Kildare Echo

Kildare Echo

Gardai in Kildare are ask-

ing the residents of the

county to be extra careful

this holiday period, in pro-

tecting their homes.

This follows an increase in

burglaries across the county

over the past few months.

Darker evenings can coin-

cide with an increase in

burglaries but Gardai wish

to remind residents, that

they can show Burglars the

Red Card, by taking some

simple, but effective steps,

to prevent being a victim of

Burglary during the festive

season.

The most common method

of entry for burglars is via

the back door (27.7% of all

burglaries) 80% of all bur-

glaries now take place

while people are at home

and the most likely time of

day to be burgled is

between 12pm and 4pm.

Kildare ranks as the num-

ber two hotspot for burgla-

ries in Ireland according to

the 11th Annual Eircom

PhoneWatch Burglary

Report.

The number of break-ins

increased by 7.9% in the

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Gardai Urge Vigilance

To Stop Burglaries county since last year and

the most burgled month is

June.

Nationwide, burglaries

have risen by 4.12% in the

twelve months between

July 2010 and June 2011.

Dublin continues to top

Ireland’s burglary table,

with burglaries increasing

13% this year and account-

ing for 42% of burglaries

nationwide.

When this figure is com-

bined with the surrounding

commuter belt of Wicklow,

Kildare, Meath and Louth,

it climbs to 63% of all bur-

glaries nationwide.

Speaking at the launch of

the 2011 Burglary Report,

Eoin Dunne, General

Manager of Eircom

PhoneWatch commented;

“This year’s findings also

indicate that burglars are

more opportunistic than

ever gaining entry through

front and rear doors and

taking lower value items.

This time of year has been

found to be the busiest time

for burglaries and home

owners should be aware of

the need to keep their home

safe and secure, whether

they are at home or not.”

In addition to the four point

message from the Gardai,

experts at Eircom

Phonewatch advise the fol-

lowing:

* Before answering the door

– check for unwelcome visi-

tors.

* Don’t leave your door key

in the lock above the cat

flap or by the letter box. A

wire coat hanger opened

into a long rod with a hook

might be able to reach a

key.

* Leave a light on in the

porch or hallway – prowlers

always opt for the cover of

darkness.

* A timer for lights is a

worthwhile investment and

gives the impression that

someone is at home.

* Do your neighbour and

yourself a favour – invite

them to use your driveway

while you’re away.

* Do hang lace curtains to

prevent burglars from look-

ing into your room. The

fashion police are dead

against them but so are bur-

glars !!

December2011:October2011.qxd 15/12/2011 10:26 Page 1

02 NEWS Kildare Echo, December, 2011

Kildare Echo

Welcome to the lastest edition of the

Kildare Echo !

.

[email protected]@KildareEcho.com

[email protected](046) 955 2467

www.KildareEcho.com

Kildare Echo Reg. No. 440943

MAYNOOTH

Supervalu

CELBRIDGE

Tesco

CLANE

Supervalu

NEWBRIDGE

Tesco

EDENDERRY

Tesco

The Kildare Echo is available every month throughout

Kildare at various shops, sports clubs and community

centre’s. We are constantly adding new outlets every

month and have major ‘Pick Up’ points around the

county at locations listed below.

The cast from St Wolstans production of The Sound Of Music, which took place at the Celbridge

Stagg Welcomes Approval Of €29.7 Tender ForExpansion Of Leixlip Water Treatment Plant Deputy Emmet Stagg has

welcomed the announce-

ment today by the Minister

for Environment,

Community and Local

Government , that he has

approved the necessary

funding to enable Fingal

Co. Council to accept a ten-

der for a major expansion

of the Leixlip Water

Treatment Plant.

Deputy Stagg stated that

the €29.7 Million contract

will see production rise

from 148 to 215 million

litres per day and will help

to ensure that there is suffi-

cient capacity to deal with

demand from population

growth and future econom-

ic development in North

East Kildare, Fingal and the

north side of Dublin City.

The work is expected to

take 2 years to complete.

Taken in conjunction with

the Castlewarden/

Ballygoran Water Supply

Scheme which is expected

to commence next year at a

cost of €18.7 Million, these

schemes will greatly assist

in ensuring security of sup-

ply for North East Kildare

and should ensure that we

do not have water supply

shortages which have been

experienced both at Winter

and Summer times in the

North East of the County in

recent years.

The Castlewarden/

Ballygoran Water Supply

Scheme will see an addi-

tional supply taken from

Castlewarden which will be

piped to Leixlip via a new

storage reservoir at

Ballygoran in Maynooth.

Disabled Access at Sallins StationAccessibility works have finally started at Sallins and Naas

Train Station and have been welcomed by local Fianna Fáil

activist and NASRUG (Naas & Sallins Rail Users Group)

spokesperson James Lawless who says these works have

been sought for a considerable time and that they are

badly needed.

“Well it’s great to now see the construction phase begin,

this project has been talked about for years and there have

been a number of false dawns but it is great to see the

machinery finally on site and the project commencing.

The accessibility access issue has been the most pressing

item in terms of station works for some time now”

explained James.

“It will be a huge relief primarily for our disabled pas-

sengers of course and I am sure it will also be welcomed by

anyone who has ever had to push a buggy or a load of

shopping over the existing stairway”.

“On a separate but related note I have asked Irish Rail to

look into security issues at the station which has resulted in

improved station lighting and have also been in contact

with Naas Gardaí about an increased presence there” con-

tinued James.

“I think longer term the station has a lot of development

potential – there are a fine set of buildings there and there

is a lot more that could be done in terms of facilities

including an enhanced ticket office, waiting area and even

a little café in the future.

But the accessibility access addresses a basic requirement

of the station’s users and these works are very welcome

being the first priority for any station upgrade” concluded

James.

Independents Slam Scully’s Remarks Independent Cllrs Pádraig

McEvoy, Paddy Kennedy,

Seamie Moore and

Anthony Larkin, have

expressed their disgust at

the comments attributed to

Cllr Darren Scully in recent

days and issued the follow-

ing joint statement:

“Cllr Scully’s remarks have

brought his role as

Councillor, and the com-

mittees he sits on, into dis-

repute. It is necessary to

publically challenge his

attempt to prejudice people

on the basis of their physi-

cal appearance or nationali-

ty.

As public representatives

it is important to speak on

issues that affect people

across society. That is not a

licence to universally

malign all those associated

with groups - be they eth-

nic, a work sector or social

background for example.

Contrary to claims, free

speech on difficult topics is

not constrained by political

correctness. However, it

does require sufficient care

to get to the heart of issues in

order to identify the true

cause and appropriate solu-

tions.

Above all else, Cllr Scully’s

ill-considered remarks illus-

trate how the dumbing down

of politics and public dis-

course can cause much hurt

and acute embarrassment.

Such sentiments have no

place in the lives of fair-

minded people living and

working in County Kildare.

While acknowledging his

statement of regret and his

resignation as Mayor, they

pointed to the need for him

to retract his controversial

commentary and undertake

equality training or to

resign his elected roles.

The Councillors called on

Cllr Scully to take every

step necessary to repair the

damage he has caused.”


02 NEWS Kildare Echo, December, 2011 Kildare Echo, December. 2011 NEWS 03

Wishes friends, supporters and constituents a very happy and safe

Christmas and every good wish for theNew Year

Liam Aylward MEP

Tel: 0032 228 45782 Email: [email protected]

Website: www.liamaylward.com

Do You Have The X Factor ?Carbury GAA are to host the search for

new talent in the area by launching their

own X-Factor competition.

The entry fee is €25 and the prize fund

totals €1,000.

Entry forms and rules are available at the

club.

The competition will be offically

launched at the club on Saturday 17th,

December.

Kilcock Business AssociationLaunch 2012 CalenderThe KBA Kilcock

Community Calendar is the

perfect gift for Christmas.

You get great community

pictures of Kilcock, year

long use and you get to sup-

port all the work that the

KBA do including lighting

up Kilcock for Christmas.

Also perfect presents for

posting abroad AND you

get entered into the draw to

win €500 worth of vouch-

ers for businesses all

around Kilcock, to help pay

for Christmas. All that for

only €5, available in shops

in Kilcock.

If you wish to have a calen-

dar posted to you, we can

accept laser, just email

kilcockbusinessassocia-

tion@gma il.com and they

will get in touch.

Markets Return to NaasThe Naas Christmas

Markets will continue to

take place each Saturday

up to December 24th,

10a.m. - 5pm on the

grounds of St. David’s

Church (opposite the

Town Hall).

A wide selection of food

and crafts will be avail-

able and it promises to be

a great event.

