Gardai have raided a number of premises across Carlow and Kilkenny in connection with a prostitution ring being run in both counties.

As  part of the operation carried out by Gardaí from Kilkenny and Carlow assisted by the National Digital Intelligence Unit a total of seven properties were searched today, where it was suspected that brothels were being operated from, this operation also included an investigation into potential victims of Human Trafficking.

Four of the properties were searched in Carlow while another three in Kilkenny were also searched. Evidence of prostitution was discovered at all of these premises and all were closed down and a number of exhibits seized. Investigations and enquiries are ongoing to further this investigation. No arrests have been made.

In a further operation today, fifteen (15) inspections were carried out at Fast Food Outlets, Restaurants and Nail Bars by local Garda Immigration Officers in the Kilkenny and Carlow districts. One person was arrested for immigration offences in Carlow, she was taken to Carlow District Court this afternoon.

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The National Transport Authority will not be expanding the capacity in the car park at the train station in Newbridge, and they will not consider the idea of upgrading the car park until 2023.

The already busy car park is normally full quite early in the morning, and many drivers have been penalised for parking illegally due to the space constraints.

The NTA will also not be considering adding more carriages to the busy service that serves the station, according to Fianna Fáil TD Fiona O'Loughlin, who has expressed her anger at the situation.

“Although Newbridge has two car parks, they are full before 8am in the morning which is leaving no spaces for occasional travellers or for anyone leaving for work at a later time," stated Deputy O'Loughlin.

“The NTA must continually monitor the situation and consider possible avenues to increase capacity both in the car park and in their daily services. Newbridge has become a huge commuter town and more houses are continually being built in the surrounding areas and consideration to all of these are needed by the NTA.

“I have been in continuous contact and will continue to highlight issues with the NTA relating to rail prices for Newbridge and Kildare commuters, and the parking and toilet facilities in the station and the need for more carriages to support the numbers travelling each day."

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By Kim O'Leary

This lovely modern family in Athgarvan is sure to impress potential buyers looking for a large home in a quiet and peaceful area to raise a family with a lovely sunroom as well as large landscaped gardens with an asking price of €380,000.

CME Auctioneers Naas are delighted to bring to the market “49 The Old Mill Race”, Athgarvan, Co Kildare, a spacious detached property with a brick façade which extends to c.167 sq.m (1,798 Sq. Feet) and is set in a highly respectable cul-de-sac with an onsite creche and local shops and the famed Athgarvan Inn pub within walking distance.

Inside the property consists of 4 double bedrooms and 3 bathrooms (including master en suite), entrance hallway, sitting room, spacious kitchen/dining room, playroom, utility room, and a spacious and bright sunroom which makes the best of the Irish sunshine all year round.

Outside the property is approached via a cobble lock driveway with ample parking for 3 cars, the front overlooks a green lawn which would be perfect for a game of football.

Meanwhile, to the rear of the property there is an impressive garden with an array of features including a sun patio, pergola, gravel pathways, a pond and beautiful plants, trees and shrubs that is sure to delight keen gardeners. There are also two side entrances for easy access to the property and its lovely gardens.

This property is in excellent condition and it is situated in a very central location within the tranquil Athgarvan village with the local amenities including a crèche within the housing estate, the famous nearby Athgarvan Inn pub, local shop The Gala, Athgarvan GAA, a local primary school, and it is also just a few minutes walk from the Curragh Plains and a 2 mile journey to the bustling town of Newbridge.

Early viewing of this fabulous property is highly recommended, for more information and 28 images visit http://www.daft.ie/kildare/houses-for-sale/athgarvan/49-the-old-millrace-athgarvan-kildare-1713142/

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GALLERY: Opening of 2018 Season at the Curragh Racecourse

PHOTOS  BY AISHLING CONWAY

SEE MORE PHOTOS IN NEXT WEEKS KILDARE POST

Peter Reynolds, Una Manning and Neil  McCaffrey

Curragh Racecourse

Richard Brabazon, Evan Newell and Linda Pullman

Nina Gustafson and Helene Raue

Curragh Racecourse

Michael O'Reilly, Paula Nugent, Pauline Knight, Brian O'Neill and Barry Dempsey

Ray and Kiera

Paula McCartney and Anne Barr

Paddy Hannon and Paula Devine

Carol Henley and Sheila O'Ryan

Curragh Racecourse

Patrick Sourke, Christopher Rowan and Stephen Mullen from the Order of Malta (KILDARE)

Michael McKenna, Scott Taylor, Niall Groome and Ciara McKenna

Louise Carr, Audrey Noonan, Janet Corr and Gavin Corr

Conor Smyth, Ryan Butler, Terry Smyth and Lola Mae Taffee

Lola Mae Taffee

Stephen Collins (Derrinstown Stud), Tim Higgins (Tote Ireland) and Derek McGrath (Curragh Racecourse)

Pamela and Stephanie White

Curragh Racecourse

Curragh Racecourse

If you have a story or want to send photos or videos to us please contact the KildareNow editorial team. via our Facebook, via our email at content@kildarenow.com or on 045 409350 during office hours.

