Funding for Mullaghreelan and other Kildare woods

Trail surfaces in Mullaghreelan Wood near Kilkea are to be improved thanks to an allocation of €30,000 from the Department of Rural & Community Development, writes Brian Byrne. The wood is a popular spot with many families in south Kildare.

Other woods in the county that will benefit from general improvement work include Donadea Forest Park, Killinthomas, Moore Abbey, Mullaghreelan, and Rahin.

The money is part of an overall €4 million investment in Coillte-managed recreation sites around the country, which will be used for maintenance and developing new infrastructural works.

The funding has been welcomed by Kildare South Fine Gael TD and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Girl Guides recruiting new Leaders

The Irish Girl Guides organisation has launched a recruitment drive for 130 new Leaders, to help deal with a waiting list of 1,500 young girls who want to take up guiding, writes Brian Byrne. The IGG currently has 10,000 members across Ireland and some 1,600 volunteer Leaders.

The key attributes being sought in new Leaders are enthusiasm, responsibility and compassion, with the ability to inspire and empower the young people in their charge.

Founded in 1911 in Ireland, the Guides offer a safe space where girls from the age of five and young women can be themselves and do their best, with the support and guidance of their peers and Leaders.

Irish Girl Guides is part of the global World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts network.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Public consultation event on Corbally-Liffey recreation trails

Images: Kildare County Council.

A reminder that views and ideas from the public on a proposed recreational trail between the Corbally Canal and the Liffey Corridor, including Kilcullen, are being sought by Kildare County Council, writes Brian Byrne. A public consultation event as part of a feasibility study is being held in Naas TODAY Wednesday 2 April to facilitate this.

The event in Naas Library & Cultural Centre will include an exhibition aimed at enabling understanding of the scope of the project and the options being considered. It will run from 4pm to 7pm.

The Corbally Canal is between the Newbridge Road, Naas and Corbally Harbour north of Kilcullen and extends approximately 8km. The River Liffey between Newbridge, Athgarvan and Kilcullen extends approximately 10km. Kildare County Council aims to develop and connect these areas via new recreational trails, where feasible.

The study is being prepared by JBA Consulting Ltd and the project is supported by the Department of Rural and Community Development’s Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS). Waterways Ireland are a key project partner.

More details of the project and the public consultation event can be found here. 

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Take a break in Offaly

Grand Canal Greenway.

Not so far away from Kilcullen, Offaly can offer a lot of interesting day trips and family breaks as we climb the spring road to Easter, writes Brian Byrne. Crafts and artistry, music and river cruises are just some of the attractions in what is often referred to as the 'hidden gem' county.

A visit to the Glasshammer Studios  for a special Easter workshop can be done on Saturday 29 March. With both full day and half day workshops available, visitors can unlock their creativity and immerse themselves in the captivating world of fused and enamelled glass. Further information is available at glasshammer.ie. 

Then there's the Tullamore TradFest 2025 running from 11-13 April, with over 50 events taking place across the weekend. Visitors young and old can take their pick from concerts, recitals, workshops and family entertainment which will be running throughout the weekend. Log onto tullamoretradfest.com for details.

Birr Castle Demesne is always worth a visit and from 11-27 April visitors can embark on an Easter Quest at the castle. Collect a quest sheet from reception and follow the egg clues, solve the puzzle and return for your reward. Children who complete the quest will be given an Easter treat. Then take time to relax in the Courtyard Café, open daily from 10am. Tickets are available at reception or can be booked online birrcastle.com. 

Clara Bog Nature Reserve and Visitors Centre are hosting special Easter Arts & Crafts nature-themed activities on 14-15 April from 10am to 5pm each day. Activities are free of charge. Check out the website clarabognaturereserve.ie. Viking Tours are offering a cruise downstream on the River Shannon to the famous 6th century monastery of Clonmacnoise. Departing on Saturday 26 April at 2pm from Athlone Castle, the meandering voyage gives the chance to enjoy live commentary on local history, monastic life and the surrounding  flora and fauna. Further details and booking on vikingtoursireland.ie.

