Kilcullen 2024: The Wish Lists
The return of the St Patrick’s Day Parade, more support for local business, and improvement of local footpaths are all on the wish lists for Kilcullen in 2024 from a number of local people, writes Brian Byrne.
We asked several residents what they would like to see happen in and for Kilcullen through the coming 12 months, and while not all responses are in yet, we’re going with this first piece as a general invitation to our readers to add their own hopes and expectations for the community in the coming year.
Julie O’Donoghue, Kilcullen’s Librarian, says the town ‘gets a lot of things right’ with a largely welcoming and inclusive community, neighbourliness, and low crime. “My wish for Kilcullen in 2024 is more of the good stuff,” she says, including a revival of the St Patrick’s Day Parade in that. Other suggestions include the establishment of a Men’s Shed, a craft group, and maybe a Saturday Park Run. Probably outside the community control is her wish for more affordable housing, but an increase in heritage and arts activities is something she says she could contribute to herself.
Local optometrist Nichola Kennedy, marking 18 years in business next May, hopes that Kilcullen will continue to show the same resilience during 2024 that was apparent during the pandemic, when people particularly supported each other and local businesses. “If people continue to support local businesses, these will survive through 2024 and beyond,” she says. “The cost of running a business is continuing to increase, between rising utility bills, rents and staff costs. If people choose to do business elsewhere, then they cannot lament the closure of businesses in the town.”
Nichola would also like to see more collaboration between the businesses in the town, promoting local enterprise awareness by mentioning each other on their websites and social media activity. She believes they could also get together on specific initiatives. “We could look at Kilcullen-specific gift vouchers, for instance. Employers can gift staff members up to €1,000 per year tax-free, and having our own rather than universal vouchers would help keep business in the town.” Nichola would also like to see more accessibility parking spaces here.
This summer will mark the end of Cllr Tracey O’Dwyer’s first five years as a local representative, and for her it’s a case of ‘much done, much more to do’. “With the local elections taking place on June 7th, I am very keen to get as many projects as possible completed before then,” she says. “And, if possible, have commitments in place for more long-term projects in the event I am unlucky enough not to be re-elected.” Saying she has been ‘privileged’ to be working across a ‘vast, vibrant Municipal District’, Tracey compliments the team in the MD’s Area Engineers office as “fantastic and productive, who really deliver for our area.”
Given that her responsibilities go well beyond her Kilcullen-Brannockstown home district, the councillor has a quite massive 2024 wish list. But urgent needs in the Kilcullen area itself include upgrade work on footpaths throughout the town and in some residential estates and road surface repairs in a number of these, the re-lining of the faded road markings on Main Street and provision of parking signage, and heritage-necessary repairs to the graveyard wall at Old Kilcullen. Traffic calming solutions on the approach road along by Nicholastown and at the entrance to the Market Square are also under discussion in the Council. She is also very aware of keeping the pressure on capital projects that are more long-term and budget-dependent, such as a Ring Road around Kilcullen, and revisions for road safety at Thompson’s Cross. "Also, the young people of Kilcullen have just one, constant request and that is for a youth space such as a pump bike track or skate park and art pop up space and this is a project I will continue to work on."
A relief road to ease Kilcullen traffic is also the primary wish from Kilcullen businessman John Dowling. In his response to the Diary’s query, he says Kilcullen is ‘a brilliant place to grow up and live in’. “But as someone who is on the road most of the day carrying out viewings etc, my main concern at present is the traffic,” he adds. “The Newbridge road is gridlocked Monday to Friday, even outside school collection times. I feel sorry for the residents on the Sunnyhill road with the amount and speed of traffic passing. I remember that road being one of the nicest walking roads in Co Kildare and the whole of Kilcullen could be spotted walking out there on a Sunday afternoon. I remember the big beech trees where the motorway bridge is now, that used to meet in the middle and form a tunnel and it was magical. You’d be brave walking it now. Kildare County Council need to look at a proper relief road and I firmly believe it will make our brilliant town even better.”
Anoinette Buckley, a longtime member of Kilcullen Community Action, says more needs to be done to make Kilcullen an 'age-friendly' town in terms of making public spaces, footpaths and walkways safe and easy to navigate. "Disability parking spaces should strictly be used only by those with permits," she adds. Also concerned about traffic congestion, she questions the prospect of any new developments being given planning permission without proper infrastructure being in place.
With the Market Square redevelopment planning now in place, Antoinette says the next step is engagement with local councillors to help secure funding for the project. "As it is a longer term project, until funding is secured I would like to see in 2024 KCC tidy up the square area in terms of the potholes and uneven surface and make the entrance to the area safer for pedestrians and motorists," she says. "I love living in Kilcullen, it’s a special place with a great sense of community spirit. It’s important we all work together to protect the future of our town and help to make positive changes that will benefit everyone in 2024 and into the future."
That’s a big wish list already. Do you want to add your own? Email kilcullendiary@gmail.com.
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