It's all over!

NAAS: by Trish Whelan. It's all over at last! Pictured recently after their final Leaving Cert exams at Naas CBS were Marc Jordan, Robert Kenna, Colm Browne, Cormac Haughian, Conor Wheeler, and Justin Kinahan. (back right).

KCC seeks material contravention at Roseberry

NEWBRIDGE, 30 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. Kildare County Council is seeking a material contravention for agricultural land it owns at Roseberry in Newbridge, so it can give itself planning permission for the development of the first phase of an integrated social housing development.

Wants Sallins bypass project speeded up

SALLINS, 30 June 2002: by Trish Whelan. Right now it may be only a line on a map in the Development Plan, but a by-pass for Sallins came a step closer last week with agreement by the Naas Area Committee of Kildare County Council to use development levies to fund the design stage of the road.

Arconagh residents want council to take estate in charge

NAAS, 29 June 2002: by Trish Whelan. Residents of Arconagh housing estate in Naas are investigating legal procedures by which they can force the town’s council to take the estate in charge and deal with what they say are ‘totally unacceptable’ health and safety hazards on the estate.

Celbridge Development Plan adopted

CELBRIDGE, 29 June 2002: by Bill Trapman. A Development Plan for the town of Celbridge was adopted by Kildare county councillors at their meeting held on the 10th June 2002.

Newbridge Rotary will help raise 80m euros against polio

NEWBRIDGE, 29 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. Newbridge Rotary Club will continue fundraising activities to help in the global fight against polio, even though Europe was last week declared polio-free by the World Health Organisation.

Omaha visit to Naas will be city's biggest twinning visit

NAAS, 28 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. The visit to Naas by a delegation from Omaha, Nebraska (above), in August will be the biggest group of people the middle-America city’s Sister Cities Association has ever sent abroad to a twin.

Traffic Management Plan delayed by photocopying

NEWBRIDGE, 27 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. Newbridge Town Council members feel they’re being 'lost in the photocopier' in relation to the Traffic Management Plan which was completed by Kildare County Council three weeks ago.

Monread playground to 'open in August'

NAAS, 27 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. The long-awaited playground in Monread Park 'will be opened in August', outgoing mayor of Naas Willie Callaghan told the town council at the AGM this week. And he said that with planning permission now cleared for the Swimming Pool operated by Kildare County Council, that the possibility of establishing a second playground at the Fair Green site 'should be looked at'.

Litter Hotline set up by council

KILDARE GENERAL, 27 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. Kildare County Council has established a freephone hotline for reporting litter offences.

Ford WRC ace to head entry at Punchestown spectacular

PUNCHESTOWN, 27 June 2002: by Bill Trapman. Former world rally champion Colin McRae and the Ford World Rally team have confirmed they will attend the World Rally Experience at Punchestown Racecourse on July 21.

Flood alleviation works will involve road closures

MAYNOOTH & STRAFFAN, 26 June 2002: by Bill Trapman. Interim flood alleviation works on the Lyreen/Meadowbrook rivers in Maynooth will commence within the next fortnight. Similar work is to start on the Morrell River at Straffan.

Donnelly Mirrors parent company taken over

NAAS, 26 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. The US-based parent company of Donnelly Mirrors in Naas has been acquired by automotive systems developer and manufacturer Magna International Inc of Aurora, Ontario, Canada.

Timmy Conway elected Mayor of Naas

NAAS, 26 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. Councillor Timmy Conway has been elected as the first full-term ‘mayor’ of Naas. He is pictured above, (second from left), celebrating after his election with members of his family David, Maureen, Deirdre and his wife Kate.

Councillors' abstentions win Lakelands parking vote

NAAS, 25 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. Relief for residents of Lakelands and the Sycamores estates in Naas which are used for free parking by non residents is coming closer following the carrying of two motions at Naas Town Council last week.

Mitsubishi signs up Ray O'Brien

NEWBRIDGE 24 June 2002: The Ray O’ Brien motor group in Co Kildare has signed up as a Mitsubishi dealership. The group already holds dealerships for Mazda cars and commercials, Opel cars and light vans and Mercedes commercials.

School extension scheme 'being examined'

MAYNOOTH, 24 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. The revised Development Sketch Scheme for the required extension to Maynooth Post Primary School has been submitted to the Department of Education.

Leixlip Garda Station site now closer

LEIXLIP, 24 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. The completion of the purchase of a site for a Garda Station for Leixlip is nearing conclusion and the Chief State Solicitor's office is currently finalising matters relating to title.

Maynooth University in intranet degree initiative

MAYNOOTH, 22 June 2002: by Michael Freeman. Maynooth University is one of four third level colleges in Ireland which are collaborating in the first National University of Ireland degree programme to be delivered by ‘e-learning’ across the Internet.

Rift over Omaha in Naas Twinning Committee

NAAS, 22 June 2002: by Brian Byrne & Trish Whelan. A rift between voluntary and politician members of the Naas Twinning Committee has arisen over the latest twinning with Omaha, Nebraska.

Naas golfer appointed PRO to Charlie McCreevy

NAAS, 22 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. A member of Naas Golf Club has been appointed as press officer to the minister for finance, Charlie McCreevy TD. He is Dermot Ryan, who served as an assistant principal in the Department of Finance for the past seven years.