The Christmas lights are

on and town looks great !!

Local Councillor Emer

McDaid said, "Following

the success of the

Christmas Markets at the

Courthouse last year, we

are thrilled to announce

the return of the markets.

They really gave the town

a much needed boost last

year and we hope they will

again this year”.

There will be music on the

streets again and a new

Christmas lighting system,

sponsored by Naas Town

Council. From December

the 8th, there will also be an

ice-rink and Santa's

Workshop in the Naas

Town Centre (beside

M&S).

“All these exciting events

will make Naas a special

place in the run up to

Christmas. Now more than

ever it's important to shop

local and support local

businesses, "said

Councillor Emer McDaid.

Allan Shine, CEO of

North Kildare Chamber

said “ The markets will

create a great buzz around

the town and hopefully

the retailers will all bene-

fit from it.

The ice rink is a new ini-

tiative which will be a

great attraction for the

town. Naas Town

Council has supported the

town better this year than

in years gone by and the

councilors must be com-

mended for their work”

Shine concluded

It pays to advertise with the

Kildare EchoCall: (046) 955 2467

[email protected]

exhilaration,



With calls to SVP - Society

of Saint Vincent de Paul in

Ireland more than doubling,

the 21st of December saw

the launch of the SVP

'Urgent Appeal' in Dublin.

It is the first time the soci-

ety in Ireland has had to use

the term urgent in its plea

for help. As part of this

'Urgent Appeal', the society

will also hold a national

'SVP Week' from Monday

5th - Sunday 11th December

in which to try and raise

much needed money.

The Maynooth Students'

SVP Conference for stu-

dents of NUI Maynooth and

St Patrick's College

Maynooth ran their very

own 'SVP Week' on campus

to raise both awareness of

some of the issues that SVP

deal with and also to raise

money.

The 'SVP Week' organized

by the Maynooth Students'

SVP conference ran from

Monday the 5th to Friday

the 9th of December.

The week saw a whole

variety of events on

Maynooth Campus being

organized entirely by the

conference, including a

clothing, food and toy

appeal, guest speakers,

buskers, quiz's, treasurer

hunts, cake sales, informa-

tion and advice stands,

flash mobs, variety shows

and concerts, coffee and tea

mornings and the main

event on the Thursday night

was - Maynooth Students'

SVP Homelessness

Awareness Sleep-Out.

This was the first ever

sleep-out to take place on

Maynooth Campus.

Maynooth Students' SVP is

currently a multi-award

winning society on campus

and is one of the largest,

most active societies on

campus and the event was a

huge success.

The primary reason for the

event is to raise awareness

of the issues of homeless-

ness in Ireland.

Students taking part had to

brave the elements of the

severe cold weather and

slept out on campus with

just a sleeping bag and a

small amount of cover from

the building they slept out-

side. There was an extreme-

ly strong interest in the

sleep-out (as was expected)

and well over 40 students

slept in solidarity with

those who are homeless.

In no way was the event

trying to replicate home-

lessness but rather highlight

the fact that Ireland may be

in the midst of a homeless-

ness crisis: 5,000 people

are homeless, one in seven

is a child, 98,000 house-

holds are waiting for social

housing., There has been a

near 50 per cent increase

inthe number of those

sleeping rough and to make

it worse there is currently

no Housing Minister repre-

senting the homeless in

cabinet especially for the

budget.

The sleep-out took place on

the North Campus of NUI

Maynooth just outside the

Phoenix Sports Centre and

Restaurant from 10pm on

the 8th of December.

The money raised from

the sleep-out will go

towards projects such as the

soup run that the Maynooth

Students' SVP organise

twice weekly into Dublin

City.

You can follow the stu-

dents on Facebook to find

out about this and other

events.

Students Big Sleep-Out In Aid Of Homeless

Colm O' Rourke, Anto Desmond, Jodie Kenworthy, CharlotteKnee, Laoise Sutton and Niall Mc Elwain at NUI Maynooth.

Charlotte Knee was one of many students who took part in the Sleep-Out


Kildare Echo, December, 2011 05

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06 Kildare Echo, December, 2011

“A few weeks ago, I spent a short time in the Holy Land with an ecumenical group from Britain and Ireland. It was not my first visit to Israel/Palestine, but this trip was less a pilgrimage (as my previous visits had been) and was much more involved with meeting people of different faiths, and hence different viewpoints and perspectives on the deeply unhappy situation in that part of the Middle East. Inevitably some of our time there was spent in Bethlehem, the place of Jesus Christ's birth, which will be so much at the centre of the thoughts of all Christian people, as we approach again the holy season of Christmas. In many ways the town of Bethlehem represents so much of the pain of the entire world. People there struggle every day to make a living, and there is a real sense of fear that the future will not bring economic relief or political stability for those who live there.

As here in Ireland we celebrate again the birth of Jesus Christ the Saviour of the World, two thou-sand years ago in the little town of Bethlehem, let us not forget in our prayers and thoughts thosewho still live in that town, and especially the small Christian community which is diminishing insize at a truly horrifying rate, as so many of their younger people inevitably choose emigration asthe best hope for their future (and in this country we may certainly relate to that tragic trend..). We pray that they may be given hope for the future, as ourprayer is that our young people also may find true joy, happiness and confidence in their lives inthe years to come.”

A Christmas Message......

Bishop Richard ClarkeTHE BISHOP OF MEATH AND KILDARE Church Of Ireland


06 Kildare Echo, December, 2011 Kildare Echo, December, 2011 OPINION 07

Opinion

Like many families around Kildare, we continue to strug-

gle with time on a daily basis. Between soccer practice,

GAA and dance classes, its hard to fit in everything. But we

try.

Apart from all these activities, the bulk of our time is

either spent in school, at work or in bed.

And then there is the dreaded homework. Like many

other children, mine are exhausted when they get home

after school. A quick bite to eat and they are straight into

the homework.

Understanding the need to study at exam times and dur-

ing those most important 3rd and 6th years, is it really nec-

essary for children to be spending so much time on home-

work?

In his book, “The Great Homework Myth”, author Alfie

Kohn argues that homework is responsible for stress and

conflict, frustration and exhaustion. And parents respond

by reassuring themselves that at least the benefits outweigh

the costs.

In his book,he systematically examines the usual defences

of homework – that it promotes higher achievement, “rein-

forces” learning, teaches study skills and responsibility.

None of these assumptions, he shows, actually passes the

test of research, logic, or experience.

Kohn’s incisive analysis reveals how a mistrust of chil-

dren, a set of misconceptions about learning, and a mis-

guided focus on competitiveness have all left our kids with

less free time and our families with more conflict.

Pointing to parents who have fought back – and schools

that have proved educational excellence is possible without

homework, Kohn shows how we can rethink what happens

during and after school in order to rescue our families and

our children’s love of learning,

Another good read on the subject is, “The Case Against

Homework” by two moms, lawyer Sara Bennett and jour-

nalist Nancy Kalish.

They write that there is almost no evidence that home-

work helps school students achieve academic success and

little more that it helps older students.

The Great Homework Myth

County Council Ban Leixlip ResidentsFrom Flying The Flag !!In last months issue, I

spoke about the need for all

of us to fly our flag more

often and in more places.

Unlike citizens of other

countries who fly their flag

proudly, we seem to have a

phobia about our Tricolour.

It’s absence from public

buildings, parks and

schools

is both puzzling and sad.

Eight months ago, a group

of residents on, Green Lane

in Leixlip erected a 10

metre, fibre-glass, vandal-

proof flag-pole on the green

known as ‘the Horse-shoe’.

Being good residents and

citizens, these people take

pride in their neighbour-

hood and are correctively

responsible for the upkeep

of the green and surround-

ing area.

The pole is bolt hinged

and professionally

installed.

Unfortunately, a small

group of objectors contact-

ed Kildare County Council,

asking for the flag to be

removed.

Some stated that the flag

pole was “horrible, disgust-

ing and an eyesore”.

Following on from the

objections, Kildare County

Council are now seeking

the residents to submit a

full planning application

for the flag pole !

I contacted Kildare

County Council myself to

seek clarification on the

matter and (eventually) I

was told that full

planning permission

must be made in this

case, even thought

this particular pole is

bolted and not a per-

manent fixture.

Many hotels and

schools have flag

poles installed without plan-

ning permission. Some of

the objectors have said that

they would be happy to have

a “local” or “town” flag fly

instead?

Which brings us to the crux

of the matter.... It’s not the

flag pole that is upsetting

some people but the

Tricolour itself.

At one residents meeting,

one objector stated that he

was against the flag because

“it’s a Republican flag”.

Of course, it’s a Republican

flag....we are a Republic!

