.
KildareNet News is the INDEPENDENT internet news service for and about Kildare, located on the County Kildare Community Network.

KNN has no affiliations to any network, authority, group, party or other organisation. The service is operated by TELLING TALES LTD.

Site best viewed with NETSCAPE browser and with the VERDANA font. All content © Telling Tales Ltd. Phone 045 481090 or 086 8267104; Fax 045 481091; Email tellingtales@yahoo.com

SCROLL for CURRENT stories.

EARLIER stories and ARCHIVES

KNN Special FEATURES

Visit our flagship sponsor

For audios get free REALPLAYER

KNN-KildareNet News was awarded three shamrocks by Doras

THINKING OF RETURNING TO IRELAND?

ARTHUR E MACMAHON, solicitors in Naas, can represent you in all your legal, conveyancing, and commercial needs with professionalism and confidentiality. Email us or phone +353 (0)45 897936; fax +353 (0)45 897615

DK Music

Make it a Musical Millennium with DK Music in Newbridge. To see what's in store, look in their shop window here.

GARDA PATROL Marking your property is one of the best ways of making sure that it is quickly returned to you if recovered by the gardai. We recommend that you do so with the date of your birth and initials, and then fill in a record card at your local garda station. Markings can be made in many ways, including u/v pens, electric engravers, indelible markers, etching tools and metal punches.

SORRY! We apologise to all our regular viewers who tried to access KNN between December 23-Jan 4. The Kildare Community Network, on whose server we are located, was inaccessable throughout the holiday season, for reasons totally outside KNN's control. You can take it that we were as much frustrated as you were. In the meantime, Happy 2000 to all - Trish Whelan & Brian Byrne.

Kilcullen theatre has unique Volvo leather luxury

KILCULLEN, 6 January 2000: by Brian Byrne. Until very recently, it was probably safe to say that no theatre in Ireland has all its seats in soft cream leather, with adjustments for height, rake and lumbar support.

That WAS the case until County Kildare motor dealer Pat Dunlea went to Gothenburg for the launch of the luxury Volvo S80, and saw that a theatre set up for the car’s presentation was using brand-new S80 driver’s seats. And he managed to twist Volvo’s arm to donate them to Kilcullen’s newly refurbished Town Hall Theatre when the launch programme was over.

The theatre in the village - which has a parish population of around 3,000 - reopened officially during Kilcullen’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, and now has 120 seats of absolute luxury specification, worth £60,000. Presented by Volvo for nothing. “But I’ll have to sell an awful lot of Volvos to keep them happy,” quips Pat, who operates the local Volvo franchise from Chapman’s of Kildare, as well as Rover at the same location and Nissan at Kilcullen.

The theatre and new Community Rooms have been completely refurbished over the last four months at a cost of £170,000, which is being funded by voluntary donations from the community. The original building was put in place some 60 years ago, again by voluntary subscription. It has since served as a community hall, a local cinema in the 40s and 50s, and is the home of Kilcullen’s award-winning drama group. It fell into dereliction in the 70s and was only rescued from demolition in the late 80s by a new committee.

The most recent refurbishment has included a complete new frontage and roof on the original building, an extension (above left) that will do multiple duty as a heritage respositary and a function room for events such as dinner theatre and community occasions. A patio area at the rear looks onto a new riverside park which is being built as part of the work to rebuild Kilcullen’s antiquated sewerage system.

An intriguing reminder of the hall’s past can be seen in the entrance foyer, where one of the old film projectors that helped make Kilcullen Town Hall Cinema one of the most advanced of its time in the late 50s is now a piece of industrial sculpture.

Pictured above right is Shay Cross, foreman of the building crew who worked on the renovations, who was made a special presentation by Town Hall Committee member Pat Dunlea during the town's New Year's Eve celebrations.

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.

SEARCH KNN ARCHIVES HERE

BRIAN BYRNE'S CAR BUYER'S GUIDE 2000

Prices and specification of all new cars on the Irish market

Light of millennium at St David's

NAAS, 6 January 2000: by Trish Whelan. Naas celebrated the millennium New Year’s Day with a special ecumenical service in St David’s Church which recalled the town’s past and present as well as its future hopes for the third millennium through the gifts presented.

