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Tom Dowling's
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Novel partnership for Naas playgrounds mooted by Kingsfurze parent
John A Kavanagh (pictured below, right) suggests that
if the facilities are brought up to the new EU standards introduced
at the beginning of this year that the mandatory weekly inspections
and maintenance of the playgrounds could be carried out by residents'
associations where the facilities are located, while the UDC
would arrange affordable insurance through the Irish Public
Bodies Mutual Insurance scheme. "At a recent meeting,
Naas town clerk Declan Kirrane spoke about the associations
and the UDC working in partnership for the betterment of the
town," Mr Kavanagh says. "This would be an example
where the aspirations could be put into practice. The UDC is
short of men to do such work, while residents associations have
people, but no money." Mr Kavanagh this week commissioned at his own expense a report on the Kingsfurze facilities by Richard Webb of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA), a consultant who can issue a risk assessment certificate and supervision guidelines which helps to get reasonable insurance quotes. "This assessment cost me £90," Mr Kavanagh says. "Unlike some of the others I have been dealing with on this issue, I am prepared to put my money where my mouth is for the benefit of this town." The consultant's report will be available within 10 days, but from his initial observations the main thing needed for the Kingsfurze facilities' compliance with standards is that soft surfaces, such as sand, replace the existing concrete surfaces. "Given the pricing of sand this shouldn't add up to too much," says John Kavanagh. "The problem will be the removing of existing surfaces. I have yet to add a Kango hammer to my list of DIY accessories. For the swings some extra work may be required - examples being to replace some hardwood swing seats with more modern softer materials and chains with smaller link sized ones." Mr Kavanagh plans to use the report as a basis to gain the assistance of the council to keep the Kingsfurze facility open. He says that since the reports of the possible loss of the play equipment were highlighted on local media (initially on KNN), he has been contacted by email, letter and candidates for the UDC all offering different kinds of help. "If the partnership system that I suggest works it would encourage community ownership and shared sense of responsibility and would provide facilities for the people of the town without entailing excessive demands on the UDC's limited staffing resources." |
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NAAS, 11 June 1999: by
Brian Byrne. A Kingsfurze resident concerned at the
possible loss of playing facilities for children in his estate
has put forward a partnership proposal between residents and
Naas UDC which could solve problems of standards and insurance
in play areas throughout the town.
School pupils' project wins major ESB environmental awareness competition
ATHGARVAN, 11 June 1999: by Brian Byrne. Sixth class pupils of Scoil Bhride in Athgarvan have won a prestigious ESB-sponsored Environmental Awareness award for a project which not alone taught them about the flora and fauna of the area around their school, but also involved them in using the latest digital technology. The competition was carried out in association with St Patrick's Teacher Training College.
"In the course of our research we learned a lot, and even found a badger set near the school," says group member Aoife McGoldrick, pictured above on the right with other members Alison Rea (seated) and Caoimhe Boyce. "But we never expected to win the competition outright, because we were only in the middle of the project when the judge arrived at the school." The project will remain in the school as a resource, and there's also the possibility of putting it up on the internet so that it can be accessed by other schools. Earlier this month, younger pupils were the winners of a Kildare County Council environmental arts project which is part of a major investigation of the Curragh's economic and amenity potential under the EU SUNA programme (see KNN story last week). Pictured below are other members of the Garden Club with a 3-D map of the area around their school which they're in the process of developing. They're Leanna Kierans, Sean O'Connor, Finian Kelly and Monique O'Sullivan.
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The members of the Gardening
Club of the school researched and photographed the wild life
around the school premises on the edge of the Curragh and then
translated it into a 'virtual walk' which uses internet methods
to present their findings. The presentation includes sketches,
pictures, sound and also details some historical elements of
the area, such as the location of the old Woolpack Road
to Dublin which passes nearby.