So there you have it, a

determined and propagated

antipathy towards the flag

of our country.

I am continuing my repre-

sentations to Kildare

County Council and hope

they will see sense. Let

these good people of

Leixlip fly the flag!

Damien Rice should be a happy man. His song

“Cannonball” is the chosen song for X Factor

finalists, Little Mix.

Damien grew up in Kildare and attended

Salesian College secondary school in Celbridge.

It was there he meet some other musicians and

they formed the rock band, JUNIPER, who had

some success in the mid 90’s.

Now a very successful singer/songwriter,

Damien’s album “O” is an international bestseller

and his music is featured regularly on US TV

shows such as “One Tree Hill” and “Grey’s

Anatomy”.

Although the version of Cannonball by X Factor

winners “Little Mix” pales by comparison to the

original, Mr. Rice is guaranteed a nice windfall

from the royalties received.

What have X Factor andKildare got In Common?

Yet the nightly burden is taking a serious toll on Ireland’s

families.

It robs children of the sleep, play, and exercise time they

need for proper physical, emotional, and neurological

development.

And it is a hidden cause of the childhood obesity epidem-

ic, creating a nation of "homework potatoes."

Both books cite studies, surveys, statistics, along with

some hair-raising anecdotes, on how a rising tide of dull,

useless assignments is oppressing families and making kids

hate learning.

To my knowledge, there has not been any extensive stud-

ies carried out in this country on the subject of homework

but there is a lot available from the USA.

(Before you turn up your superior Irish nose to the

American education system, it should be pointed out that

according to the QS World University Rankings, 13 of the

top 20 Universities in the world are in the US !)

According to a 2004 national survey of 2,900 American

children conducted by the University of Michigan, the

amount of time spent on homework is up 51% since 1981.

Most of that increase reflects bigger loads for little kids.

An academic study found that whereas students ages 6 to 8

did an average of 52 min. of homework a week in 1981,

they were toiling 128 min. weekly by 1997.

Following an exhaustive review by the nation's top home-

work scholar, Duke University's Harris Cooper, concluded

that homework does not measurably improve academic

achievement for kids in grade school.

That's right: all the sweat and tears do not make Johnny a

better reader or mathematician.

Teachers in many of the nations such as Japan, Denmark

and the Czech Republic--tend to assign less homework ,

but instructors in low-scoring countries like Greece,

Thailand and Iran tend to pile it on.

But what is the solution? Many parents might have their

doubts on the subject.

Are they going to confront the system and ban it from

their homes altogether? I don’t think thats going to hap-

pen. Maybe it’s time we had a proper debate on the subject

in this country and ask ourselves is homework really nec-

essary or just a habit we have inherited from our outdated

education system. Many of our schools still turn our chil-

dren from the Irish language because of the archaic way it’s

still being taught.

Our schools continue to teach French, when Spanish or

Chinese would be more beneficial to our children and help

them secure jobs with companies trading with the growing

economies of South America and Asia.

Our education system is getting it wrong on many fronts,

so why would theybe right about homework?

With Ben Doyle

[email protected]


08 GARDENING Kildare Echo, December, 2011

Garden AngelAnd Now For Some Science......

Did you know that House Plants are natural Air Purifiers?

Spider Plants have been used in tests in N.A.S.A and are

believed to be one of the best plants at removing toxins

from the air!

They could be well worth investing in at this time of year

as we tend to spend more time indoors sometimes lighting

fires and candles which burn up the oxygen and give off

poisons like Carbon Monoxide.

Don't over water or feed your plants during the winter as

the weaker light causes them to go into a rest period until

Spring.

You could move them to a brighter, draught free position

or get some special, full spectrum light bulbs which imi-

tate sunlight.

The benefit of these is that they are believed to help people

who suffer from S.A.D. or Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Hello again and welcome

to Garden Angel !There’s not too much to do in the

garden at this time of year, as all

the growth is slowing down and

the plants are going dormant.

Until the ground freezes solid

though, you can still plant bare

root trees and shrubs, but most

jobs will be focused on keeping

an eye on any damage that the

wild weather may cause.

Some people like to decorate the

outside of their homes with lights

at this time of year, but in these

times of austerity and Global

Warming,perhaps we should

rethink wasting unrenewable

resources and go back to some

old traditions of how we deco-

rate our homes.

Now I’m not suggesting draping

paper chains (remember those?)

or the fancier metallic plastic

ones all over the ceiling. With all

those candles they were surely a

fire hazard? No, I’m talking

about a bit of Holly and greenery

brightening up the dark days of

Winter!

So here’s a few ideas to get you

started.

Oh yes, and I wish you all a

very Happy Christmas and a

Peaceful New Year!

When I was a child, I remember going out on foraging trips to the gar-

den, or parks and collecting all kinds of greenery, pine cones and sprays

of berried branches.

We would bring them home and spend hours arranging them on the man-

tel piece or on top of pictures or shelves.

In later years as fairy lights and wired ribbon became more available we

would add them to the displays and created some stunningly beautiful

arrangements.

So bring some paper bags and a secateur in your pocket the next time

you go out for a ramble, you will be amazed at what you will create!

Suitable things to

foragePine Cones:

These come in all shapes and sizes.

You will find them on the ground

under evergreen trees.

These are actually the seed pods of

the tree and some will be ‘open’.

These are from the previous year and

have distributed their seeds already.

If you are lucky enough to find a

‘closed’ Pine Cone (this is from this

year) you can watch it open as it

responds to the warmth of your home

and the little seeds will fall out.

You can collect the seeds and store

them in a brown paper bag and scatter

them back where you found them.

This is a great way to amuse the kids during the Christmas break

when you want to walk off those extra pounds and everyone is acting

a little crazy with cabin fever!

Evergreen Foliage ;

There are many different kinds and they tend to be a bit prickly so its

best to wear gloves. Pine trees, come in all different colours, textures

and sizes. Holly is another favourite Christmas decoration especially

if it is female and has berries. Sprays of wild roses have bright red

berries also. Ivy can add another dimension to your arrangement. Yew

is considered sacred by the Druids of pre Christian culture ,while

Hawthorne or’ May’ is said to be unlucky to bring into the house as it

belongs to the Fairies, but its up to your choice! Do ask permission if

you are foraging on property other than your own but there should be

plenty of selection along roadsides and on forest floors.

Pine Cones can be left Natural, and they complement the green

foliage and red berries in a Rustic type decoration, or you can spray

paint them with any colour you like to suit your decor or theme.

A white theme is stunning, and can be accented with touches of sil-

ver. Red and gold schemes are

warm and go well with green

foliage. Or silver and blue is a mod-

ern combination. A basket or a clear

glass bowl could be used to display

them. You could mix in some

baubles in your chosen colours to glitz them . A simple tree decoration

can be made by tying some invisible thread (fishing line works well)

through the scales at the base and attaching a ribbon or some berries

and foliage. Painting the tips of the scales white, gives the impression

of a dusting of freshly fallen snow.

Pine Cone Tree

Decoration.

Wildlife CornerMake a Wild Bird Feeder!Get a large, open pine cone, a

piece of string or wire, peanut

butter, bird seed, a plate and a

knife.

Tie the piece of string or wire

around the pointed end of the

Pine Cone.

Sprinkle some bird seed onto the

plate.

Spread the peanut butter over

the whole pine cone liberally,

pushing it into the crevices with

the knife.

Roll the pine cone into the bird

seed so it sticks to it.

Tie it up where you can watch

the birds enjoy it!

TIPIf lighting up the real fire is too

much trouble with all the fuss

and extra mess it generates on

top of everything else you have

to do, try lighting some pillar

candles in it instead!

They will create the same effect

with a lot less effort.

Or try putting some Red or

White fairy lights interspersed

with some large pine cones to

hold them in place.

This is a great idea if you have

small children and a naked

flame might be a hazard!

Yule logAnd don’t just decorate your

mantelpiece with all that lovely

fresh foliage.

A Yule Log decorated with a

pillar candle and some fresh

Holly, berries and ribbon will

dress up your hearth too!

And lets not forget what its all

about....The birth of Jesus

Christ, The son of God, who

died an agonising death to save

us all!

We are reminded of this by the

Holly. The thorns as His Crown

of Thorns, and the berries as

His drops of Blood!


08 GARDENING Kildare Echo, December, 2011 Kildare Echo, December, 2011 FEATURE 09

North Kildare Educate Together School

(a multi-denominational, co-educational primary school)

Clane Road (behind St. Wolstan’s Community School)

Celbridge, Co. Kildare

Children can be enrolled from time of birth.

We have no catchment area and our enrolment

policy is ‘first come first served’.

