Lily Whites pull a Phoenix when left for dead KILDARE GENERAL, 12 August 2000: 5.30pm by Brian Byrne. Staff and customers of Nolans Butchers in Kilcullen were just a few of the scores of thousands cheering Kildare's storming finish to a Leinster Football Final in which they had seemed dead in the water. The 2-11 to 12 points scoreline in Kildare's favour was but wishful thinking at half-time when the Lily Whites trailed by six points after a half in which they were inept and disarrayed, despite scoring first blood at two minutes in a point by Willie McCreery. Dublin ran rings around the Kildare side for the first 35 minutes, gaining primary possession all through the play and making the most of it in a series of fine points from a range of players, including Ciarán Whelan, Dessie Farrell and Brian Stynes. And though the blues never managed to score goals, they were comfortably ahead at the 11-5 score when the half-time whistle blew. A dark-faced Mick O'Dwyer must have said some very strong words to his crew during the break, because in the first 90 seconds of the second half, goals scored by Dermot Earley and Tadhg Fennin brought the teams even in no uncertain manner. And from then on there was no uncertainty about the Kildare side at all, as they gained and held possession throughout much of the remainder of the game. Despite strong efforts, many of them very close to the Kildare goalmouth, Dublin only managed to get one point in the second half, courtesy of Connie Moran. Jason Sherlock had an extremely poor game, and missed helping make a scoring chance by 'going for glory' from too far out when the Kildare goal was quite vulnerable. Man of the match from Kildare view was Padraig Brennan, who scored a total of five points for the whites. Willie McCreery also did his bit in the second half, with a fine score in the 66th minute of the game. There were many missed chances on both sides, but Kildare made up enough to ensure that, despite a woeful beginning, they got onto the All-Ireland series. There'll be a big trade in Lily's merchandise between now and September. Main Rover, Land Rover and Volvo dealers, Kildare town. Phone 045 521203; Fax 045 521785. See our selection here. And read Brian Byrne's review of the new Rover 75.

County fans wait for Leinster Final decider KILDARE GENERAL, 12 August 2000: 1.30pm by Brian Byrne. Today's the day that will decide whether Kildare goes through to the national football stage, as they measure up with Dublin for the replay of the Leinster Final. Most commentators figure a tight game again, with Kildare seeming to have a small margin in which to gain. Jimmy Magee was pushed into suggesting a 3-point win for the Lily Whites, but our Trish Whelan says they'll have their work cut out to do that. Nevertheless, there's Lily Fever all over the county and the streets will be very quiet indeed for the TV coverage of the match this afternoon. It remains to be seen whether there'll be a longer market for all the white stuff on sale in the last weeks. Even Dubs came down to mid-Kildare to sell for both sides.

Gardai escort UDC man taking traveller names NAAS, 11 August 2000: 12.30pm by Trish Whelan & Brian Byrne. A Naas UDC representative this morning had a garda escort while he took the names of travellers illegally camped on council land at Caragh Road. The move was in advance of serving a motion to quit on the travellers, who arrived on the site over the last two weeks. The council yesterday put a substantial gate on the site and hired a security firm to stop any other travellers going into the field, which is earmarked for affordable and social housing. The incursion by up to 100 families has also stopped work on the £1.4 million new Sports Centre being built further down the field, close to the canal (see yesterday's story on KNN) and which has serious financial implications for the construction company, Rydell Ltd. Meanwhile, there appears to be some confusion over just what measures a local authority can take to deal with an 'invasion' like that on the Caragh Road. KNN understands that it was intended to bar any traveller vehicles from re-entering the site unless they took out a caravan, but other information suggests that for safety reasons, this cannot be done. "We legally can't stop them from driving in and out to their homes, even if they are parked here illegally," a spokesman with much experience in these matters told us this morning. "And we can't barricade them in, as in the event of an emergency, fire or ambulance vehicles must be able to get in without hindrance. This also applies to privately owned property." Once all the names are listed this morning, a court order will be sought to move those named. This process is somewhat more difficult in August when regular courts are in recess, so it may be necessary for the UDC to organise a private sitting with a judge. The names of individual travellers on the site had to be taken because while the UDC had already noted the registration numbers of all vehicles on the site, according to a UDC man on the site it is common that the registered owner is not the person driving the vehicle. This morning, Cllr Charlie Byrne (above) warned that if tough action wasn't taken in this instance, following the hiring of a security firm, Naas UDC 'would be the laughing stock' of the country. "We're not taking these measures for the comfort and safety of the travellers," he said. "We need to make life more difficult for them." (KNN's previous coverage of this issue is here.)