The service was celebrated by Rev Michael Wooderson and Fr Ruairi O Domhnall CC. The past was remembered by water from St Patrick’s Well in Oldtown Estate on the Sallins Road. St Patrick is said to have baptised the daughters of the King of Leinster at the well and to have pitched his tent on the site of St David’s Church in the heart of the town.

UDC chairman councillor Seamie Moore carried the replica of the Mace of Naas, the symbol of secular authority in the town, which links both the past leaders, the Grand Jury and Town Commissioners and the current UDC.

The present was remembered by a copy of An Biobla Naofa, the first ever complete edition of the Bible in Irish, typeset by local historian Stan Hickey for the Leinster Leader, who presented the book to St David's. (Pictured on right are Fr Ruairi O Domhnall CC and Rev Michael Wooderson with the bible.) By a strange coincidence An Biobla Naofa was translated by Fr Ruairi’s cousin, Fr Pádraigh Ó Fiannachta, the parish priest of Dingle. It is also available on CD ROM.

Members of the Clarke family, Edwin, Laura, Bethany and Daniel presented an architect’s map of the expanded town of Naas to remind of the continued growth of the town over the last few years and to welcome those who have come to live here.

The future was represented in the faces of three young children. Brindsley Sheridan, who has lived and worked all his 80 years in Naas, brought his small grandsons, Kevin, Brindsley and Glen, to present to them the new light of the millennium (pictured at the top of this article). This light was then brought through the church to light candles held by the congregation.

The well attended service was organised by the joint liturgy groups of both churches represented. A special eve of the millennium ecumenical service had taken place in the Church of the Irish Martyrs in Ballycane.

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. Please support those of your county people who travel the long and often lonely road of the pen and typewriter to tell you stories.

Chronicle of a Small Village

Ballymore looks back on its past as it turns into the new millennium.

 

Check in with Farm.ie for Brendan Burke's top farming news and views

'Must create good tidiness habits'

NAAS, 6 January 2000: by Trish Whelan. “We would want to create good habits ourselves and cultivate high standards when it comes to dealing with litter in our town, and more bin collections would help,” according to UDC chairman, councillor Seamie Moore. He was speaking during the recent presentation of awards by Naas Tidy Towns Committee. (Cllr Moore is pictured left presenting an award to Naas Brownies.)

He said there was ‘loads of scope’ for improvement on the litter front and the sight of black bags of rubbish outside premises ‘takes from the effort everybody else is putting into cleaning up the town’. He said the Tidy Towns committee believe rubbish should be collected several times a week. He said such bags, left out the night before a collection is due, take up some 10-15 yards of pavement space and often by the time morning comes, are not in the same place as the night before. “On a long Bank Holiday weekend, leaving out bins on a Friday night means they are not collected until the next Tuesday.”

Councillor Moore said areas like bus stops are also littered with chewing gum. “Our efforts for the Year 2000 onwards are geared towards harnessing everybody’s goodwill and best efforts to work together. In knowing what our faults are, we can tackle them,” he said.

 THE LEINSTER PRINTMAKING STUDIO

THE OLD CONVENT, CLANE

Artists' resource, Training, Gallery sales. Phone Margaret Becker 045 868168 or 087 2310114

Corporate Magazine Publishing - Business Writing - Journalism & Broadcasting Training - Internet Marketing Consultants - Web Site Design - Book Writing

Telling Tales Ltd, PO Box 106, Naas, Co Kildare. Phone 045 481090, 086 8267104; Fax 045 481091; Email tellingtales@yahoo.com

100 local authority houses for Newbridge in county allocation

NEWBRIDGE & COUNTY HALL, 6 January 2000: by Trish Whelan. A Kildare County Council plan to build 100 houses in Newbridge in the year 2000 is subject to successful negotiations for land in the town. If the negotiations fail, it is likely that Compulsory Purchase will be used to acquire suitable land.

The Newbridge plan is part of an intention by the local authority to begin construction on 370 houses this year, from a total of 650 for which the council has been allocated funding over the next three years. Assistant county manager Terry O Niadh told councillors at their December meeting that if all 650 are built by the target date, extra funds may become available because other local authorities might not have taken up their full allocations.

