Sequoia tree killed today in Ballymore

BALLYMORE EUSTACE, 14 December 2000: by Brian Byrne. A 180-year-old American Sequoia tree is being cut down this afternoon (above right) in Ballymore Eustace, much to the dismay of local people.

The tree - otherwise known as a Giant Redwood - is thought to be the only one in the area, and at 180 years of age is being cut down even before its prime.

The 85-feet tall tree's roots were damaged by a JCB during construction work recently on a driveway to a house formerly the residence of writer Fr Browne. Earlier in the autumn it was trimmed in preparation for taking down (above left), but there was a considerable degree of local anger.

Sequoias are not exactly rare in Ireland, with some of the best examples to be seen at Powerscourt Demesne in Co Wicklow, and in Birr Castle Demesne.

Leixlip resident raises flood fears over proposed material contravention

LEIXLIP, 14 December 2000: by Brian Byrne. A material contravention due to go before Kildare councillors on Monday is being strongly opposed by a local resident on the grounds that the proposed development will add to flooding difficulties already being experienced in Leixlip and because there is no waste water treatment capacity to cope with effluent from the development. (Our picture shows recent floods downstream from Leixlip in Lucan).

Janus Securities Ltd are seeking a material contravention of the County Development Plan for a business and technology park on a 82-acre site in Castletown and Kilmacredock Upper, and also for the change of use of 121 acres of adjoining lands from agricultural use to use as amenity lands in association with Castletown House.

Local resident John Colgan has written to Kildare County Councillors saying that the proposal should not be allowed if there are no firm plans by Kildare County Council for extra sewerage mains in the area. He also says that if such plans exist, the development should not be allowed until they are already in place.

Among 12 points he raises against the proposal, Mr Colgan details flooding of his own home, The Toll House in Leixlip, and those of neighbours and suggests that this is because of storm water drains from major developments in the town being connected to one of the two waste water mains in Leixlip.

He said the flood damage experienced in Maynooth, Leixlip and Lucan in November last was partly due to building on flood planes being permitted by Kildare County Council and the enhanced rate of discharge of storm waters to the River Liffey and its tributaries from built developments. He said the proposed development will add to this unless sufficient storm water holding tanks with delayed release mechanisms are included.

He also says the effluent from the development would further cause problems to fish life in the River Liffey and he notes that the salmon population already appears to have been seriously affected, with population estimates down from 1,100 salmon at Leixlip dam in 1994 to only seven sightings in the year to the end of August.

He has also objected on the grounds that Leixlip already has about 7% of the country’s manufacturing workforce, many of whom drive long distances to work. He says the proposed development will exacerbate the existing excess of commuting by workers in the area and would also interfere with the vista from Castletown House towards the Wonderful Barn which Hewlett Packard was required to maintain.

Mr Colgan also says the proposed development would impact on fire safety in the region and claims that Kildare County Council’s existing fire services are ‘totally inadequate’ to cope with any major industrial accidents in the north east Kildare area.

Fury at 9% hike in commercial rate in Naas

NAAS, 14 December 2000: by Trish Whelan. A number of Naas businesses may have to raise their prices because Naas UDC has imposed the maximum allowable 9% increase on their rates for next year.

They are furious at having this size of increase slapped on them against a background of already massive inflation of 6%.

“They just hit at the easy targets” said an outraged Martina Phipps of Tuckmill Gallery (pictured right). “We’re going to have to incorporate it into our costs”. She added that people ‘don’t mind a reasonable increase - but this is completely ridiculous’.

Hugh Magee of The Stationery Store (below left) agreed the increase would have to be passed on to consumers. “I was horrified that they should go so much over inflation. I would like to see the Chamber of Commerce doing more about it,” said the past president of the Naas Chamber of Commerce.

“I’m more than stunned, I’m absolutely shocked,” said Laura Andrews of The House of James. “The whole rateable valuation system goes back to the Arc. A rise of 3-4% I could have lived with. This is like plucking a figure out of the sky.”

