A mix of cloud and sunny spells along with scattered showers. Highest temperatures of 9 to 12 degrees with light to moderate east to northeast winds, fresh at times.
TAP RETAIL KILCULLEN
DILIS GO BRATH
OLD KILCULLEN HERITAGE
DID YOU KNOW?
Residents of the Hudson Bay region in northeastern Canada weigh one-tenth of an ounce less than they do when they move outside the area. That's because, due to activity of super-hot magma below the area, and also an indent in the Earth's mantle caused by the last ice age, the planet has less mass at that point.
For privacy of those attending, the Diary requires to be invited by the organisers to cover events in a private, commercial or club location. This does not apply to public meetings, or events in public spaces.
BUS TIMETABLE
WHAT'S ON AROUND
Here is a link to a Calendar of upcoming events in Kilcullen. If you have an event you want listed, email the Diary.
KILCULLEN DESIGN STATEMENT
DIARY PODCASTS
PARISH LOTTO
The Kilcullen & Gormanstown Parish Lotto Draw is held at 8pm each Tuesday in the Parish Centre. This is a public event to which all are welcome. There's a prize draw each night for those attending. Details of previous Draws are here.
Also available on iPad; go to iBooks Store and do a search.
TEXT ALERT
Forms for joining the Kilcullen Garda District Text Alert scheme are available from The Grocery in Calverstown, Kilcullen Garda Station, Kilcullen Credit Union, and scheme committee members. Please encourage neighbours and friends to join.
The Kildare Local Community Safety Partnership (LCSP) has launched a survey to gather residents’ opinions on community safety in County Kildare. The aim of the public consultation is to understand what makes people feel safe or unsafe and to identify actions that can enhance safety, health, and happiness in the area.
The survey, which is anonymous, is open to those living, working, and studying in Kildare. It can be completed at this link.
Support services are available for anyone needing to talk, including the Samaritans, Pieta House, Women’s Aid, Teach Tearmainn, and An Garda Síochána.
The closing date for submissions is 30 October 2026.
Kildare County Council says it is adequately prepared to deal with heatwave events as part of its emergency planning, writes Brian Byrne, while warning that prolonged hot weather can put pressure on health services, water supplies, transport networks and vulnerable people. The matter had been raised on the agenda at yesterday's full June meeting by Cllrs Pádraig McEvoy, Angela Feeney, Tim Durkan and Brendan Wyse.
In a report to the councillors, the council said it will respond to extreme temperatures under the Framework for Major Emergency Management and the Met Éireann Weather Warning System.
The authority said its Severe Weather Assessment Team monitors yellow, orange and red heat warnings, and can meet when warnings escalate, or local impacts become too severe.
It said the team can recommend activating the Severe Weather Plan and escalating matters to the Chief Executive and Crisis Management Team if needed.
The report also outlined actions including road monitoring, fire service support, liaison with Uisce Éireann, help for vulnerable tenants and displaced people, and the use of community support centres.
The council said it is satisfied with its emergency planning, risk assessment and governance arrangements, but accepted there is scope for more training, scenario planning and review of resources and capacity.
It added that the Severe Weather Plan is being reviewed for prolonged periods of extreme high temperatures.
The report noted that the HSE is the lead agency for public health impacts.
A reminder that an information session about the Seniors Alert Scheme will be held at The Old Hardware in Narraghmore next Thursday 14 November at 11.30am.
All are welcome along to learn how the scheme works and how to apply.
Application forms will be available on the day and they can be submitted in The Old Hardware for processing.
While I, as many others do, appreciate the warm weather I don’t think teenagers are aware of the dangers of swimming in unsupervised stretches of the river Liffey, writes Helena Gibson. All too often we hear about drownings in the news.
It mainly happens where children are not being monitored in water or the fact that people don’t know what to do or how to react in a situation where someone is drowning, whether adult or child.
I’m sure it will only be a matter of time before we hear of another drowning during the summer holidays. So please all, think twice before entering the water and please remember water safety.
Just a reminder that on an icy morning like this, the footpath over the bridge gets very slippery, and even after midday today was potentially lethal for anyone who didn't realise it.
It's a morning to take real care if you're out, whether driving or walking, writes Brian Byrne.
Freezing fog, a light snowfall that has frozen in the sub-zero overnight temperatures, all are combined to make things hazardous.
In all fairness, if you don't have to go out, don't. If you do, watch out for other people as well as yourself and give everyone space.
Also stay in touch with elderly neighbours, see if you can get them anything they need instead of them having to go out themselves in non-ideal conditions.
And Met Eireann indicates that in our area the temperature is not going to rise above -1degC through the day, feeling significantly colder even in the relatively light breezes.
It's not close-down-the-country conditions yet, but stay safe.