There are over 1,600 families on the waiting list for housing in County Kildare. In addition to its own housing programme, the council will support voluntary housing schemes. Meanwhile, Naas UDC has been granted approval to build 100 houses over the next four years, while Athy UDC can build 60.

 

Specialist travel operators to Cheltenham, Aintree, and other major international racing venues. Phone 01 2958901; Fax 01 2958902; Email leoptour@indigo.ie

 KILCULLEN ESSO AND XL STOP 'N' SHOP

Open 7am-10pm for Fuel, Groceries, Toiletries, Flowers, Newspapers, Deli Food, Fresh Coffee and more.

Naas mourns 'one of its own'

NAAS, 6 January 2000: by Trish Whelan. The town of Naas was saddened by the recent death of one of its most respected residents, Paddy Behan of St Martin’s Avenue, at a Dublin hospital.

Paddy (60) has been described as ‘the essence of a true Naas man’ coming from Naas stock on both sides of his family. Ger McCarthy, the chairman of Naas Local History Group of which Paddy was a founder member, paid tribute to his friend saying his love for the town was well known to all who met him. “He made many contributions to Naas Local History Group over the years and was a great artist and craftsman,” he said.

Local historian Stan Hickey told how Paddy had also been a sign writer ‘par excellence’ and a craftsman to his very fingertips. A master painter, he had served his time with the Sheridan Brothers in Naas and for the last 20 years had worked as maintenance man at Goff’s.

Among his many hidden attributes was a love for poetry. Ger recalls how ‘he was very slow in coming forward - not a man to ever push his views on others. He will be a great loss to the town, and to the Local History Group. He was one of its few members who could claim to be a true Naas person’.

In his earlier days Paddy had been a keen sportsman excelling in junior soccer and was one of those who started street soccer in Naas. Naas Local History Group has extended sympathy to his wife, Grace, and their children.

ONE OF THE KILDARE WILD GEESE?

Are you involved with any Irish organisations or groups abroad? Let us know where you are and what you're at by emailing KNN. And find out about your fellow wild geese.

DK Music

Make it a Musical Millennium with DK Music in Newbridge. To see what's in store, look in their shop window here.

NEWS OR VIEWS?

Something happening in your community that's bothering you? Or do you simply want to share the news from your village or town in County Kildare? You can, by phoning 086 8267104 emailing us at KNN

 

For Ireland's best motoring news and reviews, visit MotorWeb

Major work programme on development plans

KILDARE GENERAL, 6 January 2000: by Brian Byrne. Draft town plans for Castledermot (right), Celbridge, Clane, Kill, Kilcock and Maynooth are expected to be on public display by mid-2000 under a programme of Development Plan work proposed by the Planning Department of Kildare County Council.

Other work in the programme include the review of existing older plans for Johnstown, Kilteel, Leixlip, Prosperous and Straffan. In addition, Village/Settlement plans need to be drawn up for Roberststown, Johnstown Bridge, Ballitore, Moone/Timolin, Derrinturn, Allenwood, Suncroft, Kilmeague, Ardclough, Nurney, Kildangan, Calverstown, Caragh and Brannockstown.

Plans made in 1996 for a number of towns and villages will be up for review in 2001, in Athgarvan, Ballymore Eustace, Kilcullen, Kildare, Monasterevin, Newbridge, Rathangan and Sallins.

Senior executive planner Michael Kenny has also indicated that a number of plans may have to be varied because of the directive by the Department of the Environment on residential density guidelines. Among these are the County Development Plan 1999, the Ballymore Eustace Plan 1996, Kilcullen 1996, Kildare 1996, Monasterevin 1996, Newbridge 1996, Rathangan 1996 and Sallins 1996.

Mr Kenny has also advised county manager Niall Bradley that the 1999 Planning Bill currently progressing through the Oireachtas is likely to significantly alter the programme, because it proposes a major restructuring of the plan-making process.

