Mostly cloudy today, with patchy rain and drizzle and limited bright or sunny spells. Highest temperatures of 17 degrees locally, with light to moderate south to southwest winds.
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DID YOU KNOW?
The most successful civil aircraft in history is the Cessna 172, a four-seater single-engined plane. More than 45,000 of them have been built. It is mainly used as a training aircraft, with generation after generation of pilots having started their flying careers in one.
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.
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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.
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KILCULLEN DESIGN STATEMENT
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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.
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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.
Local businesses have a prime opportunity to promote their services at the busy and prominent venue of Kilcullen Community Centre.
If you're aiming to reach a broad audience and increase your visibility, consider joining other local enterprises like Premier Catering and Kings and Queen of Castles in showcasing your business on the centre campus.
For more information, contact Enda at the Community Centre on 087 9681040 or at enda@kilcullencommunitycentre.com.
Kilcullen Drama Group is presenting a very special evening that is sure to be the highlight of the month, with proceeds going to Kilcullen Community Centre to assist with the upkeep and improvement of the centre, writes centre manager Enda O'Neill.
On Friday, 17th April, the group will open their doors at 7:30pm for a memorable gala night of The Walworth Farce, written by Enda Walsh. Before the curtain rises at 8pm, join us for a welcoming reception with wine and delicious treats — perfect for catching up with friends and getting in the mood for a fantastic show.
This production features a talented and experienced cast: Maurice O’Mahony, Allan Clarke, Adam Tracey, and Sinead O’Neill, each bringing their own spark to the stage. Whether you’re a theatre lover or simply looking for a great night out, you won’t want to miss this performance.
Tickets are just €20 each and can be purchased at The Coffee Hatch in Kilcullen Community Centre, on Eventbrite, or Woodbine Books. They’re going quickly, so be sure to grab yours soon and spread the word!
Looking forward to seeing you all there for an evening of entertainment, laughter, and community.
Places are filling up fast for a special crochet workshop taking place in Kilcullen next month. The beginner-friendly session, which is also suitable for improvers, will run on 8 April from 7–9pm in the Carter Room at Kilcullen Community Centre.
The workshop costs €25, with all tools and yarn included in the fee. The class will be led in a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere, making it ideal for those picking up a hook for the first time or returning to the craft.
With limited spaces available, early booking is advised. To secure a place, contact Jennifer on 087 2628305 or visit Instagram at @costellocrochet_.
An Energy Audit for Kilcullem Community Centre is to be sought by Kildare County Council, with a view to informing potential future decarbonisation works, writes Brian Byrne. The council will work with its Community Section to procure the audit, along with similar ones for centres in Newbridge and Maynooth.
This was reported in the council Chief Executive’s Management Report for December, which also outlined similar audits underway or completed at council facilities across the county.
Decarbonisation work based on such an audit is underway at Athy Library and will be carried out at Leixlip Library in the new year.
Another heads-up that a tryout session with activator poles will be held at Kilcullen Community Centre on next Monday, 15 September, writes Brian Byrne. The event is in collaboration with Kildare Sports Partnership.
Beginning at 10am, the session will be led by activator poles expert Frank Fahy and will include a fun mix of seated and step-about activities to music.
The exercise system suits all abilities, especially those with limited mobility or balance concerns.
The event will be followed by a 4-week block of sessions every Monday morning from 10am, beginning 22 September.
Both the try-out and the subsequent sessions are free.
Call Enda on 087 9681040 to book. [NOTE: Original number provided was incorrect.]
A free trial for adult social dance classes will be held in Kilcullen Community Centre on Thursday, 4 September. There are two 45-minute sessions, beginning at 8pm for solo dancers and 8.45pm for couples.
Organised by Aaron Flynn and Niamh Curtin, the trial sessions are in advance of a term beginning on Thursday, 18 September, for any adults who feel like starting a new hobby or getting more active.
Ballroom and Latin styles will be taught. Further information is available via WhatsApp on 085 7473562.
Work has started on replacing the floor in the Community Centre sports hall, revealing the original floor and its markings still notably clear, writes Brian Byrne. The installation of the new floor will be finished within the next two and a half weeks.
The project has been enabled by a €66,000 grant from Pobal. Heating in the hall has also been upgraded with four new high-efficiency fan heaters powered by the centre's sustainable wood-pellet system.
Looking at the original tiled floor markings — it's believed the floor just removed was installed in the mid-90s — centre manager Enda O'Neill notes that, in addition to basketball and badminton, it was also used for indoor tennis. He also recalls playing soccer on the floor, which he said could become very slippery from sweat and was hard to fall on.
When the new sprung wooden floor is laid, there will be additional court markings for pickleball, which has become very popular, and along one side, for skooch.
The wooden floor that has just been removed will be recycled as flooring for storage and other areas in the centre.
The existing flooring being taken up, revealing the original.
The Community Centre is delighted by the new Cian Mekitarian artwork, which has been added to our St Brigid’s cloak mosaic, writes Enda O'Neill. The original mosaic was by Katy Palmieri, who created several mosaics around the town in a Brigid 1500Thornton Lace project with our local Bridge Camphill community.
In consultation with artist Cian Mekitarian, we thought it would be appropriate to keep the St Brigid theme. Cian's wonderful art is on display on our utility boxes all over the town and also in the Valley on the large fairy house. In Cian's beautiful work, we see St Brigid flinging her cloak (Katie's mosaic art) across the Curragh plains.
