Soccer Camp & Academy ( 11s to 18s )

Registration & Information in Scoil Dara Thursday 29th July at 8.00pm.

For 2010 Premier Skills will be running a Soccer Academy for 11 to 18 yr olds in Kilcock Celtic AFC. The 5 days of action packed fun is open to girls and boys of all skill levels and abilities. The aim of the camp is to improve the technical abilities of young players as they are encouraged to make decisions and be creative in a fun and friendly environment.

Each participant will receive a welcome pack including an Nike training kit including Jersey, Shorts, Socks and Sports Bag and Football. All Premier Skills Camps and Academies will come under the direction of Paul Byrne and will be run by fully qualified UEFA or Premier Skills Coaches. Your kid’s safety is our top priority.  Book your place early!

For full details visit our website www.kildare.ie/kilcockceltic, email kilcock.celtic@yahoo.ie or call 083 3351290 / 086 0589374

Excerpt from article by Peter Kelly, Liffey Champion

Heartfelt tributes were paid to Kilcock Sergeant Finbarr McCarthy last Thursday (15th July) as he bid farewell to Kilcock District court. ….Sergeant McCarthy served at stations around the country before being posted back to Kilcock as sergeant in April of 1993. He is due to retire from An Garda Siochana at the end of August bring 34 years of uniformed service to a end.

Leading the tributes on behalf of local practitioners, solicitor Eddie Timmins joked that Sgt McCarthy was, like himself, “a relic of the 1970′s”. Mr Timmons said very few people are instantly recognisable by their first name but if the name Finbarr was mentioned in Kilcock, everyone knew exactly who you were talking about. “He was an old style garda never fully on or off duty.”

Superintendent Gerry Giblin: “Finbarr represent An Garda Siochana in the best traditions of community policing. He will be missed and be very difficult to replace”.

NTA backs axing of Kilcock bus services… for now

Excerpt from article by Peter Kelly, Liffey Champion

Plans to axe Dublin Bus services to and from Kilcock as part of a network review have already been approved by the National Transport Authority (NTA). It was confirmed last Friday (16th July) by officials from the company that the application to cancel the services had been received and agreed by the NTA with Bus Eireann set to pick up the slack.

Dublin Bus’ Network Direct Proect Manager, Roy Coyne said the proposal to withdraw the 66 service was based primarily on customer demand. “Despite the growth (in population), very few use the service. It is extremely poorly supported.”

In reaching the decision to cut completely the Kilcock services, Mr Coyne said passenger figures were examined in the 2006 census. “The average number of people going out on the service is five or six. Those people go into the city centre and few go anywhere else.”

Despite being in the metropolitan area, Cllr Padraig McEvoy said public transport users in Kilcock had to go to extreme lengths to avoid comparatively high price plans, suggesting that if more price incentives were offered Dublin Bus would attract more users. He added, “Perhaps there are so few people because the service is so poor.”

Despite claims from Cllr Liam Doyle (FF) that Bus Eireann appeared to have reduced the number of times it was stopping in Kilcock, in an effort to improve journey times, Mr Coyne said Dublin Bus understood an application was made by i’t scounterpart for additional services.

Cllr Doyle said the town’s population of 7000 people were largely dependent on public transport. “I am a bit disgusted with the answer because it seems Dublin Bus don’t speak to Iarnrod Eireann and their wages are being paid by the taxpayer.

“I’d be critical of all of you for not talking to each other, for not providing a service to the people of the town,” added Cllr Doyle.

Date still awaited for start of Bawnogues work

Excerpt from article by Peter Kelly, Liffey Champion

A firm date for the commencement of work of sports facilities at the Bawnogues in Kilcock is still awaited. With the project dependent on the collection of development levies, there is still no definitive time frame in mind for the implementation of a master plan, which was drawn up last year.

New shop “Cheaper Market” officially opens in Kilcock

Excerpt from article by Sarah Egan, Liffey Champion

A new shop ‘Cheaper Market’, which located on Bridge Street in Kilcock, was officially opened by Minister of State for Older People and Mental Health, Aine Brady, TD, last Saturday week (10th July). The new business is a step in the right direction for the town of Kilcock, which has been suffering because of the recession.

