NAAS: by Brian Byrne. Naas UDC councillor Pat O'Reilly has defended his stance on the Baba Exports development on the Sallins Road, in particular the sale of the UDC car park to developer Tom Treacy. Cllr O'Reilly says it is a decision he 'did not make lightly'. Full Story.
Full support for walkway to sports centre
NAAS: by Brian Byrne. A motion by Cllr Charlie Byrne that a pedestrian walkway from the Newbridge Road at Jigginstown to the new Caragh Road Sports Centre be built by Naas UDC received virtually unconfined support at the July meeting of the council. Full Story.
Tourist trail signs ARE authorised - KCC
KILDARE GENERAL: by Brian Byrne. 'Tourist Route' signs which have been erected across the county are NOT 'unauthorised', according to Kildare County Council, who provided the signs in a joint project with KELT, the Kildare Leader II company.
A spokesman for the council told KNN that the signs are 'exempted developments' as they are road signs, and that the council had agreed to their provision in 1999. Full Story.
Greengate Festival previews in Naas
NAAS: by Brian Byrne. A preview of some of the entertainment planned for the upcoming Greengate Festival in Naas was presented in the Council Chamber of Naas Town Hall on Thursday night.
The Mona Conroy Showstoppers (above) and Naas No Name Club performed for the occasion, and there was also a display of crafts by asylum seekers living in Kildare, who will put on a larger exhibition during the one-day festival, planned for Sunday August 12. Full Story.
Call for 'clear statement' on Sallins Road planning 'waiver'
NAAS, 26 July: EXCLUSIVE by Brian Byrne. A Naas councillor has called for a clear statement on the process whereby the town's UDC has effectively 'waived' a key planning requirement of a development on the Sallins Road.
This follows an inquiry by KNN which poses a question as to whether normal statutory procedures were followed in relation to the apparent waiving of the condition, which requires the developer to provide a temporary car park on the site before closing the former UDC car park or completing other development work. Full Story.
UDC to take 'legal moves' over path blocking
NAAS: by Trish Whelan & Brian Byrne. Naas UDC is examining legal methods to deal with a problem over the blocking of a footpath on the Craddockstown Road, where a landowner has extended her garden.
The garden was extended last week by post and rail fencing, a new seeded grass area and young trees, and 'private property' signs. Full Story.
Call for curfew on young people
KILDARE GENERAL: by Bill Trapman. Leixlip-based councillor Paul Kelly has called for a curfew to be imposed on young people in towns. He was speaking in relation to the problem of underage drinking and the trouble it leads to.
“I believe that we should consider a curfew, whereby people under the age of 18 would not be allowed in our town centres after 10.30pm on weekdays and 11.30pm at weekends unless they are accompanied by a responsible adult," he says. "The penalty could be an on-the-spot fine."
Cllr Kelly says he doesn't think that this is too draconian, and that parents should know where their children are. "They should not be wandering the streets after dark." Full Story.
Councillor 'unhappy' with car parking progress
LEIXLIP: by Brian Byrne. A Leixlip councillor says that discussions with the ESB on the town's car parking problem appear to have been 'abandoned'. Catherine Murphy was expressing her 'unhappiness' with progress on the problem at the Leixlip Area Committee's recent meeting. Full Story.
'Thumbs down' to Meadowbrook rezoning
MAYNOOTH: by Bill Trapman. Kildare's county engineer has recommended that no further land rezoning should take place in the Meadowbrook area of Maynooth because of flooding problems. His conclusions were discussed at a recent meeting of the Leixlip Area Committee on the Draft Maynooth Development Plan. Under the Draft Plan it is proposed to rezone 50 acres in the Meadowbrook area. Full Story.
KELT Golf Classic to fund initiatives
KILDARE GENERAL: by Bill Trapman. KELT (the County Kildare based European Leader Company) is holding a Golf Classic at Killeen Golf Club on August 20th as one of the ways of raising funds to support their work on community based initiatives in the County. KELT Community Director Paul Croghan said that the reason for raising funds at this stage is that KELT has a number of these projects that cannot wait until the money becomes available later this year under the European and National Leader funds. Full Story.
