Workshop on Social Enterprises planned

The Old Hardware in Narraghmore will be part of a Social Enterprises workshop on Tuesday, 14 October, at Lullymore Heritage & Discovery Park, writes Brian Byrne. The event is organised by the County Kildare Leader Partnership.

The Lullymore Park and The Acre Project, Celbridge, will also feature in a panel discussion with the Narraghmore project at the workshop.

The Kildare Social Enterprise Strategy 2025-2027 will be launched during the event, which will also provide details of how to apply for funding and grants. 

The event is free and will run from 9.30am until 1pm. Places can be booked on Eventbrite. 

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Festival funding on offer

Funding towards the costs of running festivals is on offer from the County Kildare Leader programme, writes Brian Byrne. The closing dare for expressions of interest is 18 November 2024.

The funding can be for, inter alia, up to 75pc of costs of expenses such as furniture, storage space, or publicity. The minimum grant is €5,000 with the maximum up to €30,000.

Further information at countykildarelp.ie, or email leader@countykildarelp.ie, or phone 045 895450.

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Garden equipment safety course

According to surveys, lawnmowers are responsible for almost a quarter of all accidents in the garden, while hedge trimmers cause 18pc of such incidents, writes Brian Byrne.

Maybe that's not unexpected, because very few homeowners have ever received, or looked for, proper training in the use of what can be very dangerous tools. That's why a one-day course in operating garden machines safely, offered by the Kildare Leader Partnership, in September, should be of interest to many.

The event will offer safety guidance on the use of ride-on and push lawnmowers, hedge trimmers, and leaf blowers. It will be held in the Kildare Community Development Centre on Tuesday 5 September, from 9.30am-4.30pm.

Spaces on the course are limited, and registration can be made by emailing geraldine@countykildarelp.ie, or calling 087 6597961.

By the way, lawnmowers come second in the garden accidents scale to ... the humble ladder!

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Community Information Morning for Narraghmore and district

A reminder that a Community Information Morning will be held at The Old Hardware in Narraghmore on this Thursday 13 July.

The event, which starts at 10.30am, is being facilitated by County Kildare Leader Partnership, and is an opportunity for all local residents to discuss things currently happening in the village and surrounding communities, and what they would like to see happen.

All welcome. Coffee and cake. Contact noreen@countykildarelp.ie or 086 0842986 for further information.

(First posted 16 June 2023.)

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Design Statement launched, 'the hard work starts now'

There was a very good turnout last evening for the launch of the Kilcullen Design Statement commissioned by Kilcullen Community Action, writes Brian Byrne.

The initiative was developed with a view to having a document to provide a locally-produced blueprint for how Kilcullen might develop over the next two decades, and was funded with the help of the Kildare Leader Partnership.

Outlining the results of the various public consultations which had led to the production of the report, James Hennessy of The Paul Hogarth Company consultants said 'the hard work starts now' in making sure that the Design Statement 'gets to the right people' so that it will influence future development of Kilcullen.

"All of what we have here has come through a consultative process, and there's now a table of priorities and actions," he said, emphasising that it is now necessary to engage in a partnership manner with the local authorities, and the private and business communities, to see how these can be delivered.

Opening the event earlier, KCA's Eoin Houlihan referenced the many people who had, over the last 50 or 60 years, been instrumental in getting Kilcullen to what it is today. He then gave a short outline of the current activities being undertaken within the community to enhance the town for all.

Noel Clare illustrated these with a series of some 150 photographs taken over recent years, showing the breadth of the various KCA and community initiatives. "This Design Statement offers lots of things going forward," he said. "But they will only happen if everyone gets involved and puts their shoulder to the wheel."

Closing the meeting, KCA chair Ann Cashman also appealed for a wider involvement in making use of the Design Statement. "This is a community plan, not a Tidy Towns to-do list," she said. "We now have a document that can potentially feed into the next Local Area Plan."

She thanked all involved in developing the Design Statement, in a partnership between the community and the consultants through the project committee who had demonstrated their 'pride and passion' for Kilcullen.

The Diary will be examining various elements of the Design Statement in future reports. THE FULL DOCUMENT CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE.

The KCA Design Statement project committee with consultant James Hennessy, third from right.

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Community Centre gets a Social Enterprise Award

Darragh Fitzgerald, Kilcullen Lions Club, with centre manager Enda O'Neill, Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer, Monika Sustaviciute of The Coffee Hatch, and Peter Nolan and Kevin McBride of Kildare Small Jobs who installed the plaque.

A plaque placed on the outside of Kilcullen Community Centre yesterday signals it as a Social Enterprise, and was awarded recently to mark the contribution the centre has made to the community, writes Brian Byrne.

The award was made by the Kildare Leader Partnership, which provides training and mentoring programmes for social enterprises, using money from the Dormant Accounts Fund.

A Social Enterprise is a company whose objective is to enhance community life in societal or environmental ways rather than maximising profit for its owners or shareholders. It trades through the provision of goods and services, and reinvests surpluses into achieving social objectives.

"Down the decades, the centre has created employment and provided many services within the community," says centre manager Enda O'Neill, who told the Diary they are delighted with the award. He noted the Coffee Hatch initiative as the most recent example of the services which the enterprise has established since its foundation in 1982. "When it was first built the premises was thought to be out on the edge of Kilcullen, now it is a focal point for a wide range of activities." 