GARDA PATROL Marking your property is one of the best ways of making sure that it is quickly returned to you if recovered by the gardai. We recommend that you do so with the date of your birth and initials, and then fill in a record card at your local garda station. Markings can be made in many ways, including u/v pens, electric engravers, indelible markers, etching tools and metal punches.

Kilcullen welcomes 2000 with banners, bangs and bags of fun

KILCULLEN, 5 January 2000: by Brian Byrne. Kilcullen threw a great party on New Year’s Eve, probably the ‘party of the millennium’ in the whole of County Kildare. Where larger towns in the county failed to come up with well-organised events to mark the crossover from one century to the other, this mid-Kildare community showed the spirit for which it is famous, and provided a night of entertainment and nostalgia of awesome proportions.

For four hours from 9pm the village’s town square area was thronged with people of all ages, enjoying setpieces depicting different aspects of Irish life during the last 100 years and more. These included practically every group in the community, with members dressed up in costumes reflecting many different periods of modern Irish history, on locations along Kilcullen’s street and town square devoted to Easter 1916, the Charleston era of the 20s, a Tinker’s Camp where ‘The Tinker’s Wedding’ by Synge was reenacted (and townspeople kept themselves heated by the fire), the Irish Literary Revival where Yeats, Wilde, Behan and Kavanagh were be in attendance, and a 60s forum with The Beatles, Elvis, JFK and Martin Luther King.

There was free mulled wine to keep the revellers warm (just one of the town’s pubs was open, and that only to regulars with tickets), and other groups provided sausages and hamburgers, as well as dropped scones. Pikemen marched through the evening to rebellions hither and yon, and a brace of RIC constables kept order and created their own mayhem at the same time. Kilcullen was effectively closed to traffic for the evening.

"The gardai were extremely helpful to us on the night," says Pat Dunlea of the organising committee. "They diverted traffic and those on duty in the town really entered into the spirit of the occasion."

The night culminated in a magnificent fireworks display, and a tree beside the new Town Hall and Heritage Rooms was redicated to the late Gordon Wilson, the peace campaigner who had always been a friend to Kilcullen. The celebrations were supported by a £4,000 grant from the National Millennium Committee.

The renovated Town Hall was also opened for the first time on the occasion - - the £170,000 cost is being paid for by a voluntary fundraising campaign. The original building was provided by the voluntary efforts of the majority of the community of the early 1930s.

Anyone who wants to contribute can put their donation in envelopes into boxes which are provided at Supervalu, Bernard Berney's, Andy Nolan's, the Post Office, Bank of Ireland, Berney's Pub and Greg Doyle's. The Town Hall Millennium Project Committeen are Bernard Berney, Jim Collins, Dick Dunphy, Paul Mullen and Pat Dunlea.

Earlier in the day, a 'last light' celebration was held in Kilcullen Parish Church.

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. Please support those of your county people who travel the long and often lonely road of the pen and typewriter to tell you stories.

Chronicle of a Small Village

Ballymore looks back on its past as it turns into the new millennium.

 THE LEINSTER PRINTMAKING STUDIO

THE OLD CONVENT, CLANE

Artists' resource, Training, Gallery sales. Phone Margaret Becker 045 868168 or 087 2310114

 

Specialist travel operators to Cheltenham, Aintree, and other major international racing venues. Phone 01 2958901; Fax 01 2958902; Email leoptour@indigo.ie

ONE OF THE KILDARE WILD GEESE?

Are you involved with any Irish organisations or groups abroad? Let us know where you are and what you're at by emailing KNN. And find out about your fellow wild geese.

DK Music

Make it a Musical Millennium with DK Music in Newbridge. To see what's in store, look in their shop window here.

GARDA PATROL Marking your property is one of the best ways of making sure that it is quickly returned to you if recovered by the gardai. We recommend that you do so with the date of your birth and initials, and then fill in a record card at your local garda station. Markings can be made in many ways, including u/v pens, electric engravers, indelible markers, etching tools and metal punches.

 

Check in with Farm.ie for Brendan Burke's top farming news and views

 THE LEINSTER PRINTMAKING STUDIO

THE OLD CONVENT, CLANE

Artists' resource, Training, Gallery sales. Phone Margaret Becker 045 868168 or 087 2310114

Travellers take over new station car park

NEWBRIDGE, 5 January 2000: by Brian Byrne. Travelling merchants who have already been ejected by court orders from several sites in Kildare in recent months have now taken over half of the new car park in Newbridge station.

