County Kildare News

This coming Monday Mondello Park are running an 'Open' motorcycle Track Day on the International Track.

There are currently spaces available in all three groups with Novice and Intermediate the busiest. Advance booking discounts apply on all bookings whether full or half day and this is also the best way to ensure you get a space in your preferred group.

North Dublin Motorcycles continue to operate their Bridgestone Tyre Service at all Mondello Park track days and Tyres can be purchased on the day or booked in advance for fitting at the track. For details see their advert on the right.
 
OPEN MOTORCYCLE TRACK DAY INTERNATIONAL TRACK
MONDAY JULY 2nd

Morning 10:00-13:00:....Pre-booked €70 / Pay on the day €80
Afternoon 14:00-17:30:..Pre-booked €85/ Pay on the day €95
Full Day:.......................Pre-booked €140 / Pay on the day €150

To book contact info@mondellopark.ie - 045-860200

Equine superstar Camelot is one of seven horses who will face the starter in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh this Saturday, following this morning’s final declaration of runners for Ireland’s showcase race of the year.  

Trainer Aidan O’Brien and his 19 year old son Joseph will attempt to become the first father and son combination to win the Group 1 Classic.  

O’Brien is also represented by Imperial Monarch, ridden by last year’s winning jockey Colm O’Donoghue, and Astrology, the mount of Seamus Heffernan.  

Camelot, the English 2000 Guineas and Derby winner will face a tough challenge from the Dermot Weld trained Speaking of Which; Light Heavy, trained by Jim Bolger, and the John Oxx trained pair of Born to Sea (Johnny Murtagh) and Akeed Mofeed (William Buick).

The first race on Derby Day is 3.40pm with the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby off at 7.40pm followed by a live concert by Ronan Keating at 8pm.  

Admission is available to purchase at the races. The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby is the highlight of the three day festival which commences tomorrow, Friday.

Local rock band Tonight We Live offer songs for free download

Athy-based rock band Tonight We Live have released their high-energy debut E.P., "Forget the Last Year", as a free digital download at www.tonightwelive.com

The band have been together for about a year, and have spent that time writing, rehearsing and recording new songs. They describe their sound as "High-energy rock with pop melodies", and are happy that these songs are a good representation of the style they have developed.

Vocalist and lead guitarist Steve Youster said "We released the E.P. for free download because we wanted to reach as many people as possible in the shortest space of time. Feedback from the website and Facebook pages has been exactly what we hoped for."

The first live performance of the new songs will be at the Athy Community Arts Centre on Saturday July 21st, with The Jigsaw Murders and Boy Lights Fire supporting. Steve said "I'm really looking forward to playing live with this band, it's gonna be a good feeling to finally play the songs in front of an audience."

An  interview with the band, and acoustic performance of one of the songs, will be appearing on the kildare.tv website very soon.

You can listen to the tracks at the band's website www.tonightwelive.com , where they can also be downloaded in various formats. Visit www.facebook.com/TonightWeLive for more information about the band.

Tonight We Live are a four piece rock band from County Kildare. They are: Stephen Youster on vocals and lead guitar; Conor Fenlon on rhythm guitar and backing vocals; David Youster on Bass, and Mikey Aldridge on drums.

Web: www.tonightwelive.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TonightWeLive

Twitter: www.twitter.com/TonightWeLive

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TonightWeLive

This Sunday, July 1st, the County Kildare Motor Club car event at Mondello Park will be the first of the season to combine Car Races and the 'Trackday Performance' Irish Time-Attack Championship. The Kildare club will be in charge for the seven car races on the programme with Mondello Park taking over for the running of the four Time-Attack sessions.

Topping the car race bill will be the Superfast Formula Libre Single Seaters who will race twice during the event. The other single seater action will be provided by the Budget racers from Formula Vee who will be on track for a single championship race. The remainder of the programme will be completed by two races each for a combined grid of Stryker Sports Cars and Legends, and the future stars of the Ginetta Junior Ireland championship.

Time-Attack has undergone a major resurgence in interest this season, fuelled by a new class structure and the backing of car preparation specialists 'Trackday Performance'. Entries have crept towards the twenty mark, for each of the four events held so far this year and this weekend the championship could have one of the biggest entries on the programme. The Time-Attack cars will battle it out for fastest lap time over four sessions, two qualifiers, a group final with all cars on track and a single lap Super Lap session where the majority of the points are on offer.

Sunday's event gets under way with qualifying from 09:30 with the first competitive action, Time-Attack Qualifying 1 set for 10:30. Adult admission is just €10 with under sixteen's admitted free and all admission includes a free event programme.

Riverbank Arts Centre have just launched their new season brochure, July - September 2012. It is available for download at www.riverbank.ie/july-september-2012-0

"We have a great line up of theatre, music, workshops and cinema. Some will already be disappointed as the children’s workshops sell out fast, however we do have some spaces left for teenager’s workshops in July and August. Also keep an eye out for Adult writing workshops in September. Log onto the website to view all the workshops or call our box office now to book your kids into something special this summer.
 
We are rounding up our current season with a production from Griese Youth Theatre on Friday June 29th with a play about teenage love called “It Only Ever Happens in the Movies” And storming their way back by popular demand are the Silken Thomas Players with Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem for two special shows on Saturday June 30th & Sunday July 1st.
 
On Friday July 13th, we have a great night out for all you tennis lovers. 'Love All' is a comedy about love, murder and......Tennis! Join us before the performance for strawberries and cream and get into the spirit of Wimbledon before the match begins on stage at 8pm.

David Kitt will take to the stage to perform his acclaimed album Small Moments. We have all followed David Kitt over the years and this is an opportunity to see him perform in an intimate setting, so book early to avoid disappointment. We also have 'March Away My Brothers', a one man show that follows Lawrence Kelly from Dublin’s Liberties to the Christmas Truce of 1914.
 