Naas Chamber of Commerce president Mary Bhogal said she had received only one complaint so far but added: “If people have a difficulty with it, they should write to the Chamber and we will take it from there.”

New Chapter for the Environment agreed

COUNTY HALL, 14 December 2000: by Trish Whelan. “Our street cleaning service is not good enough and neither is the collection service from litter bins in towns like Maynooth and Celbridge,” Labour Cllr John McGinley (below) told a recent meeting of Kildare County Council. He was speaking during a debate on a Charter for Kildare’s environment at a recent meeting of Kildare County Council.

“It’s a laugh if this plan is the best we can do,” he said.

Cllr McGinley said what was required was a seven-day street cleaning and bin-emptying service. He said the Council should cease producing ‘glossy brochures’ such as that relating to the proposed Charter if they fail to follow through.

FF Senator Sean O’Fearghail said there had been a ‘fabulous improvement’ in the quality of street cleaning in Newbridge, Kildare, Monasterevin and in Rathangan. “It’s been noticed ... and commented upon,” he added.

FF Cllr Paul Kelly supported John McGinley in some of his comments. He said the Council is spending a lot of time putting forward reports, plans and objectives and asked what difference the Charter would make to the environment.

County manager Niall Bradley said the Council is trying to set up a vision for the environment, under pinned by the county’s Waste Management Plan and the Litter Plan. He said the Charter ‘signals the way forward and will require a lot of cooperation from people’.

PD Senator John Dardis proposed the adoption of the Charter (but pointed out he was unable to find a small bin the Council offices!). Cllr McGinley asked that it be amended to include the Council’s policy of a door-to-door collection of separated waste in the county’s major towns ... and a seven-day street cleaning service.

The document will now go on public display.

Anger over delivery times at McDonalds

NAAS 14 December 2000: by Trish Whelan. Morning deliveries at McDonalds fast-food outlet should be changed so as not to coincide with when children are going to both schools on the Sallins Road.

Members of the Sallins Road Action Group want Naas UDC to insure the practice is not allowed to continue at this time in the morning and are furious that nothing has been done to tackle the problem, despite complaints.

"Parking entails driving in the direction of the Church and then reversing into position. This creates a huge hazard for young children and many parents are not even aware that this is happening in the area," SRAG claims. SRAG also says the angle the delivery lorries park at means that larger vehicles are unable to pass and all other traffic trying to access the Sallins Road is blocked up in both directions.

The group are also calling for a pedestrian crossing in the Hollywood Park area and say the lack of a suitable contractor to do the job 'is one of the reasons given for this prolonged delay'. They are also seeking a centre traffic island, with a yield sign in favour of pedestrians at the junction of Mill Lane with the Sallins Road.

Members have also written to Naas UDC over the condition of the entrance to St Joseph's Road which they claim should be a priority of the Council. "The road edge is in a very dangerous state with potholes."

Moone-Timolin-Ballitore Bypass opened

MOONE, 12 December 2000: by Trish Whelan Kildare County Council yesterday opened the 6.2 kilometres long Moone-Timolin-Ballitore Bypass on the N9 Dublin to Carlow road. The opening, performed by local Cllr Rainsford Hendy, the chairman of the Council, marks the first completion of a design-and-build contract for a national road in Ireland.

Kildare County Council carried out the preliminary design, land acquisition and other preparatory works before signing a contract with SIAC Construction in December 1999. SIAC completed the detailed design and constructed the new road in record time, allowing it to be opened to traffic three months ahead of schedule.

It is estimated that the all-in cost of the project, including land acquisition, design and construction, will be of the order of £15 million. Funding has been provided by the EU and the National Roads Authority as part of the National Development Plan’s infrastructural improvement programme.

The new bypass includes a bridge carrying the Athy Road at Moone. Important burial sites, estimates to be about 2,000 years old, were discovered during the work and excavated under professional archaeological supervision at Moone and Timolin.

