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NAAS COURT HOTEL for AUCTION 28 July. Full details here Fairgreen St, Naas. Phone 045 897711.

VEC 'at a standstill' - CEO says NAAS, 3 July 1999: by Brian Byrne. The work of Kildare VEC ‘is at a standstill’, the committee’s chief executive officer, Colm Canavan, told incoming members at their inaugural meeting yesterday afternoon. “It cannot be allowed to continue,” he said. The members heard that the staff strike crisis of the VEC in Kildare could mean schools not being able to open in September because some 60 appointments could not be processed. The problem facing students waiting for third level grants was also described as ‘very serious’ and a pressure which the Department of Education should not be imposing on young people already under tension over waiting for results. The committee had earlier decided not to pass the IMPACT pickets and relocated their meeting to the Naas Court Hotel (above) so as not to cause ‘offence or embarrassment’ to the administration and clerical workers who began their strike last week. The agenda was suspended after the election of Cllr Sean O Fearghaill (left) as chairman and Cllr John O’Neill vice-chair, both without opposition, and appointments to the various boards and subcommittees. The CEO outlined the background to the situation, which, he said had its roots in 1994/95 when two reviews took place on staff appointments and new structures. In effect, nothing had been done since by the department to alleviate a shortage of staff and deal with an inappropriate structure given the size of the VEC in Kildare. “The present linear structure places far too onerous a responsibility on one person,” he said. The members heard that there had been a meeting recently on the issue with the minister for finance, Charlie McCreevy TD, but it had not been possible to arrange a meeting directly with the minister for education & science, Michael Martin TD. During the subsequent debate, Cllr Evelyn Bracken expressed her ‘disgust’ at the treatment of staff who have done a ‘tremendous job’ and she said that a delegation must be sent to the minister for education ‘every week if necessary’ in order to solve the situation. Sean Cunnane (left) told of several recent meetings with officials in the department, but said they were still being ‘shortchanged’. Spike Nolan said that in all their meetings they had never got a ‘clear answer’ from officials. “I’m in favour of us sending another delegation, but it has to be with the minister and not his ‘side boys’,” he said. John O’Neill said he feared the strike could spread further, and this sentiment was echoed by Sean O Fearghaill who told the members that there was indeed a meeting this Saturday of administration staff from other counties. Liam Rock (right), representing parents on the committee, wondered if another organisation such as the IVEA could be involved in mediation. He was responding to a query by Cllr Fionnuala Dukes if there was a possibility that a outside ‘honest broker’ could help. “It could be difficult for a minister to back down in front of a delegation,” she suggested. “Could we not find somebody who could talk to him and ‘engineer’ a compromise?” The committee nominated a delegation of chairman Sean O Fearghaill, Sean Cunnane and the CEO to seek a meeting with the minister as soon as possible next week. Sean O Fearghaill said they would work through the weekend, both to talk to the staff and arrange the meeting. Pictured below as the members decided to relocate their meeting are Spike Nolan and Cllr Willie Callaghan.

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   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. Ireland's only COMPLETE motoring magazine on sale now at all good newsagents. 'Simply the Best'

Tom Dowling's KNN Weekly Racing Commentary Leopardstown has been pushing hard to win racegoers’ hearts this year and the Executive at the Foxrock venue has been rewarded by ever-increasing interest and above average attendances. More

Government's stance on VEC strike is again harshly criticised KILDARE GENERAL, 2 July 1999: by Brian Byrne. The government’s reaction to the County Kildare VEC staffing difficulties has been ‘deplorably weak and insufficient’, Kildare South Fine Gael TD Alan Dukes said last evening. He said it was ‘very regrettable’ that staff in the VEC have found themselves obliged to take industrial action as a result of staffing inadequacies which have been the cause of difficulties for many years. “After years of discussion about the specific situation in County Kildare VEC, the only response of the Minister for Education is to say that ‘work is currently under way on the development of an agreed framework for looking at staffing claims generally from the VEC sector’,” deputy Dukes said in a statement on the strike issue. “The Minister knows very well that similar, although less acute, difficulties have been resolved in other VECs without this general framework. Undertakings given to the staff of County Kildare VEC by the Department of Education have not been lived up to.” Deputy Dukes said It is time for the Minister to make a much more realistic attempt to resolve the situation, or there will be severe disruption of VEC services and very considerable inconvenience to young people in a wide range of schemes that are of very great importance to their future. “VEC schools will not be able to plan next year's schedules, vacancies in teaching staffs cannot be filled, teaching staff cannot be paid,” he said. “It is now up to the Minister for Education to avert chaos in the VEC sector in Kildare. Thursday, l July l999.” Meanwhile, the issue is likely to be raised this afternoon in Naas when the incoming VEC committee holds its first meeting.