Ok , so the same old, same old cremated burgers and half cooked sausages can get a bit boring and with the blue sky again after a bout of rain I thought I’d put together a couple of simple newideas to kick start any BBQ this summer. Normally, and for the pros out there don’t condemn me but, a really handy tip particularly if you are cooking for large numbers is to cook everything inthe oven first and transfer to the BBQ for the last 10 – 15 mins. Also remember it is vital to havethe BBQ really hot before you put any food on it.Sticky Chicken and Bacon SkewersFirst thing first – ALWAYS soak your skewers in hot water for about 20mins before use to stop them burning. As a quick cheats alternative use a honey mustard salad dressing. The homemade one does taste much better though.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 chicken fillet
• 6 slices of streaky bacon
• 1 red onion
• 2 peppers

Marinade

• 2 tbsp clear honey
• 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Prepare all the ingredients. Cut the chicken into cubes. Cut each streaky rasher in half.
2. Peel the red onion, cut into wedges. Wash, deseed and chop the peppers into chunks
3. Using a fork, mix together the honey, mustard and olive oil.
4. Wrap the chunks of chicken in the streaky bacon.
5. Layer the food onto the skewer – pepper, chicken, onion, pepper and chicken.
6. Brush or pour the marinade on to the skewers. Do this over a separate bowl in order tocatch the marinade and continue to reapply.
7. Place on a hot griddle/BBQ for 15mins turning constantly.
8. Spritz with a little lemon juice and serve.

Stress can be caused by a variety of predicaments including financial problems, job pressures, traumatic events and impending exams. The adrenal glands release adrenaline and other so-called stress hormones which can provide an instant burst of energy and strength allowing the body to cope via the ‘fight or flight’ response. However problems can arise if the stress persists resulting in an overall state of exhaustion. Blood pressure and cholesterol levels increase, the energy is diverted from the digestive system to the brain and organs which results in poor digestion and a feeling of being drained. These effects place additional demands on the immune system, which may become so weakened that the body can muster little resistance to infection and illness.

What can we do to help our bodies cope with the stress?

A good multivitamin and mineral formulation provides our vitamin and mineral needs. The B Complex vitamins promote the health of the nervous and immune systems and can counteract tiredness. Siberian Ginseng can bolster the adrenal glands. If sleep is a problem there are lots of herbal tinctures that can help a restful night, the one I personally find great is A Vogel’s Dormeasan, which is a Valerian-Hops combination.

Don’t forget your Omegas to help the brain power, Udo’s Choice Oil or a top quality fish oil such as MorEPA or Eskimo Brainsharp will help your brain as well as skin, hair and joints. Jan De Vries also has a great flower essence called ‘Concentration ‘ which can help you focus and then of course there is the old reliable ‘Rescue Remedy’ to help you keep calm in stressful situations.

Yoga, meditation, massage, reflexology, aromatherapy, accupuncture and a large variety of complementary therapies can also help you relax and take time for yourself which is vital to your well- being in stressful times. This gives you time to chill out and gives your body a chance to recover and heal itself. If your budget is limited, give yourself a treat that is easy on the wallet and take half an hour to shut yourself away from noise and bustle and listen to a relaxing cd, burn some calming candles or
essential oils such as lavender and enjoy some ‘me’ time.

Pop into your local healthfood store and have a chat regarding all of the help available. Make sure that you check with your GP if you are on any medication or have any medical issues. You will find a variety of registered therapists in your local healthfood store and you may even be able to claim back the therapy on your health insurance. Start you new routine today to help you through the stressful times.

Tara Lane is owner of Harmony Holistic Health stores located in Kilcock and Maynooth. 10 The Square, Kilcock, Phone 01 6284476 | 3 The Square, Maynooth. Phone 01 6106654 | harmonyholistichealth.ie

A big thank you also goes out to the Kilcock Business Association who donated all the hanging baskets you see over town. The Tidy Towns are keeping these watered and well looked after – a huge job in itself as they require watering every 2 days.

