AOIBHEANN COMPLETES HER FIRST MARATHON

Images: O'Brien family.

In the Dublin Marathon last Sunday, one of the youngest in the field was Kilcullen’s own Aoibheann O’Brien, who took to the streets to compete in her first such event. Aoibheann has been a member of Crookstown Millview Athletic Club for 15 years, and is now with Lakeshore Striders.

After taking a year out for her Leaving Cert, she began her marathon training in July with the support of her family and friends, and successfully completed it. On to the next challenge!

She is pictured above with Niamh Brophy and Mick Murphy in support, and with her family.

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RUGBY CLUB QUIZ NIGHT TONIGHT

A reminder that Newbridge Rugby Club is hosting a Quiz Night TONIGHT, Friday, 23 October 2026, at 7:30pm at the NRFC Clubhouse. The event will raise funds for the U16 Girls Rugby Tour to Italy in 2027. 

Tickets are €40 for a table of four, with a bar open on the night and raffle prizes available. 

Prebooking is encouraged by contacting Afton at 085 1644451 or Welmie at 085 8003775.

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FISHING SEASON CLOSED

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LOCAL DARTSMEN ON KILDARE TEAM

Following 12 ranking events concluding last Sunday, two members of the Spout Darts Team were selected for the Kildare Men's Team playing in the Limerick Invitational. 

They are Michael Meaney and Ritchie Jacob, on the Kildare 1 and 2 teams respectively, who will travel for the event on 10 October.

The Kildare team is supported by the County Kildare Darts Organisation and Life Credit Union.

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TEXACO SPORTS GRANTS OPEN FOR APPLICATION

Applications are now open for the sixth Texaco Support for Sport initiative, offering a €130,000 fund divided into €5,000 grants for successful applicants in each of Ireland’s twenty-six counties. Since its inception, over €600,000 has been awarded to more than 125 clubs, including five from Co Kildare. 

The initiative welcomes applications from all sports clubs, regardless of discipline or size, to support their community contributions. Clubs must register interest by 21 January 2027 on TexacoSupportforSport.com, and submit a detailed application, including their sporting activities and funding needs. A valid GS Exemption Number is required. 

Adjudication will be led by Donncha O’Callaghan, with results announced after the closing date.

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HALVERSTOWN ANNUAL AWARDS DAY A HUGE SUCCESS

The attendance at the second annual Awards Night by Halverstown Cricket Club was such that extra seating had to be hastily procured by the committee. More than 100 people turned up to the event in Piper's Hill College, Naas.

It was a fitting end to the 141st season for the club, and its busiest one to date. Five youth teams, two league teams (which incorporate two T20 teams also), a social team (the Oaks) and, as of last month, a first-ever women’s team took to the field in the club’s colours. Summer camps were run, school coaching took place and the Halverstown Cup was held between 16 Primary schools in the county. 

Ava Canning, an Irish international cricketer with 70 caps already at the young age of 22, was there to help present the trophies. Des Drumm, Chairman, started with a brief summary of the season. For Halverstown 1 there was a second consecutive year of promotion following their runners-up position, though Halverstown 2 struggled following their promotion last season and finished 7th out of 8 teams. The U13 and U15 girls’ teams combined with North Kildare, which brought instant success with the U13s winning the Division B Leinster title. Anna Easdown, Stephanie Johnston, Lily Richardson and Maggie Lynch went on to representative honours with the province whilst Michaela Langford was in Leinster’s U15 Pathways programme. The Oaks did what they do best, providing friendly, enjoyable social cricket.

Award winners were: Under 13 Boys, Ansh Sarkar; Under 15 Boys, Owen Best; Under 13 Girls, Stephanie Johnston; Under 15 Girls, Maggie Lynch; Halverstown 1, Gaurav Kumar; Halverstown 2, Manish Muralidhar; Halverstown Oaks, Andy Barber.

