Open night to showcase Town Council houses

NAAS, 30 October 2002: Naas Town Council is to follow the example of private estate agents and hold an Open Night in the Town Hall to showcase its latest development of Affordable Houses on the Caragh Road.

Wants patriot remembered

NAAS, 27 October 2002: Cllr Pat McCarthy says the memory of the patriot John Devoy should continue to be commemorated in the new development of the Civic Offices on the site of the old Devoy Barracks (above).

Yet another NTC row over Oldtown

NAAS, 26 October 2002: Naas Town Councillors have had another major public barney over Oldtown Estate, this time focusing on the apparent ‘loss’ of some five acres of gardens (above) which were promised to the Council in return for rezoning in the 1999 Naas Development Plan.

History seminar in Kilcullen

KILCULLEN, 25 October 2002: Local history groups from all over the county was represented at the 4th Annual History Seminar organised by the Co Kildare Federation of History Groups, in the environmentally friendly surroundings of the Kilcullen Heritage Centre recently.

Naas to address 'illegal businesses' problem

NAAS, 25 October 2002: Unauthorised businesses and services operating from private houses in estates in Naas came in for strong criticism at a recent Naas Town Council meeting.

Celbridge young musicians get 'high achiever' awards

CELBRIDGE, 23 October 2002: Nine students have been chosen to receive  Permanent TSB High Achievers Awards by the Royal Irish Academy of Music, due to their outstanding results in their recent music exams.

Playgrounds funding motion passed

KILDARE GENERAL, 21 October 2002: A proposal by Cllr John McGinley which has been unanimously accepted by Kildare County Council will allow General Development Levies to be revised in order to cater for the provision of children’s and teenagers’ playgounds such as the one in Newbridge (above).

Decision on new community school site 'in November'

NAAS, 18 October 2002: A decision on the provision of a new St Patrick’s Community College in Naas will be made by mid-November, according to school principal Tom Keegan. Speaking at the college’s recent Open Day, he said the choice is still between the existing site of 8 acres or a greenfield site of 9.6 acres, of which a proposed site at Sallins Road ‘is just one’.

Workhouse cemetary memorial

NAAS, 17 October 2002: Naas Local History Group are planning to erect a memorial stone at the Workhouse Cemetery on the Craddockstown Road as a mark of respect to the many who lie there.

Help find Barney?

MONASTEREVIN, 16 October 2002: The owner of a dog which went missing on October 13 in Monasterevin have appealed for KNN viewers to help in finding him.

Rats rampant around lake amenity area

NAAS, 16 October 2002: Residents of the Ballymore Road in Naas say this year has seen an explosion in the rat population around the lakes area amenity area near Naas Hospital. Local resident Brendan Drewitt (above) has repeatedly warned people to stay away from the edge of the lake, where the rats are.

Leixlip Garda Station comes closer

LEIXLIP, 14 October 2002: Closure of the purchase of a site for a Garda Station in Leixlip is ‘expected in the coming weeks’ according to the minister for finance, Charlie McCreevy.

Gardai, youth group, warn on Hallow E'en

KILDARE GENERAL, 13 October 2002: With the approach of Hallow E'en, gardai have issued a strong safety message to parents and children who might buy and use fireworks, which are illegal without special licence here.

Permission granted for Celbridge arts centre

CELBRIDGE, 12 October 2002: A unit in the Celbridge Industrial Estate is to be turned into a Centre for the Performing Arts & Media following the granting of permission by Kildare County Council for a change of use of the premises.

Councillors to support council in waste appeal

MAYNOOTH, 11 October 2002: Two Labour councillors are to make representations to An Bord Pleanala on an appeal by Westside Waste to the rejection of their planning application for a waste processing centre at Blacklion, Maynooth.

Minister warns 'we have lost competitiveness'

MAYNOOTH, 10 October 2002: Minister for finance Charlie McCreevy has warned that pay increases under any new partnership agreement ‘must enhance competitiveness’.

Parents tell of 'frustration' over school safety issues

NAAS, 10 October 2002: A 17-year fight by parents at St Corban’s Primary School to have Naas Town Council officials deal with safety issues outside the school finally resulted in some work being carried out during the summer. But the parents now say much of what has been done is ‘neither what they expected or all they were promised’.

Stagg 'amazed' at E8.6m consultants bill

COUNTY HALL, 9 October 2002: Information provided following a motion by Deputy Emmet Stagg, seeking information on the number of engineers and consultants employed by Kildare County Council, shows that E8.6m was spent on such outside contractors in the three-year period 1999-2001.

Leixlip CU goes online for loans, accounts status

LEIXLIP, 9 October 2002: Leixlip & District Credit Union has officially launched its new website which will allow members to view their own accounts and apply for loans online.