If you wish to enrol your child, Enrolment Forms can be downloaded from our website or contact us

on:

* Tel: 01- 6274388 Fax: 01-6274398

* email: [email protected]

* www.nkets.ie

North Kildare Educate Together SchoolHistoryIn 1990, a group of people, mostof whom lived in the North Kildarearea, and who believed in educat-ing children of all creeds and back-grounds together, founded theNorth Kildare National SchoolProject now known as NorthKildare Educate Together School(N.K.E.T.S.) The school opened in September1994 at Ballymakealy Lower,Celbridge. It received permanent recognition from the Department of Education in1995, an early acknowledgement of the school's long term viability. Like all otherNational Schools in the country, it is subject to the rules of the Department ofEducation.On 25th November 1998 confirmation was received from the Department ofEducation & Science that under the new arrangements for funding for school build-ing projects, the Department would meet the full cost of purchasing our new site and95% of building costs.On 9th April 1999, the Department of Education & Science advised that our long-termaccommodation would consist of a principal plus eight class teachers. (a singlestream school). In June 2003, the school relocated to our present building which willinclude a unit for children with autism.Educate Together Schools are set up and developed by groups of parents in a localarea, who wish to send their children to a national school that is multi-denomina-tional, child-centred, co-educational and democratically run. The schools are fullyrecognised by the Department of Education, are non-feepaying and operate underthe same rules applying to all national schools.

Multi-DenominationalEducate Together schools fromthe outset respect all ethical andreligious traditions. Every family'sbackground and ethical preferenceis respected and cherished withinthe school. The school does notteach any particular faith or creedbut facilitates any group of par-ents to organise religious instruc-tion for their children outside themain school programme. However, this does not mean that Educate Together schoolsavoid issues of ethics and morality. Educate Together schools have well developedethical education programmes which teach children core values of appreciation andrespect of social, cultural and other human difference; health and safety; socialresponsibility and rights and other features necessary to inform a child's developingmind to live in our rapidly changing society.

Child CentredWhile covering the curriculum set out by the Department of Education for all NationalSchools, the educational programme of an Educate Together school is developed cre-atively through genuine dialogue between teachers and parents for the commongood of the children.

Co-EducationalAll Educate Together schools are co-educational and have active programmes tocounter gender stereotyping and inequity in all aspects of school life.

Democratically RunAs all Educate Together schools are set up by groups of parents, parents have unpar-alleled access and involvement in the running and development of the school. Thepatron body (a structure that isinsisted upon by the state) is acharity set up by the parents inthe locality which is governed by aconstitution, and whose decisionsare controlled by general meetingsand whose officers are regularlyelected. This body allocates itsrepresentatives on to the Board ofManagement (the body that han-dles the day-to-day running of theschool) in a democratic fashion that respects parents' wishes. This, in addition to

directly elected parents' representatives, ensures that parents have a hugeinfluence in school affairs. This unique level of parental involvement, can onlydevelop properly if it fully recognises and respects the professional role of theteacher and builds a genuine partnership between the professional and theparent to produce the maximum educational benefit to the children.

Partnership in EducationWith their unique ethos and democratic structure, Educate Together schoolsdeliver a tremendous opportunity for parents, teachers and children to devel-op an educational community which provides an optimal environment for chil-dren to develop their intellectual, academic, social, cultural and physical life.Because they are so rooted in a living community, the schools can and dobecome important community resources making their facilities available in anappropriate way outside school hours.

Educate TogetherEducate Together is the patronbody to Ireland’s multi-denom-inational schools. Establishedin 1978, it now has 58 nationalschools nationwide, all teach-ing the full primary curriculum.We are committed to deliveringan excellent education to yourchild. Our schools are child-centered, learning communitieswhere boys and girls learn together and parental involvement is encouraged.

In an Educate Together school children are equally respected, regardless ofsocial, cultural or religious background. They are encouraged to be activelearning participants in the classroom and to contribute to school policies.This approach gives an excellent, rounded education, in an environment chil-dren will enjoy. It also nurtures their self-confidence to be active citizens intheir communities.


10 BUSINESS Kildare Echo, December, 2011

Clane Building Works Ltd13 Rath Avenue,

Prosperous,Co. Kildare.

Tel: 045 838376Fax: 045 838377

[email protected]

web: www.kinggroup.ie

Clane Building Works were delighted to win the category of Kildare Green

Business Award and honoured to win the overall Entrepreneur Award. As a

third generation construction & energy saving company we are elated to be

acknowledged as a leading company in our industry.

The awards raised our company profile and provided a strong endorsement

to our customers enhancing their belief in Clane Building Works and the

services we provide. The awards had a really positive effect on our staff

morale as they paid testament to their hard work, dedication and quality

service. The awards provided an excellent platform to publicise our company

and generated huge media attention.

On a personal level the entire process was a really positive experience, it is

great in the local community to receive such support and good wishes. The

Kildare Entrepreneurial Awards is an excellent avenue to showcase the

entrepreneurial spirit that exists in Co. Kildare.

Ulster Bank’s Business

Live tour promoted cross-

border trade and interna-

tional trade on 22nd

November, 2011.

This week, business profes-

sionals and entrepreneurs

from across Kildare attend-

ed an event focused on

international and cross-bor-

der training, providing

knowledge and guidance on

new opportunities for busi-

nesses who have reached

full growth in their existing

market. The event, which

took place at the Riverbank

Arts Centre in Newbridge

on Tuesday, was part of

Ulster Bank’s ‘Business

Live’ series, run in associa-

tion with

Smallbusinesscan.com.

The events, which are free

to attend and will appear in

venues across the island of

Ireland between now and

March 2012, feature an

informal panel discussion

chaired by entrepreneur and

co-founder of

Smallbusinesscan.com,

Fionan Murray.

Those who attended were

also given the opportunity

to take part in a questions

and answers session and

engage with trade support

specialists from Ulster

Bank and other organisa-

tions, including

InterTradeIreland.

Speaking at the Ulster

Bank Business Live event

in Kildare, Sean Martyn,

Regional Director with

Ulster Bank, said: “In the

past 12 months, we have

experienced a notable

increase in enquiries from

Irish companies centred on

doing more business abroad

and the support available to

them. To facilitate the

increased demand, we are

hosting a number of events

across the island of Ireland,

for businesses and business

professionals who want to

learn more about foreign

expansion and cross-border

opportunities. The events

feature a panel of local and

experienced business peo-

ple who will share their

experiences, mistakes and

accomplishments with

attendees.”

The event’s panellists

ranged from online entre-

preneurs whose micro busi-

nesses are selling globally

over the internet, to larger

manufacturing companies

with a footprint in estab-

lished and emerging over-

seas markets. They includ-

ed David Walsh from

Netwatch, Brendan Allen

from Allen Morrissey & Co

Accountants, and Simon

McKeever from the British

Embassy, Dublin.

“International trade is not

just for larger companies.

We also see a lot of poten-

tial for small and micro

businesses, particularly

online. That is the key mes-

sage of the Business Live

tour. These events are sup-

porting the launch of Ulster

Bank’s new cross border and

international business propo-

sition, which offers a range

of support for companies

who are doing or could

potentially do business

abroad. It includes free sub-

scription to our online

Bankline service for interna-

tional payments, as well as

the waiving of non-domestic

payment processing fees

until the end of 2012 for new

customers” Mr Martyn

added.

Also speaking at tje event,

Fionan Murray, co-founder

of Smallbusinesscan.com,

said “Through smallbusi-

nesscan.com, we have also

noted an increased number

of queries focusing on doing

business abroad. CSO statis-

tics from the first five

months of 2011 show an

overall worldwide average

increase in Irish exports of

almost 6%.

Irish companies in tradi-

tional sectors such as con-

struction, waste manage-

ment, agricultural machin-

ery and automotive compo-

nents are doing just as well

as those in newer sectors

such as telecommunica-

tions and compliance soft-

ware.

Our online forum also

offers access to a wide

range of experienced busi-

ness people and networking

opportunities for those

thinking about entering for-

eign markets.”

Kildare Businesses Seek Foreign Expansion Opportunities

The new Boots Pharmacy in Newbridge, Co. Kildare was recently officially

opened. . Located in the Whitewater Shopping Centre, the store takes over the

existing Health Express pharmacy premises, with all existing employees being

retained. This is the 69th Boots store to open in the Republic of Ireland.

The formal ribbon-cutting ceremony was performed by Mayor of Kildare County

Council, Cllr Michael ‘Spike’ Nolan with Mayor of Newbridge, Cllr Damian

Molyneaux and Store Manager, Angela Dennis. Other attendees at the event

included Cllr Fiona O’Loughlin, Cllr Willie Hamilton and Cllr Paddy Kennedy.