TIM CONWAY &
CO - ACCOUNTANTS
Residents have concerns about security at large parkLEIXLIP, 11 June 1999: by
Trish Whelan. While welcoming the development of the 170-acre
St Catherine's Park recreation area which borders Leixlip
residents of Glendale Meadows are concerned that the access
points to the park through their estate will mean even heavier
levels of traffic in their area. They are also concerned that
no boundary fencing is planned in the development of the lands,
fearing this could lead to incidents of anti social behaviour. |
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 VIOLET'S
FLOWERS |
 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 TV producer doing important Medjugorge series
"The children who Our Lady first appeared to in 1981 are now adults and we have a private interview with them," says Mary, who was an RTE reporter in the early eighties and now contributes regularly to Nationwide as an independent producer. "One of the questions I'll be asking is, if she chose this particular place to appear, why did such bloody conflicts take place since, in Bosnia, and not far away in Kosovo? I'll also be speaking to Irish pilgrims - we're travelling with a Cavan group - and asking them why, in so many cases, do they keep going back?" She'll also be detailing the background to what has now become an international shrine, and the infighting that has been a constant between the Franciscans 'who control things' and the local Bishop of Mostar. "He has on many occasions called the visionaries false, but I'm going out there with an open mind and I'll feel it and bring what I feel back for our Irish viewers." Mary has carried out considerable research for her trip, some of which she admits had 'the hair standing on the back of my head'. "There's one woman who went there as a teenager and saw signs and things and when she came back she found herself compelled to say 15 rosaries a day ... it took her a long time to get away from that. But basically, the fundamental message from Our Lady seems to be 'prayer, peace and fasting' and a return to family values so that evil in the world is reversed." One of the planned highlights of Mary's trip is a session with the visionaries while whatever happens is happening, and she has asked for permission for the camera to be allowed roll during the apparitions. "If we get that permission, I'll describe my experiences afterwards." Though it will be a hard enough 'gig', lugging cameras and other paraphernalia around in the heat, she was looking forward immensely to the trip. Whatever transpires, the irrepressible and occasionally irreverent sense of humour of this Kildare mother of five children will stand to her. "I'm going there to let whatever happens to me happen ... and if Our Lady appears to me, I'll be quite happy to interview her." |
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KILDARE, 11 June 1999: by
Brian Byrne. Kildare-based TV producer Mary Fanning
is filming in Medjugorge over the next week to bring back to
Nationwide viewers what it is really like today in the
famous pilgrimage centre. The results of her work, being filmed
by Kilkenny cameraman Nelis Dennehy, will be broadcast
over a number of nights on the popular RTE series.
Garda Torch Run gets musical welcomes in County Kildare
KILDARE GENERAL, 10 June 1999: by Brian Byrne. Gardai taking part in the ten-day Torch Run to raise £200,000 for the 1999 Special Olympics in North Carolina were given musical welcomes in Naas, Newbridge and Kildare towns by the Senior and Junior Patrician College Pipe Bands. Pictured above is Garda Con O'Sullivan from Cork, lighting the Olympic flame outside Newbridge Garda Station where the runners were welcomed by local representatives led by Senator John Dardis. Some 1,200 gardai are are involved in the event, in which 300 RUC men also took part earlier in the week. It's the second time that the two police forces have cooperated to raise funds for worthy causes. The collections for the County Kildare end of the event were taken up by volunteers from KARE as well as a number of local celebrities including Kildare footballers Glen Ryan and Anthony Rainbow - the latter pictured below left with Mrs Mary Short from Kilcullen. A cheque for donations collected by the children of KARE was presented to local organiser for the run Mary Mooney by Gerry Foley of Lakeside, Newbridge (below, right).
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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. |
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Outreach centre to displace Town Hall community uses?
"The UDC has told me they will make that room available if the Outreach Centre gets approval from the Department of Education," he told KNN last evening. "We have to put education facilities first, and I've been told the UDC will prioritise the centre facilities before other uses for the Town Hall." Cllr Conway has promoted the idea of an Outreach Centre for several months, but, while the board of AIT has looked 'positively' at the idea, there's no word from the Department of Education, which has put approval for such centres 'on hold' pending a review of the concept. This follows previous establishment of Outreach Centres by Carlow IT which subsequently had to be closed down. But Cllr Conway is confident that he can 'short-circuit' the matter for Naas and have the AIT centre in place by January 2000. "We just have to get Charlie McCreevy to have it sanctioned for us," he says. "I haven't had time to deal with that part of it because of work on the Naas Development Plan and the elections." Cllr Conway placed strong emphasis on his expected provision of an Outreach Centre in a controversial document which he circulated to homes in the county town last week on behalf of himself and other supporters of the Naas Development Plan. He has since accepted that there were a number of errors and inaccuracies in the document. |
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NAAS, 10 June
1999: by Brian Byrne. Community activities in Naas
Town Hall such as Country Markets and slimming classes will
have to find new homes if a PD councillor's proposals to establish
an Outreach Centre from Athlone Institute of Technology
in Naas come to fruition. That's because any such centre, which
will require a dedicated and secure space for a computer laboratory,
which will initially be located in the room in the Town Hall
which 'houses' these other activities, according to Cllr Timmy
Conway.