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

CHAPMANS OF KILDARE Main Rover, Land Rover and Volvo dealers, Kildare town. Phone 045 521203; Fax 045 521785. See our selection here.

Narraghmore band wins yet again NARRAGHMORE, 2 July 1999: by Brian Byrne. The Narraghmore Pipe Band has won yet another competition in what is turning out to be the band’s best competition season ever ... the latest triumph is gaining first prize and the drumming prize at the East of Ireland Championships. In May the band won the European Championships in Ayr in Scotland, and in the same month came first in their grade at the Malahide Festival of Piping and Drumming. They’re appearing in the All Ireland Pipe Band Championships in Newcastle, County Down, tomorrow. This weekend the band’s annual collection will be made with members and supporters fundraising outside supermarkets, churches and in bars around the county.

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KNN NEWSLETTER We are preparing a regular email newsletter to keep people up to date with main news and features from Kildare. If you would like to be on the mailing list, email us at tellingtales@yahoo.com

Mary celebrates her 98th NAAS, 2 July 1999: by Trish Whelan. One of Naas’s oldest ladies celebrated her 98th birthday on Tuesday July 29. Mary Pearse from St Corban’s, Dublin Road, thoroughly enjoyed her special day with visits from many of her friends including a contingent of wellwishers from Naas Care of the Aged. Family members living in England also rang to wish her a happy birthday. Mary is renowned for her love of knitting and her cosies keep many teapots warm throughout the length and breath of Naas! She’s pictured here with her sons Martin and Christy enjoying her birthday.

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

St Fiachra's Garden at the Irish National Stud Special KNN Picture Feature.

End of an era as Hideout style to be changed KILCULLEN, 1 July 1999: by Brian Byrne. The end of a famous era in Kilcullen’s pub history began today when current owner of the Hideout Tom Rafter began stripping away the ‘western cabin’ timbering from the frontage and the interior. The motif had first been introduced in 1950 by Jim Byrne Jnr when he took over management of the family pub from his father, Jim Snr. The timbered frontage was added in the early seventies as the place became familiar world-wide to tourists. The pub became famous as a roadhouse/restaurant, and also as the resting place of the mummified right arm of Irish pugilist Sir Dan Donnelly, who triumphed over English Champion George Cooper in an epic fight at Donnelly’s Hollow on the nearby Curragh plains. The premises was sold out of the Byrne family several years ago, and over the last two-and-a-half years has been leased. Tom Rafter now intends to redevelop it as a high-quality pub and restaurant reflecting the reputation the premises had during ownership by three generations of Byrnes. His current thoughts are to restore the frontage to something approaching what it looked like in 1926 (below), when it was known as Byrne’s Hotel. Prior to that it had been Flannery's Motor Bar.

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

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Well-known Kilcullen pub is sold KILCULLEN, 1 July 1999: by Brian Byrne. The well-known Kilcullen pub McTernans has been sold for £700,000. The property became famous as a stopping-off point for Kilkenny hurling supporters in the 50s and 60s and was most recently owned by Liam Malone, son of the late Bill Malone who was a stalwart of Kilcullen Drama Group in its early haydays. Liam has owned the pub for the last four-and-a-half years. The property went to auction yesterday under the hammer of Colm McEvoy Auctioneers. The name of the purchaser has not been revealed. CHAPMANS OF KILDARE Main Rover, Land Rover and Volvo dealers, Kildare town. Phone 045 521203; Fax 045 521785. See our selection here.

