There is a charity walk travelling from Mullingar to Ashtown between Saturday 5th May to arrive at Ashtown on Monday 7th May around 3.30pm in the afternoon, allowing for a few pit stops along the way.

The contingment is due into Kilcock on Sunday at 4.15 in the afternoon, they will have a rest and then leave Kilcock Harbour at 4.45pm to head for Maynooth, to arrive at approx 6.50pm.

I had the huge pleasure of taking a barge from Kilcock to Longwood a few weekends ago, I had no idea of how quiet and peaceful it is along the canal. 

So put on your walking shoes, grab a bottle of water and raincoat, round up the family and join in to raise some much needed funds for MS.

Tonight, Monday 23rd April at 8.30pm, Theresa Brayton will be introduced through Song, Verse and Drama.  Also The Races of Finn McCool will be performed.  Venue is Kilcock GAA and admission is free.

Tuesday 24th April there will be  Sean Nos and Set Dancing with live music in Kilcock GAA at 8.30pm.

Wednesday 25th April, Kilcock GAA will again host at 8pm with a Recital with Antoin and Sean MacGabhan, admission €10.

Thursday 26th April, Murphys Lounge will host Singing Gaeilge / Story Telling with local and guest singers from 8.30pm.

Friday 27th April, the action will return to Kilcock GAA where there will be a Set Dancing Ceili with The Long Note Ceili Band.  Sets called by Frank Keenan.  Refreshments will be served and Dancing from 9.30pm to 12.30pm.  Admission €10.

Saturday 28th April, St Cocas Church will host Aifreann Traidisiunta at 7.30pm.  There will then be a Seisium in O’Keeffes L0unge at 9.30pm with local and visiting musicians.

Finally on Sunday 29th April, there will be competitions in Music, Dancing, Singing and Comhra Gaeilge for all age groups in Scoil Dara from 10am to approx 5pm.  Duets for 12-15 start at 10am.  The closing Seisium is in O’Keeffes from 7pm, also the Fleadh raffle will be held.

For further information please contact Mary Mallon on 087 7579054 or on marymallon3@gmail.com.

http://comhaltas.ie/

Wednesday 25th April

to

Sunday 29^th April 2012

Nightly at 8pm

PRODUCTION TEAM

Director:                        Philippa Alford

Musical Director:       Dermot O’Callaghan

Choreographer:          Julie Donnelly

CAST

Curly McLain                Peter Manning

Laurey William             Sharon Murphy

Aunt Eller                       Marie Kelly

Jud Fry                            Andrew Docherty

Ado Annie                      Lorraine Murphy

Will Parker                     Eamonn Nolan

Ali Hakim                       Rory Robinson

Gertie Cummings        Maria Fowler

Ike Skidmore                Gary O’Shaughnessy

Andrew Carnes            Robbie Kennedy

Cord Elam                      William Lacey

Ladies Chorus:  Caitriona Bannon, Nicole Cassidy,

Shauna Ennis, Bronagh Frayne, Grainne Heffron,

Sandra Keane, Leah Kinnane, Melissa Noone,

Claire Nolan, Fiona Shirran, Linda Tapley,

Carmel Voelkin, Jennifer Whelan

Mens Chorus: John Bowe, Kenny Cribbin,

Sean Cunningham, Philip Darragh, Connor Griffin,

Ronan Martin, Adam McCabe, James Parkes,

Mark Nolan, Aaron Stone,

TICKETS:

€15.00 for Adults €12 for Children

All seats Sunday night €12

Available from: Books & Gifts, The Chocolate Box &

The Harbour Pharmacy

Or Call: 087 2475376 / email Kilcockms.tickets@gmail.com

First of all, the parade is kicking of the festivities at 1.30pm from the Spin Bridge, heading up through the town and finishing at Cleary’s Hardware.