These beautiful pieces take the bland look off our wall and work in harmony together. I hope that over the next few years, we will have that wall completely covered with different themes relevant to our community. I'm thinking the round tower at Old Kilcullen might be appropriate ... or perhaps our unknown and talented street artist who did the work beside our St Brigid might contact me, and maybe we could also collaborate with him (or her) on another piece!
The Coffee Hatch is expanding its operation to beyond the Community Centre base, writes Brian Byrne. From this weekend the service will be popping up at Kilcullen GAA.
The Hatch will be providing coffee and treats for sale in the clubhouse from 6.30pm until 9pm on Fridays, to accommodate patrons at the weekly Bingo session.
And on Saturday mornings the clubhouse 'pop-up' will be open from 9am to cater for those attending the training camps.
"We've already installed a new coffee machine and grinder in the clubhouse and we'll be serving our famous McCabes brew," says Community Centre manager Enda O'Neill. "Our treats menu won't be as comprehensive as at the centre, but there'll be plenty to tempt."
The Coffee Hatch is run on a community enterprise basis with all proceeds going back into supporting the general facilities of the Community Centre.
Community Centre and (inset) Enda O'Neill and Daragh Fitzgerald.
A new roof and new exterior cladding on the Community Centre are aspirations for the next three years, writes Brian Byrne. Better insulation of the building and upgrades to toilets and changing rooms are also on the 'to do' list.
At the AGM of the centre's management board, manager Enda O'Neill also confirmed the plans to use a recently acquired €66,000 grant to put a new floor in the sports hall and upgrade the heating there. Noting some of the works carried out in 2024, the manager highlighted replacement of the fire doors in the main hall, and installation of an anti-slip surface at the front entrance.
He told the meeting that from October last to March of this year, the sports hall and all-weather pitch bookings have been 100pc of capacity Monday to Saturday. The all-weather pitch has recently received its certification through to 2028. "Summer Camp bookings for this year continue the same as last year," he added, "so between June and August we have nine camps, which is good."
On community immersion, the centre continues to work with partners KCA, CPC, Scoil Bhride, and Kildare County Council, the manager added. He welcomed new members to the Board Colleen Devine, Orla Crehan and Jennifer Monaghan, and thanked the outgoing chair Cathy Phelan for her support and the many years of service she had given to the centre.
In the election of Board and officers, Cathy Phelan stepped down and Orla Crehan was elected as the new chair. Secretary Ann Sheridan also stepped down with Colleen Devine elected to the role. Daragh Fitzgerald was re-elected as treasurer.
Enda O'Neill, Daragh Fitzgerald, Cathy Phelan and Ann Sheridan.
All involved with Kilcullen Community Centre were thanked at the centre's recent AGM for making 2024 another very successful year for the facility, writes Brian Byrne. Outgoing chair Cathy Phelan particularly mentioned the centre's staff and the warm welcome they gave to people and groups who use the facility.
She paid tribute to Kilcullen Community Action for their work in enhancing the grounds of the campus and the Pinkeen Stream access road. "The Centre just looks amazing when people are driving in," she said. She also welcomed new members Orla Crehan and Colleen Devine to the Board, saying their experience and knowledge will be a great asset.
Noting that the centre is dependent on grants for any work that needs to be done, she referenced the successful completion of updating the lease on the property, which will now allow access to larger grants previously unavailable. In relation to increasing income, she said that use of the various areas has been at almost maximum capacity over the past year. "We still have a couple of spaces in the centre which we are striving to get open, which will increase the capacity and bring in more people and more money. A sub-committee is working on these and we hope to get that in place this year."
Treasurer Daragh Fitzgerald said the 2023 accounts showed a 27pc increase on turnover from the previous year when the operation was just coming out of Covid. Excluding depreciation, this represented a positive figure of €24,000 compared to €11,000 in 2022 and he also reported a reduction in operating costs to 78pc of turnover, from 89pc. Commenting on provisional management figures for 2024, he said a further 15pc in turnover represented a 'great performance'. He singled out the contribution of the Coffee Hatch, up by 22pc as 'a great success'. "The Coffee Hatch has been a great idea. A lot of new businesses don't perform for a few years but that has performed from the start."
The treasurer said the centre's operating profit for 2024 should be similar to the previous year, but while the operation is maximising resources and cash flows, it is difficult to build an investment fund. He noted that in running costs, 'wages is the big one'. "We don't have Community Employment Scheme support because it's impossible to get people onto the scheme. We're constantly looking for someone but they're just not there."
Cathy Phelan said everything is being done in the centre to bring in more money than needed for running costs. "It's very hard to get ahead when you're trying to pay wages, electricity, insurance and everything like that." She noted that five years ago there was just one paid employee, now there are four, three of them on 20-hour weeks. "We want people to come and have a good experience. We want the centre to be clean, to be warm, and you can't do that on a shoestring, even though we are doing that at the minute."
On a suggestion from the floor that extra costs should be reflected in the pricing to users, manager Enda O'Neill said the officers had looked at other similar facilities and Kilcullen had to be competitive with them. "We're one of the few community centres in the country that is self-funded," he said. "A problem I have is that the general population out there think we are funded from somewhere else, but our funding is from the community. If we have to change a light bulb, I have to make sure that the money is there for that light bulb."
