Awards, Christmas, flowers discussed at KCA

The recent Community Awards Night, the Christmas Lights Collection, and planting bulbs for the spring were the main elements of last night's KCA meeting, writes Brian Byrne.

The Awards were generally deemed to have been successful again, though some disappointment was expressed at the relatively low numbers who came along in comparison to the previous year.

The question was raised as to whether the general community felt it was for invited people only, but it was noted in the discussion that there had been plenty of publicity saying that all were welcome.

A suggestion that the event might include entertainment in the future, turning it into a more gala evening, was mooted, and deferred until when next year's Awards were being planned.

Gratitude for the generosity shown to the Street Collection for the Christmas Lights was expressed by KCA chair Esther Kiely. For the first time it was a second collection in the year, and there was good support on the day. Esther said there was considerable appreciation for the fact that cable and equipment had twice been stolen, but KCA was still committed to organising the lights.

A discussion on alternatives to the current source of power for the lights ended in the meeting making a decision to continue with the ESB as in previous years. Ray Kelly said he was still in negotiation with the provider on the issue of standing charges, which has left KCA with an overhang of costs not related to the actual charge for electricity over the short annual festive season.

The matter of a Christmas Tree was also raised, and whether it should be relocated to the Market Square. The meeting heard that parents appreciated the safe space of last year's location in the grounds of CPC, especially for the switch-on ceremony. The possibility of utilising an existing tree in the College grounds was also discussed, with concerns expressed as to whether it would cost too much because of the number of lights required. No decision was made.

It was also decided that the livery on the KCA collection boxes in various business premises in the town should be changed to reflect the Christmas Lights fundraising. The planned date for the switch on of the lights is 8 December.

On funding, Noel Clare said Kildare County Council had provided a Heritage Grant for replacing the signs in The Valley, which are in a serious state of disrepair. The €1,300 grant had been triggered by the KCA-commissioned Biodiversity Study of the River Liffey and its Environs in Kilcullen, which had been supported by the County Kildare Leader Partnership.

After a discussion of planting of the street flowers tubs for next spring, it was decided that the tubs at the traffic lights, the bank, and on Hillside would have bulbs planted soon. Celia Travers undertook to deal with purchase and planting.