A two-night Easter escape in the County Arms, Birr, includes an Easter package with hot cross buns and tea or coffee on arrival, two nights stay in a deluxe room with patio, breakfast each morning as well as a four-course gourmet dinner in Hackett’s Eatery on the Saturday night. An Easter Egg on Easter Sunday and the package is available for €570 based on two people sharing. Booking at countyarms.ie. The elegant Tullamore Court Hotel is ideal for a family escape in Offaly, priced from €160 B&B per night for two adults and two children under 12. Family friendly facilities include the swimming pool and free Explorer Kids Club. Pack the kids' bikes and avail of complimentary adult bikes onsite for guests and explore the beautiful Grand Canal Greenway. Bookings at tullamorecourthotel.ie. The 4-star Bridge House Hotel & Spa in Tullamore offers a Sunday Escape package from €89pps and includes a Sunday night stay with a 4-course meal in the award-winning Balcone Italiano Restaurant with a bottle of wine, a leisurely breakfast on the Monday morning and a late checkout until 1pm, allowing guests time to make the most of the hotel’s leisure facilities or spa. Book at bridgehousehoteltullamore.ie 

May Bank Holiday weekend attractions include the Birr Festival of Music from Thursday 1 May until Monday 5 May. The renowned RTÉ Concert Orchestra will open proceedings with a spectacular evening of orchestral and operatic favourites. Acclaimed singer Liza Pulman and award-winning pianist Gareth Williams will explore the Great American Songbook while male vocal quartet ‘4 in a Bar’ will perform at Craughwell’s Courtyard. The international duo Bruno Caproni and Julian Evans return to perform, deliver masterclasses and adjudicate at The Trench Award — the centrepiece of the festival. Further information at birrfestivalofmusic.com. 

Join the Slieve Bloom Walking Festival, which takes place from the 3-5 May. A choice of woodland walks, riverside and gentle rolling hills with experienced walk leaders with stories of local history, geology and fauna. Three walk options are available on both Saturday and Sunday, and on Monday 5 May a Grade A 13K walk is suitable for the more experienced hiker. Further details are available on slievebloom.ie. 

More information on all the events taking place in Offaly on visitoffaly.ie.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Public survey on Corbally Canal-Liffey recreation trail

Corbally Harbour. Image: Kildare County Council.

Kildare County Council have launched a public survey to investigate the potential provision of a recreation trail between Naas, Newbridge and Kilcullen, via the Corbally Canal and the River Liffey Valley.

The canal stretches between Newbridge Road and Corbally Harbour, covering approximately 8 kilometres and the River Liffey between Newbridge Bridge and Kilcullen Bridge extends to approximately 10km. If developed, this would provide a recreational amenity that would benefit Naas, Newbridge, Athgarvan, Kilcullen and the wider area. The Corbally Canal and Harbour area itself also has the potential to be developed as a Blueway.

A feasibility study, set to be finished in 2025, has commenced with JBA Consulting. The project is supported by the Department of Rural and Community Development’s Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) which also supports the economic and tourism potential of the area. 

The development of any proposal will take account of a broad range of considerations, including biodiversity and environmental quality.

The Council is seeking feedback from individuals who live, visit, or work in the Naas, Newbridge, Athgarvan and Kilcullen areas. To have your say, visit Corbally Canal & Liffey Corridor Enhancement – Public Survey. The survey will close on Thursday, 2nd January 2025. 

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Boaters visit Corbally Harbour

Some Naas Canal boaters, attendees at the Canal Festival, enjoyed an afternoon recently at Corbally Harbour, the summit of the Grand Canal system, writes Beth O'Loughlin of the Kildare Branch of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland. They were there to inspect the recent work carried out by Waterways Ireland to remove the growth around the buildings and harbour. 

With the removal of the silt island earlier this year and this remedial work, it is now possible to envisage the harbour as a recreational destination for those boating, cycling and walking between Naas and Corbally. 

Hopefully, this will be of assistance to those carrying out the current Feasibility Study, funded by Kildare County Council.