Then the fun will start in the Harbour with the Duck Race at 3pm followed by the first St Patricks Day Canoe Relay race for the Mick The Barber Cup, on the water.  Also along the harbour area there will be Pony Rides, the Taste of Kilcock area with cullinary treats from local restaurants and coffee shops, an field-day amusement area, bouncy castle and new to the line-up is a Bucking Bronco, which promises to entertain and challange even the bravest of people.  The animals from Clonfert Pet Farm are planning a return into Kilcock and there will also be some surprises on show as well.

Ducks are available in Kilcock shops and businesses including Dorothys Hair and Beauty, John Ryan Butchers, Centra on the Courtown Road, Daybreak,  Brownes Londis and Esso, Itzy Bitz, Rye River Cafe, Mick The Barbers, Bruce Betting and Books and Gifts.   They will also be available on the day at Ducky HeadQuarters in the Harbour which is beside Mick the Barbers.  They only cost €5 and your duck could win you €300 first prize, €150 second prize or €50 third prize.   Local schools also have a supply so you can buy yours there.   All funds raised will go back into Kilcock through the work of the Kilcock Business Association so you are helping your own community.

There is also a colouring competition being run through the schools and sheets are being given out in the class rooms.  The works of art will be displayed in shops around Kilcock .  If you do not go to school in Kilcock you can get colouring sheets from John Ryan Butchers and leave them back into him to enter the competition.

All ducks that wish to enter the best dressed duck competition should be left into John Ryans no later than friday morning.  If your duck is not the dressy type, you can leave it back to duck HQ on the morning of the race before 12am to ensure entry into the race.  Ducks must not be thrown directly into the canal after the “off,” as thats cheating and they will be disqualified!

On Saturday evening the “Gig For Mick” is being held in Kilcock GAA from 8.30.  Fox E and The Good Hands will perform, supported by Stoney Rosies.  All proceeds will go to Pieta House and Turas Le Cheile and tickets are only €10 and are available in Mick The Barbers, John Ryans Butchers or from Therese Flood. 

Get ready to have fun in Kilcock this St Patricks Day.

You don’t need to register beforehand and there is no entry fee but a donation can be made, you can even get sponsorship to help raise funds for GOAL who are currently working in 13 developing world countries: Ethiopia, Honduras, India, Kenya, Malawi, Niger, Sierra Leone, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Haiti and Pakistan. All monies raised will go towards the many relief programmes in these countries.  

So gather up your family, put on comfortable shoes, grab your raincoat and join us in the North Kildare at 11am on Christmas morning.

Children can also bring along their letters to Santa and he will bring them back in his Santa Sack to the North Pole, have a read of them and tick ofs all the names of all the good children on his ‘Naughty or Nice List’.

Also along with Santa, there will be Carol Singing and the official switching on of the lights, which are put up by the Kilcock Business Association with some of the funds raised by the sales of the Kilcock Community Calendar. 

“We are delighted that the sales of the calendar have gone so well.  We came up with the idea of the calendar to raise funds to put back into the community and to help run community events such as the Canal festival.  This would not have been possible without the kind support of The Sammon Group, our advertisers and of course everyone who buys a calendar.  We would encourage everyone to do as much Christmas shopping in Kilcock as possible to help keep jobs locally.  Every bit spent with local businesses helps so even if its just a bit extra, it all adds up”  Tara Lane, PRO of the Kilcock Business Association.

Also don’t forget that everyone who buys a calendar for €5 in the local shops gets entered into a draw to win a €500 hamper for Christmas goodies, from local shops. 

So have a date with Santa Claus this saturday evening at 6pm in the Harbour.  Don’t be late as he has to fly off at 7pm and remember your letter.   Lets all help to light up Kilcock this Christmas.

Kilcock Business Association Presents  

‘GROW YOUR BUSINESS’

Thurs 10^th November, 7.30pm, Kilcock GAA

We would like to invite all local business owners to attend and its FREE..