Stuart Conroy, Honorary Secretary and driving force behind the youth and women’s cricket, thanked the parents who had helped during the year and who turned up in such numbers to support Awards Day. Des finished by paying tribute to the Beaumont family which had facilitated the club playing in the beautiful grounds of Harristown House in Brannockstown for a nominal rent for the last 30 years but noted that, with the lease expiring at the end of 2027, they were still working to find a new home for the more than 130 members to have somewhere to play from 2028 onwards. 

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A HISTORIC FIRST FOR HALVERSTOWN CRICKET

After 141 years, women have taken to the field in the colours of Halverstown Cricket Club for the first time, writes Des Drumm. On a historic day on Sunday last, as the sun shone brightly on the beautiful grounds of Harristown Estate, Halverstown Women took on North Kildare CC Women. 

The men of Halverstown have been playing at this wonderful location since the mid-1990s, but on Sunday, it was the women's turn. Providing the opposition was an experienced North Kildare side, a club with over 20 years of women's cricket. They now have a county rival and, more importantly, the beginning of a new chapter in Halverstown’s story. 

North Kildare captain Naomi Scott-Hayward won the toss and elected to bat. They made a steady start before Síle Conroy became the first player in Halverstown history to take a wicket in women's cricket. North Kildare quickly regrouped and looked assured, as expected from such an experienced team. 

It was only in the final over that Michaela Langford claimed Halverstown's second wicket of the innings. After 15 overs, North Kildare had posted an impressive 100 runs for the loss of two wickets. 

Halverstown got off to a strong start in reply with Michaela Langford and captain Leah Egar playing important roles. However, North Kildare's Melissa Miering and Jessica Swartz bowled superbly, restricting Halverstown's momentum and demonstrating the benefit of experience. For many Halverstown players, this was their first-ever competitive match, having only completed a handful of training sessions. 

Despite their best efforts, Halverstown fell 34 runs short, scoring 66. This did not take away from the sense of occasion surrounding the match. 

Perhaps the most heartwarming aspect was seeing mothers and daughters take to the field together. For years, Halverstown has celebrated fathers and sons sharing the cricket pitch. Today, it was the turn of the Langford, Mahady and Dobson families to create their own special memories, batting alongside one another and making history together. This was more than just a cricket match. It was the beginning of something — a very special moment in the history of Halverstown Cricket Club and hopefully the first of many years of women's cricket, friendship and family memories at Halverstown. 

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KILCULLEN SENIOR LADIES REACH COUNTY FINALS

There is a lot to celebrate in Kilcullen GAA as our Senior Ladies team created club history this week by reaching the Senior County Final for the first time, writes Mark Phelan. Indeed, it is the first senior final for the club since the men contested the 1962 final. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then. 

The ladies defeated Kill in the quarter-final before taking down Sarsfields in the semi-final 3-14 to 0-13. It was a clinical semi-final performance by the Kilcullen ladies with standout performances for our Inter County duo of Molly Aspell and Nanci Murphy along with team captain Jayne Peacock. 

The occasion was made all the more poignant as it was also 10 years to the day since Kilcullen GAA won their first ever ladies title with Captain Jayne Peacock being the sole remaining player from that Junior County Final-winning team of 2016. 

Kilcullen will play Eadestown in the Senior County Final on Friday 2nd October with throw in 7.45pm St Conleth’s Park in Newbridge. Eadestown have won six of the last 7 senior finals but that won’t phase the Kilcullen ladies. After all, Sarsfields had defeated our girls twice already this season before overturning those results when it mattered most. Kilcullen also have a decent record against Eadestown after beating them earlier in the league campaign. 

League success counts for nothing, of course, and whatever the outcome on October 2nd this bunch of Kilcullen women will go down as trailblazers when the history books are written. 

Let’s get behind the Kilcullen Senior Ladies in their quest to make history. Pencil in 7.45pm October 2nd in Newbridge. Dust off the black and white flags and let’s make our voices heard as the 19th player in this year’s LGFA Senior County Final. 

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WANT TO TRY WEIGHTLIFTING?