It’s easy to get caught up in complaining about some of the poorer aspects of our town – but don’t let this over shadow the fantastic work of Kilcock’s Tidy Town team.

Can you help?

Please consider helping out with Tidy Towns on either a regular or once off basis. Contact Tess Barrett 016287537 or Mary Nolan 0871300571.

It does take some effort but with a team of volunteer just doing a little here and there can make a huge difference. You can help by:

• volunteering on a regular basis with the tidy towns team
• contacting Tidy Towns to see if you could adopt a small flowerbed in the town to keep neat and tidy
• simply pulling out weeds in some of the local flower beds (do get in touch with Tidy Towns for some guidance)
• just pick up litter whenever you have an opportunity to do so – if you’re out walking the dog or pushing a pram take the opportunity to pick up some of the rubbish around your estate or roadside. It’s pretty shocking sometimes the amount of litter that you’ll find.

Check out these pics: Tidy Towns – We’re indepted to you!!

Dublin Bus

An FAQ page on the Dublin Bus website has revealed that the Route 66 will no longer serve Kilcock.

It is also proposed that Route 66 will no longer serve Kilcock. Alternative services for passengers wishing to travel to and from Kilcock will be provided by Bus Éireann’s service from Enfield to the City Centre which serves Kilcock. (http://www.dublinbus.ie/en/Network-Direct/Network-Direct-Phase-1/Lucan/Lucan-FAQs/)

This is disappointing news for Kilcock. The proximity of Kilcock to Dublin (around 30km) means that in recent years the population has increased dramatically to provide affordable homes for the Dublin commuters. Despite the explosion in population to around 6000 in Kilcock village and the surrounding catchment area over the last decade we are still lacking in reliable and frequent public transport to Dublin. For example there is no way to get to Kilcock from Dublin for the 4 hours between 7pm and 11pm. Futhermore a couple of years ago Bus Eireann discontinued night link buses to Kilcock which was a real blow to those looking to get home on a Friday or Saturday night after 11pm. Currently there are 12 Bus Eireann services to and from Kilcock to Dublin and 5 Dublin Bus services to and from. A cessation of the Dublin Bus service will mean that our bus service will be cut by a third!

However according to Labour TD Emmet Stagg, Dublin Bus were in discussion with Bus Eireann “with a view to withdrawing their bus service to the town if Bus Eireann diverted additional services into the town on the 115 service to and from Longford.” source: http://www.maynooth.org/?p=5721

While replacing the Dublin Bus services with extra Bus Eireann stops is some conselation it’s depressing that we are scrabbling to keep ahold of our already basic public transport services. If Kilcock residents do want to keep all their existing bus services then we will probably have to fight for them.

Take Action:

• Call Dublin Bus and make your views know: Services Manager: Ken MacPherson phone: (042) 9334041
• Email Dublin Bus: networkdirect@dublinbus.ie
• A Facebook discussion page on the subject has been set up on the Our Kilcock Fanpage to encourage people to contact Dublin Bus and make their views known.
• Also don’t forget to get in touch with your local Councillors and TDs!!

Fear of Spiders - Arachnophobia

The word phobia comes from the Greek word ‘phobos’ meaning fear. And today we regard a phobia as an unreasonable sort of fear that can cause avoidance and panic. Phobias are a relatively common type of anxiety disorder and can interfere with daily life sometimes forcing the person who suffers from it to restrict their lifestyle in order to avoid the feared object or place. The fear is often so strong that it induces enormous anxiety and this may lead to a full blown panic attack where the person ends up feeling like they are going to die. A panic attack is when someone experiences intense fear or dread and experiences physical symptoms like intense palpitations, hyperventilating, sweating, tingling, shaking, numbness, dizziness, nausea or feeling faint. These symptoms, when experienced, only serve to ‘embed’ the fear further as the person becomes desperate to avoid these terrifying feelings and the feared object, place or person.