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

Athy children's arts festival next week ATHY, 1 July 1999: by Trish Whelan. The Athy Fringes Arts Festival which will be held in the town’s Library next week has children’s author Don Conroy as its headliner visitor, and in addition there will be five days of other varied activities for children. The festival begins on Tuesday 6 July, with Don Conroy arriving at 3pm for a talk and drawing session with the children. The Wednesday highlight is a workshop in the afternoon by the National Gallery of Ireland. There are two sessions, but booking is essential. Pottery workshops on Thursday morning and afternoon will be conducted by Tony Bird from KARE ... aprons are advisable! A new venture on the Friday is the provision of two drama workshops in the afternoon, while on the Saturday there’s face-painting and a dolls show. Further information on times and bookings can be had by phoning 0503 31144. All events are free. “The festival was very successful last year,” says Librarian Josephine Coyne (above). “It’s a very important way of bringing children into the library and seeing that it is an interesting place ... and it’s also important for getting the parents in, because without their support it would be more difficult to encourage children to use the facilities.”

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St Fiachra's Garden at the Irish National Stud Special KNN Picture Feature.

New management structure at Leixlip Credit Union LEIXLIP, 1 July 1999: The Board of Directors of Leixlip & District Credit Union has appointed a manager to run its office. Brendan Slattery, a native of Ballyheigue, Co Kerry, took up his appointment on 1 May. Two other staff members, Vera Fawl and Margaret Ryan, have accepted full time positions with the Union. The new post involves responsibility for the general administration of the Credit Union under the direction of the voluntary non paid directors elected by the members. Mr Slattery (58), a native of Ballyheigue, moved to Leixlip in 1962 and worked at the former Irish Meat Packers company for 20 years. He served the Credit Union in a voluntary capacity, both as teller and board member, before taking up full time employment seven years ago. Vera Fawl, a native of Limerick, has been involved with the Credit Union for fifteen years, serving as a voluntary board member and treasurer, before becoming a part time employee. A resident of Castletown, she formerly worked with Aer Lingus. Tipperary born Margaret Ryan has been living in Leixlip 22 years. She worked voluntarily for the Union for three years, including service as a Supervisor, before taking up part-time employment four years ago. Another staff member, Margaret Lawless, will continue to work on a part time basis. The new appointments reflect a growing workload at the Credit Union. Its assets have grown 90% in the three years to the end of March this year with loan interest income growth at 25% per year over the same period. At the end of the year to 30 September 1998, the Credit Union’s asset’s stood at just over £5.8 million and annual income was £545,958. During the year, membership increased by almost 9% to 5,335 people and it is expected that another five hundred approx. will join in the current year. Apart from loans, the Union provides foreign currency services and other insurance services. Its Main St. office is open every day except Sunday and Monday.

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

Letter from Evelyn Bracken NAAS, 1 July 1999: Dear Editor, I wish to avail of your 'right of reply' with the insertion of the following statement in KNN news. Rebuttal of recent reports/releases on KNN. 1... I am a former 'pole topper' and have never held the 'chair' in my 20 yrs of office. I just got on with the job of working for my constituents and that is why I am still an active councillor. 2... Contrary to 'doorstep rumours', propagated by those who wished to do me damage (in my campaign) I wish to state, that I have never been and never intend to be, a member of any political party! My allegiance has been and always will be solely to my electorate. 3... In answer to another 'doorstep rumour' it was never my intention (nor could I) hand over my seat to a daughter! My work on behalf of the people of Naas, as I saw it, was incomplete and this I will strive to accomplish before I retire. Referring to recent comments (on KNN) jointly by Naas Alliance/Labour (for clarity I presume 'Naas Alliance/Labour Front'). I am bemused by the attitude of some newly-elected members to Naas UDC. The reference to the 'Gang of Five' would more aptly read the 'Famous Five' as they regained their seats, despite the spate of misinformation & unsigned derogatory pamplets showered on every door during local election campaign. Further, I ask the Naas Alliance/Labour candidates is there any truth in the rumour that they were firmly rebutted on their approach to a candidate to help form a 'group' (yes, a group of 5) prior to the first meeting of the newly elected council? Evelyn Bracken Councillor, Naas UDC. Editor’s Note: We are rather bemused ourselves over some of Cllr Bracken’s points in this letter. For the record, and contrary to what she says, KNN has NEVER carried a comment or report relating in any way to her under her points ‘1’, ‘2’ and ‘3’. If she is under such a misconception, perhaps she might reread our election coverage. In addition, we have not reported anything of the ‘rumour’ she mentions in relation to a ‘group of 5’, simply because we haven’t heard it. Can we take it that the ‘rumour’ is now officially in circulation?