Eighty per cent of the territory of the state is served by roads which run through County Kildare and there are more miles of motorway in the county than in any other county in Ireland.

Kildare County Council is to continue its road-building initiative with the construction of the Kildare Bypass for which a contract was signed last month. A motorway scheme has also been made for the Monasterevin Bypass and it is expected that this will go to public inquiry stage early in the New Year.

Speaking at the official opening yesterday, Cllr Hendy said: “This new bypass serving South Kildare, Carlow, Kilkenny and beyond, will contribute significantly to road safety and efficiency. Moone, Timolin and Ballitore will enjoy improved living and safety conditions and will have a new opportunity to redefine themselves as special local communities.”

He thanked everyone involved in the project for a job well done ... in good time.

Benevolent Fund to help those in need

NAAS, 12 December 2000: by Brian Byrne Naas UDC is to set up a Benevolent Fund to help local people in need, such as fire victims and victims of ‘other situations’.

Cllr Seamie Moore said he was aware of at least five cases where people have organised relief for families in distress. He said he would ‘bet his last pound that the Council never gave anything to them’.

Cllr Moore raised the need for such a fund during the debate on the Estimates 2001 and was supported by Cllr Eibhlin Bracken.

Chairman Cllr Pat O’Reilly said the proposal posed difficulty as a motion by Cllr Moore seeking the setting up of a humanitarian fund in the estimates had been defeated a week earlier.

Cllr Mary Glennon said in her short time in the Council she had never seen a case where the town clerk has not done ‘whatever is humanly possible’ to help those in need. “There’s no need for such a fund as officials are very good at finding money to deal with any sort of human tragedy.” Town clerk Declan Kirrane said: “Often things come up where we don’t have a specific fund in the estimates and I ask the manager can we overspend. It’s worked satisfactorily.”

Cllr Charlie Byrne said he knew of a case where the town clerk had ‘spent a lot of money helping provide B&B facilities for a family with six children’.

Mary Glennon thought it would be ‘a lovely gesture to the people of Naas’ if councillors handed over the money set aside for them to attend conferences to the new fund, and ‘not expect the town clerk to juggle the books’.

The meeting then adjourned to look at the position and it was finally agreed to set up the fund with £8,000 taken from the new Community Warden Service and £3,000 for the cost of carrying out a Land Use and Transport Study.

Clane Musical Society gets it act together

NAAS, 12 December 2000: by Trish Whelan. Auditions have been held and parts have been cast in Clane Musical Society for their March 2001 production of ‘Me and my Girl’.

The cast will include Aidan Donoghue, Georgina Ireland, Eamonn Rogers, Angela Clifford, Brendan Farrell, Edel Marron, Francesco Fusco, Pat Costello, Pat Reade, Sadie O’Reilly, Declan Adams, Fiona Shirran, Eamonn Clifford and Olive Mitchell.

Deirdre Brown, the choreographer, held a dance work on in November which proved to be a huge success with CMS members stepping out the ‘Lambeth Walk’ and then graduating to a few tap steps!

Members will be on the streets of Clane on Saturday, December 16, singing carols to passing shoppers and motorists. If you are passing, please support them as it is also in aid of Clane’s senior citizen’s group, The Evergreens. The next day, Sunday, the Society will host an auction and Christmas Fair in The Abbey at 2.30pm. Santa will be there that day to talk to children, young and old alike!

Clane Musical Society will get even busier in January when production for ‘Me and my Girl’ starts in earnest. Musical numbers such as ‘The Lambeth Walk’, ‘The Sun has got his hat on’ and ‘Leaning on a Lampost’ are big dance numbers to be set in the new year. Cockney accents and grand accents will be polished in the next few months, sets will be built, costumes created ... all in preparation for this spectacular production in March 2001.

You can take a peep at Clane Musical Society’s web site at www.geocities.com/clanemusicalsociety.

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