'Don't nitpick on planning conditions' - councillor
NAAS: by Brian Byrne. A Naas UDC councillor declared last night that council members ‘should not be nitpicking about the letter of the law’ in terms of planning permission conditions. Pat O’Reilly (right) was responding to a motion by Pat McCarthy which asked that planning conditions be enforced, in particular those relating to the new development by Baba Exports Ltd on the Sallins Road. Baba is controlled by Newbridge-based developer Tom Treacy.
The McCarthy motion was rooted in a running controversy about the developer’s claim that he couldn’t fulfil a key condition of providing an alternative car park on the site to the now-closed Sallins Road car park, which was recently sold to him by the UDC for £500,000. Mr Treacy was to build a link road on the site first and use that as a temporary car park while a planned multi-storey facility was constructed. Full Story.
Tourist trail signs are 'litter', says deputy
KILDARE GENERAL: by Brian Byrne. The erection of 'tourist route' signs around the county has being challenged with a claim that they are 'unauthorised'.
The signs, which are a joint project between KELT and Kildare County Council, were erected under work carried out in conjunction with both KELT and Kildare County Council and the exact locations for the signs were decided by the Road Design Department of Kildare County Council. They outline various tourist routes, and indicate local facilities where they are placed on the entrances to towns and villages. Full Story.
Dunstown power station refusal upheld
DUNSTOWN: by Brian Byrne. An Bord Pleanala has turned down an appeal against a refusal for permission to build a power station at Dunstown Wood near Carnalway.
This follows a long and hard-fought campaign by local people since the project was first mooted in late 1999. The proposal was made by Alvale Systems Ltd, a consortium of Bord na Mona, Elf Aquitaine Gas and Fortum. Full Story.
KARE Fete again a resounding success
THE CURRAGH: by Grace Halford. The recent annual KARE Fete was again a resounding success, thanks to the help of regular volunteers and groups who provide entertainment on the day.
The event was held on the Curragh as usual, and is one of a number of key fundraising initiatives for the county's main service organisation for children and adults with mental handicap. Full Story.
UDC given an ultimatum over tree pruning
NAAS: by Brian Byrne. Four Naas UDC members have given the authority a deadline to July 30 to have overgrown trees in Ashgrove Estate pruned. And councillors Mary Glennon, Pat McCarthy, Anthony Egan and Charlie Byrne say if the work is not done, they will suggest the residents have the job carried out themselves and send the bill to the UDC.
In a letter to the town clerk, the councillors say this will set a 'serious precedent' for other estates in the town who feel they are waiting too long for UDC work to be carried out. The councillors say they are constantly being asked by the residents of Ashgrove about the pruning, which has been under discussion since May of last year.
Festival appeal for buskers, stands
NAAS: by Bill Trapman. The organisers of the upcoming Greengate Festival in Naas have appealed for people interested in entertaining or providing a stand at the event to contact them.The event will take place on Sunday 12th August. Full Story.
Multicoloured dreamshow for new Arts Centre
NEWBRIDGE: by Grace Halford. Students from all over the Kildare area have come together to put on what will undoubtedly be one of the most spectacular performances of Joseph And His Technicolor Dream Coat to have been staged in Newbridge. Together Productions have teamed up with Crooked House Productions to present the first-ever musical to be staged in the new County Arts Centre in Newbridge. Full Story.
Great enthusiasm at Mini World Cup 2001
NAAS: by Trish Whelan. They may have been wearing shirts supporting Man Utd, Liverpool, even Bayern Munich but all the 70 soccer mad youngsters who took part in the Naas AFC’s Mini World Cup day had only one thing on their minds - to win glory for their country. Full Story.
Developer sues council for £22m
COUNTY HALL: by Brian Byrne. A lawsuit claiming £22m in compensation has been instigated by developer Gerry Deane against Kildare County Council, whose controversial housing plan for Ballymore Eustace was severely curtailed by An Bord Pleanala.
The 'loss of earnings' claim was made by Mr Deane following the scaling down of his original 507-house proposal to 149 houses in a series of planning applications and appeals over the last three years. Full Story.
Housing strategy main concern of commissioners
NEWBRIDGE, 12 July 2001: by Grace Halford. Today is the last day for submissions on Kildare’s Draft Housing Strategy, and the document was the main source of discussion at Tuesday night’s meeting of Newbridge Town Commission. Councillor John O’Neill noted that Newbridge was one of the fastest-growing towns in the county with and estimated population of 45,000 forecasted for the next 20 years.