We have a great line up this summer between holidays, sunshine, BBQ's and events at Riverbank Arts Centre, we hope you have a wonderful summer. Enjoy!"

The second event of the 2012 Adelaide Masters Series took place at Mondello Park last Saturday and Sunday in very mixed weather conditions. The constantly changing weather coupled with race stoppages due to incidents contributed to the event running behind schedule with one incident in particular causing the race timetable to be extensively re-arranged.

The longest delay of the day resulted from a major incident involving Superbike championship contender BJ Toal who suffered one of the most frightening accidents seen in Mondello Park for many years. The incident saw BJ land behind an Armco barrier, wedged between it and the earth bank. BJ’s resting position afforded rescue crews little access to him and this made their swift actions all the more impressive, as they managed to stabilise him at the scene before he was transferred straight to Naas Hospital.

The severity of the accident naturally caused concern about BJ’s health and we are pleased to report that his injuries are far less severe than initially thought by those who witnessed the accident on the day. BJ has fractures to both arms and has been held in hospital for observation but all the signs are positive that he has no other serious injuries and should be released later this week.

The remainder of Sunday's races were eventually completed with the Superbike and Supersport racers returning to the track to put on one of the best displays yet seen in an Adelaide Masters Grand Final. Over the years there have been some great battles including those between Alastair Seeley and Marshall Neill, Cameron Donald and Jack Kennedy and Kennedy and Neill, but Sunday's tussle between the CD Racing Honda of Brian McCormack and Lee Johnston on the Millsport Ducati was possibly the best yet.

Johnston led initially but McCormack fought back and after a number of attempts took the lead. Johnstone replied immediately, to go back ahead and the two continued in this manner at very high speed right up to the start of the last lap. Having lost the lead into Ford corner on the previous lap McCormack tried to take it back going into the same hairpin for the final time, but braked just a little to late, ran wide into the gravel trap and had to lay the bike down to avoid contact with the tyre wall. This left Johnston to take his first Mondello win on the JMF Millsport Ducati Panigale ahead of Derek Shiels, who rode brilliantly having started last on the grid, and Round 1 winner Damien Byrne.

Earlier in the weekend BJ Toal had closed in on McCormack in the Superbike championship over the first two races, but his accident in race three handed the initiative back to the Waterford man once again. In Supersport Robert Lanigan took one win on his return to the series, ahead of championship debutant William Dunlop, while the other victory went to McCormack.

The next Adelaide Masters event will be a first as the series moves to Bishopscourt in County Down, the first circuit it has been held at outside of Mondello Park. The Bishopscourt event takes place on August 18th and once again Brian McCormack will start the event leading both the Superbike and Supersport Championships.

Epsom Oaks winner Was is one of 12 fillies remaining in the Barclays Bank Ireland Pretty Polly Stakes taking place at the Curragh this Sunday, following today’s final forfeit stage. Aidan O’Brien also has Maybe among his six entries in the Group 1 contest.  Sapphire and Bible Belt are other notable entries, while there is a very strong British trained challenge lead by Izzi Top trained by John Gosden, I’m A Dreamer trained by David Simcock and the Roger Charlton trained Sea of Heartbreak.
 
Sunday’s eight race programme starting at 2.10pm also features the Friarstown Stud International Stakes with the Michael Halford trained Blue Corner added as a supplementary entry for the Group 3 contest, while other entries including Native Khan and Famous Name.
 
Fame and Glory is among the 19 entries for the At The Races Curragh Cup and these also include a very strong British trained challenge including Gulf of Naples, Lyric Street, Mount Athos and Times Up. While the Paul Deegan trained Midnight Soprano has been supplemented into the race.

English 2000 Guineas and Epsom Derby winner Camelot is still on course for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby this Saturday evening and the Aidan O’Brien trained superstar is one of 11 entries for Ireland’s most prestigious race.

CAMELOT is set to line up in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at 7.40pm at the Curragh this Saturday, 30th June. The Aidan O’Brien-trained sensation will face a maximum of 10 opponents in a bid to add this prestigious prize to his wins in the Newmarket 2000 Guineas and Epsom Derby.
 
Aidan O’Brien, who is chasing his 10th victory in this race and his seventh in succession, has also left Epsom Derby third Astrology in the race along with Daddy Long Legs, Imperial Monarch and Learn. Local trainer John Oxx (won this with Sinndar in 2000 and with Alamshar three years later) is also well represented here with three contenders in Akeed Mofeed, Call To Battle and recent Royal Ascot fourth Born To Sea.
 
Another local trainer Dermot Weld also has two successes (Zagreb in 1996 and Grey Swallow in 2004) to his name in this race and is represented this time around be the highly progressive course winner Speaking Of Which.

Meanwhile, Jim Bolger (won the race with St. Jovite back in 1992) saddles another progressive colt in Light Heavy, who is bidding to land his fourth straight victory of the season on Saturday evening.
 
Bookmakers Paddy Power make Camelot their 1/4 favourite. They then go 9/1 Imperial Monarch, 12/1 Speaking Of Which, 16/1 Light Heavy and Akeed Mofeed, 20/1 Astrology and Born To Sea, 25/1 Daddy Long Legs and Father Of Science, 50/1 Learn and 66/1 Call To Battle.
 
A hugely exciting programme on Saturday evening which starts at 3.40pm is backed up by the Group Two Dubai Duty Free Railway Stakes with Aidan O’Brien looking dominant with seven of the 12 entries, the Group Three Woodies D.I.Y Sapphire Stakes with a very strong British trained challenge including Tiddliwinks, Eton Rifles and Definightly and the Listed Dubai Duty Free Celebration Stakes with entries including prolific winner Famous Name, Sharestan and Native Khan.  Ronan Keating performs a live concert at 8pm after the last race.
 