Common Phobia’s

• Agoraphobia – fear of open spaces.
• Arachnophobia – fear of spiders
• Claustrophobia – fear of small spaces
• Social phobia – fear of being with other people
• Ablutophobia – fear of washing or bathing
• Achluophobia – fear of darkness

So how does someone develop a phobia? Sometimes a phobia develops for quite understandable reasons. For example a child who is terrified of dogs may have once been set upon by an aggressive dog and this situation ‘generalises’ to all dogs. Other times children may learn a fear from their parents. For example a child may learn that lightning is dangerous when they see their mother scream and dive under the kitchen table during a storm. Or an intensely bumpy plane rid can lead to living dread of flying. Not everyone however has a ‘reason’ for the phobia that they can remember. But, whatever the cause of the phobia the mechanism and solution for it is the same.

A phobia develops as a result of an ‘over reaction’ of the brains ‘fight or flight’ mechanism. This powerful fight or flight response is very useful in a highly dangerous situation as it serves to kick start a response that may save our lives. For example, 10,000 years ago this response helped us survive if we were attacked by a wild tiger. Fight the tiger – run away and escape …or die! These were our only options! In this situation the ‘fight or flight’ response is initiated by a tiny part of our brain known as the amygdala which resides in our ‘emotional brain’. The amygdala recognizes the danger and initiates the release of a powerful physiological response which includes, increased heart rate, hyperventilation in order to increase oxygen supply, the release of adrenalin that makes us want to fight or flee and so on (notice the similarity to the feelings endured during a panic attack!). This response is immensely helpful in this situation. However, in a phobic response the amygdala interprets the feared object as dreadfully dangerous even when it is not and this initiates the fight or flight response. The persons body then gets into action ready to run away or fight BUT then nothing happens! In other words we don’t fight the spider, or get off the plane, or beat up the shadow that is scaring us so badly. This means that all the fight or flight hormones, hyperventilation, increased heart rate and so on end up giving the person a panic attack instead! And, every time this happens the person desperately wants to avoid it happening again! Hence avoiding the supermarket where the last panic attack took place or avoiding going through the woods where you were once attacked by a dog, or getting on that plane and so on.

So is there a cure for phobias?

The good news is that there is and it doesn’t take years of therapy to resolve either. In fact a long standing phobia can often be resolved in one or two sessions (although something like agoraphobia can sometimes take longer). In essence the goal of therapy is to get the person to imagine the feared object, situation or place in a very relaxed state and then to imagine themselves experiencing their phobia in a calm and relaxed way utilizing guided imagery. This method is known as the Rewind Technique in Human Givens therapy. This technique works because we understand how the brain works and what it needs to resolve the problem. We know that each time the amygdala sets off the fight or flight response it is ‘pattern matching’ to other times when we have experienced the phobic response. This technique in essence ‘uncouples the phobic reponse’ from the object so that the next time it is encountered the person can remain calm. If you can’t get to a therapy session there are other simple ways to help reduce a phobic response and these are listed below.

Tips to Reduce a phobic response.

1. Learn a relaxation technique like slow breathing that can help you stay calm in a feared situation.
2. Recognise that lots of people have phobias and you are not ‘abnormal’ for having one.
3. Social phobia is common. One of the best solutions is to tell people you sometimes feel uncomfortable in public. The majority of people will understand and want to help you out. Often it is the fear of making a fool of yourself that stops you going out, telling a friend calms down your fear because someone already knows the way you feel.
4. Avoiding the object of your fear only makes it worse! Aim to build up exposure slowly so that you can get used to it and realize its not really dangerous. For example, visit the airport a few times and watch planes land safely before going on your own flight. Or look at a tiny spider in a web before confronting a huge spider!
5. Vize yourself in the feared situation. Imagining the scene where you see yourself coping can help you overcome the fear in the actual situation.