Boots Comes To Newbridge

Photo: Michael Donnelly

Photos: Michael Donnelly


10 BUSINESS Kildare Echo, December, 2011 Kildare Echo, December, 2011 BUSINESS 11

Internationally recognised

entrepreneur, Senator Mary

Ann O’Brien, launched the

Kildare Entrepreneurial

Business Awards 2012.

A former IMAGE

Businesswoman of the

Year, Senator O’Brien

launched the Business

Awards at Lily O’Brien’s

last month.

Senator O’Brien, a

Taoiseach’s appointee to

the Seanad, employs 125

people at a state of the art

manufacturing facility in

Newbridge, Co Kildare,

having begun Lily

O’Briens confectioners in

her kitchen in 1992.

It is now an international-

ly recognised, award win-

ning firm, with a turnover

of €20 million.

The awards are comprised

of 10 categories, including

Environment & Green

Business, Tourism and

Services.

Each winner is presented

with a specially commis-

sioned Entrepreneurial

Business Awards trophy by

a local artist.

The winner from each cat-

egory goes forward to the

shortlist for the overall

Kildare Entrepreneurial

Business Award 2012 title.

The county winner will

receive a specially com-

missioned Kildare

Entrepreneurial Business

Awards 2012 trophy and a

cash prize of €5000.

This year’s overall award

winner will represent

Kildare at the National


Awards in May 2012.

They will compete for the

coveted title of EBA

National Entrepreneur Of

The Year and a prize fund

worth €100,000 of which

€20,000 of this is a cash

prize.

Overall Award winners

for 2011, Clane Building

Works, were delighted to

win the category of

Kildare Green Business

Award and honoured to

win the overall

Entrepreneur Award.

“As a third generation

construction & energy sav-

ing company we are elated

to be acknowledged as a

leading company in our

industry. The awards raised

our company profile and

provided a strong endorse-

ment to our customers

enhancing their belief in

Clane Building Works and

the services we provide”

Patron of the Kildare


Awards, Senator Mary Ann

O’Brien said “Job creation

at community level is at

the heart of Senator

O’Brien’s mandate and I

want to find more practical

ways of supporting bud-

ding entrepreneurs to turn

their ideas into a business

reality”

Chairman of the Awards

Committee, Vince Doherty,

says “We believe that the

spirit of entrepreneurship

is alive and well in

Kildare. It is up to us, the

business community, to

recognise and award those

outstanding businesses.

We would encourage all

business owners to enter in

one of the many cate-

gories.

We are currently seeking

applicants and sponsors for

the Kildare Entrepreneurial

Awards.”

Kildare entrepreneurs can

find more information and

enter the awards at

http://kildareawards.ie.

The closing date for

entries is February 2nd,

2012.

Questions can be emailed

to [email protected]

or call 045-844-225.

The general public can

also nominate their

favourite business by

texting "awards + the

business name" to 51444.

Standard text rates apply.

The Kildare


Awards was established in

2010 to promote the

achievements of Kildare

companies and has award-

ed cash prizes and has

recognised companies such

as Clane Building Works

and Sensational Kids.

The awards were formed

by a group of business

people from Co. Kildare

who recognized the need

to promote the business

and services Kildare has to

offer and to reward the cat-

egory winners.

Last year's gala night saw

250 businesses attend.

The judging panel is com-

prised of Vince Doherty

from Adikat Mobile

Marketing, Paul Carey

from GoodFood Gallery,

Laura Leigh from 'I do'

Weddings, Alan Regan

from RedKey Technology,

Conal Bradley from Avid

Partners, Accountants +

Business Advisers.

The Kildare


Awards 2012 is open to

businesses that have been

in operation for two years

and are operating in either

of these categories:

Services Award,

Environment and Green

Business Award,

Distribution/

Manufacturing Award,

Charity & Non-profit

Award,

Retail/Customer Service

Award,

Transition Year/Leaving

Cert. Applied Award,

Hospitality/Food &

Drink Award,

Cottage

Industry/Tourism Award.

Mary Ann O’Brien, togeth-

er with her husband,

Jonathan Irwin, of the Jack

& Jill Foundation, based in

Johnstown, Co. Kildare,

have raised €32 million,

privately, to fund the care

of 1,400 babies with brain

damage who suffer severe

physical and intellectual

development delay.

KEBA Committee: L-R: Alan Regan (Redkey Technology), Paul Carey (TheGood Food Gallery), Vince Doherty (Adikat), Conal Bradley (Avid Partners)and Laura Leigh (I do Weddings)



North Kildare Chamber - December NetworkLunch with Guest Speaker Bernard Jackman

North Kildare Chamber finished off their monthly network lunches in Kavanaghs Bar

and Grill with guest speaker Bernard Jackman. 70 people enjoyed a festive lunch

with local sportsman and professional motivator Bernard Jackman inspiring local

businesses.

Bernard spoke of how businesses must look forward to next year with positivity and

dwell on the success stories over the past year.

Naas and North Kildare businesses need to work together as a team, was the main theme

of Bernards address to chamber Members. The lunch was sponsored by a local

business K Windows.

In his speech, Allan Shine, CEO of North Kildare Chamber said, “ finishing off a very

successful year with a motivational talk from Bernard Jackman was very important,

whilst Bernard talked about the need in sport to have a team working together with

one common goal alongside a management team, businesses in North Kildare must

remember that when in business the Chamber is here to support local business.

The Chamber can assist and help businesses in the year ahead and we must all work

together to make 2012 a successful year”.

Allan also acknowledged the sponsor and thanked Sean and his team in K Windows.

Sean Miley and Bernard Jackman

Allan Shine and Gerry O Hagan

Allan Shine, Sean Miley and Bernard Jackman

Bernard Jackman with Chamber Members

Eilish Rafferty, Aileen O'Brien and Eilis Quinlan.

George O'Neill, Kevin Commiskey and Damien Ward

Mark Graham and Sean Miley Mark Graham, Bob Quinn

Noel Dempsey and Michael Morrissey


Kildare Echo, December, 2011 1312 NEWS Kildare Echo, December, 2011



James Lawless is a busy

bee! His new novel,

“Finding Penelope”, set on

the Spanish Costa del

Crime, a poetry collection,

“Rus in Urbe” and the

paperback of his study of

modern poetry, “Clearing

The Tangled Wood”

depicting poetry as a way

of seeing the world, are all

scheduled for 2012.

He received the Kildare

Arts Cecil Day Lewis

Award for this book on

poetry and it was acclaimed

by poets such as Brendan

Kennelly, Thomas Kinsella,

Nuala Ní Dhomhaill and

John Montague who

described it as ‘a linguistic

ballet, learned and lively on

behalf of poetry'.

James has just completed

a tour of readings in the

Irish Writers’ Centre and

around the country with the

Peregrine Readings. He

also conducts a course on

“Writing a Novel” in Clane

Community School.

His well-received novels,

“Peeling Oranges”,

“ For Love of Anna” and

“The Avenue”, praised by

such luminaries as Gabriel

Byrne, Jennifer Johnston

and Declan Kiberd, are for

sale in bookshops and

online and can be borrowed

in libraries.

Other awards include the

Cecil Day Lewis Award for

his play “What are

Neighbours For?” in 2005

and he was the winner of

the Scintilla Welsh Open

Poetry Competition in 2002

and was shortlisted for a

Hennessey award for fic-

tion in 2009.

He is included in Irish

Writers Online and may be

contacted on Amazon.com

at his writer profile page.

Publishing Sucess For LeixlipBased Writer

Art Exhibition In FrameworkGallery-Newbridge

Triúr is an exhibition of new work by

Zita McGarry Kelly, Bríd óg Norrby and

Turlough Rynne.

It opened on Thursday 24th November

by Lurlene Duggan, award winning

director of Prosperous Drama society

and Patron of the Arts.

The Framework Gallery is located on

Henry Street, Newbridge and the exhibi-

tion continues until 20th December

2011.

Kildare DEALZ Store Opens

Kildare Sweetheart Pippa

O’Connor along with Dealz

Senior Business Manager

Leonard Brassel are pic-

tured cutting the ribbon at

the opening of the new

Dealz store in Newbridge,

bringing the total number

of Dealz stores in Ireland to

five.

Located at Block C,

Courtyard, Newbridge, the

new Dealz store has created

40 new jobs in the Kildare

area with Dealz creating

160 jobs around Ireland in

2011 to date.

The new store has over

8,000sqft store of retail

space and offers customers

a wide selection of branded

products from health and

beauty, food and drink to

clothing accessories.