Warning on car thefts

KILDARE GENERAL, 9 October 2002: Gardai have issued another warning to people not to leave their car keys in a visible place at night, following a number of instances recently when vehicles were stolen after burglars entered homes and picked up the keys.

Newbridge Nice debate fails to fire

NEWBRIDGE, 8 October 2002: The electorate won’t have had their confusion lessened after last night’s debate on the Nice issue organised by Newbridge Chamber of Commerce. Not because the clarifications weren’t there. But because the electorate wasn’t.

KTK Landfill information day this week

KILCULLEN, 7 October 2002: Waste disposal company KTK Landfill is to hold an information day at its site in Brownstown, Kilcullen, on Thursday next. Anybody interested can visit the site between 3-7pm on the day.

Naas car park opens this weekend

NAAS, 5 October 2002: Developer Tom Treacy didn't blush when he said that 'we have made better progress than anticipated' and told councillors and guests (above) on Friday that his multi-storey car park in Naas would open over the weekend.

Leixlip trip to Niles strengthens US links

LEIXLIP, 3 October 2002: Leixlip Twinning Association has strengthened its links with its US twin town of Niles in Illinois, with a recent visit by 19 local people led by local councillors Colm Purcell and Sean Purcell.

Garda warning on guns security

KILDARE GENERAL, 3 October 2002: The garda authorities have issued a strong warning to holders of licenced firearms to be 'extremely security conscious about their guns. This follows a series of thefts recently of firearms from homes and vehicles.

Nice debate at Stand House

NEWBRIDGE, 3 October 2002: Newbridge Chamber of Commerce is hosting a debate on the Treaty of Nice on Monday night, 7 October, at the Stand House Hotel. Public participation will be allowed.

Students presented with awards

NAAS, 2 October 2002: Awards for outstanding achievements have been made to Leaving Cert students at Naas CBS.

Homes from E115,000 may be possible

NAAS, 2 October 2002: People who qualify for the affordable housing scheme in Naas may be able to buy their homes for as little as E115,000, councillors were told at a recent meeting of Naas Town Council.

KILDARE GENERAL & LEIXLIP, 2 October 2002: Kildare County Council has set up a food waste composting facility at Silliot Hill which is designed to turn household food waste into compost. It is just one of the initiatives in waste treatment which are aimed at reducing the amount of household waste that go into landfill.

NAAS, 2 October 2002: Naas Town Council has been asked to intervene in a TV service 'standoff' between residents in the Caragh Road area and the Chorus communications company which serves Naas Town.

KILDARE GENERAL, 2 October 2002: More Irish women can be encouraged to 'seize the opportunity' to start their own business, finance minister Charlie McCreevy told the annual charity business dinner of the Kildare branch of Network Ireland at the Red House recently.

The catchment areas of any of North Kildare’s three main towns, Leixlip, Maynooth, or Celbridge, would be sufficient to support a public swimming pool for the area, according to a report posted out to councillors. The study was commissioned 18 months ago, following an earlier one in 1998 that said the pool would cost the equivalent of E4.32m.


Draft by-laws to provide for pay parking in Celbridge are on public display. The regulations provide for parking charges of E1 an hour in designated areas. Local councillor Geraldine Conway has consistently voted against the proposals, saying matters such as ‘park and ride’ possibilities and public transport should be dealt with first.

A joint meeting of the Kildare North and Kildare South Labour Constituency Councils on 14 October will hear addresses from the candidates for positions of Leader and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party. The event will be held in Keadeen Hotel.


An E2.6m marina project in Athy is in danger of being put on ice. Developer John Lynch has been let down by a promise of E1m from the Government and unless Kildare County Council writes off a potential E750,000 in development levies, he says he’ll have to postpone the project for 10 years. Kildare County Manager Niall Bradley is not disposed to accommodate him for fear it will set a precedent.


The Parents Association at Ard Scoil Rath Iongain in Rathangan collected a total of E7,067 through their annual auction and a golf classic during the last year. The money will be used to provide ‘extras’ for the school.


The RehabCare Bear fundraising week begins Monday 14 October and a number of schools in the county are taking part in the selling of emblems to help raise money for Rehab activities. They include schools in Blessington, Celbridge, Kilashee, Kilcullen, Rathangan, Clane and Allen. The emblems cost E2 each. The initiative aims to raise E1.27m over three years to help care for some 1,700 people a year.


A guided walk around Donadea Forest next Sunday 13 October will be the Kildare county involvement in the Feile Samhna na gCrann. The walk will start at the Castle at 2.30pm and will be conducted by park manager George Hipwell. The event will include folklore of trees in poetry and song.