One can now envision what it may look like as a tourist destination, an ideal stopover for those in hire boats, kayaks and canoes. Also, a stop for locals and tourists seeking refreshments, when the Greenway reaches here from Naas and onwards to Athgarvan, Kilcullen and Newbridge to the south.

Photos courtesy C Smith.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Family Play Day at Kildare County Council

A reminder that National PlayDay will take place tomorrow, Saturday 16 September, and Kildare County Council is offering a great day out for all the family at their offices in Naas.

This year’s theme is Wonder and Discovery, chosen to represent the wonder and discovery that unfolds when children play outside, providing opportunities for developing their imagination and physical abilities. Playing in nature also presents chances for exploration and adventure.

The event is free and will run from 12 noon to 5pm at Aras Chill Dara. Attractions will include bouncy castles, penalty shoot-outs, a mobile farm, music, storytelling, arts and crafts and more.

All welcome.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Put Russborough House on your go-to list for 2023

Images: Russborough and Kaleidoscope.

As a place to where the Diary often escapes the office for a walk and a short break from working, the Russborough House estate is one of the more pleasant relaxation places within a short distance of Kilcullen, writes Brian Byrne. An Easter Nature Hunt on Easter Sunday from 12 to 2pm is a free family event that might be a good start to a summer of getting away from the house for days or weekends.

Among the list of events for 2023 at Russborough is the Garden Show on Sunday 7 May, which will feature Ireland’s favourite garden designer Diarmuid Gavin as guest speaker and giving advice and tips to all keen gardeners. Specialist plant nurseries, expert tips and mouth-watering food are all to be enjoyed in the stunning surroundings of the parklands. Early Bird tickets are on sale until March 31st. 

Superstar saxophonist Jess Gillam makes her Irish debut at the West Wicklow Chamber Music Festival from 17-21 May this year with two concerts that promise to take festival audiences on a journey of musical discovery from Bach to Bowie. 

Kaleidoscope, Ireland's number one music and arts camping festival for families and friends is looking forward to welcoming you back to Russborough House from June 30-July 2. The line up features Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Fun Lovin’ Criminals, B*Witched, Newton Faulkner and Dublin Gospel Choir.

Other attractions include a tour of the house, fairy hunting on the walks, and a 2km beech hedge maze.

The Russborough Café is now open seven days a week with a menu that includes gourmet sandwiches and wraps, fresh soup of the day, artisan breads made locally by Grá Arán, award winning cheesecake from Coconut & Moo Moo and home-baked cakes and pastries from Olivia's Cakes & Bakes.

Russborough's resident National Bird of Prey Centre expert Tom Byrne provides fascinating insights into these majestic winged creatures and what it takes to train and care for our feathered friends.

The parklands around the Palladian mansion designed by architect Richard Castle in the early 18th century are now the subject of a significant Conservation and Management plan under the direction of Damien Blackweir, resident Plantsman and the head gardener at Russborough.

WATCH: Russborough House - a time machine for the Grand Eras 

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Corbally branch of canal a winter picture

Photos by Martin Sheridan.

The Corbally Branch of the Grand Canal is recognised as one of Kildare's hidden gems, though it's likely that very few of Kilcullen's residents of today are even aware it exists, writes Brian Byrne.

But Corbally Harbour is a terminal point of the waterway and just a few kilometres west of Silliot Hill. In the heyday of the canals it was an important distribution point for cargo of all kinds into the Kilcullen and Newbridge areas. Springs at Corbally are also among of the sources of water for the Grand Canal.

When the canals were revived as leisure amenities, the Corbally line (originally known as the Herbertstown Branch) couldn't become part of that because a culverting carried out in 1954 at the old Limerick Road in Naas makes it impassable for boats. However, the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland is campaigning to have the culverting reversed as the road involved is no longer the main route to Limerick and Cork.

The harbour itself is overgrown and has ruins of the old buildings, but is the point to start a good walk to near Naas, as Noel Clare reported in a recent piece in The Bridge.