The strategy looks to 2005 and was compiled by Newbridge town clerk Charlie Talbot as County Kildare's special projects officer. It shows that the number of people on the housing lists is still increasing despite attempts by the Council to tackle it, and he told the commissioners that the main problem was ‘due to the rising costs of land and house prices in the area’. Full Story.
Teachers protest 'in frustration' at VEC
NAAS: by Brian Byrne. Members of the Teachers Union of Ireland attached to County Kildare VEC protested yesterday to show their 'frustration' over the VEC's refusal to administer an Additional Voluntary Contributions Scheme which is operated by every other VEC in the country.
More than 20% of the 250 teachers in the county system are affected by the situation, over the failure of the VEC to deduct at source contributions from the salaries of teachers. The scheme allows members without enough service to gain a full pension to 'buy' extra years of service prior to their retirement. Full Story.
Labour Court makes Peerless recommendation
ATHY: by Brian Byrne. The Labour Court has recommended that the employees of Peerless Rugs in Athy each be given three weeks' pay per year of service in addition to the statutory redundancy offered by the company.
In the recommendation, the court's chairman Finbar Flood also said that as the company had failed to provide - as agreed - the financial figures to the SIPTU union, and the fact of a claim that the parent company, Reflond Group, was moving production to a sister plant in Cork, 'the question of a restructuring rather than an insolvency situation arises'. Full Story.
Two Kildare men charged with IRA membership
ATHY & KILDANGAN: by Brian Byrne. Two men have been charged with membership of an illegal organisation at the Special Criminal Court following the discovery of arms in three parts of the county at the weekend.
They are Richard Whyte of Richardstown, Kildangan, and John Maloney of Geraldine, Athy. They were charged with membership of the Irish Republican Army, also known as Oglaigh na hEireann and the IRA.
Both men were remanded in custody until Friday, when they are expected to apply for bail.
Naas's 'Mr Greenfingers' is transforming neglected areas
NAAS: by Trish Whelan. If ever a man loved his job, it must surely be Naas’s ‘Mr Greenfingers’, Dermot O’Farrell, whose enthusiasm knows no bounds as he goes about his work as town gardener transforming neglected areas into blossoming works of art. Full Story.
Two men being questioned about arms finds
NEWBRIDGE & NAAS, 9 July 2001: by Grace Halford. Gardai involved in an ongoing investigation into the activities of dissident Republicans have uncovered what was an alleged Real IRA training camp in Co Kildare. Within the camp a significant quantity of weapons and ammunition were found. Full Story.
New heritage centre attracts visitors from all over the world
KILDARE, 9 July 2001: by Grace Halford. The recently refurbished Market House in Kildare Town as a new local heritage centre has already attracted visitors from all over the world, including America, Europe and Asia. Its early success is a classic example of various community organisations coming together with one goal. Full Story.
West wing of Castletown House is secure
CELBRIDGE: by Bill Trapman. The re-roofing of the West Wing of Castletown House (above) is now complete and the structure of the house is now secure.
The total cost of work to date on Castletown House has been close to £8 million, and the next stage is the improvement of visitor facilities, for which funding is available under the National Development Plan.
Naas to get a chance to recycle
NAAS: by Trish Whelan. The waste collection service for Naas is to provide a special collection for cardboard to its business customer base for a trial period of three months from 18 July. In addition, Oxigen has made a proposal to provide a free ‘green bin’ for recyclable waste to their entire household customer base.
The cardboard collection trial has been instigated at the request of Naas Chamber of Commerce. The household recyclable collection would involve the distribution of more than 2,000 green bins.
LEIXLIP: OPINION by Mike Parle. With the Irish General Elections next year, and Local Elections in 2004, let's get an open debate going on the health of local democracy.
Two reasons say why it will affect you:
1. The passing of the new Local Government Bill through the Dail
2. The imminent publication of the Draft Development Plan for the town of Leixlip. Full Opinion.
Taoiseach opens sports centre
NAAS: by Brian Byrne. The new Naas Sports Centre was officially opened by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern today during a whirlwind tour of the Kildare North constituency.
The centre, when completed, will include four all-weather football fields, a running track, open stadium area for discus, shot and javelin, two five-a-side outdoor football pitches, and the sports hall and changing rooms which are already built. Full Story.