Listen
to a weekly roundup of Irish views and stories presented by Brian
Byrne and Trish Whelan which is broadcast from Vancouver
on the Celtic Voices programme carried by Canada's largest
independent radio network, Fairchild. You can stream it or download to listen to later.
Changed every Sunday. |
Novel idea for defunct Newbridge pool
NEWBRIDGE, 10 June 1999: by Brian Byrne. Independent candidate for Newbridge Town Commission Seamie Finn has come up with a bright idea which could at last find a use for the town's defunct open air swimming pool, and at the same time solve what's seen as a problem to be dealt with relating to young people. "With some modification, the pool and surrounding area could be turned into a skateboarding rink," the outgoing commission cathaoirleach says. "I've already brought some of the youngsters down to see it, and they immediately saw its potential. They were already working out ideas a few minutes after we arrived." There have been complaints expressed at recent town commission meetings about young people skateboarding on a public area in front of the courthouse. Mr Finn, who is also running for a seat on Kildare County Council, intends to call a public meeting after the elections to see what can be done to further progress the idea, including exploring funding possibilities. He's pictured below during his campaign, going to meet his constituents in a vintage horse-drawn landau.
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CBS has designs on prime Naas site
NAAS, 10 June 1999: by Trish
Whelan. A prime 2-acre site on Corban's Lane could
yet become part of Naas CBS secondary school facilities. Members
of Naas UDC have voted not to allow an application for
retail and office use on the site which is adjacent to Naas CBS
secondary school. |
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Call to work together despite FF candidate tensions
Supporters of Ms O'Loughlin said she had no choice but to go ahead with this strategy because of delay by outgoing councillor John O'Neill in deciding whether or not he would run in the election, though he had been selected along with the other candidates at a convention last November. This meant that party canvass cards could not be printed, and a press conference to introduce the candidates had to be rescheduled. "This was most unfair to new candidates who needed time and support to establish a profile," says supporter John Shanahan. "The dice would have been loaded totally in favour of sitting councillors. If we were to achieve our target of three seats out of six in the electoral area, somebody would have to make the running." Pat Black told KNN that he sympathises with the situation faced by Ms O'Loughlin but said that such conflicts were common enough between members of a party's election panel. "The only way to make sure they don't happen is for the director of elections to sit down with the candidates early on and establish rigid ground rules for what can and can't be done," he commented. |
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KILDARE ELECTORAL
AREA, 9 June 1999: by Brian Byrne. A former Fianna Fail
director of elections has appealed to all candidates to work
to return as many of the party's candidates as possible, despite
the sudden resignation of Peter Gibbons, party director
for elections for the Kildare Area of Kildare County Council.
Pat Black (left), who is himself a candidate for Newbridge
Town Commission, said he understood the difficulties posed by
the situation, but candidates shouldn't let it prevent them from
making the best effort possible.
Mr Gibbons resigned
following tension between Fianna Fail candidates over publicity
strategies used by Fiona O'Loughlin, widely expected to
take the seat vacated by her retiring father Jimmy O'Loughlin.
It is understood that her decision to have her own canvass cards
printed and her use of full-page newspaper advertising upset
some of the more established fellow-candidates to the point where
a letter was sent to Fianna Fail head office threatening their
resignation.