The David Barron trained Bertiewhittle has been installed as the  8/1 favourite by Paddy Paddy for the Paddy Power Sprint which has attracted 27 entries also run on Saturday, while they go Bubbly Bellini 10/1, Glor Na Mara 10/1, Bajan Tryst  10/1,  Gordon Lord Byron  11/1, Piri Wango  11/1, Arctic and Seanie  12/1  and 14/1 bar these
 
The three day Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival gets under way on Friday, 29th June. The Derby Festival Irish Stallion Farms EBF Handicap and the Eflow Rewards Apprentice Derby are the two highlights on a seven race programme which commences at 5.30 pm.   Bressie plays a live concert after racing
 
Tickets for all 3 days are currently on sale.  A special €30 Derby Day ticket is available until tomorrow 26th June saving €10 by calling 045 441205 or on line at Curragh.ie or ticketmaster.ie. Advance booking for Derby Day include a free bus from Dublin
 
The ground at the Curragh is currently yielding to soft.

Following on from last year’s successful genealogy taster sessions as part of the Kildare Village summer festival, this year visitors can again avail of a consultation with a genealogy expert from the Irish Family History Foundation. As part of this year’s Kildare Village Chic Summer Festival the organization behind the world’s largest online database of Irish genealogical records will be on hand to offer advice on tracing your Irish family history.

The genealogy consultation is the final part of a new heritage trail of Kildare town. It gives visitors the opportunity to discover this historically important Irish town and learn about the mythology of Fionn Mac Cumhaill and St. Brigid, patroness of Ireland. Key stops along the trail include St. Brigid's Cathedral, a 12th century Norman castle and a 13th century Franciscan abbey. For the more adventurous, there will also be an opportunity to climb the 10th century round tower in the grounds of the cathedral, the highest accessible tower and the second tallest in Ireland.

The heritage trail will finish at the 12th century Grey Abbey that overlooks Kildare Village outlet shopping. Here, those on the trail can enjoy lunch, shopping, live musical performances and street theatre, while also taking the opportunity to start exploring their family tree with the genealogy experts.

Details

Dates: Fridays in July; 6th, 13th, 20th & 27th July, 2012.

Time: Assemble at 10am at the Kildare Town Heritage Centre, Market Square, Kildare town for heritage trail of Kildare.

The genealogy consultations will take place in Kildare Village only from 12 noon to 6pm.

Price: €5 per person for the Heritage Trail, includes access to Kildare Cathedral and the Round Tower. Children under 12 go free.

Booking: Please email kildaretownheritagecen@ireland.com or phone +353 45 530672 to book the trail and advise whether you are interested in a genealogy consultation. Book early to avoid disappointment.

www.rootsireland.ie

www.kildare.ie/kildareheritage

www.kildarevillage.com/en/news-events/chic-summer/chic-summer

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STOP PRESS:
William Dunlop, Derek Shiels and Gerard Kinghan late additions to entry list.
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Following a hugely successful season opener in April the Adelaide Masters Series returns to Mondello Park for its second event of the season this Saturday and Sunday with continued backing from Motorcycle Insurance specialists Adelaide Insurance. The event will once again include a round of the Irish Motorcycle Stunt Riding series organised by Stunt Ireland.
 
The opening event of the season set a new record for an attendance at a non-international Mondello Park event and the organisers are hoping for more of the same this coming weekend, as the series profile continues to grow.

Currently leading the Adelaide Superbike Series is Waterford's Brian McCormack with his CD racing TAG Honda. McCormack won all three Superbike races at the season opener and will be out to continue in that vein this weekend. Trying to put a stop to the championship leaders domination will be some very strong contenders. Including the remainder of the championship top four, Lee Johnston on the JMF Milsport Ducati, BJ Toal and Emmet O'Grady. Also on the grid will be event one Grand Final winner, Damien Byrne, fresh from his starring role at The Bavaria City Racing event in Dublin City Centre. The top three Cup class riders, Evan Delaney, Jamie Masterson and Brian Coomey will also be on hand to continue their battle.

The main support for the Superbikes is the Adelaide Masters Supersport class and it's McCormack who leads here once again, despite only winning one race from three starts. Richie Ryan with his Triumph won the other two, but a non-finish in race three meant that he trailed McCormack by eleven points after the first three races. Third place is held be the very impressive Carl Phillips who has graduated this season from the Supersport Cup and he is followed by Jonny Buckley on the Module Yamaha. The Cup class is led by teenager Luke Johnston, who also sits in joint fifth in the overall standings following an excellent start to the season.

The centrepiece of the two days of qualifying and racing will be on Sunday afternoon where the third Superbike and Supersport races and the Adelaide Masters final will be the focus. These three races will take place at the most popular viewing times between 2:00 and 16:30 and will include grid interviews and podium presentations.

Alongside the race timetable the event will also see Ireland’s best Motorcycle stunt riders and a handful of overseas visitors, compete in round two of the Stunt Ireland championship. The stunt competition takes place over the course of the day through a series of qualifying heats building to the final where awards are presented in a number of categories.

North Kildare Chamber  has today (20/06/12) called on the Government not to implement proposals from the Department of Social Protection to transfer sick pay costs for the first 2-4 weeks to employers.

Speaking this morning, Eilis Quinlan, North Kildare Chamber President said, “Many Businesses are already struggling to stay afloat and placing this additional financial burden on them could be the final nail in the coffin for some and the jobs they provide. The Department of Social Protection has justified its proposal by saying that it would simply bring Ireland in line with other jurisdictions. However, it would be myopic for a whole of Government decision on this matter not to take account of the many costs that businesses in Ireland already suffer which are not imposed on businesses elsewhere.”

“These costs include;

1. Ireland has the second highest minimum wage in the EU.
2. Due to the Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997, Ireland is one of few European countries where additional Sunday premium payments are mandatory. No such premium exists in major competitors such as the UK, Germany and France.
3. Budget 2012 introduced a 2% increase in Ireland’s VAT rate, giving it the joint 6th highest in the EU. This has had a considerable impact on the competitiveness of Irish SMEs.  The Consumer Sentiment Index, produced by the ESRI and the KBC bank, shows considerable declines in consumer confidence in the wake of the VAT rise.”
4. Businesses in Ireland still have to deal with an array of different pieces of legislation and regulatory bodies. These include: The Labour Court; the Labour Relations Commission; Joint Labour Committees; the Organisation of Working Time Act; and the National Employment Rights Authority.”
    