A bright start to the morning is set to be followed by some heavy rain and possibly hailstones later on this afternoon, with some pretty bleak weather expected in the evening.

Good sunshine at first this morning and just isolated showers in parts of the south and west. Showers becoming more widespread later this morning and during the afternoon, some will be heavy or of hail with a slight risk of isolated thunderstorms. Afternoon highs of 11-14 degrees with light winds in many areas but fresh southerly along Connacht and west Ulster's coasts.

Showers will die away and it will be dry in many places tonight with clear periods, but cloudier in some western and northwestern areas with some showers on the coasts. Cold with overnight lows of 1 to 4 degrees Celsius in many areas with patchy grass frost, mist and fog, but temperatures of 5-7 degrees in the west and northwest.

If you have a story or want to send photos or videos to us please contact the KildareNow editorial team. via our Facebook, via our email at content@kildarenow.com or on 045 409350 during office hours.

A Co Kildare mother shared her inspirational story on The Last Word on Today FM about her roller-coaster pregnancy and how her little boy survived against the odds.

Sirena Fox was experiencing a normal pregnancy with her second child until her 20-week scan, when a shadow was detected on the baby's lung which turned out to be a tumour.

At 23 weeks, Sirena's baby son Leo went into heart failure - this was because the tumour was compressing his heart and right lung, and was growing quicker than him.

She and her husband were told there wasn't much hope for him: "It was a devastating time."

This extremely rare condition happens in one in 35,000 babies born in Ireland.

After getting a second opinion and being told there was nothing that could be done, Sirena's consultant accompanied her to Birmingham where doctors could perform a procedure called 'shunting'.

Sirena decided to try it as she felt she had nothing to lose and had to fight for Leo.

The procedure was successful initially and Leo came out of heart failure. At 28 weeks the shunting was repeated and his condition was monitored weekly.

As Leo's lungs were compromised, there was uncertainty about what would happen, and Sirena was told his lung function might be a problem once he was born.

Her waters broke while having a scan at 36 weeks, and she had a Caesarean section to deliver him. She says it was "very nerve-racking not knowing whether he was going to survive or not."

Things went well and Leo didn't need any help breathing. However, when he was ten days old, the tumour started to fill up with air, and he needed surgery.

The surgery went as well as could be expected, and Leo is now a healthy five-month-old.

Sirena says she has no anger at having to research Leo's condition herself: "I believe that if you want anything, nobody will fight for it as much as you."

Listen to the full interview with presenter Susan Keogh here:

https://www.todayfm.com/podcasts/86622/%22How-My-Baby-Survived-Against-The-Odds%22

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Senior Football League Div 3

Venue: Kill, Kill V Sallins18:00, Ref: Larry Heeney

Venue: Nurney, Nurney V Eadestown19:30, Ref: Frank Delaney

Joe Mallon Motors Renault Senior Football Championship

Venue: Newbridge, Raheens V Sarsfields19:00, Ref: Fergus Devereaux

Haven Hire Senior Hurling League Div 2

Venue: Naas, Naas V Kilcock18:00, Ref: Raymond Kelly

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You would think that seven defeats on the spin in 2018 would leave Kildare’s confidence on the floor heading into the first round of the Christy Rin Cup this weekend, but that shouldn’t be the case.

As any manager involved with a team in this competition will tell you, the Christy Ring Cup is all about momentum and winning your first game is absolutely key to your chances.

The newly structured seven-week tournament offers Kildare a tangible hope of silverware on what has been a difficult year thus far. The self-enforced absence of permit players has weakened manager Joe Quaid’s hand on a short term basis, but that is in the aid of achieving long term ambitions of create a hurling model that is sustainable and compares favourably against the likes of Carlow, Westmeath and Laois.

Antrim, Meath, Westmeath and Carlow are no longer in the competition after being placed in the newly formed Joe McDonogh Cup, and Kildare should see themselves as one of the strongest teams left.

This weekend they face a Roscommon side who finished in mid table in Division 3B, two tiers below the Lilywhites. They are not a side that should be troubling Kildare this weekend, and it would be nothing short of a disaster for Kildare hurling if they suffered a defeat to the Rossies at home. More difficult tasks will follow, with the visit to a confident Mayo side and the trip to Wicklow, a team that has proved to be extremely tricky for Kildare in recent years.

It is eight weeks since Kildare suffered a heavy defeat to London in Ruislip to confirm their relegation to Division 2B in the league, but the players have since gone back to their clubs and played a number of league games in the interim, with Quaid hoping to see them return refreshed.

“We’ve released them to their clubs to play league matches and that, so it has been kind of a mix,” Quaid told the Kildare Post, stating that they have been back training 2-3 nights per week for the past three weeks.

“The main things was to try and get them back to their roots and try and get them back to basics, and look, it seems to have worked because they seem fresh and they seem hungry.

“We said after the league that the next league game would probably be next January, so there isn’t much point dwelling on it. That’s the one thing I said in the dressing room in London – we need to park this, that the league is over and we just have to get on with it and come back refreshed and go after what our main aim was this year, and that’s to go after the Christy Ring.”