Need more infoTORONTO, 9 June 1999: Dear Editor, To settle an argument (out here) we require the final word on the following: 'Is the 90 (100) metre Development - Free Zone, bounding the canal, to extend from the Harbour Area to the urban boundary, or is it to be selective and apply only to particular/specified stretch of this waterway?' Reading your article "Anger
& tears at U.D.C. Canal Decision". It would be interesting
to know if the 'tearful' person's abode happens to be one of
those straddling the former railway-line, forever sealing it's
fate! Re-opening of that same rail-link would go a long way in
solving the local traffic problem. If this person so resides,
why not shed a 'tear' for the residents of Naas for the loss
of this, now more urgent than ever rail-link. Keep the news coming,
it is great for us emigrants to keep up to date on all the happenings
in and around our home town of Naas. ED: You can find the information on candidates in our election guide page. In regard to the canal zone, it does not aply to the Harbour area or where development has already taken place. The 'tearful' person's abode does NOT straddle the former railway line. |
Candidate admits inaccuracies and errors in controversial plan booklet
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Particular benefits attributed
incorrectly to the Development Plan include ‘the acquisition
of St David’s Castle and Gardens, the expansion and upgrading
of Naas Hospital, the building of a new Fire Station and the
development of Monread Park’. “None of those have anything
to do with the development plan - they have all come to pass
through other work by the UDC,” retiring Cllr Sean English
said about the booklet after it was circulated. He also heavily
criticised the (unnamed) publishers for including his name as
a supporter of the plan, when he had voted against its adoption.
'Naas plan' publication row escalates - illegality concerns
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NAAS, 8 June 1999:
by Brian Byrne & Trish Whelan. Naas UDC has officially
disowned a publication being circulated by Cllr Timmy Conway
entitled the ‘Naas Development Plan’, which has been
described as a ‘fraud on the people of Naas’. In a
letter to Labour UDC candidate Pat McCarthy, town clerk
Declan Kirrane says the booklet ‘has not been published,
printed or circulated by Naas UDC’. This reinforces comments
made last week by town manager Terry O Niadh that the UDC had
neither produced the publication nor knew officially who had
done so.
Challenge on Moat funding not replied toNAAS, 8 June 1999: Dear Editor, |
Good turnout to turfcutting festival
Those same locals included Matt Higgins of Roseberry, Newbridge, and last year's wing-slean champion Billy Morrisson of Tankardstown, Newbridge (pictured left). The judges for the event were Tommy Grace of Coill Dubh and Mick Nolan of Edenderry (pictured below left), and Will Murphy from County Carlow and Donie O'Regan of Coill Dubh (below right). In addition to the serious work of the day there were also other attractions for what was very much a family day out, including sideshows, childrens' amusements and even a set-dancing area. The results of the competition were as follows - Wing Slean Senior: Billy Morrisson, Tankardsgarden; Tom Cummins, Ticknevin; Matt Higgins, Milltown. Breast Slean Senior: Patrick Connolly, Ticknevin; Peter Connolly, Celbridge; Joe Joe Reilly, Derrinturn. Under 30: Noel Jennings, Kerry; Michael Mulligan, Derrinturn; P J Garry, Derrinturn. Ladies: Ann-Marie Cummins, Doreen Heavey and Fiona Conlon, all from Milltown. Junior U/16: Stephen Kelly, Ticknevin; Jason Daniels, Rathmore; Karen Heavey, Ticknevin.   
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TICKNEVIN, 7 June
1999: by Brian Byrne. There were more than 30 sleans
out for the annual Ticknevin Turfcutting Festival yesterday,
with teams from as far as Donegal competing with locals. Despite
some threatening clouds, the weather held up and there was a
good spectator turnout to watch skills in action that are as
old as the business of manual turfcutting itself.
KCC 'Magnificent Seven' honoured
NEWBRIDGE, 6 June 1999: by
Trish Whelan. Retiring members of Kildare County Council
were presented with engraved stirrup cups at a private function
last week to mark the end of the existing council. The event
was also attended by former county manager Gerry Ward
and former county secretary Harry Lyons. The cups have
the council crest and details of their service: Michael McWey,
44 years; Paddy Power, 28; Jimmy O’Loughlin,
25; Gerry Brady, 20 years; Sean Reilly, 20; Liam
Doyle, 14; Mary French Coughlan, 8. They're pictured
above with council cathaoirleach Jim Reilly.
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Vote to avoid 'continued destruction' of NaasNAAS, 6 June 1999: Dear Editor, FORMER UDC COUNCILLOR 1974 -1994 |
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YOU
COULD BE GETTING YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS HERE TO A SOPHISTICATED
(AND RAPIDLY GROWING) KILDARE AUDIENCE AT HOME AND ABROAD |
Poster defacing claimNAAS, 6 June 1999: Dear Editor, |
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