Draft housing strategy 'confirms excessive rezoning' - planning alliance
KILDARE GENERAL: by Bill Trapman. Proposed rezonings for Kilcock, Maynooth, Celbridge, Kill and Clane require to be dropped from the final drafts of their proposed development plans if the Draft Housing Strategy for Co Kildare is to be adopted says the Kildare Planning Alliance.
The Draft Housing Strategy being prepared by Kildare County Council, and currently available for public comment, estimates that 13,540 new households will be formed in the County by 2006. If realised, the KPA says this would represent an increase of almost 47,000 people on the 1996 Census figure – a huge influx with major planning implications. Full Story.
Call for Fianna Fail to 'restore discipline'
NEWBRIDGE: by Brian Byrne. Newbridge Fianna Fail town commissioner Pat Black has called on senior people within the party to ‘restore discipline’ in County Kildare cumanns before calling the next election, likely to happen any time from April (or even this autumn, according to some recent media suggestions).
Black is one of three FF public representatives in three towns who have been effectively ‘shafted’ by colleagues for positions at AGMs in local administrations, and he says it bodes ill for the party in the county if there are already such signs of disunity and backstabbing. Full Story.
'Conflict of interest' move denied at UDC
NAAS: by Brian Byrne. An attempt by Naas UDC councillor Mary Glennon to have political donations by developers be a possible conflict of interest situation when voting on matters relating to such developers failed on Tuesday night when outgoing chairman Pat O’Reilly ruled that such donations were not in conflict with the business at hand.
The business was the vote on the sale of the UDC’s Sallins Road car park to Newbridge-based developer Tom Treacy for £500,000, details of which were published on KNN on Tuesday morning. Although Glennon didn’t get to naming any councillors, Timmy Conway jumped in to say his PD party had been in receipt of £1,000 from Treacy towards Conway’s 1997 Dail attempt campaign, but it had been ‘properly declared’. Full Story.
£35m leisure, residential, commercial plan
NAAS: by Brian Byrne & Trish Whelan. A planning application for a £35 million hotel, leisure, residential and office development at Rathasker Road has been lodged with Naas UDC. The developers are Kildare Estates, led by Clane developer John O’Connell.
The 8-acre site is to the rear of the Devoy Barracks area, which itself is to be developed by Naas UDC for affordable housing and part of which will become the headquarters location for both the UDC and Kildare County Council. Full Story.
Ray O'Brien new chairman of Newbridge TC
NEWBRIDGE: by Grace Halford. Cmmr Ray O’Brien (pictured above with Cmmr Murt Aspell) was last night elected Cathaoirleach of Newbridge Town Commission for the coming year. There were three nominations for the position - Cmmr Pat Black, Cmmr O’Brien and Cmmr Spike Nolan. Full Story.
Willie Callaghan elected to Naas UDC chair
NAAS: by Brian Byrne. Cllr Willie Callaghan has been elected as chairman of Naas UDC for the coming year. He won the position with the votes of six members, against three for the second candidate, Cllr Mary Glennon.
Thanking his colleagues for their support, he said he wouldn't 'make any promises' but did have a number of 'wishes' for the term of his chairmanship. These included a hope that all those around the table could 'work together for the people of Naas', and he called for an end to 'shouting matches which only caused bad blood'. Full Story.
NAAS: OPINION by Brian Byrne. It wasn’t so much a case of shooting the messenger, just taking poorly-aimed potshots at him (see below). Last night’s performances at Naas UDC were all too familiar.
But that’s what journalists are for. Set them up, shoot ’em down. If you can stop the hand shaking. Full Story.
UDC reporting criticised by councillors
NAAS: by Brian Byrne. Rather predictably, outgoing UDC chairman Pat O'Reilly ended his year in office last night as he had begun it, by making strong criticisms of members of the news media who cover the proceedings of the UDC. He also criticised colleagues for 'breaking of confidentiality' in repeating council matters to the media, which he described as a 'deplorable practice'.
Cllr O'Reilly said there had been 'biased and inaccurate' reports published by 'a minority of journalists who listen to too much gossip' which brought members of the chamber 'into disrepute'. And he condemned what he termed 'cheap, headline-catching practices' by some of his colleagues, which he believed should have them 'suspended' from the council. Full Story.