KELT Leader Plus to help retain rural Kildare

KILDARE GENERAL, 21 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. "Far too many people are trying to do away with rural Ireland," Anna May McHugh, MD of the National Ploughing Association, said at Punchestown last night. "And I'm very glad to see the rural emphasis in the latest KELT programme."

Private sites to go ahead in Celbridge

CELBRIDGE, 21 June 2002: by Bill Trapman. Deputy Emmet Stagg has now established that there is no structural impediment to proceeding with the development of the ‘private sites’ at St. Patrick’s Park, Celbridge.

Kildare County Council proposes taximeter area changes

KILDARE GENERAL, 20 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. Kildare County Council proposes to create taximeter areas within its boundaries and the Transportation Strategic Policy Committee has invited submissions/observations from the public. The proposals include the following:-

Diversity exhibition by Celbridge Art Group

CELBRIDGE, 19 June 2002: by Bill Trapman. Diversity is an exhibition of paintings by 38 different artists from Celbridge, Co Kildare who make up the Abbey Art Group, and it is currently at the Riverbank Arts Centre in Newbridge, scheduled to finish on June 22.

Councillors told of need for 'urgent action' on Kilcullen link

KILCULLEN, 18 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. The need for urgent action by Kildare County Council to work with a property developer on providing a key stage of a proposed link road in Kilcullen was forcefully made to councillors last night when they were brought on a walkabout of the site by Kilcullen Community Action.

Motions on Lakelands parking problem

NAAS, 18 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. Two motions to deal with the parking problems at Lakelands in Naas are on the agenda for tonight’s meeting of Naas Town Council.

New KELT rural development programme

KILDARE GENERAL, 18 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. The new KELT Leader Plus Programme will be launched on Thursday at Punchestown racecourse. KELT, the rural development company for County Kildare, has secured funding totalling over five million euros up to 2006.

Motor Tax Office to close for changes

NAAS, 18 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. The Motor Taxation Office in Friary Road, Naas, will be closed on June 21 to facilitate a changeover in systems dealing with motor tax and driving licences.

O'Malley exhibition upcoming

NEWBRIDGE, 17 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. A exhibition of paintings and gouaches by artist Tony O’Malley will run for a month at the Riverbank Arts Centre in Newbridge, from the 28th of June.

Narraghmores win Scottish piping championship

NARRAGHMORE, 17 June 2002: by Martin Dempsey. Lord Edward's Own, Narraghmore Pipe Band has continued its winning form by taking first place in its grade at the Scottish Pipe Band Championships in Dumbarton, Scotland.

Menopause information meeting

NEWBRIDGE, 17 June 2002: by Bill Trapman. A public information meeting on the menopause will take place on Wednesday evening in Keadeen Hotel, Newbridge.

Grants available for anti-litter awareness

KILDARE GENERAL, 17 June 2002: by Bill Trapman. Kildare County Council has invited applications from interested groups for funding for projects that promote greater public awareness and education in relation to litter pollution.

Naas pubs 'should put something back' - councillor

NAAS, 16 June 2002: by Trish Whelan. The lack of a Street Festival in Naas during the Punchestown Festival was criticised at a recent Naas Town Council meeting. Mayor Willie Callaghan said he had received many complaints over the demise of the Street Festival which had provided evening entertainment in the town.

Omaha delegate sends greetings to Naas

ASSISI, ITALY & NAAS, 15 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. Greetings from Omaha have been sent to Naas by one of the delegates from the Nebraska, USA, capital who brought the first charter documents from there to Naas last November.

New call for explanation of playgrounds delay

NAAS, 15 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. A Naas man who has campaigned for the provision of playgrounds in the town for many years has asked councillors of the town to again raise the issue of why there is a continuing delay in getting such facilities.

Clane Musical Society in Killarney with bated breath

CLANE, 15 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. A number of Clane Musical Society members and their supporters will be waiting anxiously this evening in Killarney as they see how the society’s nominees for AIMS awards get on.

Sgt Gralton leaves Naas with promotion

NAAS, 12 June 2002: by Trish Whelan. Naas has lost a sergeant-in-Charge who has proved to be an exceptionally well regarded community policeman as well as a crime investigator of high ability.

'Decisions made' to rectify development control crisis

KILDARE GENERAL, 12 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. Kildare County Council has ‘taken decisions’ to rectify a serious problem in the Development Control Section, which has been without any staff since March of 2001.

600 parking spaces in Naas development

NAAS, 11 June 2002: by Bill Trapman. A four-star hotel, leisure, and office/ residential complex at Rathasker Road in Naas will include car parking for 600 vehicles when it is completed next year.

Leixlip goes all flowery

LEIXLIP, 10 June 2002: by Bill Trapman. More than 200 floral displays have been installed in Leixlip in recent weeks, providing a colourful aspect to the town for the summer season.

School celebrates students' achievements

NAAS, 7 June 2002: by Trish Whelan. The principal of St Patrick’s Community College has called for the support of everyone concerned with the school to have a decision on its future arrived at before the end of this month.

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