Pious platitudes ... but no playground NAAS, 11 August 2000: OPINION by Anthony G McAllister. 9 St Gabriel's Place. It is with interest I read the comments of the Naas UDC in connection with the preservation of green areas around the town when they themselves have been instrumental in the destruction of same. The Pairc Na nOg playground is no more despite all the pious platitudes emanating from the Town Hall. What other local authority in the country would allow a builders compound desecrate children’s playing fields without any sign of removal? Where else but Naas would one see the daily spillage of building debris on a section of same in the sure and certain knowledge that the damage is terminal and that the quizzical docile populace can "eat cake"? ED: Please note that opinions expressed under 'OPINION' on KNN are those of the writer concerned, and do not necessarily reflect the views of KNN or its proprietors. This facility is provided in the interests of free speech and public information and may be availed of either to make a point or respond to one.

Naas dancers on Castleatticco twinning trip NAAS, 11 August 2000: 8.30am by Trish Whelan. Naas is renewing acquaintance this weekend with one of its four twins, the scenic Italian village of Castleattico, in a valley 100km from Naples. The group of 25 includes members of Naas Twinning Committee, set dancers and musicians. They will spend until August 17 on the trip, which includes a night in Rome and an outing to Naples. Leading the trip is Twinning Committee chairman Cllr Pat O’Reilly. On board also are his wife, Stella, Orla and Tom O’Connell, piper Kevin O’Neill, Paddy and Mary Hayde and John Kelly. Representing the Nas Na Rí set dancers (above) are Marie Kelly, Marian Lawlor, Susan Curtis, Michele Kelly and her daughter Tara (11), Biddy Kilduff (manager), Josie Doyle, Chris Allison, Mary Delmer, Eithne Wynn and Katherine Wren. ‘Minder’ for the dancers is Marie’s husband, John. The group, set up 20 years ago, have used a number of venues to practice, including the VEC with tutors Felim Mac Donnacha and Mary Curry, and the former St John’s Hall with Brian Keyes. When numbers fell, they moved to the kitchen of Marie’s home at Pacelli Road, where they have met for the past 15 years! They also dance in Hayden’s Pub on Tuesday nights where the tutor is John McNamara. They have already represented Naas at other twinning functions including a trip to another ‘twin’, Allaire in Brittany in 1994, and perform at parties and festivals throughout the year. “They’d go anywhere to dance,” Marie Kelly laughed at a pre-trip get-together of all participants at the Town House Hotel on Monday. She will celebrate her birthday during the trip, on Tuesday, August 15. One of the sets the group will dance in Italy is one Marie made up herself, appropriately called The Nas Na Rí Set. The set dancers will also be showing off their new uniforms in green, white and yellow made by Marie, Chris Allison and Mary Delmer. Three generations of the Kelly family are represented on the trip - grandparents Marie and John, their daughter-in-law Michelle and grandchild Tara. Tara dances with the Jennifer Landers School of Dancing based in Kilcullen. Musicians Cois Lifé - who also play in Hayden’s on Tuesday nights - include John McNamara from Blessington, Mary and Anne Coffey (Templemore) and Alan Keogh from Prosperous. Naas is also twinned with Dillingen in Bavaria and St David’s in Wales.

CLARIFICATION In relation to our recent coverage of the proposed move of St Patrick's Community College, Naas, to a new site, the Principal, Tom Keegan, has asked us to note that he 'has not been instructed to negotiate, nor is he participating in any negotiations, in relation to any such move'. The negotiations are being carried out by the school's Management Trustees.