Concerned at time frame for Straffan work
STRAFFAN: by Bill Trapman. A major programme of work on the Straffan renewal project is to begin in 2003, but Cllr Geraldine Conway says she is concerned that this does not leave enough time for the work to be done in advance of the Ryder Cup golf event scheduled for the K Club two years later.
The required work includes the construction of footpaths, the resurfacing and realignment of roads and the development of a traffic management plan for the community. Consultants Arup, retained by the K Club, have finished their assessment of what is required to facilitate the event and meetings are planned between the concultants, the club management and local councillors.
Cllr Conway says that it is important that the community is made aware of what work needs to be done, the disruption they are to expect and where the finances are coming from.
Councillors to vote tonight on car park deal
NAAS: by Brian Byrne. Members of Naas UDC will be voting this evening on a proposal to sell to Newbridge-based developer Tom Treacy the authority's Sallins Road car park (above) for £500,000. The property has been independently valued at £1.5m, but the councillors are being asked to take into consideration that Mr Treacy has to build a link road on his property between the Sallins Road and Dublin Road as part of his overall development, at a cost of £500,000.
Although the vote is third item on the originally published agenda, it is quite possible that it could actually be taken before the AGM of the UDC, scheduled for 8pm this evening. This would give the incoming chairman 'a clean slate' in terms of what has been a somewhat contentious issue since the UDC gave planning permission last June for Mr Treacy's development.
Full Story.
John O'Neill elected Cathaoirleach of KCC
COUNTY HALL: by Trish Whelan & Brian Byrne. Cllr John O'Neill of Newbridge is Kildare's latest first citizen after being elected chairman of Kildare County Council at yesterday's AGM of the council. Cllr Jim Reilly of Carbury was elected vice-chairman.
Many tributes were paid from all political sides of the chamber to outgoing chairman Cllr Rainsford Hendy, who had to conduct his last meeting from a wheelchair following an accident at the weekend Budweiser Derby, where he had been honoured for his work in promoting Kildare as 'the thoroughbred county'. Full Story.
Big turnout to local hero cycle race
KILDARE TOWN: by Grace Halford. The rain didn’t deter the crowds in Kildare town last Wednesday night who came out in their hundreds to pay homage to one of the town's best known sporting heroes, Paddy Flanagan, who passed away suddenly last year. Paddy was one of Ireland’s best-known sportsmen and an all-time great of Irish cycling. He is best remembered for his 1960s win of the Rás Táilteann, which later became known as the FBD Milk Rás. Full Story.
More than £2m for Leixlip library
LEIXLIP: by Bill Trapman. Leixlip has been granted over £2 million for the provision of a new library. Work is expected to begin on the project in the very near future. The new building will replace the existing facility accommodated in Newtown House (left).
The news has been welcomed by local councillor Paul Kelly who said the new premises will be a welcome addition to the town. "This facility will not only promote and encourage reading, but will also offer a full range of information and communications technology services, and will be a great resource for the town," he says. "It will also allow Kildare’s progressive Library service to foster the arts in Leixlip with facilities for exhibitions and lectures."
Naas fire station is officially opened
NAAS: by Bill Trapman. Almost 100 road traffic accidents and vehicle fires were among the 354 emergency calls attended by Naas Fire Brigade last year, while 19 house fires and 31 fires in 'other premises' were dealt with. The service's new fire station was officially opened on Saturday last by the minister for finance, Charlie McCreevy TD. Full Story.
Artist’s work ‘greatly influenced’ by Kildare
KILDARE: by Grace Halford. Last week Kildare was given the privilege of seeing the first exhibition in nine years by international multi- media artist Kenny Morris.
The event was held in Bride St as part of the Derby Festival and featured a variety of works from his collection including pieces from a British exhibition in 1992, which have never been seen in Ireland. Full Story.
Clane AIMS awards winners
CLANE: by Trish Whelan. This photo is of the AIMS winners and winners of the society awards this year. Back row: Tom Kavanagh, 'Take it to the limit' award; Aidan Donoghue, AIMS award winner Best Actor; Arthur McGauran Jnr, 'Spirit of the show' award; Arthur McGauran, AIMS award Runner Up Best Director; Front row: Angela Clifford, 'Stephen Coleman You make a difference award'; Marie Cusack, AIMS award Winner Best Stage Manager.
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