The travellers, who left an estimated bill for legal work and cleaning up of over £11,000 with Naas UDC after spending weeks in Pairc na nOg, have been illegally camped at the bottom end of the car park since before Christmas. More arrived yesterday (below) as the KNN photographer was taking pictures of the situation.

Money for the car park was provided by the DTO and was part of several millions of pounds spent upgrading car parks on the suburban lines to Dublin. “This work was an essential part of the ‘park and ride’ programme which is being implemented by the DTO to tray and alleviate Dublin’s traffic chaos,” a spokesman for Iarnrod Eireann told KNN.

There are height-restricting barriers at the entrance and exit to the car park, but KNN understands that a gate from a lane adjacent to the car park had its lock broken, thus allowing the travellers to enter.

Since last October, the same group of travellers have illegally located in two areas of Naas, as well as Robertstown. Each time it has taken expensive legal action to move them on. While many of their vehicles are registered in different Irish counties as well as Northern Ireland and the UK, is understood that they are mostly based in County Limerick, where many of them own homes.

Naas councillors have called for a change in the legislation governing illegal camping, so that it is not necessary for property owners to go to law before the gardai can move them on.

Newbridge town commissioner Spike Nolan said last evening that things have ‘gone too far’ in relation to how some members of the travelling community behave. “These are people who can afford homes of their own,” he said. “I know that part of the problem is because local authorities haven’t implemented policies on halting site provision, but if anyone puts their head up and complains about the activities of these people, they are called bigots and racists. I’ve been called such names myself, but I'm not afraid to say what I think, and I think what I say reflects the feelings of many people in the county.”

DK Music

Make it a Musical Millennium with DK Music in Newbridge. To see what's in store, look in their shop window here.

 

Check in with Farm.ie for Brendan Burke's top farming news and views

 THE LEINSTER PRINTMAKING STUDIO

THE OLD CONVENT, CLANE

Artists' resource, Training, Gallery sales. Phone Margaret Becker 045 868168 or 087 2310114

Shaker Store revives furniture style

BALLITORE, 5 January 2000: by Trish Whelan. The old Quaker village of Ballitore, situated off the N9, provides the ideal setting and location for an exhibition of Shaker Furniture, which is synonymous with superb quality and excellence. Shaker Furniture was first made c. 1820.

Michael Lawlor, who owns the Shaker Store in Ballitore is an industrial designer by profession. His new business came about after he began researching Quaker furniture and a subsequent visit to America to source his products. He says his main market is in North Kildare and in Dublin as the furniture is quite expensive to buy. It comes to Ireland in kit form.

The Shakers were very simple people who removed all trappings and adornments from their furniture to reveal simple shapes. The cult is featured in the Guinness Book of Records as the smallest religious group in the world today, with only seven members. The group was founded by Ann Lee, a Quaker who went to America..

ONE OF THE KILDARE WILD GEESE?

Are you involved with any Irish organisations or groups abroad? Let us know where you are and what you're at by emailing KNN. And find out about your fellow wild geese.

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. Please support those of your county people who travel the long and often lonely road of the pen and typewriter to tell you stories.

NEWS OR VIEWS?

Something happening in your community that's bothering you? Or do you simply want to share the news from your village or town in County Kildare? You can, by phoning 086 8267104 emailing us at KNN

 

For Ireland's best motoring news and reviews, visit MotorWeb

McKiernan's wins heritage award

NAAS, 4 January 2000: by Trish Whelan. Pictured behind the counter of her shop, McKiernan's, on the Kilcullen Road in Naas is Annemarie McKiernan with her aunt, Mary Kearney and Birdie Hickey from Craddockstown who also work in the shop. The premises won the Heritage Award 1999 of the Naas Tidy Towns Association. The cup is sponsored by Naas Local History Group.