Council 'should short-cut housing procedures' COUNTY HALL, 11 August 2000: by Trish Whelan. Kildare County Council should try to make available 200 private sites in Leixlip and Celbridge which could be paid for by the Department of the Environment, and should shortcut many procedures to ensure that as many people as possible are housed in the present housing crisis. Speaking at a special meeting of the authority on the housing situation, Cllr Senan Griffin (left) said this would mean people could build their homes for £25-£28,000 less than they could buy them on the open market. He told the meeting he ‘has been hammering privates sites' as one answer to the present housing situation in the county for the past four years. “It’s one of the ways we can cater for people stuck in no man’s land, unable to afford the price of a house on the market,” he said adding that the Shared Ownership Scheme ‘has its limitations’ because there is no house available, particularly in the north or middle of the county, for £130,000. “The alternative is for people to become homeless and then this Council will have to house them.” Cllr Griffin proposed a special group be set up to define policy on housing so that ‘every member and official will know exactly where we all stand’. “We’re going around like headless chickens with over 2,000 on our housing waiting list. We need a radical change of direction and through the Special Policy Committee with Senator Sean O Fearghail as chairman, let’s get it moving.”

Future green areas must be 'identified and protected' NAAS, 11 August 2000: by Trish Whelan. Naas UDC should identify future green areas and new Public Parks and take whatever action is necessary to protect them from development, Cllr Anthony Egan (right) told a recent UDC meeting. He said the town needs environmental buffers as it develops. Cllr Seamie Moore said he supported the motion, but in a different vein. “I see the town coming under immense pressure and every green space seems to be coming up for apartment developments which was never envisaged in those areas.” Cllr Charlie Byrne said he would be looking for the protection of any green areas left in the town. Summing up the debate, chairman Pat O’Reilly said nobody was opposed to the motion and councillors ‘agreed with the sentiments that public open spaces are just that and are not to be built on'.  KILCULLEN ESSO AND XL STOP 'N' SHOP Open 7am-10pm for Fuel, Groceries, Toiletries, Flowers, Newspapers, Deli Food, Fresh Coffee and more.

Department being asked to provide gas conversion funding LEIXLIP, CELBRIDGE & NAAS, 11 August 2000: by Trish Whelan. Kildare County Council is to ask the Department of the Environment & Local Government to provide funding to local authorities to allow conversion to natural gas, particularly in the areas where the ban has been introduced on bituminous coal. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Council to call on the Minister to provide facilities for social welfare recipients to qualify for Reconstruction Loans to install natural gas, given that many householders spend up to £40 a week on fuel costs. With bituminous coal banned in Leixlip, Celbridge and Naas, Cllr Catherine Murphy had asked the Council to seek additional funds from the Department in relation to the conversion to gas of all remaining local authority houses in those areas not already connected to gas. To Advertise on KNN, call 086 8267104, fax 045 481091, or email tellingtales@yahoo.com Advertising rates here