   “The idea that the Government wants to add to these costs rather than focus on supporting the development and growth of Irish business is absurd. The Department of Social Protection should focus on saving costs elsewhere rather than simply passing additional burdens on to the job creating, tax generating section of the economy.  Our direct tax on payroll – known as employers PRSI – adds an immediate 10.75% to payroll costs, and to add an additional burden onto employers who are already struggling, will simply create more redundancies which are not necessary” Quinlan concluded.

8 week Pilates course running from 10th July to 29th August - Fee: €65

Venue: Scoil Bhride Naofa, Grey Abbey Road, Kildare Town

Benefits of Pilates

• Improve strength, flexibility and balance. 
• Tone and build long, lean muscles without bulk. 
• Challenge deep abdominal muscles to support the core.
• Restore postural alignment. 
• Create a stronger, more flexible spine. 
• Promote recovery from strain or injury. 
   

 Tuesday Class Times

8pm – 9pm - Mixed Ability

This class covers the basic pilates principles and fundamentals for anyone who has never done pilates before but also challenges anyone who has taken a pilates class with modifications of these beginners exercises.

Wednesday Class Times

6pm – Intermediate/Advanced

This class is perfect for anyone who has taken a pilates class before and would like to challenge themselves

 7pm – Mixed Ability

This class covers the basic pilates principles and fundamentals for anyone who has never done pilates before but also challenges anyone who has taken a pilates class with modifications of these beginners exercises.

8pm – Beginners/intermediate

This class is aimed at beginners who have never taken a pilates class before. There are modifications for each exercise to cater to anyone who is strong is capable of the improvers version of each exercise.

Call/Text Sara 086 320 3006

BBU Certified instructor

sjwpilates@gmail.com     

The 'Carole Nash Classic Car & Motorcycle Live' show, which took place on Sunday last at Mondello Park, once again proved a big hit with fans of classic motoring on two and four wheels. This was the fifth running of Mondello’s annual classic event and it attracted the biggest attendance yet, with just shy of 6000 visitors on the day.

Bucking the trend of many Classic motoring events over the last year, Classic Live continues to grow and had an increased number of Cars and Motorcycles on display, additional trade stands and bigger spectator attendance. Aided by the support of Carole Nash, Irish Vintage Scene, Radio Nova and the IVVCC, Mondello Park has established this event as one of the highlights of the Classic Event scene.

Show visitors were treated to a fine display in the paddock area with big attendance of cars for the anniversaries along with other clubs and individuals. The Cortina Club attracted their biggest ever show attendance, with sixty one vehicles, as they celebrated fifty years. Close by, the Fiat X1/9's also put on a fine display as they celebrated the popular sports cars' fortieth. The Ferrari, Porsche, Lotus & TVR owners club's were also well represented as they took part in the shows first prestige car parade, which made for a very impressive sight on track.

The Retro aspect of the show saw a big increase for this year and this aspect of the show proved very popular with the mainly family audience attending the event for Father’s day. The Classic Motorcyclists, on their second appearance at the Carole Nash show also entertained the audience with three races and a parade section for classic road and track bikes which were not eligible for to take part in the races.

With the 2012 Carole Nash Classic Car & Motorcycle Live show now completed Mondello Park will turn its attention to setting the 2013 date, selecting the feature cars for next years show and to looking into how they can build the event still further over the coming years

Following a hugely successful season opener in April the Adelaide Masters Series returns to Mondello Park for its second event of the season this Saturday and Sunday with continued backing from Motorcycle Insurance specialists Adelaide Insurance. The event will once again include a round of the Irish Motorcycle Stunt Riding series organised by Stunt Ireland.

The opening event of the season set a new record for an attendance at a non-international Mondello Park event and the organisers are hoping for more of the same this coming weekend, as the series profile continues to grow.

Currently leading the Adelaide Superbike Series is Waterford's Brian McCormack with his CD racing TAG Honda. McCormack won all three Superbike races at the season opener and will be out to continue in that vein this weekend. Trying to put a stop to the championship leaders domination will be some very strong contenders. Including the remainder of the championship top four, Lee Johnston on the JMF Millsport Ducati, BJ Toal and Emmet O'Grady. Also on the grid will be event one Grand Final winner, Damien Byrne, fresh from his starring role at The Bavaria City Racing event in Dublin City Centre. The top three Cup class riders, Evan Delaney, Jamie Masterson and Brian Coomey will also be on hand to continue their battle.

The main support for the Superbikes is the Adelaide Masters Supersport class and it's McCormack who leads here once again, despite only winning one race from three starts. Richie Ryan with his Triumph won the other two, but a non-finish in race three meant that he trailed McCormack by eleven points after the first three races. Third place is held be the very impressive Carl Phillips who has graduated this season from the Supersport Cup and he is followed by Jonny Buckley on the Module Yamaha. The Cup class is led by teenager Luke Johnston, who also sits in joint fifth in the overall standings following an excellent start to the season.

The centrepiece of the two days of qualifying and racing will be on Sunday afternoon where the third Superbike and Supersport races and the Adelaide Masters final will be the focus. These three races will take place at the most popular viewing times between 2:00 and 16:30 and will include grid interviews and podium presentations.

Alongside the race timetable the event will also see Ireland’s best Motorcycle stunt riders and a handful of overseas visitors, compete in round two of the Stunt Ireland championship. The stunt competition takes place over the course of the day through a series of qualifying heats building to the final where awards are presented in a number of categories.

Admission to either day of the event is €10 for adults with under sixteen’s admitted free of charge. All admission includes a complimentary event programme.

