order ready for collection.
There's absolutely nothing better than
giving a book to both children and adults as a gift for any occasion, but especially at Christmas when there's a little more time after the day to have a quiet read.
Dawn Behan and Aidan Cunnane's Woodbine Books has established itself as a beautiful browsing space for all book lovers and if you need any help in choosing just the right one, any of the
very books-dedicated people in the shop will be delighted to help. And they have
a great coffee machine too ...
The
Vincent's shop is always
a treasure chest worth rummaging in, with only the best of quality pre-owned goods. And if you're concerned that you might
run out of reading material over Christmas, then take a little time to
browse through the books section.
The
Valu€ Zone is another one of those places where you'll find not just what you're looking for, but also things that you might not be expecting. Meantime, though, seasonal needs like
Christmas decorations, cribs, cards, and stocking fillers are just a small part of the good value stacked on the shop's shelves. Think of it too for a wide selection of
photo frames, stationery, and those all important
batteries. Lots more, go in and browse before you try outside of town.
Downtown in
An Tearmann they carry a range of
select gifts for all ages and both genders, as well as a small but nice range of Christmas cards. Wooden toys and ornaments are a speciality here, while the
mobiles made of glass and wood and gentle textiles are always worth a browse. And don't forget the Manna organic shop at the back.
One of the nicer things about Christmas is
sitting at home with family and friends, maybe in front of a real fire, with
seasonal snacks and a convivial drink. All you need in wines, beers, sherries and spirits is to hand in
CarryOut in Market Square, where
Paddy Nugent and family have best value in town to help a quiet celebration of the season.
Jane Russell in the Link Park has established her
handmade sausage and bacon products as among the best in the land, gracing the tables of the region's
top restaurants and in a wide range of
independent and national chain outlets. The
factory shop is the place to get some great
sausages, dry cure rashers and fresh blood black pudding at wholesale prices. In addition to classic products, there's a
Dinner Range of handmade sausages to mouth-watering recipes. Just the thing to make Christmas a little different, and
most acceptable presents along with, say, a good red wine.
If you have someone in your circle of close friends who is big into fashion and grooming, you could do worse than get them a present of a
Gail's Rails personal
shopping day, or a professional
wardrobe assessment. All the details are
available here.
And don't forget your dog deserves a pampering for Christmas too. Local dog grooming specialist
Sabrina Rice operates her award winning services from the Cottage Vet premises in Walshestown. She's just announced that the very popular baby powder
cologne and shampoo for pets is back just in time for Christmas. Open every day except Sunday until Christmas.
More local shopping ideas later. Keep coming back.