Motoring News, Views and Reviews here

Car of the Week Subaru Legacy 2.5GX

Around and About the County... ATHY: The first steps have been taken for a state-of-the-art Community College in Athy with the announcement of Department of Education approval of £1.4m to purchase ten acres of land on the Monasterevin Road. The news was announced at a recent meeting of Co Kildare Vocational Educational Committee. NAAS: Naas Industrial Estate is in a deplorable condition and does not help to promote jobs to the town, a recent meeting of Naas UDC was told. Cllr Timmy Conway said the Council is trying to attract business to Naas but ‘you could not bring a person in to it.’ He said the state of the place has a very bad effect on the industrial situation in the town and the UDC should do everything in its power to remedy the situation. NEWBRIDGE: Newbridge watercolour artist Rosemary Burns (above) will take a group of artists to Spain in early September. The trip costs £550 all in and the group will stay in a hotel in Camares which is outside Malaga. Her brother lives in the village and she says the scenery is beautiful. The course is open to beginners as well as those with some experience of painting. There are still some places left on the trip and Rosemary can be contacted at 045 432104, or email arcdesigns@tinet.ie NAAS: If traffic heading for the southern end of Naas was shown that there is a motorway exit to the south of the town, it could help reduce traffic levels coming through the town from Dublin. Cllr Pat McCarthy has called for signage indicating the alternative to be placed at the Dublin end of Naas where south-bound traffic separates for the motorway and the town itself. COUNTY HALL: Kildare County Councillors will have their names on their desks when the Council returns in September. Proposing the name tags, chairman Cllr Rainsford Hendy said it happens in other Council Chambers and Kildare should be no different. Having their names up will also make it easier for visitors to identify council members. MAYNOOTH: The European Union has given £785,000 to a group of researchers who are working to determine if it is possible to create the world's first quantum computer. Headed by Dr Jason Twamley of NUI Maynooth, the group includes scientists from all over Ireland and Europe. Quantum computers would work differently than the conventional computers we use every day. Conventional computers work according to the laws of classical physics. However, a quantum computer would work at the molecular level, which operates under the very different physical laws of quantum mechanics. To Advertise on KNN, call 086 8267104, fax 045 481091, or email tellingtales@yahoo.com Advertising rates here

Kildare has many authors of both fiction and non-fiction. We have a special page available to promote their work, which you can access here.

Naas UDC barricades site of traveller invasion NAAS, 10 August 2000: 2pm by Brian Byrne and Trish Whelan. Naas UDC workmen today began work erecting a barrier across the gate leading to Naas Sports Centre, used by up to 100 travellers who have parked their caravans on land belonging to Naas UDC over the past week. The Council has also employed security specialists, Securway Ltd, who will be on duty 24 hours a day at the barrier. Town engineer Tom Cuddy explained they would be restricting access onto the site and the barrier will be a permanent fixture. A spokesperson for Securway Ltd said that vehicles will be allowed back onto the site only if they agree to tow a caravan out - otherwise they will be locked out, and will have to park their vans on the road. Meanwhile UDC Cllr Charlie Byrne (above), chairman of the Naas UDC/Garda Liason Committee, has fired a broadside at local Gardaí and the UDC for allowing the situation develop as far as it had. He asked why the travellers seemed to be exempt from the rigours of the law. “Why haven’t the Gardaí acted here like they did in Castletown last week, where Gardaí and customs officers checked throughout the site for tax, insurance and marked diesel?” In Castletown, Gardaí seized four jeeps which were using agricultural diesel. Charlie Byrne said the law seemed to be applied differently between travellers and ordinary citizens. He asked who is going to compensate the various groups building the £1.4m Sports Centre since work stopped due to the incursion. John Ryan, MD of Rydell Construction Ltd building the new Sports Centre, believes the ‘whole place will have to be power hosed and fumigated’ before work resumes as the part-built building is being used as a toilet by the travellers. “It’s in a desperate state,” he said. Mr Ryan said the situation as far as the project is concerned is 'catastrophic' and at the moment he sees the completion of the contract put back by up to eight weeks because of the invasion. "This is costing us big money," he told KNN this afternoon. "In addition to having our own builders off the site, it is also affecting our suppliers who were scheduled to have materials delivered around now. It will also cause us problems with other contracts which were due to be started by us at the end of this one." Mr Ryan also noted that there is a lot of blockwork to be done on the building and it is important to get this completed during relatively dry summer weather. "The knock-on effects are absolutely horrific." He added that he felt very sorry for the Sports Complex promoters like John Dunne who have worked so hard to get this project off the ground. This morning KNN was advised by the security people not to walk across to the building site with a camera, as it might ‘inflame the situation’. Cllr Byrne said it was a serious thing when an urban councillor and the press weren’t allowed to walk across urban council property without warnings of danger. He said the cost of security is a new cost to the Council as it was not included in the Book of Estimates. However the UDC had included a figure for getting court injunctions. He said councillors had not been told how much it had cost to erect barriers on other sites in the town to prevent travellers from getting in. These had included the main UDC car park, the car park at the back of the Town Hall, at the old railway bridge at Millbrook and a line of bollards on the Dublin Road. But he said it was good to see the UDC finally taking action on the Caragh Road site. While the majority of travellers in Castletown (Celbridge) were described as ‘mobile merchants from England’, many of those on the Caragh Road have Irish registrations, indicating they have bases in Cork, Limerick, Laois, Carlow and Longford. Main Rover, Land Rover and Volvo dealers, Kildare town. Phone 045 521203; Fax 045 521785. See our selection here. And read Brian Byrne's review of the new Rover 75.