Tote Ireland have rolled in behind Naas Races this summer to support their popular BBQ Evenings. At the launch of the BBQ Evenings Claire Kelly, Tote Ireland said “We are very excited at being involved with the Naas BBQ Evenings. They are a feel good summer evening for all the community to enjoy and they are an ideal way for us to promote our online pool betting website www.thetote.com.” The Tote Ireland sponsorship is the perfect match for Naas, as they have always been involved in their BBQ evenings, in particular the Beginners evening in July.

The BBQ Evenings are a traditional Summer Event at Naas Races, with the first event taking place on Wednesday Evening the 27th of June with the first race going to post at 6pm. BBQ’s Packages start from only €35 to include admission, racecard, BBQ meal and a table reserved in the marquee with music and bar facilities every evening until 11pm to keep the crowd entertained.

Each evening is specially themed, adding to the top class flat racing which will be staged at Naas Races. They are the ideal way to forget the mid week stresses and get in the summer mood.

The July dates include Wednesday the 11th of July, with live band, and Wednesday the 25th of July, our spectacular Beginners Evening with a chance to learn all there is to know about from horse racing with interviews from Top Jockey & Trainers giving you the inside track.

Tom Ryan, Manager, Naas Racecourse, said “Thetote.com BBQ Evenings at Naas Races is the ideal opportunity for people to relax, mingle and have some fun whilst making the most of the long summer evenings. We are very excited to have Tote Ireland on board as our new sponsor for the BBQ Evenings; with their backing we anticipate this to be one of the best Summers Naas Races has ever seen”.

The first race is off at 6pm. General Admission is only €15 (includes €5 betting voucher), BBQ Packages €35 per person, OAP €9 (including free tea/coffee), U-18’s & Students U-26 are FREE (Valid student card required). Panoramic Restaurant Package from only €40 (to include admission, racecard, main course, reserved table & tea/coffee).

 
Following the enormous success of Round 1 of the Stunt Ireland Series which ran in tandem with the Opening event of the 2012 Adelaide Masters Series, an agreement has been reached between, Stunt Ireland, the organisers of the series, and Mondello Park. Under this agreement the Kildare circuit will become more involved in the promotion and organisation of future Motorcycle Stunt events run at the venue by Stunt Ireland.

Speaking about the agreement Mondello MD John Morris said: “Mark Ennis and his team have come up with a great concept which has huge potential and Mondello Park has the expertise and resources to help bring this concept to fruition. From this weekend’s event, which once again runs alongside the Adelaide Masters Series, Mondello Park will handle the pre-event and on the day administration, provide services such as public address for commentary at the stunt area and guarantee a minimum prize fund for competitors.”

Morris went on to explain, “By taking these pressures away from the organisers, we can allow them concentrate on running the activity over the weekend. This is in everyone’s interest and will hopefully help accelerate the growth of this new and exciting branch of the sport over the coming years.”

Stunt Ireland founder Mark Ennis also spoke of the new arrangement saying, "This is great news for the Stunt Ireland National Series. With only one round under our belt we are no longer going in blind, and to be able to work alongside John Morris and the rest of the team at Mondello Park will be a great learning experience. The success of Round 1 is only a reflection of things to come for Stunt Ireland now that we have a package in place which will offer the public spectacular viewing both on and off the track"

This weekend will be the second of four 2012 championship events held at Mondello Park. The remaining two events will be at the September 2nd Adelaide Masters and the Mondello Park Jap-Fest on September 9th. Plans are also under-way for an end of season International event to take place at the Adelaide Masters finale on October 6th & 7th.

For further information on the Adelaide Masters Series see the Mondello Park web site www.mondellopark.ie/adelaidemasters or follow us on facebook.

 
CAMELOT is the name on everyone’s lips in racing at present and the son of Montjeu is the star attraction in Ireland’s premier Classic the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby to be run at the Curragh on Saturday evening, 30th June. Camelot, scintillating winner of both the Newmarket 2000 Guineas and the Epsom Derby will lead a strong team from trainer Aidan O’Brien, who will be attempting to win the race for the 10th time.

Anne Marie O’Brien, wife of trainer Aidan, said today, "Aidan is planning to run Camelot in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby but no final decision has been taken yet. He always has a few horses in the race and the other horses (Imperial Monarch, Astrology and Athens) are still all in the mix. It will be the weekend before plans are finalised."

There is a strong possibility that Epsom Derby runner Main Sequence will be supplemented into the race when entries close on Monday 25th June. Trained by David Lanigan in England, he will benefit from the reduction in the supplementary entry fee which was announced by the Curragh earlier this year.

Local trainer Dermot Weld has won this race twice before with Zagreb (1996) and Grey Swallow (2004) and he has high hopes that recent Group 3 race winner Speaking Of Which can supply him with his third success.

Another local trainer, John Oxx, has also won this race twice before with Sinndar (2000) and Alamshar (2003) and expects to be represented by Akeed Mofeed and Call to Battle. Jim Bolger, successful with St Jovite in 1992, is likely to run Light Heavy in the Group 1 contest although Parish Hall could be another contender if he recovers in time from his recent injury.

A free bus service from Dublin is available and the special ticket costing only €30 includes admission to Derby Day, return transport supplied by Dublin Coach and live concert by Ronan Keating after the last race . The first race is 3.40pm with the concert at 8pm.

The first bus will depart Westmoreland Street at 1pm and collect at Nassau Street (outside Trinity College), Jury’s Hotel in Ballsbridge, Bewley’s Hotel Leopardstown and Newlands Cross. The package has to be purchased in advance by 24th June calling 045 441205 or see curragh.ie. A variety of other admission packages are available with details on www.curragh.ie. Trains to Kildare Train station are met by a free shuttle bus to the racecourse.