There was a small but very appreciative audience for yesterday's Winter Safety Talk in Kilcullen Library, writes Brian Byrne.
Facilitated by Garda Crime Prevention Officer Jim Kelly, it covered topics such as home security, cyber security, scam telephone calls, and road safety in winter weather conditions.
The event was an Age Friendly Ireland initiative.
Pictured are Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer, Garda Crime Prevention Officer Jim Kelly, Librarian Julie O'Donoghue, Community Garda Jon Brien and Carmel Cashin of KCC's Kildare Age-Friendly County Programme.
A Winter Safety Talk for older citizens will take place this morning (Thursday 18th) at St Laurence's GAA Bar in Narraghmore.
All are welcome and pre-registration is not required for the event, which starts at 10am. Covid protocols will be observed.
It's one of a series of Age-Friendly talks around the county, and will cover topics such as home security, cyber security, scam telephone calls, and road safety in Winter weather conditions.
Please contact Carmel Cashin, Kildare Age Friendly County Programme, at 087 7212966 for further details.
A motion for an examination of the footpaths in Kilcullen for accessibility and to identify trip hazards was agreed at yesterday's meeting of the Kildare-Newbridge MD, writes Brian Byrne.
The motion was put on the agenda by Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer, who says the assessment will be carried out by the Council when it is safe to do so.
The councillor will also be asking some local stakeholders, including the Bridge Camphill Community and the local Access Group, to give their input.
With near- and sub-zero temperatures expected again tonight, I see the Council gritters heading out, writes Brian Byrne.
Meantime, though, if you're walking in the town be careful, as there are a number of very slippy patches. Especially the footpath on the right of the bridge, above, which is lethal for the unwary.
It doesn't seem to get enough sunshine to clear during the day.
Four lifebuoys are to be erected in The Valley Park.
They were requested from Kildare County Council by Antoinette Buckley of Kilcullen Community Action when the Fairy Trail in the Valley was recently launched.
There has been a visibly increased footfall in the park since the opening of the Trail, especially of families with young children.
Peter Gohery, a Galway farmer who lost his leg in a PTO accident in 2009, never misses a chance to stress to his fellow farmers the importance of safety around machinery, writes Brian Byrne.
At today's Farm Safety event in Kilcullen Mart, he recalled the incident over which he considers himself 'lucky'.
Lucky to be alive. Lucky that he had turned down the speed of the PTO — which didn't have a cover like the one he was speaking beside today.
Lucky that his 10-year-old son was on the tractor and knew how to switch off the power to the PTO, and who could then run to get help.
Lucky to be around today to be able to talk about it. Now with a prosthetic leg, Peter was a keynote to today's multi-agency event which included the IFA, Department of Agriculture, An Garda, Irish Red Cross, and Kildare County Council's Road Safety department.
He spoke of the lack of any support network to anyone in a farm accident. "There's no social welfare because you're self-employed, and my insurance company said I'd have to lose two legs for a viable claim."
Following a short but graphic speech in the Mart itself about his accident, and about its consequences, Peter and members of the Red Cross, and Kildare Fire Brigade, discussed what can be done by anyone nearby to a farm accident, whether it by from machinery, a fall or a crush, an incident with livestock, or a sudden health issue.
But the bottom line to it all was to try and prevent an accident in the first place. And the underpinning to that is as it always was: don't take short cuts, don't take risks, with any health and safety aspect of operating a farm.
As 2017 runs on, it's unfortunately a message that needs reinforcing, as with 15 people already dead in farm accidents so far this year, we are looking at a worse outcome for the whole year than in 2016.
Advice on how to safely use the roads when operating farm vehicles, and the need for patience and consideration on both sides was part of the information given today at the Farm Safety event in Leinster Marts, Kilcullen, writes Brian Byrne.
Kildare County Council Road Safety Officer Declan Keogh was on hand both to distribute packs of high-viz clothing to farmers at the Mart, as well as discussing issues relating to moving between fields and roads.
"Simple things, like making sure that their vehicles are as clean as possible before they exit onto the road," he said. "It's important that mud and other debris is kept off the road, for the safety of other drivers. If a car comes on a stretch slippery with mud, they can unexpectedly skid."
He also emphasised that other road users in rural areas should be aware that they may encounter farm machinery around a bend, moving slowly. "A lot of this equipment can't move quickly by its nature, so motorists need to drive at a speed on rural roads that allows for this." He reiterated the advice given this week by the Road Safety Authority that, with the silage cutting season in full swing, the need for patience on all sides.
The Garda Traffic Corp was also in attendance at the Mart, reminding those present of the regulations relating to the operation of farm equipment. In particular, loads should be properly tied down, and trailers mustn't be loaded in a way that makes them unstable.
Awareness of low bridges and power lines, and the consideration of using escort vehicles for large machinery are also matters which are being reiterated by the IFA at events like this.
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