CLARIFICATION In relation to our recent coverage of the proposed move of St Patrick's Community College, Naas, to a new site, the Principal, Tom Keegan, has asked us to note that he 'has not been instructed to negotiate, nor is he participating in any negotiations, in relation to any such move'. The negotiations are being carried out by the school's Management Trustees.

Want lane to be made a cul de sac SALLINS, 10 August 2000: by Trish Whelan. Residents of Chapel Lane in Sallins have asked Kildare County Council to make the lane into a cul-de-sac because of the increasing volume of non local traffic using it as a ‘rat run’. Local councillors heard the primary complaint is the use of the road by Heavy Goods Vehicles. A report said as the road widths are inadequate to facilitate turning for such vehicles there is little option for them but to use this route. “If the road were to be closed to create a cul-de-sac turning circles would have to be provided and land purchased to provide them. The main restriction that forces traffic to pass close to the houses is due to the location of the garage on the east side of Chapel Lane and the only solution would be removal of the garage.” Cllrs Tony Lawlor (left) and Mary Glennon said that all residents are in favour of the closure, and Clarke Kitchen’s, the only commercial premises, have no objection. On the proposal of Cllr Lawlor, seconded by Cllr Glennon, it was agreed that Kildare County Council should proceed to advertise its intention to close the right of way and that the statutory procedure inviting submissions should be set in motion. Naas Area Councillors also want to see pedestrian lights in place in Sallins before the local school re-opens in September.

Reward for return of stolen computer NAAS, 10 August 2000: by Brian Byrne. Naas Gardaí have appealed urgently for help in recovering equipment stolen from a jeep last weekend in Naas. They include a Compaq lap top computer, an orange coloured geodimeter value £2,500 used for surveying roads and an Atlas Copco drill, serial number 7105B7998. The computer was in a navy back pack bag with the Irish Cancer Society logo. Gardaí say a large reward is being offered as the owner, an engineer, will lose the results of months of work if it is not recovered.

Anger over Town Renewal Scheme disallowed areas KILCOCK, 9 August 2000: 8.30am by Brian Byrne. A £10 million retail and residential complex planned for the old Kelly’s Bakery site in Kilcock has been dropped by developers because the site was excluded from the recent tax incentive scheme under the Town Renewal Scheme. The site was one of two in the town centre not approved by the Department of the Environment in the plan put forward by Kildare County Council after consultation with local people. The proposal by P&L Developments envisaged 50 apartments and 30,000 sq ft of retail space, as well as an underground car park. A spokesman for the company said they ‘just cannot go ahead’ without the tax incentive. The 1.6-acre site has been described as 'a big ugly building' and an ‘eyesore’ by Leixlip councillor Catherine Murphy, which would cost £500,000 alone just to demolish. Clane area councillor PJ Sheridan said he was ‘incensed’ at the omission. “If there is any place in Kilcock that needs development, it’s Kelly’s Bakery,” he said. “This is the result of people in Dublin making decisions about places that are nothing more than marks on a map.” Meanwhile, there’s also considerable anger in Rathangan (below), where just nine out of 17 areas proposed for inclusion were approved. The disallowed areas represented around 70 per cent of those proposed, and included most of the centre of the town. Main Rover, Land Rover and Volvo dealers, Kildare town. Phone 045 521203; Fax 045 521785. See our selection here. And read Brian Byrne's review of the new Rover 75.