 
Technology might traditionally be seen as a male domain but this year, three women, all enthusiastic and avid bloggers, are organising the new Blog Awards Ireland.  It will take place on 13th October 2012 in the Osprey Hotel in Naas, and nominations are open now until 16th July. Celebrating the best in Irish blogging and bringing communities together, the organisers see the Blog Awards as an important event in the social media and awards calendars.

Lorna Sixsmith, Amanda Webb and Beatrice Whelan have used blogging and other social media platforms to promote their businesses and those they work for,  (Garrendenny Lane and Write on Track, Spiderworking, and Sage Ireland).  Co-organisers of the KLCK Bloggers network for 2 years and the Bloggers International Conference in June 2011, they are now organising Blog Awards Ireland.  Blogging is not just about writing, it is also about creating communities. Bloggers will find others who share the same interests - be it business, social media, farming, food, beauty, technology, health or any other subject.  Blogs are not just a source of entertainment, they are also educational and they prevent isolation.

As stated by Beatrice Whelan: “The Irish Blogosphere is an amazing assortment of creativity and knowledge. The Blog Awards give us the opportunity to meet offline and reward the best Irish bloggers who are constantly improving their blogs. No other event brings together such a vast variety of interests in one room.”

Blog Awards Ireland will create an annual offline event to bring all of these online communities together and to celebrate the best of Irish blogging. The Awards will offer businesses an opportunity to increase their visibility and prominence in social media circles. With more people being guided in their buying decisions by bloggers rather than friends’ opinions, blogging is a considerably influential tool in word of mouth marketing.  The organisers expect 250 people to attend the event on 13th October with hundreds more following the event on twitter from their armchairs at home.

Nominations are now open at www.blogawardsireland.com. There are 30 categories to choose from which include Best Personal Blog, Best blog of a business, Best Mobile Designed  Blog, Best Crafts blog so the range is quite diverse. Bloggers can nominate their own blogs and it is free to enter.  Sponsorship opportunities are available for any business who would like to be connected with such a lively and exciting event by emailing sponsor@blogawardsireland.com.

Contact Lorna Sixsmith 086 1051007   Email: blogawardsireland@gmail.com

North Kildare Tennis Summer Camp with Cooley Tennis Academy

July Dates: 2nd-6th / 16th -20th

August Dates: 6th-10th / 13th-17th

5-8 yrs: 10am-12.30pm

Members €50 / non-members €609

16yrs 12.30pm-3.30pm

Members €60 / non-members €70

To register or to receive more information on the camps please call or text 087-904 6001 / 041 981 1896 / email: info@cooleytennis.ie 

Web: www.cooleytennis.ie

A total of eight shows will take place on a weekly basis in the all-weather arenas at the Kildare venue. At present the schedule of classes caters for horses only with the 80cms class getting underway from 10am. The final of the Punchestown Summer Show Jumping League will take place on Tuesday 28th August.

Joining the Punchestown team will be official course builder Tom Holden (INT) and official judge Maureen Bagnall.

Commenting on the announcement international show jumper Nicola Fitzgibbon said “I’m delighted that there will be another great jumping venue for horses in Leinster this summer. I’m really looking forward to jumping the Tom Holden designed courses”.
Tom Holden International Course Builder commented on the launch of the league by saying “It’s great to see Punchestown on the summer show jumping calendar. I am very much looking forward to being involved with the Summer League there. The facilities and location are ideal and I have no doubt it will be a very popular venue”.

Janet Creighton, Punchestown Show Jumping Co-Ordinator said “The facilities here at Punchestown are ideal for a league. We have two lovely all-weather arenas and we are in an ideal location just minutes from the M7. We have wanted to make this part of our summer programme for a long time and this year we have the opportunity to do so. We look forward to welcoming the show jumping industry back to Punchestown.”

Punchestown Summer Show Jumping League Dates:

• Tuesday 3rd July
• Tuesday 10th July
• Tuesday 17th July
• Tuesday 24th July
• Tuesday 31st July
• Tuesday 7th August
• Tuesday 21st August
• Tuesday 28th August

*Please note that there will be no show on Tuesday 14th August as it is Dublin Horse Show Week.

Classes:
• 80cms
• 90cms
• 1m
• 1.10cms
• 1.20cms
• 1.30cms

Classes start at 10pm sharp.

Entries cost €20 per entry and €10 thereafter for same horse/rider combination.

North Kildare Chamber provide over 120 network mornings per year in Athy, Naas and Maynooth for Kildare Businesses and are delighted to announce a sponsorship deal with AIB.  AIB are now the sponsors of all network mornings that the Chamber provide in Kildare. 

The Chamber provide weekly networking mornings in Maynooth and Naas and fortnightly in Athy.

Eilis Quinlan, Chamber President said today, "We are delighted to have AIB on board as sponsors of our network mornings going forward.  AIB have now joined the Chamber on our corporate membership package, and as a joint initiative, local Businesses who open a business account with AIB can now also avail of a 50% reduction in joining the Chamber.  It is very important that we have a good working relationship with our banks and the Chamber are happy to be able to provide this facility for our members, with  AIB branches all over Kildare.  Networking is a hot topic in business at the moment and as President of the Chamber, I am very proud that we are taking the lead when it comes to offering our network mornings to all businesses in Kildare on a weekly basis. We meet in Maynooth every Tuesday morning, Naas every Wednesday and we have just started in Athy every second Thursday. For more information on our networking and other membership services, please contact our office on  045 894074 or visit our website www.northkildarechamber.ie"

Eddie Buckley, AIB Regional Director - Midlands, said , “ We are particularly pleased to work on this initiative with the North Kildare Chamber.   This is a good fit for both AIB and the Chamber as both organisations have a comprehensive network of customers and members in the North Kildare region.  It will provide excellent networking and business development opportunities for our Business Start-up Package customers who join the North Kildare Chamber through our offer, and indeed, all businesses in North Kildare that are Chamber members”.
 