And the photos above by Martin Sheridan from recent days show just how nice a place this particular local part of Ireland's canal system can be even in the depths of winter.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Children gaming online? — 'know who they're with' advice

Kilcullen based operator of the 'Game Machine' mobile party gaming theatres, Majella Leighton, is offering common sense advice to parents that they should be aware of whom their children are playing with online, writes Brian Byrne.

She says the game content should be secondary to parents focusing on the group they are in and the chat involved in games such as a current favourite, Fortnite. The game can be played by individuals alone or in teams on the Fortnite Battle Royale island.

"The game can be played in a private group with friends of a child only, or publicly where they play with whomever joins their group," says Majella, who established Game Machine in 2014. Her business's high-tech mobile theatres offer supervised games play for young people on party and similar occasions.

"Parents should monitor friends added to their children's circle and exclude friends of friends," she adds. "Chat can be turned on or off, and is best turned off if they are playing publicly. Be mindful that if your child is using a headset, then you can’t hear the chat, but they do need the microphone to communicate with their friends while in the game ... it’s a balancing act. It’s also worth considering where they are playing, for instance on a TV in the kitchen or in their bedroom."

On the Fortnite game trending at the moment, The Battle Royale map itself is free to download, but there are add-ons which can be purchased in the game. "Like most free games out there, the free to download game and play feature looks great. But to get the best kits and features, you need to buy V-Bucks which is the internal game currency. This is then used to buy add ons."

There is also a campaign version of the game 'Save the World' that is chargeable, where a player can work their way through levels, and can earn V-Bucks as they go. The play in this version is as a single player or with the help of one friend.

"Parents should control the purchasing of items on any of the platforms. Be careful if your credit card details are saved on the game console, as without the correct settings in place it is very easy to make online purchases without a password being required. We have heard of children spending hundreds of euro on Fornite without their parent’s permission."

Call for public submissions on use of Curragh Plains

Submissions from the public on the use and management of the Curragh Plains can be made to the Department of Defence before a work programme on the matter is finalised, writes Brian Byrne.

Such submissions can be made by contacting Fred Bradley at the Department of Defence HQ in Newbridge.

The recently established Curragh Forum will be having its next meeting on Tuesday next to review progress on the development of the work programme.

The Forum was set up following recommendations by Deputy Martin Heydon to the then Minister for Defence, Simon Coveney. It comprises representation from all those with managerial and operational responsibility for the Curragh Plains.

“The forum has the possibility to examine the future potential of the Curragh Plains while protecting its unique heritage and recreational qualities,” the Deputy said while encouraging public submissions. “As well as improving management of the plains it is hoped that the forum will address the ongoing issues on the Curragh that are a frustration for those who live on the plains or who use them on a regular basis.”

Pictured is one aspect of the military heritage of the Curragh, the remains of the training trenches used while preparing soldiers for fighting in WW1. (Brian Byrne/Kilcullen Diary.)

Anglers association AGM

The AGM of Kilcullen Trout & Salmon Anglers Association will take place on Sunday 31 January in O'Connell's Bar.

The meeting will start at 4pm in the upstairs lounge of the bar. It would be greatly appreciated if all members could attend, as there are a number of issues that need to be addressed.

There will be a raffle for juvenile members with prizes including rods, hooks, lines, and similar.

Prizes at County Show

To add to the festivities on the 21 June, the Carlton Abbey Hotel are offering a number of prizes from their stand at the Kildare County Show.

As well as the prize for the Best Dad in the World, there is a free drink voucher for every father who calls along to the stand and is prepared to use his voucher at the Carlton Abbey Hotel on the day (just one per Dad).

There is a free draw for a three month membership of the Carlton Leisure Centre (entrants must be over 18) and, if you sign up for regular mailings, you could receive a €20 voucher to use at the Spa.

Any wedding booked on the day will receive a complimentary wedding car (terms and conditions will apply).

And last, but not least, the Best Dressed Lady at the Show will win a ‘Summer Beauty’ package in the Carlton Spa.