Young swimmers and athletes aged 13-17 are invited to a free introductory Strength & Conditioning session at The Lab Weightlifting in Clane, Co Kildare, on 26 September from 12pm to 1pm. 

This event, part of the European Week of Sport, aims to teach participants how strength training and weightlifting can enhance their sports performance, boost confidence, and develop athletic skills. 

No prior experience is necessary, but places are limited. Booking is available at this link. 

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BUSY WEEKEND FOR SHAMROCKS

South Kildare Shamrocks had an busy weekend, writes Martin Sheridan. The under-16 team secured a victory over Maynooth on Friday evening in Kilcullen. On Sunday, the Shamrocks Academy under-8 team enjoyed a hurling match against Sallins, while the under-10 team had a fun game in Rathangan. 

Anyone who would like to give hurling a go can get details on the South Kildare Shamrocks Facebook page or by contacting club members.

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ALBERT COMPLETES 150TH PARKRUN

Albert Keenan, pictured with his son David and grandson Luke after completing his 150th parkrun in Naas yessterday morning. This is a fantastic milestone achievement for Albert, who is still going strong and proving that age is simply just a number.  Well done, Albert. 

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TRANSPLANT FOOTBALLERS TRAINED IN KILCULLEN FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Back: Glen Clinton, James Reynolds, Mark Moore, Pat Huddleston, Brian Carney; Front: Mike Keohane, John Paul O’Neill, Val Weblin, Tim Lyons, Shane Riordan.

Ten Irish athletes who are taking part in the Transplant Football World Cup in Frankfurt from 13–18 September have been training over the last several months at Kilcullen Community Centre's Astro pitch, writes Brian Byrne. This morning was their last session at Kilcullen before the event.

As Team Ireland, they will be joining transplant recipients from around the world, in more than 60 teams celebrating life, resilience, friendship, and the extraordinary gift of organ donation.

Each athlete has a remarkable story. Just a few examples: Kilkenny-born JP O’Neill, who lives in Athy, has spent almost three decades showing what life after a kidney transplant can look like — as Football Sports Captain, he will lead the Transplant Sport Ireland team in Frankfurt. Val Weblin was in a wheelchair and on oxygen for two years and is now playing in this World Cup having received a double lung and kidney transplant. Mike Keohane was given just weeks to live and has been fit and healthy for 19 years since his liver transplant. For Shane Riordan, who had a life-saving bone marrow transplant in 2019, representing Ireland on the football pitch is something he never imagined would be possible.

Each of the other team members' stories is just as remarkable. "Tonight, the whole country will be rooting for the great Katie Taylor," says Kilcullen's own kidney transplant athlete, James Nolan. "But each of these guys is in the same brave league as Katie in terms of what they are achieving in their sport." Members of the team visited Nolan's Butchers this afternoon before returning home.

Players will compete in three preliminary rounds to qualify for a knockout semi-final. Each game is 20 minutes a side, with a 10-minute break. Transplant Sport Ireland team manager Harry Ward, watching today's training, said the players will be on the training pitch in Frankfurt tomorrow week just two hours after getting off the plane. "Then they'll show what they're made of through the week."

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OFFICIAL OPENING OF JFK HALL IN 1963

LEINSTER LEADER, SATURDAY, 21st DECEMBER, 1963: Committee members and voluntary workers who helped in the building of Kilcullen's new boxing club premises pictured after the recent blessing and official opening of the Hall. 

Very Rev J L Furlong, PP, is in front centre between Mr Pat Lynch (left) and Mr Joe McGowan. At left centre back are Col and Mrs Loren A Ayers, Ballymore-Eustace. 

Col Ayers officially named the new Hall the J F Kennedy Memorial Hall when he unveiled a picture of the late President of the United States. (Photo: MP Fleming. Clipping courtesy Joe Murray.)

Footnote from your Editor: Col Ayers was an American Army officer who, during the rapid US forces advance into France after getting off the WW2 Normandy D-Day beachheads, devised what became known as the 'Red Ball Express' to get supplies and gasoline to the forward lines. They used 5,958 trucks, and a one-way system on the narrow French roads. 