CLARIFICATION In relation to our recent coverage of the proposed move of St Patrick's Community College, Naas, to a new site, the Principal, Tom Keegan, has asked us to note that he 'has not been instructed to negotiate, nor is he participating in any negotiations, in relation to any such move'. The negotiations are being carried out by the school's Management Trustees.

Presentation to big-hearted Aileen NAAS, 9 August 2000: by Trish Whelan. The Irish Heart Foundation last week made a special presentation to Mrs Aileen Callaghan of Our Lady’s Place, for her outstanding work as a coordinator for the Foundation over the last 30 years. The presentation was made by Joe Fitzpatrick (above right), regional manager of the IHF. Also pictured is Aileen's son Willie, a Naas UDC councillor, who has taken up the family tradition of service to the organisation. Both Aileen and her late husband, Cllr Bill Callaghan, had helped fundraise close to £30,000 in that time through church gate collections and other functions. The presentation was held in the Naas Town House Hotel on Wednesday last, and consisted of Dublin crystal with a fitting inscription. Also present were many of the collectors who normally help out. “At the end of the day, if you haven’t got your collectors, you have nobody,” Willie says. They included Donie and Mary Bergin (St Martin’s Ave), Michael and Margaret Lawlor (Kingsfurze), Mrs Mattimoe (Kingsfurze), Sean and Ann Kennedy (Woodside Park), Joe and Mary O’Shea (Ashgrove), Cllr Pat and Stella O’Reilly (Lakeside Park), and Mary Carney (McKiernan’s shop). The presentation was also attended by members of the extended Callaghan family, including Aileen’s daughter Barbara Hennessy and family; Anne Marie and Ger Higgins and family; Tommy and Anne Callaghan; and Willie and Kay and their family. Kathleen Kirwan, information officer for the Irish Heart Foundation spoke about healthy eating and the need for exercise.

School gets £15,000 grant for pavilion KILCOCK, 9 August 2000: by Brian Byrne. Scoil Dara in Kilcock has been allocated a £15,000 grant from Kildare County Council towards the provision of a pavilion and changing rooms for its playing pitches, with the proviso that the facilities are open for public use for 50 per cent of the time. The grant comes under the Recreational Development 2000 programme, and the mixed use condition gives the schoool priority from 9am-5pm on weekdays while the public can use the facilities in the evenings and weekends and during the summer months. The total cost of the facility is estimated at £60,454. The school has 11 acres of playing pitches and a Sports Hall, both of which are already open to public use outside of school hours.

Call for publication of traffic plan DUBLIN, 9 August 2000: by Bill Trapman. Straffan-based Labour Party Spokesperson on Transport, Emmet Stagg TD, has called for the earliest possible publication of the Dublin Transport Office blueprint for transport in the capital. The Labour Deputy said it was important that Dubliners are made aware that an integrated plan exists to tackle the cities traffic crisis. "The public will be rightly sceptical about another series of Ministerial announcements about transport options in the capital,” Deputy Stagg said. “This Government in particular has played party politics with transport in Dublin. As a result, in their three years in office little or no progress has been made on any of the options." The deputy said the Labour Party is prepared to play a constructive part in solving Dublin's traffic problems, but that it is critically important that a full and comprehensive package is sold to the people of Dublin. “This process will not be assisted by lame Government attempts to claw back their loss of credibility on this issue. The Dublin Transport Office is working on an integrated solution. “We need to see their work published as soon as possible and be in a positon to gauge the Government's full response to it. Only then will we really see the extent and, equally importantly, the balance of what is provided for Dublin."