KNN is a completely INDEPENDENT professional news service for County Kildare, with no affiliations to any network, authority, group, party or other organisation. The service is operated by Telling Tales Ltd, Naas, Co Kildare, under the editorial direction of Brian Byrne and Trish Whelan. It is our policy to report accurately and fairly on any subject, and we offer right of reply to anyone who has differing opinions to those expressed in any story. Any such opinions published on KNN are not necessarily the views of KNN's proprietors or any network on which we are hosted or to which we may be linked. Email us at KNN , or phone 045 481090; fax 481091.

New landfill at Kilcullen to be a national EPA model KILCULLEN, 30 June 1999: by Brian Byrne. A new licensed landfill facility for construction and industrial waste to be opened in Kilcullen this autumn is likely to be a model for similar operations around the country. The facility at local businessman Kevin Keenan’s gravel extraction pit at Brownstown has received the first-ever private EPA licence for a ‘clean’ site and will be carefully monitored by the environmental authorities to ensure that it is run according to its licence. There’s to be a public meeting in Kilcullen shortly at which all aspects of the operation will be outlined. A private information meeting for community representatives has already taken place. The facility will be run by KTK Landfill Ltd, whose directors are Kevin Keenan (centre in pic) along with John Gallagher and Peter Priestley of Celtic Waste Recycling Ltd, major investors in the business. They have stressed that the operation can only be successful if it is run in full cooperation with the wishes of the community. “The project is now on a firm financial footing from the very beginning, and I want to reassure the people of Kilcullen that I’m going to be a part of the operation all along the line,” Kevin Keenan told community leaders. John Gallagher said their company had invested because of the professionalism and openess with which Kevin Keenan had progressed the project and the EPA licencing application. He also noted that there will be a significant element of recycling in the project. Celtic Recycling and its associated companies are involved in several environmental and utilities projects around the country. The operation will run for eight years, during which time 1.7 million tonnes of construction, demolition, industrial and commercial waste will fill the void left by extraction of gravel which will continue for about another four years. The promoters say they are very strictly constrained about what items can be put into the site, and a full list of these will be available to a community committee who will have full access to the operation. In addition, a fund is being set up based on the tonnage throughput which will provide an estimated £10,000 a year to Kilcullen’s Tidy Town organisation. Fears that Kildare County Council might seek to have the terms of the licence changed so that waste from its rapidly-filling county dump close by have been discounted by the promoters. The facility will be lined with boulder clay and an impervious membrane in accordance with best practice as is currently used in European and Scandinavian countries. Leachate will be collected and treated and a bond will ensure that the site will be properly maintained for 20 years after its closure, by which time nothing of environmental concern should be coming from the landfill.

Specialist travel operators to Cheltenham, Aintree, and other major international racing venues. Phone 01 2958901; Fax 01 2958902; Email leoptour@indigo.ie 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 CHAPMANS OF KILDARE Main Rover, Land Rover and Volvo dealers, Kildare town. Phone 045 521203; Fax 045 521785. See our selection here.

Minister 'doesn't care' about VEC strike, says outgoing chairman NAAS, 30 June 1999: by Brian Byrne. The minister for education doesn’t seem to care what happens to the VEC in Kildare, outgoing chairman of Kildare VEC Spike Nolan said yesterday in a comment on the apparently stalemated strike action begun last weekend. “I’m very disappointed that it has come to this despite all the assurances we were given in talks,” he told KNN. “It seems like we were just brushed off again. But Wicklow and Wexford were sorted out, and we’ve a bigger VEC commitment than either of them. The responsibility for the resolution of the situation lies squarely with the minister.” The strike is over the failure of the department to increase staffing and improve conditions. VEC member Cllr Michael Fitzpatrick also expressed his ‘regret’ that the strike had taken place. “The outgoing committee tried every angle in representations to the minister,” he said, but he denied that there was ‘buck-passing’ by the department, which is reported to have claimed it is awaiting sanction from the department of finance for a ‘wide-ranging review’ of the Kildare situation. Cllr Fitzpatrick also said the position of the strikers had ‘the full support’ of the members of the committee and that he was ‘satisfied’ that VEC CEO Colm Canavan was doing his best to resolve the situation ‘through the proper channels’. A spokesperson for the strikers said there had been no moves at all to resolve the situation since pickets were placed last Friday, and that they could achieve little by dealing with local management. “I could talk every morning to the CEO, but nothing would happen," Alice Moore of IMPACT told KNN. “This is the department’s problem, but we’re getting nothing from them but a runaround.”