Dealz is proudly support-

ing Irish suppliers and are

stocking a range of prod-

ucts produced in Ireland,

such as milk, eggs, crisps

and cakes.

Commenting at the new

store opening, Dealz Senior

Business Manager, Leonard

Brassel said: “We are real-

ly excited to be opening

Dealz Newbridge, our fifth

store in the Republic Of

Ireland. Dealz offers cus-

tomers amazing value on an

extensive range of products

and we are confident that

value savvy Irish consumers

will love it!

Irish consumers love a bar-

gain and customers are vot-

ing with their feet and shop-

ping at Dealz, particularly

for Christmas decorations,

wrapping and gifts.”

Photo: Michael Donnelly

Artists Heidi Morrison with featured artist Bríd óg Norrby Photo: Michael Donnelly


14 NEWS Kildare Echo, December, 2011 Kildare Echo, December, 2011 FOOD 15

Carmel’s Kitchen

Some oven suggestions:Any kind of meat Casserole (which is simply a stew slow cooked in a

covered oven proof dish inside the oven instead of on top of the stove)

like Chicken, Lamb or Beef cut into bite size pieces and most good

butchers will be happy to do this for you.

Or for a change put the meat whole into a roasting dish, which will

make the meat drier but the juices will flavour the potatoes and root

vegetables which are in season at this time of year. This makes them

plentiful and therefore economical! You could try Pork for some vari-

ety.

Or how about a Coddle using offcuts of Bacon or a Shepards pie,

Lasagne or Fish pie.

Because you are slow cooking the meat you can use cheaper cuts

such as Shoulder of pork or lamb, or Shin beef in the casserole. Try to

remove as much fat from the meat before cooking or spoon it off the

top of the juices before you thicken it into gravy when it is cooked.

Making your own stuffing from stale bread is also very economical as

you are not buying ready made stuffing, you're using leftover bread,

making a tasty side dish that can be cooked inside the meat or sepa-

rate and everyone leaves the table with a full belly!

TIPWhen Roasting a chicken, remove the string that trusses it all together and loosen out

the wings and legs as this will help it to cook quicker and more throughly. Cut off any

obvious lumps of fat at neck and opening to reduce fats in your gravy. Cook the bird

upside down for most of the cooking time turning the whole dish around so it is evenly

cooked on both sides. Turn it back up the 'right' way 20 minutes before its fully

cooked to crisp and brown the skin. It will be more succulent as the juices have 'self

basted' it!

TIP Keep fresh bread in the freezer if

you are not using it all at once.

Just remove the number of

frozen of slices you are going to

use and allow them to defrost

(about 20 mins).

Your bread will be as fresh as

when you put it in the freezer

and there'll be no stale bread to

taste!

CoddleThis is a version of a Dublin dish called Coddle. Like most stews, every-

ones recipe will vary slightly, so this is a basic recipe. Some people like

to brown their sauce or leave it white from the potatoes. Trim off as

much visible fat as possible as there will be plenty from the sausages.

You can purchase some bacon 'Offcuts' in some Butchers or a pack of

'Misshapes' from some Supermarkets which makes this a very economi-

cal dish. Some of them will be smoked as well as salted which will add

to the flavour. No need to add any salt for seasoning as there is plenty in

it already. Serve with some steamed carrots and broccoli. Or add the car-

rots into the pot, as their sweet taste complements the saltiness.

5-6 Potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced.

2 thinly sliced Onions

Knob Butter

3 Carrots peeled and chopped (optional)

Pack of well trimmed Bacon 'Offcuts' or 'Misshapes'

8 large Sausages

Bunch fresh Parsley chopped

Ground Black Pepper to taste

1 pt/ 600ml Water

In a large Pan, fry the onions in the butter for 2 mins. Add the bacon

and sausages and brown them. This brings out their flavour but some

people prefer to skip this step and just simmer it for longer to make sure

the meat is cooked through.

In a large pot, (or a Casserole Dish if you are cooking it in the oven)

layer the potatoes, onion, meat, parsley and pepper, topping with the

potatoes.

Add the water and slowly pour it over the ingredients. Cook over a low

heat (or low oven heat) for 2 hours, slowly simmering it.

Serve with Brown Bread and Butter and a glass of Guinness !(optional)

Roast Chicken, breast side

down for self basting!

Slow Roasted shoulder of Lamb with roasted

vegetables!

Hello again and welcome to this edition of Carmels Kitchen!With the cold dark evenings drawing in, it makes good sense to try to cook dinners in the oven as a casserole or roast. This will save you lots of time, effort, and money because if you put every thing in the one dish it will save on the washing up, the hot oven will heat up the kitchen and you will be wel come home to a delicious aroma of good wholesome food!If you have a timer on the oven you can prepare everything in advance.This can help make your evening less stressful too!I hope you all have a lovely, peaceful,and happy Christmas and that 2012 will be a good year for us all,

Carmel

What to do with Leftovers!Stuffing- Leftover Bread and Mash potatoesWhite Breadcrumbs

Mashed Potatoes ( use 1/3 potatoes to 2/3 Breadcrumbs)

Butter

Fresh Parsley and Thyme

1/2 tsp dried Herbs de Provence

Small finely chopped Onion

Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste.

Mix all ingredients together using enough Butter until the texture is soft.

If cooking inside the bird, loosely insert it into cavity (excess can be cooked on lower

shelf, covered with foil to retain moisture. Remove foil for last 20 mins to crisp out-

side).

Add 20 mins on to your cooking time for the chicken to ensure it is throughly cooked

through.

Cream of Roasted Vegetable Soup- Leftover Vegetables

85g/ 3oz butter or 4 tbls olive oil

2 large onions peeled and chopped

Crushed Garlic to taste

1ltr/ 1 3/4 pints chicken or vegetable stock

150ml/ 1/4 pint milk

Leftover roasted parsnips, carrots, yams

Ground black pepper

150ml/ 1/4 pint single cream

Fry the onion in the butter or oil. Add the garlic, stock, milk, and vegetables. Add

black pepper to taste, cover and simmer for 10 mins.

Remove from heat and blend with a hand blender until smooth. radually stir in the

cream. Return to heat but do not boil.

Cream of vegetable soup

Homemade stuffing.

As there is not much to forage

for in the wild and hedgerows

around this time of year, our tips

on Food for Free are a little on

the sparse side. However, there’s

plenty of green foliage, pine

cones, holly with berries and kin-

dling to be collected on walks

around the parks and bogs of

Kildare.

If you are lucky enough to have

a garden, a couple of snips and

you can add some natural deco-

rations to your home. Kids enjoy

collecting them and putting them

on shelves, mantelpieces and

over doors, where they add

something money can’t buy, the

pure beauty of Nature!

Pine Cones and leaves

dress up a centrepiece!

A sprig of Holly decorates

a pudding!

A hearty Dublin Coddle!

Shin

Beef

Casserole

Shepard’s Pie!


16 ENTERTAINMENT Kildare Echo, December, 2011

Entertainment

Charts from

the past

DECEMBER 2001

1 SOMETHIN' STUPID Robbie Williams & Nicole Kidman

2 GOTTA GET THRU THIS Daniel Bedingfield

3 MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOORSophie Ellis-Bextor

4 HANDBAGS & GLADRAGSStereophonics

5 WILL I Ian Van Dahl6 LATELY Samantha Mumba7 HAVE YOU EVER S Club 78 RESURRECTION PPK9 I BELIEVE IN CHRISTMAS Tweenies

10 COUNTRY ROADSHermes House Band

DECEMBER 1991

1 THESE ARE THE DAYS Queen2 DON'T LET THE SUN GO DOWN

George Michael & Elton John3 JUSTIFIED & ANCIENT KLF feat.

Tammy Wynette4 WHEN YOU TELL ME Diana Ross5 LIVE AND LET DIE Guns N Roses6 DRIVEN BY YOU Brian May7 TOO BLIND TO SEE IT Kim Syms8 BLACK OR WHITE Michael Jackson9 DON'T TALK JUST KISS Right Said

Fred10 WE SHOULD BE TOGETHER

Cliff Richard

DECEMBER 1981

1 DON'T YOU WANT MEHuman League

2 DADDY'S HOME Cliff Richard3 ONE OF US Abba4 ANT RAP Adam & The Ants5 IT MUST BE LOVE Madness6 BEGINE THE BEGUINE

Julio Iglesias7 WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE

Diana Ross8 WEDDING BELLS Godley & Creme9 BEDSITTER Soft Cell

10 THE LAND OF MAKE BELIEVEBuck's Fizz

January 11th to 15th 2011 nightly at 8pm with

matinees Saturday and Sunday at 3pm.