Motoring News, Views and Reviews here

Car of the Week Subaru Legacy 2.5GX

UDC is to take court action against travellers NAAS, 8 August 2000: 10.30am by Trish Whelan. Naas UDC is to seek a court injunction to have the estimated 100 traveller families moved from their lands at the Caragh Road (above). Town clerk Declan Kirrane (right) said UDC staff had served a preliminary notice on the travellers last week informing them that they were trespassing on private land and requesting them to vacate the property within 24 hours. But Mr Kirrane said the only way to deal with the problem is to seek a court injunction to have them moved on. He said the circuit court is not in session at present but the UDC ‘will see what we can do’ to get an injunction. Mr Kirrane also said it was not 'physically feasible or desirable' to fence off every piece of green areas around the town. "These people have the equipment to bulldoze things down," he said. Local residents are seeking an ‘emergency’ meeting with local authorities, the gardai and elected representatives to discuss ‘extraordinary measures’ they say are necessary to deal with the problem (see story below). Meantime, the Caragh Road Sports Ground, which was used as an access point by the first group of travellers almost two weeks ago, has built earth barricades along the Caragh Road. The latest group of travellers simply used the gate into the field, where the new Sports Centre is currently being built. Main Rover, Land Rover and Volvo dealers, Kildare town. Phone 045 521203; Fax 045 521785. See our selection here. And read Brian Byrne's review of the new Rover 75.

Residents call for 'emergency' meeting on Caragh Road travellers NAAS, 8 August 2000: 8.30am by Brian Byrne. Residents of the Caragh Court area of Naas (above) are seeking an ‘emergency’ meeting with both local authorities, the gardai and elected representatives to discuss ‘extraordinary measures’ they say are necessary to deal with the problem of traveller invasions of private and public property. This follows the arrival of an estimated 100 caravans onto Naas UDC land opposite their estate (below). They say they are ‘deeply sickened and in fear’ as the caravan numbers ‘grow by the day’. In a letter to town clerk Declan Kirrane, the residents of Resident’s association of Caragh Court, Caragh Green and Caragh Meadows say they had repeatedly warned the UDC of their fears that such an incursion would take place, and had asked on numerous occasions for preventative measures to be taken. “We experienced a similar problem last year in Parc na nOg that caused a great deal of anxiety and unrest,” says association chairman Alan V Hore. “This is not a travellers issue, it is simply the fact that 100 caravans are allowed to illegally park in front of our estate.. We genuinely feel that we are the poor relation in this town ... we have no adequate access to the town of Naas and we are surrounded by Naas UDC land which has regularly been occupied and is a target for travelling convoys in mass over recent years.” According to Mr Hore, the latest invasion has caused sports events to be cancelled, the fields involved are strewn with rubbish, and a local resident was bitten by a traveller’s dog. “There is evidence that the present sports ground ‘lock-ups’ have been broken into and used as toilets,” he told KNN. Mr Hore also says the residents feel ‘let down’ by the response of Naas Garda Station to their problems, and wants local authorities and gardai to have a contingency plan ‘with teeth’ to deal with such events. “The authorities must assure our community that they are doing all they can to deal with this problem ... it is the duty of our elected representatives both at local and national levels to ensure that this type of invasion on a small community does not happen in the future. We cannot sit back and see a community intimidated by such a convoy.” Another local resident, Ray Butler, contacted KNN to say that they cannot get any information from either the gardai or the council in relation to the Caragh Road invasion. “As law abiding citizens, we seem to be treated with complete disregard by those who supposedly represent us,” he said. The latest incursion began last Thursday week and is just one of many such ‘events’ which have taken place in many parts of Kildare over the last year. This past weekend, the situation in Celbridge made national news on both press (left) and radio, but local people in Naas, Newbridge, Robertstown, Leixlip, Kilcullen and several other areas are all too well aware of the effects of what Emmet Stagg TD last week called ‘lawlessness’ by bands of mobile merchants. Garda leaders in Kildare last week promised an Action Plan would be immediately implemented, involving ‘other agencies’ where appropriate, to deal with the situation. Main Rover, Land Rover and Volvo dealers, Kildare town. Phone 045 521203; Fax 045 521785. See our selection here. And read Brian Byrne's review of the new Rover 75.

Man is charged after shooting ATHY, 8 August 2000: by Brian Byrne. A man has been charged after three people were injured in a shooting incident early yesterday morning in Athy. He is Anthony Mulhall, aged 38 and from Castlepark in Athy. A 16-year-old boy, his grandmother and a friend were brought to Naas Hospital after the early morning incident.