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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 emailing us at KNN

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Councillors advised to be careful on incinerator matter COUNTY HALL, 29 June 1999: by Trish Whelan & Brian Byrne. Kildare county councillors have been advised not to do or say anything which might land the authority in the High Court by way of a judicial inquiry over the application for a waste incinerator outside Kilcock. A decision on the controversial proposal is due on July 16, but according to county manager Niall Bradley (right), the best legal advice to Kildare County Council is that the project would constitute a material contravention of the County Development Plan as it currently stands. He was responding to a query by Cllr P J Sheridan who had asked for clarification on the current status of the proposal. Mr Bradley says that should he decide the proposal does represent a material contravention, then the issue will be decided by the councillors themselves, acting in a quasi-judicial role. For this reason he had to advise them to be cautious in their public stances on the matter. “If the local authority is seen to take into account issues which are not relevant, third parties or the applicants, Thermal Waste Management (Ireland) Ltd, could say the authority looked at issues that they should not have, and this could therefore be an excuse for a judicial review,” he warned. He said he had not yet decided on the matter, but if he considered that the application should be refused, it would not go before the councillors at all. If it does come before members for decision, they will then be standing in the shoes of the county manager and will have to approach the application exactly as he had to. If the application does go to the material contravention process, it will then have to be put into the public domain for at least three weeks and would need to be subsequently approved by 18 members of the council. Whatever happens, it’s likely that the matter will end up with the Planning Appeals Board. • More than 500 people turned up to the latest public meeting in Kilcock organised by the movement against the proposal, the North Kildare-South Meath Anti-Incinerator Alliance. They were told that a US expert on waste, Dr Paul Connett of St Laurence University in New York, has agreed to help them fight the £65 million project. TIM CONWAY & CO - ACCOUNTANTS Basin Street, Naas We offer all accounting services including financial advice, taxation, company information etc. Contact 045 876492 or email at timmyconway@tinet.ie

Ireland's only COMPLETE motoring magazine on sale now at all good newsagents. 'Simply the Best' CHAPMANS OF KILDARE Main Rover, Land Rover and Volvo dealers, Kildare town. Phone 045 521203; Fax 045 521785. See our selection here.

Corporate Magazine Production & 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

Kilcullen man writes from China on reaction to Belgrade bombing KILCULLEN, 29 June 1999: by Brian Byrne. Kilcullen man Garreth Byrne has sent an interesting report on how foreign teachers were treated in China in the aftermath of the accidental bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade by NATO. Garreth is just finishing his second tour of duty at the South China University of Technology, where he has been teaching English. “Students and staff were shocked by the initial news,” he writes in an end-of-year report on his activities at the university, located in the city formerly known as Canton. “My first hint of something wrong was late Saturday afternoon when I saw about 100 students marching with umbrellas in the rain and shouting slogans. I only learned of the actual event when I tuned into the BBC later that evening. I took the early Sunday morning bus into church and saw many people reading the banner headline newspapers, but I did not feel nervous.” Garreth and other foreign teachers were visited that evening by a member of the university’s foreign affairs office and told that everything was under control but that they should stay around the campus as ‘a general safety precaution’. Later in the week the vice president of the university told them it was a ‘dispute between governments’ and that foreign teachers ‘were still friends’. Garreth gave two classes on the Monday following the bombing but experienced no hostility, though one of the lectures had to be curtailed because students were demonstrating in the afternoon outside some NATO countries’ consulates. “The campus noticeboards were plastered with anti-NATO posters and slogans,” he recalls. “Some of them were in idiomatically imperfect English, but I resisted the temptation to offer professional corrections. The tension of Monday morning began visibly to evaporate by the end of Tuesday - the students had marched and made their point and normal study concerns manifested themselves a week later.” Garreth complimented the university staff who had made sincere and swift efforts to reassure the foreign teachers during ‘a moment of crisis’. “The staff and students behaved well towards us during an unprecedented and emotionally charged time.” Garreth is returning to his home in Dromahair, Co Leitrim, next month. He expects to visit Kilcullen towards the end of July or early August. He has spent most of his working life teaching in foreign countries, mostly in Africa.