Allan Shine, from North Kildare Chamber said "Our association with AIB will further strengthen our current offering to members of the Chamber.   The Chamber is currently very active in all areas of business with new initiatives being  worked on at the moment which include a Web Portal for Kildare, developing links with NUIM and developing an incubation centre  for start up businesses in Kildare."

The Irish Peatland Conservation Council are delighted to announce the appointment of our newest member of staff, Kate Macnamara. Kate is joining the IPCC team for the summer to welcome visitors and guide them through the peatland exhibition centre and wildlife gardens.  She will also assist the Education Officer with school group and special interest group visits to the centre.

Kate, who is from Naas, Co. Kildare, has just completed her first year of physiotherapy in Trinity College Dublin and is interested in specialising in paediatric physiotherapy. Kate says ‘this summer position will give me good experience interacting with adults and children’. Kate has volunteered at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre on nuemrous occasions throughout the years.  As one of IPCC’s youngest volunteers she has helped in field study work with students, with promotional material, in the wildlife gardens and greeting visitors.  

“My visits to the Bog of Allen Nature Centre as a young adult have given me a keen interest in the beautiful wildlife of the Irish bogs, the history they hold and the mission to protect them. I am very excited about having the oportunity this summer to pass this interest on to visitors and school children, and to learn lots more myself about the peatlands of Ireland!”

The Bog of Allen Nature Centre is open to the public Monday – Friday from 10am-4pm.  The centre will also be open Saturday 23rd June from 10am-4pm.  If you have a group that would like to visit the centre for a guided tour or for nature activities contact Kate and make a booking today on 045-860133.

Five Steps that have the potential to Restore Living Bogs in Ireland
 
A ground breaking workshop has been developed to help in the restoration of the living plant skin onto bare peat areas of bogs in Ireland. The technique known as the Sphagnum Moss Transfer Method is used to restore bogs in Canada. This method has been trialed by the Irish Peatland Conservation Council on a bog in Co. Kildare since 2009.
 
The day long course is aimed at peatland managers and will take place on the 26th June in the Bog of Allen Nature Centre, Co. Kildare starting at 10am. “Participants will be shown how to give the bogs a helping hand in their recovery from damage” says Dr Catherine O’Connell, the course tutor. “IPCC will be demonstrating the 5 steps involved in the restoration of bogs in Canada which have been shown to work in the Irish bog environment. These include (i) drain blocking to raise the water level in the bog; (ii) leveling and peat substrate preparation; (iii) collection of Sphagnum moss from a donor site; (iv) inoculation of the restoration site with Sphagnum moss fragments; and (v) covering the site with a protective layer of straw” she added. After one year under the straw, the Moss fragments start to grow in the moist environment and within three years they cover bare peat areas. In 10 years an impressive thickness of moss peat covers the original damaged peat surface. “It’s really impressive” says Dr O’Connell who is keen to have a good turn out for this course.
 
This up-skilling course which is being provided by the Irish Peatland Conservation Council is supported by the Environmental Protection Agency as part of the Science, Technology, Research & Innovation for the Environment (STRIVE) Programme 2007 – 2013
 
Another three courses will be run in Meath, Roscommon and Offaly during the summer. These courses are supported by the Heritage Council as part of the Heritage, Community & Outreach Grants Scheme 2012.
 
Further Information: IPCC, Lullymore, Rathangan, Co. Kildare T: 045860133, Email bogs@ipcc.ie, www.ipcc.ie

Await the Dawn set to represent Aidan O’Brien in feature race of China Race Day at the Curragh this Sunday
 
CHINA comes to the Curragh next Sunday, 10th June when there will be a major Chinese theme with the help of the Chinese Irish Cultural Academy. The Listed Coolmore Stud China Ireland Friendship Silver Stakes tops the bill on a seven race programme starting at 2.20pm and the Chinese Ambassador to Ireland Mr Luo Linquan, will be in attendance to present the prize to winning connections of the 10 furlong contest.
 
Aidan O’Brien, fresh from his superb double with Was and Camelot at Epsom last weekend, has entered three – Await The Dawn, Learn and Tower Rock – for the feature event, which he landed 12 months ago with Viscount Nelson. The Dermot Weld-trained Sapphire makes her eagerly awaited seasonal debut here. The daughter of Medicean won three of her six races last term, including in the Listed Go Racing In Kildare Finale Stakes at the Curragh in October, and is sure to be spot on ahead of her task on Sunday. The Clive Cox-trained Poet is the sole British raider, while Sharestan, Tannery, Brog Deas and recent Curragh scorer Midnight Soprano are other notable horses among the 15 entries.
 
Weld also has a strong hand in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap with Cloudracer and recent Wexford scorer Voleuse Des Coeurs to choose from. Rising Wind, Maggie Neary, Shamooda and Livia Galilei are other notable entries for the 12 furlong contest.
 
There are a total of 26 entries for the Red Mills Supporting China Race Day, while the Kildare Village China – Ireland Friendship Maiden has attracted an entry of 20 horses.

A Chinese Village will be created beside the main enclosure of the racecourse which will be fun for all the family and will feature Chinese food tasting, demonstration of Chinese music and dance, the famous Dragon Dance which will be performed before the first race and a display of Chinese crafts.

The first of seven races at the Curragh on Sunday commences at 2.20pm and the ground is currently good to yielding. Admission 15 euro and kids go free with the entertainment starting at 1.45pm

A free four week songwriting workshop is taking place in Naas Library on Tuesday mornings during June & July 2012. The first workshop is taking place on Tuesday 26th June 2012 from 10:30AM to 12: 30PM.

This free workshop will cover the following areas: Genre/Style, Structure, Lyrics, Theme, Melody, Production & Performance.

It is limited to those aged 12-16 years

Places are limited on this free workshop for teenagers aged 12-16, so please contact Naas Library (Email: naaslib@kildarecoco.ie ; Tel: 045879111) to reserve a place.