The doors open at 7.30pm and the first presentation at 8pm is on ‘The importance of having a web presence and getting Kilcock online’.   This will be followed by a demonstration on ’How to use Youtube to promote your business’

Keynote speaker for the evening is Bernie Tracey of Beacon Coaching Consultancy, based in Johnstown near Naas.  Ms Tracey, who has mentored many Kildare businesses through work with the Kildare County Enterprise Board and conducted workshops with the North Kildare Chamber of Commerce, is a very well known and respected business mentor and coach amongst the Kildare business community.  She will speak on the 5 Key Skills on Effective Selling, Exploring how to run your business in changing market situations, Long term survival and the 3 Top Tips on closing a sale with more confidence. She has also launched a book called ‘The Cheese Mall, Key Marketing Skills for Budding Entrepreneurs and the KBA are delighted that she is available with her busy schedule.

The evening will also feature the launch of the Kilcock Community Calendar, kindly sponsored by The Sammon Group and local advertisers.  The CEO Miceál Sammon of main calendar sponsor, The Sammon Group was one of the finalists of the International category of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award on 20^th October.  The Sammon Group, whose headquarters are in Kilcock, employ 3500 people worldwide. 

The calendar features photographs of Kilcock that have been chosen through a competition run by the KBA and will be on sale around Kilcock for only €5.  All funds raised from the sales will all be used by the Kilcock Business Association to enhance the town and also for funding of the business and community events that they run including the Kilcock Canal Festival. 

The seminar promises to be a great evening and it is open to all and free in, so come along, enjoy the speakers and bring business cards for the networking opportunities afterwards.  For more information see  Kilcock Business Association on Facebook or email kilcockbusinessassociation@gmail.com.

Enquiries to: Tara Lane 087 9789318

October 2011

The Kilcock Integrated Services Programme (ISP) is supported by the Kildare County Development Board Plan 2009-2012 and is welcomed by the Kilcock community. The ISP will bring together key stakeholders- representatives of services provided by the state, local business, community voluntary sector groups/organisations, and local people living in Kilcock. They will work together to develop the town.

To help inform the future work of the ISP, independent consultants Burtenshaw Kenny Associates (BKA) are contracted to carry out research and a plan for Kilcock. The goal will be to produce a plan that will help to make Kilcock the kind of town that people are proud of; a sustainable community, with the services, supports and sense of togetherness that is needed to meet the needs of all residents of Kilcock.

Consultation with the community is also taking place through focus groups and a survey is available for residents of Kilcock that wish to contribute to the process.

The survey is available online at: www.surveymonkey.com/s/KilcockCommunitySurvey

 If you have Internet access, then please submit your responses online.

If not, then you can collect and return a printed version of the survey at the Kilcock Library. The survey will be open until: 4th November 2011.

All information collected will be treated in full confidence and will be incorporated into the findings from the consultation.

A separate youth survey is also taking place targeting young people aged 12 to 18 and is available at:

www.surveymonkey.com/s/KilcockYouthSurvey

 If you are aged between 12 and 18 years and living in Kilcock then we want to hear from you!

 Login at:  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KilcockYouthSurvey

 The survey is being carried out by Burtenshaw Kenny Associates who are working with Kildare County Development Board and the community of Kilcock to put together a development plan for Kilcock. 

It is really important that young people have their views heard so that they can be taken into account in this plan.

Have your opinion heard and listened to.  Spread the word and let us know how you would like YOUR town to develop over the next few years. 

It just takes 5 minutes to do the survey and don’t delay, the survey closes on 4 November 2011! 

This innoviative site makes it easier for parents to find out what’s on after school or at weekends, a searchable list of activities and classes and events around the county is now available in one handy place.

Full of details of children’s activities, classes, events and services, there are plenty of ideas to keep kids learning and active. Our website is created by parents for parents.

Mykidstime Kildare is a free resource for families in Kildare. It contains a full range of listings for activities, classes and clubs for children of all ages, as well as information on services and events for children and families.

Also if you are a provider of classes, activities or events for families and children, Mykidstime is happy to list you for free.   Parents can also sign up for free monthly e-newsletters with interesting articles, information and suggestions for things to do.

Go to  http://kildare.mykidstime.ie