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Listen to IRELANDWIDE - 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.

Thanks KNN for election coverage NAAS, 29, June 1999: Dear Editor, I write to compliment you on your coverage of the recent Local Elections. Your service was at all times comprehensive, balanced and fair to all of the candidates. Keep up the good work. Yours, Pat McCarthy, (Member of Naas UDC).

KNN is a completely INDEPENDENT professional news service for County Kildare, with no affiliations to any network, authority, group, party or other organisation. The service is operated by Telling Tales Ltd, Naas, Co Kildare, under the editorial direction of Brian Byrne and Trish Whelan. It is our policy to report accurately and fairly on any subject, and we offer right of reply to anyone who has differing opinions to those expressed in any story. Any such opinions published on KNN are not necessarily the views of KNN's proprietors or any network on which we are hosted or to which we may be linked. Email us at KNN , or phone 045 481090; fax 481091.

Buyout plans could boost cable services in County Kildare NEWBRIDGE, 28 June 1999: by Brian Byrne. Cable internet access, digital TV, pay-per-view channels, discount phone calls and home shopping services for subscribers in County Kildare have moved a step closer with negotiations currently under way between New York-based cable operator NTL and Cable Management Ireland for a £100 million buyout of the Irish company. CMI has 63,000 subscribers, mostly in Kildare and Wicklow, and is forecast to close the deal in a matter of months. NTL recently bought Cablelink for £535 million, double the expected price, and has earmarked another £200 million to upgrade its infrastructure. It is the third-largest cable company in Britain and its subscribers get phone services at 15% cheaper than British Telecom. If it buys CMI, NTL is in line to become the second-largest phone company here. TIM CONWAY & CO - ACCOUNTANTS Basin Street, Naas We offer all accounting services including financial advice, taxation, company information etc. Contact 045 876492 or email at timmyconway@tinet.ie

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

VIOLET'S FLOWERS Do you need to send flowers home for that special remembrance? Station Road, Kildare - Registered Teleflorist - Phone 045 522210

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.

Niall will sing his way around the world with famous group NEWBRIDGE, 27 June 1999: Niall Mulpeter from Christianstown, Newbridge, is to join the international Up With People programme following his acceptance by the world singing group. He travels to Denver in Colorado on 17 July to train for a period of six weeks before spending ten months travelling the world with the other 150 performers, selected from 20 countries. Niall, who has just completed his Leaving Cert examination in the Patrician Brothers Secondary School in Newbridge, is the son of Billy and Kathleen Mulpeter. He has been leader of the town’s YCS Choir and musical director of Allen choir as well as being involved with Newbridge Musical Society and St Conleth’s Panto Troupe and Kilkenny Youth Society. Niall plays both piano and flute and sings at weddings, and would like to make a career in music. His brother Liam lives in New York, where he plays keyboard and accordion in the city’s thriving Irish music scene. The Up With People connection came about when his teacher told him there were auditions being done in Dublin. “I was interviewed, and three weeks later they told me I’d been accepted. They look not just for musical ability, but also to see if a candidate has the personality to go on the road for a year, because it is a lot of hard work. You have to be able to deal with people.” His work with Up With People will be mainly singing and dancing. The organisation has four groups travelling around the world at any one time, and Niall as yet has no idea which one he’ll be with. But friends will be able to keep up with his travels because he’ll be corresponding regularly with KNN as he goes, so watch this space. “It’s giving me a chance to get out and perform for many thousands of people, and is a great chance for me in advance of going to music college. At some stage after that, I’d like to go into teaching music at secondary school level.” The venture involves considerable expense and while Niall has already received a $10,000 scholarship towards his costs, he is holding a fundraising night in Toughers on 2 July to help out. Tickets for the function are available at Barbra’s Shop on Main Street, Newbridge. Listen to IRELANDWIDE - 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.

CHAPMANS OF KILDARE Main Rover, Land Rover and Volvo dealers, Kildare town. Phone 045 521203; Fax 045 521785. See our selection here.  KILCULLEN ESSO AND XL STOP 'N' SHOP Open 7am-10pm for Fuel, Groceries, Toiletries, Flowers, Newspapers, Deli Food, Fresh Coffee and more.

	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.)

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