     
  North Kildare Chamber hosted the first of their fortnightly network mornings in Athy this morning.  This follows the success of their weekly network mornings in Maynooth and Naas.  The Chamber has several members in Athy and its surrounding areas and was delighted to see 19 local businesses attend this first event.

Allan Shine of North Kildare Chamber said today “It was great to see an excellent attendance and a very positive meeting, we are hoping that this will continue and we hope to see more businesses attend as businesses find it very worthwhile”.

Vivian Cummins, a local architect said ““I initially joined the North Kildare Chamber in order to access their Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training without having to travel to Dublin. CPD is now a legal requirement for most professions and I availed of a fantastic CPD workshop on E-tendering and Public Procurement methods that was held recently in Clane.

Through that engagement I came across their Strategic Plan 2012-2015 for County Kildare which was launched by the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, at Punchestown last month. This sets out a very clear vision for achievable business development targets for the next three years. I strongly believe that Athy needs to be part of this county-wide initiative and to ensure that the town gets to benefit from some of the proposed services to business such as the incubation hub for Kildare start-up businesses.

Athy has languished for years and it now needs this organisation to assist business in the locality. Perhaps its future salvation will come from seeing a bigger picture and embracing the real potential for development and growth that exists within our county.

One of the best things about attending the first Athy network meeting was to be surrounded by people with a positive attitude which is unfortunately all too rare in the current economic climate.” Vivian concluded.

George O’Neill from Elite Maintenance, a local Athy business said “This was a great start and I hope to see more local businesses attend.  Athy needs an active network group and I am delighted that North Kildare Chamber is hosting the mornings”
 
“North Kildare Chamber will continue to serve its members and provide the courses, seminars and events which is helping business throughout the county”, Allan Shine concluded.
 

The legendary Stephen Roche invites you to ride with him in the Leinster Loop charity cycle sportif in beautiful south Kildare on Sun. 19th Aug 2012. 4 excellent routes and 1 great day guaranteed.
 
All funds raised are for the National Breast Cancer Research Institute & our community complex.
 
The Leinster Loop, brought to you by Stephen Roche in association with Cuisine de France, is a cycle sportif starting from Old Grange, Narraghmore, Co. Kildare on Sunday, 19st August 2012.

A cycle sportif is an organised and supervised group cycle on a pre-arranged route. Participation in cycling, and in particular cycle sportives, has enjoyed massive increases in numbers over the past five years.

The Leinster Loop event consists of 4 distinct routes, the Leinster Loop - a challenging 140 km cycle through south Kildare, Laois, Kilkenny and Carlow; the Barrow Challenge - a testing 90 km cycle through Kildare, Laois and Carlow; the Cill Dara Cruise – a 50 km cycle and the Roche Ramble - a 12 km leisure cycle through south Kildare and open to individuals and families.

The event will be led on the day by former Tour de France winner and event ambassador, Stephen Roche.

Some of the unique features of the Leinster Loop will be:

• Hot food and refreshments on the Leinster Loop, Barrow Challenge and Cill Dara Cruise routes;


• Marshalled junctions to ensure safety for all;


• Full medical support on all routes;


• Controlled start and finish areas;


• Lead and support vehicles on all routes;


• Fully signposted and road-marked routes.

OUR EVENT AMBASSADOR
Stephen Roche was born in Dublin and is a retired Professional Cyclist living near Nice in France with his family. In a 13 year professional career he peaked in 1987, becoming only the second cyclist to win the Triple Crown of victories in the Giro D’Italia, the Tour De France and the World Cycling Championship all in the same year.

In total he had 68 professional wins including the Tour of Romandie 3 times, the Paris –Nice, the Tour of Corsica, the Tour of Midi Pyrenees, the Tour of Valencia, the Tour of Pays Basque, the 4 Days of Dunkirk as well as numerous stages in the great Tour de France.

His son Nicolas is following in his father’s footsteps and races for the French professional team, AGR2 La Mondiale team and team leader, a top 15 finisher in the 2010 Tour de France and a 7th placing in the 2010 Vuelta a Espana.

China will come to the Curragh Racecourse on Sunday 10th June when the County Kildare venue will give their race day a major Chinese theme with the help of the Chinese Irish Cultural Academy.

The China Ireland Friendship Silver Stakes (Listed) will be the feature race of a seven race program starting at 2.20pm and the Chinese Ambassador to Ireland has been invited to make the presentation to the connections of the winning horse of trophies provided by Newbridge Silverware following the race. Other races will be supported by Kildare Village and Red Mills.

Chinese citizens will gain free admission to encourage them to experience what promises to be a very exciting initiative.

A Chinese Village will be created beside the main enclosure of the racecourse which will be fun for all the family and will feature Chinese Food Tasting, demonstration of Chinese music and dance, the famous Dragon Dance which will be performed before the first race and a display of Chinese crafts

Paul Hensey General Manager of the Curragh Racecourse commented “We are delighted to further enhance the links between Ireland and China with this exciting initiative and hope the race day will become an annual event"

"The race day will aim to bridge the close friendship between Ireland and China and help develop an even stronger bond between our two countries" said Summy Wong, Chief Executive of the Chinese Irish Cultural Academy

Race Day Schedule

1.45pm to 2pm: Performance of the Dragon Dance
2.20pm Irish Stallion Farms Maiden
2.25pm Chinese Folk Songs to be performed
2.50pm Irish Field Maiden
2.55pm Chinese Folk Dances to be performed
3.20pm Red Mills supporting China Day Handicap
3.25pm Martial Arts Performance
3.50pm China Ireland Friendship Silver Stakes
4.00pm Chinese Costumes Fashion Show
4.20pm Kildare Village supporting China Day Handicap
4.25pm Guzheng Performance
4.50pm Chinese Irish Cultural Academy Handicap
5.00pm Chinese Folk songs and dancing
5.20pm Irish Stallion Farms Handicap
5.25pm Lion Dance and Wishing lanterns