Louise Courtney is a Human Givens Therapist, Hypnotherapist and Nutritional Therapist (BA psychology, MA, MBA, HgDip P, ADHP, Dip Nutritional Therapy). Based in Kilcock and Maynooth, she works alongside Caroline Leonard (also a Givens Therapist) in their joint practice Effective Therapy. (Tel. 087 2332 500)

Anyhoo, I wanted to remind everyone that before they hop into the car and shoot down to Maynooth for supplies that in Kilcock we have excellent facilities for meat shopping!!

Your Sausage and Steak Providers

(thanks to the Kilcock Business Directory…)

John Ryan Butchers
Located in the harbour – tel: 01 628 7189

NB Meats Ltd
Church St – tel: 01 6757 066 – mobile: 087 996 1096

Walsh Family Butcher
Courtown Road – tel:01 628 4119

BuySAfrica
And if you want to try something a bit different and totally yum you should try the boerewors at BuySAfrica on New Road. They are absolutely delicious. And she sell those nifty instant BBQs too.
tel: 01 6284424 – mob: 087 7659072

And of course we’ve plenty of groceries in Kilcock and a lovely bakers to get the rest of your supplies. And I’d imagine if you need a BBQ you could probably drop in Cleary’s! There – you’re all set!

What’s On in Kilcock this Weekend

Kilcock Triathlon swimmers from http://www.dublintri.com/kilcock.html

Although the weather really is an event in itself, we’ve a couple more happening around Kilcock this weekend:

The Kilcock Triathlon takes place today (Saturday) with the first wave of swimmers starting at 1pm. There’ll be a 400m and 750m swim (super-sprint and sprint triathlon respectively) followed by a 20km cycle and a 5km run. Don’t forget the roads will be closed on the 5km stretch of Kilcock Road between Kilcock and Maynooth from 1 – 4pm to allow for the 20 km cycle. More info…

And on the other end of the spectrum down at the Kilcock Art Gallery the Micheal Flaherty Exhibition is being opened by Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport, Mary Hanafin TD today at 3pm. It’s a really nice way to spend an hour or – there’s a wine reception and gorgeous paintings and sculpture on view. More info…

Excerpts by Peter Kelly in the Liffey Champion (page 5)

This article in the Liffey Champion by Peter Kelly reveals that after 2 years there is no progress whatsoever on the Iarnród Éireann park and ride project for Kilcock. And now it seems it has been halted indefinitely. A Mr Page from Iarnród Éireann Head of New Works briefed the Clane Area Committee this week: (excerpt from the paper)

Iarnród Éireann has parked plane to add extra parking spaces for commuters using Kilcock Station are the costs of the project proved prohibitive.

A representative from the company reported on Tuesday (11th May) that it had halted plans to provide a park and ride facility  on CIE-owned land north of the Royal Canal just yards from the station platform after the costs threatened to run to more than €1m.

Mr Page [Iarnród Éireann's Head of New Works] said his department had initially looked at gaining access to the site from Shaw Bridge in Kilcock town centre through an existing access point.

“However, having been informed that any ca park would require a new point of entrance and exit, Mr Page said more than €1m would have been required to fund that part of the project alone.

In brief the article continues with some comments from our Councillor Liam Doyle who stressed it was never an option that proposed car park be entered from the Shaw Bridge area; the alternative requested was Alexandra Bridge. He went on to point  out the effect commuters, parking all day in car spaces in Kilcock are having on local traders saying; “The effect this is having on local businesses is hugely detrimental”.

Comment: Parking and lack there of, is a big problem for Kilcock traders and is an issue that the KBA has pledged to work on. This is news of the permanent shelving of a park and ride development is a real blow. Paid parking, even at a very low rate, means that those living close by are encouraged to walk down to the station (most Kilcock town dwellers live within a 10 minute walk of the station) and leaves enough spaces around the car park for those who need to drive to the station. Cllr Doyle goes on to suggest that the current parking area could be improved by removal of the grassy verge to allow parking for a further 15 spaces. However this is really just a stop gap and once again it seems that Kilcock is missing out on a development that would have offered significant improvements to residents and local traders alike. Adding to the frustration is the obvious lack of communication between the council and the railways on the practicalities of the development and the long length of time taken just to come back and say it’s been shelved.