Leixlip Utd unveil first team panel LEIXLIP, 8 August 2000: by Noel Mostyn. Senior Team friendly: Leixlip United (LSL Div 1A) 1; St James Gate (LSL Div 1) 0 Leixlip United, who had struggled at times last year, unveiled their new 1st team panel on Thursday evening when they played their first game of the new season in a friendly against St James Gate. Leixlip's strength in depth was shown when four of last years stalwarts had to withdraw through injury or work, Terry Berry, Paul Denton, Liam Corscadden and Davy Dolan, yet Leixlip fielded a very strong team that included five newcomers to the squad. The full panel was Joe Rossiter, Paul Forde, John Forde, JP Linnane, Trevor O'Keefe, Alan Keller, Peter O'Shea, Kevin Gough, Alan Murphy, Sean Adams, Mick Murphy, Alan Kelly, Enda McCarthy, Ciaran Tighe and Eddie Lane. Leixlip also had another newcomer Eamonn Heffernan on the line but unable to play due to an injury picked up during pre-season training. Joe, JP, Sean, Ciaran and Alan Murphy were new additions to the Senior squad but no strangers to Leixlip United having played their schoolboy football with Leixlip before moving to other clubs. This was the new team's first run out and it took them a little time to settle but once they did they took the game to 'The Gate'. Though billed as a friendly this was a competitive match with Leixlip out to prove that they were equal to their higher rated opposition. And they did that. Manager Ralph O Flaherty was missing but Robbie O'Shea the assistant manager rang the changes. Leixlip had the better of the exchange in the 1st half and hit the post just before half time. In the second half Ciaran Tighe and Enda McCarthy were introduced up front and Leixlip continued to force the pace. This was rewarded 15 minutes into the second half when Sean Adams used the ball well to make space for John Forde. John's pass to Enda McCarthy allowed him to turn the centre half and send a fearsome drive to the net. Ciaran Tighe, Eddie Lane, John Forde and Kevin Gough all went close and Enda McCarthy hit the woodwork again. The Gate had few chances and Joe Rossiter ably dealt with everything he had to do. All in all a very good display for their 1st outing and hopefully a good omen for the new season. Leixlip's pre-season preparations continue with games against: Garda - Wednesday 9th August - Westmanstown - 7:30pm; Moyle Park - Sunday 13th August - Leixlip Amenities Centre - 3:00 pm; Bohemians - Thursday 17th August - Leixlip Amenities Centre - 7:30pm

Councillors angry at being left out NAAS, 8 August 2000: by Brian Byrne. Naas UDC councillors are angry that their names are not included in a recently published services booklet compiled by Kildare Youth Services. The omission was raised by Cllr Willie Callaghan (right) who said it was an insult to the members of the local authority. “We should ask why public representatives were not included,” he stormed. He added that KYS had ‘got a substantial grant' from the Council when the Canal Stores were renovated. The fact that a councillor and official of Naas UDC were supposed to act as directors of KYS was raised by UDC chairman Cllr Pat O’Reilly. Those mentioned in the booklet include Minister Charlie McCreevy TD, Deputies Alan Dukes, Bernard Durkan, Sean Power and Emmet Stagg. Cllr Pat McCarthy said that a TD who does not live in this constituency had been included, but not local councillors. “It’s not sufficient information,” he protested. He believed KYS would ‘want to get their act together’. He said this is the second year for this to happen.  KILCULLEN ESSO AND XL STOP 'N' SHOP Open 7am-10pm for Fuel, Groceries, Toiletries, Flowers, Newspapers, Deli Food, Fresh Coffee and more.

Motoring News, Views and Reviews here

Car of the Week Subaru Legacy 2.5GX

KNN-KildareNet News is produced by

PO BOX 106, NAAS, CO KILDARE, IRELAND.

All material on these pages © Telling Tales Ltd. Links must be notified to tellingtales@yahoo.com