Ayers was at the time chief of MTB (Motor Transport Brigade), in charge of gathering and training drivers and obtaining equipment. The name “Red Ball” borrowed from a railroad term indicating a freight train that was to be given the right-of-way.

Col Ayers died in 1994, at the age of 86, at his home in California.

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KILCULLEN AFC FUN RUN

Kilcullen AFC is organising a Fun Run taking place on 11 October. Runners of all levels can take part in either the 5K or 10K course.

The event will start and finish at the Kilcullen AFC Clubhouse with registration available now at JustRunsEvents.ie. 

The event promises fun for all ages, and a great day for the family while helping to support your local club.

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Halverstown Cricket Club needs a new home

Happier times: At a schools cricket inaugural in 2024, Minister for Sport Catherine Martin pictured with Stuart Conroy, Halverstown, Anne O’ Meara, Cricket Leinster, Jim Hodgson, Halverstown, Syl Merrins, Kildare Sports Partnership, Senator Vincent Martin and Naomi Scott-Hayward, Cricket Leinster.

Halverstown Cricket Club, Ireland's oldest club outside Dublin, is facing closure if it can't find a new home by the end of the 2027 season, writes Brian Byrne. The lease on its current grounds at Harristown Estate runs out next year, and, despite two years’ searching, the 140-year-old club has not been able to find a new space. 

Chairman Des Drumm says Halverstown CC is very grateful for the extraordinary generosity of the Beaumont family, which has provided the beautiful setting for the club over the last 30 years. "But we have outgrown the facility and have been searching for a new ground. Concentrated attempts have been unsuccessful to date.”

The club was asked over two years ago by Cricket Leinster to be the tenant of a cricket pitch in the planned new park in Sallins. Unfortunately, due to a lack of funding, Kildare County Council was unable to accommodate cricket facilities in either the near or longer term. Following this, Halverstown engaged in extensive discussions regarding a ground share with another Kildare sporting club, but unfortunately, this too has been unsuccessful.

Club Secretary Stuart Conroy says the closure of the cricket club would be a very sad day for Kildare, particularly given the strides it has made in recent years. The club has developed youth cricket from scratch, now with over 100 members, five teams, and a women’s team. They also have two teams in the Cricket Leinster league and a thriving social team. The club coaches 16 primary schools annually, bringing cricket to over 800 youngsters since 2023. They’ve also coached at Piper’s Hill College, which reached two Leinster Schools’ Finals. The club ground has been used by local schools, and without a new home, schools’ cricket in Kildare will end. "It would be a bitter blow to lose all this," says Stuart Conroy. "Unfortunately, it is a very real prospect."

Despite a cricket boom, several clubs have been lost since the 1990s, including Athy in Kildare. Land availability is crucial for cricket, as it needs at least five acres of relatively flat, well-drained land. The club is willing to buy or rent and wants to stay in mid- or south Kildare, where they’ve been for 140 years. However, land pressure is high. "Nevertheless, we will continue to look," says Des Drumm. "You cannot walk away from all that history, and we have certainly never been stronger from a membership perspective. We just need a ground for them!"

The club welcomes suggestions and can be contacted via their website or by emailing info@halverstowncc.net, or call 086 2241761. 

Halverstown CC in the late 1930s. Pic courtesy Simon Fletcher, whose great great grandfather, Charlie Curran, is in the photograph.

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South Kildare Shamrocks U6-U8 Academy

The South Kildare Shamrocks Hurling Academy for U6-U8 age groups is back. Training sessions will be held every Wednesday from 6pm to 7pm at the Two-Mile House GAA Astro Pitch. 

The academy welcomes children aged 5 to 8, with helmets and hurleys available for beginners. 

Shamrocks is an amalgamation for Hurling of three clubs — Athgarvan GAA, Kilcullen GAA and Two-Mile House GAA. New players are encouraged to join. For updates and information on older age groups, follow their social media.

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