Please note there is NO Sunday night perform-

ance this year.

Tickets are priced at €12.00 for adults and

€10.00 for children with very competitive group

and family rates available.

Tickets can be reserved by calling Orla on our

dedicated ticket line 0872475376, or email:

[email protected] or available to

purchase in The Chocolate Box, The Harbour

Pharmacy and Books and Gifts, Kilcock.

Director LorraineMurphy

Choreography Maria Fowler

Musical Direction Linda Tapley

The Cast Includes:

Towncryer Philip Darragh

Nanny Goat Andrew Docherty

MajorRoadworks Mick Amoruso

Prince Ivan Shane Stone

Griselda Sharon Murphy

Smash Kenny Cribbin

Grab Mark Nolan

King Karl Paul Byrne

Queen Isabella Linda Connolly

Fairy Snow Yvonne Tallon

Fairy Nuff Carmel Voelkin

Igor James Parkes

King Frank Eamonn Nolan

Princess Kate Aoife O’Neill

Prince William Elliot Fowler

Black Knight Connor Griffin

German Servant Daniel Kyne

Check out our website

www.kilcockms.com

or follow us on facebook

Junior cast

includes:

Niamh Barker,

Lauren Brady,

Annette Brilly,

Paige Byrne,

Nicole Cassidy,

Sally-Jane Clifford,

Emma Docherty,

Chloe Doyle,

Shauna Ennis,

Courtney Farrell,

Clair Field,

Bronagh Frayne,

Sophia Gannon,

Alanna Keane,

Amy Kyne,

Jane Lynam,

Jude Maher,

Sarah McCarthy,

Denise McGreevy,

Aisling Noone,

Megan Norris,

Emma O’Neill,

Karen Quinn,

Tara Sheridan,

Alexandra Tont,

Kym Tracey,

Jennifer Whelan,

Shirley White.

Tim Cogavin,

Philip Darragh,

Connor Griffin,

Daniel Kyne,

Ronan Martin,

Harry Quinn,

Aaron Stone

Kilcock Musical & DramaticSociety Proudly Present............

Liam Lawton At The Moat Theatre NaasFor twenty years the name

of Liam Lawton has been

synonymous with sacred

and inspirational music.

Liam’s haunting melodies

and lyrical texts have earned

him countless accolades and

praise from many quarters.

This special Twentieth Tour

celebrates the songs and

their stories, many of which

have become identified with

special events in the lives of

many throughout the world.

It will also include some of

the beautiful and well-loved

Christmas songs that are

part of Liam’s repertoire

over the years ~ a moving

night of reflection and song,

not to be missed!

Liam Lawton

20th

Anniversary –

Christmas

Tour

Wednesday

December 21st

8 pm

Tickets: €20

“It PaysTo

Advertise”

The

Kildare

Echo

(046)

955 2467


Entertainment16 ENTERTAINMENT Kildare Echo, December, 2011 Kildare Echo, December, 2011 ENTERTAINMENT 17

Liam Lawton At The Moat Theatre Naas CHEZ JACK L

A few years ago, Jack L per-

formed a show called Chez

Jack L, based on the music

of a composer he admired

greatly, Jacque Brel.

It was an astonishing show

and an enormous hit!

Scheduled to run for 3

weeks in SPIRIT music

venue in Dublin, it ran for 4

sell out months.

And followed that with a

smash hit run throughout

Ireland and Europe.

Jack has decided to revive

the show at the Moat

Theatre…but with an added

twist of including songs

from his other favourite

composers, and he will also

include a touch of himself,

Jack Lukeman!

As many of Jack’s songs

are now part of the staple

diet of radio stations around

the globe!

Jack L plays the Moat

Theatre, Naas,

on Sunday 18th December

at 8pm

Tickets are €22/20 and can

be purchased at the box

office or online at

moattheatre.com


18 KIDS ZONE Kildare Echo, December, 2011

T h e C o m i c sT h e C o m i c s


Kildare Echo, December, 2011 PUZZLES 1918 KIDS ZONE Kildare Echo, December, 2011

P U Z Z L E S P U Z Z L E S

Across1. Long-standing and

recurrent

5. Panacea

6. Pear-shaped tropical fruit

7. Beam

Down1. Mythical half man, half

horse

2. React

3. Paradise

4. Write music

AMUNDSEN, BAR-BOSA, BASS,BOONE, BURKEAND WILLS,CABOT, CARTIER,COLUMBUS,COOK, CORTES,DIAS, DRAKE,ERIKSSON, FAW-CETT, FLINDERS,FROBISHER,GRAY, HAWKINS,HERIOLFSSON,HUDSON, KINGS-LEY, LIVING-STONE, MAGEL-LAN,MARCO POLO,PARK, RALEIGH,SCOTT, SHACKLE-TON, STURT,TASMAN, TENZ-ING, VANCOUVER,VASCO DA GAMA,VESPUCCI.

Across1. Type of wood (5)6. A right angles to the length ofa ship (5)7. Breastbone (7)9. The night before (3)11. Fasten (3)12. Playing card (3)15. Molten rock (4)17. Change shape (4)18. Lament (5)19. Country house (5)20. Remedy (4)22. Lofty (4)23. Beverage (3)24. Watch chain (3)26. Decay (3)27. Large feline (7)30. Beefy (5)

31. Incrimination (5)

Down1. Floor covering (3)2. Assist in a crime (4)3. Danger (5)4. Narrow road (4)5. Flightless bird (3)7. Indifinite number (7)8. Type of duck (7)9. Choose by vote (5)10. Regard highly (5)13. Stringed instrument (5)14. Glorify (5)16. Historic period (3)17. Tantrum (3)21. Coconut meat (5)24. Sports violation (4)25. Ointment (4)28. Outward flow of the tide (3)29. Cereal grass seed (3)

Mind Over MatterBreak the code to discover the missing letter.

Hint: A-Z = 1-26



Nuala McCarthy (Clane), Jacquie Hennessy (Naas) and Lily Hennessy(Naas) at the Network Ireland (Kildare Branch) Annual Charity Luncheon. Photo: Mike Donnelly

Padraig Leeson from Naas in action recently at MondelloPhoto: Michael Anderson

Call

(046) 955 2467or visit

KildareEcho.com

St Marys (Edenderry) TY StudentsSet Up DVD Production Company

As part of the transition year

program in St. Mary’s

Secondary School in

Edenderry, Offaly, in busi-

ness studies everyone in

transition year had to get

into groups of no more than

four and come up with ideas

for a mini company.

Throughout the start of

transition year their teachers

Ms Griffin and Mr

MacDonald organised vari-

ous work shops to generate

ideas and that is where Katie

McLoughlin, Olga Zippa,

Louise Melia and Emma

Hurst came together to come

up with their idea that is

K.O.L.E. Productions.

The name K.O.L.E.

stands for Katie, Olga,

Louise and Emma.

K.O.L.E. Productions is a

company that makes edu-

cational DVDs for children

to teach them the basics of

English, Irish and French

and also personalised

DVDs where the customer

gives K.O.L.E.

Productions their own pho-

tos and/or videos and tells

them what music they wish

to have and they create a

video especially for them.

The personalised DVDs

can be for the customer

themselves or their

friends/family for special

occasions such as birth-

days, Christmas, anniver-

saries, mothers/fathers day

or anything else they may

want The educational

DVDs are all originally

made by K.O.L.E.

Productions and all music

on the educational DVDs

were created especially for

K.O.L.E. Productions by

fellow school mates

Rebecca Moore and Tom

Pwyell.

K.O.L.E. Productions edu-

cational DVDs cost €6.

Personalised DVDs cost

25c a photo, and cost of

video clips vary on length

of clip.

Contact:

[email protected]

or on Facebook: K.O.L.E.

Productions

Photo: Daniel Balteanu

Photo: Maynooth Students Union

Students End Occupation

Although the occupation of

TD Anthony Lawlor’s Naas

office has ended, the stu-

dents involved have vowed

to continue their fight

against the recent increases

in college fees.

Student Union President,

Rob Munnelly said that the

only reason why they start-

ed the occupation of Mr.

Lawlors office is because

the students had exhausted

every other route.

Mr. Munnelly said , “This

September, the Maynooth

Students Union had to

introduce food vouchers for

broke, hungry students and

it’s an absolute disgrace”.

Gardai moved in to

remove the protestors in the

early hours of the morning

(Dec 6th).

Deputy Lawlor said that

he had met with the stu-

dents two weeks ago at

their request to discuss the

increase in fees but he had

told them that he was not

prepared to budge on the

issue.