At the presentation of awards, Ger McCarthy of Naas Local History Group congratulated Mary and Annmarie. He said it was a small token for being 50 years in business and for preserving a small part of the heritage of Naas. “It’s a nice shop where you could go and meet locals ... it’s of a certain period in the town and it’s sad that we’re losing these little places.” He hoped the shop would remain for at least for another decade.

The shop was previously run by Annemarie's parents, the late John and Anna McKiernan. John passed away in 1955 while Anna died at Christmastime five years ago. While working in Longford in their courting days, John and Anna would come to dinner dances in Lawlor's Ballroom in Naas and often took a Sunday drive to the town.

"They thought this would be a great place to live ... and weren't they right?"

 

Check in with Farm.ie for Brendan Burke's top farming news and views

 THE LEINSTER PRINTMAKING STUDIO

THE OLD CONVENT, CLANE

Artists' resource, Training, Gallery sales. Phone Margaret Becker 045 868168 or 087 2310114

 KILCULLEN ESSO AND XL STOP 'N' SHOP

Open 7am-10pm for Fuel, Groceries, Toiletries, Flowers, Newspapers, Deli Food, Fresh Coffee and more.

Mother was from Athy

ATHY & NEW YORK, 5 January 2000:

Dear Editor,

I am enclosing a picture of the Immigrant Wall in New York along with my mother’s name and my brother Michael standing by it. My mother was raised at Fox Hill in Athy and came to the US after she married my father, who was an American soldier. Her maiden name was Orford and when she married it changed to McSween. So on the wall it appears as Margaret McSween. I thought it might be interesting to your publication.

Maggie Biondo

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. Please support those of your county people who travel the long and often lonely road of the pen and typewriter to tell you stories.

Looking back on Naas Moat history

NAAS, 5 January 2000: by Trish Whelan. The very core of Naas is a mound of earth probably unknown to the many thousands of Naas people who have only arrived in the town in the last generation. But the ‘Dún’ or ‘Mote’ of Naas (situated on Abbey Road beside the Moat Club) is the storehouse of the complete history of our town since the time of the High Kings ... and possibly before.

As preparations are made to hand ownership of the Mote to the town of Naas from the Sisters of Mercy, Paddy Behan of Naas Local History Group looks back at this unsung treasure in our community:

ONE OF THE KILDARE WILD GEESE?

Are you involved with any Irish organisations or groups abroad? Let us know where you are and what you're at by emailing KNN. And find out about your fellow wild geese.

Corporate Magazine Publishing - Business Writing - Journalism & Broadcasting Training - Internet Marketing Consultants - Web Site Design - Book Writing

Telling Tales Ltd, PO Box 106, Naas, Co Kildare. Phone 045 481090, 086 8267104; Fax 045 481091; Email tellingtales@yahoo.com

To Advertise on KNN, call 086 8267104, fax 045 481091, or email tellingtales@yahoo.com

Advertising rates here

PREVIOUS STORIES: Earlier news of the week, and access to weekly archives, are available here

by Liam Cahill

The seminal account of the Limerick Soviet

Available here

PROFESSIONAL COUNSELLING

Noreen McCabe, MNAPCP

Anxiety, depression, loss, phobias, childhood trauma, eating disorders, relationships, personal growth, coaching for work-related stress. Strictly confidential.

Moorefield Clinic, Newbridge. Phone (045) 432111 or call Noreen at (045) 431936; mobile 086 2496823; email dmccabe@tinet.ie

NAAS BAPTIST BIBLE CENTRE

Everyone is invited to study God's Word, the Bible, with us, Sunday evenings 6.30, 45 Jigginstown Park. We are presently studying the life of Christ. Contact Rev Roger Parrow 045 894771. (Advt.)

LISTEN TO

the weekly roundup of Irish views and stories presented by Brian Byrne and Trish Whelan and broadcast from Vancouver on the Celtic Voices programme carried by Canada's largest independent radio network. You can stream it at 56k, or download to listen to later. Changed every Sunday.

PREVIOUS STORIES: Earlier news of the week, and access to weekly archives, are available here

 

Motoring News

Garda Patrol

Farming Info

Results are here.

Coverage is here.

Candidates details are here.

Kildare's Wild Geese

Upcoming Service

 

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