Dragon Gavin Duffy tells Kilcock Businesses to ‘hang on’.

Excerpts by Kim Mullahey in the Liffey Champion (page 10)

Gavin Duffy - evening with a Dragon

This article is close to my own heart (as secretary of the Kilcock Business Association) as I was involved in the promotion and set up of the evening with Gavin Duffy in the GAA Hall on Wednesday 5th of May. We were delighted by the turn out of between 240 and 250 people who were engaged for around 1.5 hours by an energetic and entertaining Gavin Duffy, who started off the evening by explaining how we got into this financial crisis from a global perspective and then brought it back home to Kilcock:

“We have to engage with customers, we have to be positive and we have got support our local business associations.

“You have got to keep the spend local, get involved and support another through this.

“What we have all got to do is hang on until we get through this, and tread water until we have come to the other side.

Gavin mentioned a number of times the effect that the media is having on people’s spending habits. According to Gavin, the media have us (and our spend) running scarred. I tend to agree here though I feel in particular it’s the national newspapers and radio that are the culprits rather the regional newspapers and radio which by their nature are more positive in their focus on local events. It seems that everytime you turn on the radio there is another financial expert telling us that we are all doomed and the country will never recover.

Comparing this resession to the 80′s dip Gavin Duffy believes it was easier for people back then as they had been used to living on less already. He went on to point out that the slow breakdown in communities and collapse of public perception of the institutions like church meant that our traditional support networks have all but disappeared for many of us and as such coping with this recession more difficult.

I guess that’s all the more reason to start to get involved locally from taking part in local groups, sports organisations and of course… spending local as well.

Plan to return Kilcock as a Major Trading Centre with launch of new directory

Excerpts by Kim Mullahey in the Liffey Champion (page 10)

The evening with Gavin Duffy also saw the launch of a comprehensive directory of the Kilcock Business Association members and community organisations. It’s a great little book and has been delivered to all residents in Kilcock town (if you missed out just visit one of the local shops!). It’s got a surprising amount of local services and business and a full list of emergency numbers, local organisations and sporting clubs.

And there is an online counter part http://www.kilcockbusiness.ie for all you web savvy Kilcock residents.

Research contributed in the new directory by author and historian Seamus Cullen has placed commercial activity in Kilcock from AD1299.

“We of the Kilcock Business Association want to return Kilcock to it’s rightful place as a ‘major trading centre from as far back as medieval times” said Tara Lane of Harmony Holistic Health.”I am honored to be part of such a hardworking committee. We have an amazing selection of business and useful numbers.”

Finally it seems the pipes have been laid correctly and the monster trucks, ugly fencing and traffic chaos have disappeared from the town center. And they have resurfaced a small strip of the New Road very nicely indeed, replete with shiny white road markings and all.  And before you all say – “Well it’s about bloody time!!” and “When will they be doing the rest of the roads??”, let us just rejoice in this small victory and celebrate the new ‘smooth as a baby’s bottom’ road surface!

Celebrating a return to normality the New Road businesses took it upon themselves to open New Road on Thursday evening.  Coleen Vorster from BuySAfrica provided the wine reception and sausage sizzle for the shop owners and guests – including Dorothy Daniels from Dorothy’s Hair Salon, Brendan from Alpine Dry Cleaning, Tara Lane from Harmony Holistic and locals Aileen Billington and Rosemary Sheridan. A resounding cheer with a white wine toast saw the road officially opened. Says Coleen:

“BuySAfrica would like to thank Ward & Burke for the very professional finish they have given to New Road.  It really is a New Road now and looking very smart.  We can now boast on having the best road in Kilcock!!  I think I also speak on behalf of  the other business in New Road as well as the residents.  I’m quite sure all the commuters using New Road are also very grateful.  Thanks Guys!! ‘

Good on you Coleen! And as always readers… Real shoppers do it locall!