Mr. Munnelly has not

ruled out similar protest in

the near future.


Kildare Echo, December, 2011 CLASSIFIEDS 21

ClassifiedsURBAN DETOUR BUGGY

AND CAR SEAT SYSTEM

Rain cover, footmuffs, chang-

ing mat, baby bag, wheel

pump all included. Perfect

condition, suitable from birth

to 3-4 years. Wheels are

removeable, can be set on

moveable or straight mode

and air filled perfect on any

terrain for walking etc.

Materials are removeable and

washable. Light brown/biege

in colour,large shopping bas-

ket. View anytime, call or text

0877659847

BIKE: Girls Jeep Comanche

Limited 24’,6 gears, suit 8-12

years, perfect condition. €70.

Contact 087-9059578.

BIKE: Girls ‘Gold Rush

Marbella’, 6 years, Suit Age

8-10, Good conditon. €50.

Contact: 087-9059578.

GUITAR: Hannah Montana

electric guitar with soft case,

stand and amplifier. Hardly

used. Perfect condition.€120.

Contact:087-9059578.

FOR SALE HEALTH &

FITNESS

GRACO DUO

PUSHCHAIR

inc.raincover,footmuffs,book-

let,120euro.BRITAX

CARSEAT(black) as new

inc.booklet

35euro.COT(wooden),v.good

condition,25euro.ROOFARS,i

nc.keys,suit car with roof

HIGH SLEEPER BED

and Mattress for sale - €250

Storage underneath bed

includes wardrobe with hang-

ing rail, cupboard with two

shelves and three drawers and

desk with keyboard shelf.

Both bed and mattress in

great condition. Photographs

available.

Assembly instructions includ-

ed. Email: ashleyclowry@hot-

mail.com

INTERIOR DESIGN SERV-

ICE. Kildare based interior

designer available for home

consultation, one or two

rooms or complete interiors

revamp. Service available to

suit all budgets. See

www.bluecoastinteriors.ie or

contact David Dempsey @

087 7571262.

SERVICES

PILATES - 6 wk beginner

and improver courses starting

Monday 7th & Wednesday

9th November in Fairgreen

Holistic Clinic Naas.

Morning and evening classes.

Contact Grainne Dempsey

087 6374030

Experienced Instructor NCEF

NCEHS.

EARN EXTRA CASH FOR

CHRISTMAS. Work from

Home Full Training provided.

(No door to door/catalogue

work) Phone 0868460811 for

appointment.

EXPERIENCED IRISH

TEACHER and examiner

available for grinds. All areas

of syllabus covered plus exam

technique. Contact

087-9941490

GRINDS

All other ads are 54c per word. Ads can be placed by phone

with visa/mastercard.

Terms & Conditions:We reserve the right to refuse to insert any advertisement, without giving a reason.

We will not be held responsible for any errors included in your ad.

Ardagh Solicitors, based at 168

Walkinstown Road, is a new firm that

is offering legal advice and litigation

services to both individuals and busi-

nesses.

Ardagh Solicitors welcomes prospec-

tive clients to drop in or call for a free

initial conversation about legal matters

we could assist you with.

Catherine Ardagh is the principal of

Ardagh Solicitors. Catherine is a former

barrister with litigation experience in com-

mercial, employment and contract matters.

Catherine has worked on cases involving

large corporate transactions as well as a

range of private client matters.

This broad experience and understanding

is the basis of Ardagh Solicitors. Together

with her team, Catherine will bring your

legal challenges through to a satisfactory

conclusion.

Catherine holds a Bachelor of Law (LLB)

from the University of London and a

Masters of Law (LLM) from Trinity

College Dublin. She is an Accredited

Mediator and Commissioner for Oaths.

What We Do:

We help individuals ensure that they are

adequately compensated for any personal

injury they may have sustained.

Ardagh Solicitors supports clients when

writing their wills to ensure that their

assets

are distributed according to their wishes.

Ardagh Solicitors will also help you if

you are buying a new home or selling your

old home. If you feel like you have been

unfairly dismissed Ardagh Solicitors will

guide you through the process of making a

claim and presenting it to the relevant tri-

bunal.

Ardagh Solicitors can be called upon for

expert advice for all your legal

needs.

We help businesses large and small

to put together commercial agreements,

manage bad debt, deal with employment

related matters, business restructuring

and general commercial queries.

It is our belief that we can bring the

best legal service, advice and assistance

to people in their personal and business

lives without having to charge over the

top fees.

Please feel free to drop in to our

office at 168 Walkinstown Road,

near the roundabout or call

01 5313300 or email

[email protected]

to set up a free consultation

168 Walkinstown Road, Dublin 12.

Tel: (01) 5313300 • www.ardaghlaw.ie

A n e w f i r m t o s e r v eA n e w f i r m t o s e r v ea l l y o u r n e e d sa l l y o u r n e e d s

JOBS

(046) 955 [email protected]

www.KildareEcho.com

All private classified ads are

FREE but must be placed

online via our web site:

www.KildareEcho.Com

(excluding property & motors)


22 SPORTS Kildare Echo, December, 2011

It's official, Newbridge St

Brigid's are the most active

Community Games area in

Kildare, in Leinster and in

the whole of Ireland.

At a gala Banquet in

Carlton Shearwater Plaza

Hotel in Ballinasloe volun-

teers from every corner of

Ireland were rewarded for

their hard work throughout

the year at the HSE

Community Games Area,

Volunteer and Youth

Awards Event.

The awards are a celebra-

tion of the excellent work

and dedication of volun-

teers from those areas with-

in HSE Community Games

that have achieved high

levels of participation by

children in a wide range of

sports and cultural activi-

ties throughout the year.

The awards were intro-

duced in 1993 and

Newbridge St Brigid's have

represented Kildare annual-

ly since 2002.

After each County's win-

ning area had been hon-

oured the four provincial

winners were announced.

Michael Donohue and

Pauline Egan were proud

to accept an 8th successive

provincial title on behalf of

St Brigid's.

The other Provincial

awards went to Tydavnet

(Monaghan) Sixmilebridge

(Clare) and St Feichiins

(Sligo).

Each area waited with

bated breath as the final

Award was announced. The

most active area nationally

is Newbridge St Brigid's

Kildare.

The Area was winning the

National Award for the

fourth time. They previous-

ly won the title in 2005,

2006 and 2008.

St Brigid's P.R.O Teresa

Harrison was presented

with the Volunteer award in

recognition of her years of

volunteerism on behalf of

Community Games at Area

, County and Provincial

levels and the Youth award

for Kildare went to TJ

Carrroll from St Conleth's

Newbridge.

Each year St Brigid's pride

themselves in giving as

many children as possible

the opportunity to partake

in a host of sporting and

cultural events ranging

from skittles to

Handwriting.

Every time a new event is

introduced the Area's vol-

unteers will ensure that the

event becomes available to

the children of Newbridge.

Through the efforts of the

Newbridge areas , St

Brigid's and St Conleth's,

Community Games has

become part of the town's

culture.

Representing Kildare at

the Awards Ceremony in

St Brigid’s Newbridge Receive NationalAwards For Community Games

National Winners: St Brigid's: Back l-r Adrienne Donnolly, Aisling Maguire, Anne Donohoe, CiaraDonohoe, Gillian Scully, Front l-r Teresa Harrison, Michael Donohue, Pauline Egan, Larry Donohoe

Volunteer award recipient Teresa Harrison (StBrigid's) and Daughter Pauline Egan at HSECommunity Games awards event in CCarltonShearwater in Ballinsloe

Ballinasloe were Larry

Donohoe, Anne Donohoe,

Adrienne Donnelly, Ciara

Donohoe, Gillian Scully,

Aisling Maguire, Pauline

Egan, Michael Donohue,

Teresa Harrison (St

Brigid's), Donal O'Connell,

Rosarie O'Connell, Martin

Carley, Kathleen Carley

(Confey), Ber Philips,

Kathleen Cross, Laurence

Keane (Athy) , Marcella

Switzer and Linda Switzer

(Nurney)

Congratulations to you all

from The Kildare Echo!

Teresa Harrison receives Volunteer Award fromMichael Kitt (TD)

County Kildare Chairman Donal O'Connell(Confey) and President Michael Donohue (StBrigid's) at Hse Community GamesArea/Volunteer Awards event in Ballinasloe


Kildare Echo, December, 2011 SPORTS 2322 SPORTS Kildare Echo, December, 2011

NEWBRIDGE GREYHOUND STADIUMLaunch Nite

timPhotos: Michael Donnelly email: [email protected]


24 Kildare Echo, December, 2011


Documents

Kildare Echo