Enda O'Neill will be interviewed next week by CB Media for a short video about the Kilcullen Community Centre, which will be distributed through the community and social media network in County Kildare. In addition to the current activities at the centre, he will note the foresight of the Cross & Passion sisters in giving the land for both the centre and the many other sports and social organisations now headquartered on the campus. The fundraising by the community during the 1970s and 1980s to build the facility will also be recalled.

Enda is especially appreciative of the work of volunteers and employees who keep the Community Centre going through the days, months and years. "It's very much a team effort," he emphasises. "It just wouldn't happen without them."

The Old Hardware in Narraghmore was also awarded a Social Enterprise plaque at the same recent event.

Mick Spencer, Monika Sustaviciute and Adam Bermingham who work at the centre.

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Draft of Kilcullen Design Statement on view today

The Draft Plan for the Kilcullen Design Statement will be on display today in the Community Centre from 11am, writes Brian Byrne.

The drop-in event is the latest stage in getting individual and community groups input into the Plan, which when completed will form an advisory template for future developments in Kilcullen over the next two decades.

Commissioned by Kilcullen Community Action, and funded with the help of the Kildare Leader Partnership and local councillors, the Design Statement is being prepared by The Paul Hogarth Company. Representatives of the consultants will be on hand today to discuss it with people, and everyone is welcome.

If you have a view on any aspect of Kilcullen's future development and its infrastructure, you are urged to take the opportunity today to be informed and to have your say.

In addition, Emer Conway, SEAI Mentor, will be on hand to chat to people about retrofitting their homes and explain the grant process available.

Michael O'Connell will be giving a talk on the models he has made of Old Kilcullen and New Abbey and this will be at 12pm.

The event runs until 2pm.

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Tourism Information sign put in place

The long-awaited Kilcullen Tourist Information sign was erected this afternoon at Market Square, writes Brian Byrne.

The sign is the final one in a set commissioned by Kilcullen Community Action and funded with the help of Kildare Leader Partnership. It was put in place by Kildare County Council, who also erected the approach signs to the town earlier this year. The rest of the set are educational and information signs about local biodiversity, placed in strategic locations in the Valley park and along Pinkeen stream.

The Tourist Information sign has a town area map and another with more detail of the town centre, including walking trails and other information. The rest of the sign comprises historical, heritage and facilities images and information, including the bridge, Old Kilcullen, the 150-year-old parish church, the Community Centre and more.

The graphic design was by Sean Sourke and Niamh O'Connor, and in addition to Leader funding the project was supported by the Kildare Local Community Development Committee and by Kildare County Council.

A previous plan to place the sign outside the Heritage Centre was changed when it was realised that the number of services under the footpath there would make putting in proper foundations very difficult.

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Businesses asked to support Ukraine Independence Day

An appeal for businesses support for Ukraine Independence Day on 24 August 2022 is being made by County Kildare Leader, writes Brian Byrne.

The day is being celebrated at Maynooth University Campus, for both new arrivals and existing Ukraine residents in the county.

To make the day special for Ukraine families, Kildare Leader is seeking sponsorship, vouchers, food for the day, or any service or donation which local businesses can offer.

Any company or local enterprise which would like to help should contact Sinead on 083 3931291 or email sinead@countykildarelp.ie.

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Older Voices Thursday Coffee Mornings

A Coffee Morning in Newbridge every Thursday morning in July is organised by Older Voices Kildare, to facilitate queries from older people, suggestions from them, and just general chat.

The drop-in event in the Newbridge Parish Centre runs from 10am-12.30pm and is open to all.

For further details, contact Caroline on 086 1372871 or email oldervoiceskildare@countykildarelp.ie.

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Workshop on diversity for community groups

A Diversity Matters Workshop for community and voluntary organisation managers in County Kildare will be held on Monday 27 June 2022.

The Zoom event at 7pm is the last in a series, and is facilitated by the Immigrant Council of Ireland. It is organised by the County Kildare Leader Partnership.

The workshop is aimed at helping organisations to develop skills, knowledge and techniques to embrace diversity and its benefits.

Registration by email to anne@countykildarelp.ie or phone 086 0208616.

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Second Valley biodiversity sign in place

Pic: KCA.

This is one of two new Biodiversity Information signs which have been placed in The Valley. The information is based on local knowledge and the 2016 Biodiversity Study organised by Kilcullen Community Action.

The signs complement the birdlife information sign on the Valley entrance near the Credit Union and together they cover most animal life in the riverside area around Kilcullen. Niamh O'Connor provided the graphics.

The signs represent the implementation of a project by KCA to improve signage in various parts of Kilcullen, in a package which includes name signs on all the approach roads, a tourist information sign at the Town Hall, and biodiversity signs for the Valley and Pinkeen Stream.

The total project cost is €17,000, and a €1,300 grant was provided by the Kildare County Council Heritage office. Kildare Leader provided a grant for 75pc of the cost.

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New signs for Kilcullen arrive

Pic by Kilcullen Community Action.

The first of the new signs for Kilcullen's approach roads has been installed by Kildare County Council staff, writes Brian Byrne.

The signs represent the implementation of a project by Kilcullen Community Action to improve signage in various parts of Kilcullen, in a package which will include name signs on all the approach roads, a tourist information sign at the Town Hall, and a number of biodiversity signs for the Valley and Pinkeen Stream.

The project cost is €17,000, and a €1,300 grant was provided by the Kildare County Council Heritage office. Kildare Leader provided a grant for 75pc of the cost.

The old signs which are being replaced.

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