Picking the players’ confidence up is one of the main tasks for Quaid and his management team, yet a win on Saturday would start to allay any fears of confidence faltering.

“Obviously, there is confidence there, but as regards how deep it is we won’t know until Saturday. The Christy Ring runs over seven weeks and momentum and staying injury free is a huge factor in who wins it. If we get a win on Saturday we can go on to Mayo in the following week with confidence, but I don’t think we can be going in with a huge amount of confidence at the moment seeing as we haven’t won a competitive match this year, but we’re confident in our ability.”

Kildare were somewhat cursed during the league with a plethora of injuries to important players, and the list of walking wounded following their final league game on Irish soil against Carlow was really striking. Since then, James Burke suffered a serious illness, but thankfully the young Naas man has recovered and is getting back to his normal self. He will not play hurling again for a number of weekends confirmed Quaid, but his personal health is obviously paramount and hurling takes a back seat in such instances.

Bernard Deay is battling back from a shoulder injury suffered in the loss to Kerry earlier in the league, but this weekend is likely to come too soon for him. Aside from that, Quaid is happy to report a clean bill of health, which makes a change from the constant injuries during the league campaign.

“That was a huge problem that we had during the league, and from trying out things the team probably changed,” he said.

“But it was going back to the thing of this is probably the third panel I’ve built in three years, and all we need to do is get a bit of consistency, and that’s what Kildaer hurling needs to do over the years. They need to have the bulk of their panel there every year, whereas we’re having 10-15 changes forced upon us.”

This year Quaid has made no secret of his desire to win the Christy Ring Cup. It is the Limerick man’s third year managing Kildare, and after prioritising Division 2A survival in his first year, the former All-Star goalkeeper is more focused on landed silverware and sees the open nature of this year’s Christy Ring Cup as an ideal opportunity to do just that.

He doesn’t feel any major pressure to deliver a title despite it being his third year in charge, stating that he has had to deal with a changing panel every year since arriving in Kildare.

“I’d feel more pressure on me to do it if we had the same panel for three years, but there’s a difference between a three-year term with a team and three one-year terms,” he said.

“That’s what it has been – three one-year terms, because we’ve had three different panels over them three years. Every year you’re going into the league and into championship and you don’t know what you have. All we can do is provide them with the best coaching and training as possible.”

Whatever happens this year, there are at least a number of young players who have been given their chance at senior level and have shown the commitment that Quaid has been searching for.

“That has really freshened it up,” he said.

“There would be nobody on the team unless they are good enough. That’s the one thing that we’ve had this year as compared to the other two years; we were able to pick a panel, and we were able to change the panel as year went on, try fellas in different positions and that has definitely been different.”

Roscommon arrive as somewhat of an unknown quantity on Saturday, with their poor run in the league and two straight defeats ending their Christy Ring involvement at the first exit stage in 2017. Quaid admits to knowing little about them, but he doesn’t seem concerned.

“Other teams don’t ever bother me. We can’t control what Roscommon are going to do; we can only control what we’re going to do and that’s what we’re trying to do at the moment. Put the best squad together for the next seven weeks and it’s up to ourselves then after that.”

If you have a story or want to send photos or videos to us please contact the KildareNow editorial team. via our Facebook, via our email at content@kildarenow.com or on 045 409350 during office hours.

Kildare's Eric Donovan's biggest fight to date has been announced as the Lilywhite Lightning returns to the ring for the first time since February as he continues on his journey to secure a European title.

The St Michael's Athy club man will be back in action at the Good Counsel GAA Club in Drimnagh on June 16 as he tops the Celtic Clash 6 bill, which has once again been put together by promoter Leonard Gunning. Donovan's opponent has yet to be announced, but there is a frustration on the Athy man's part that no Irish boxer has been willing to put their national titles on the line against him.

This will be Donovan's eighth fight, and a win next month would ensure his eligibility to the European rankings, where finding higher quality opponents will become much more straightforward.

The current European champion is Spaniard Marc Vidal who soon defends against Kiko Martinez - remember him? - and Donovan, for now, is targeting the new European Union champion Andoni Gago.

Another Spaniard, the hugely experienced Gago won the EU title in April following a war with Frenchman Geoffrey Dos Santos. The rough and tough Basque boxer is no pushover, last year going nine rounds with world champion Lee Selby on short notice while also drawing with former champ Victor Terrazas. Donovan and his manager, Sligo's Leonard Gunning, however, are fully confident that they can dethrone 'El Macho' and moves are already being made to set up a fight, in Ireland, in the near future.

Southpaw Donovan is keen and stated; "I'd love to fight him, I really would. I'm under no illusion, he is a very seasoned professional and was a very worthy winner [v Dos Santos]. He's an absolute workhorse and a 'menace' in the ring as I would describe it. He does not stop fighting, punching, and if I do get the fight I'm going to need to be one hundred percent physically and mentally ready - and I will be, I wouldn't go into a fight with any less. It's given me a lot of confidence knowing that these type of fights, these type of opportunities are only around the corner."

"When I started out on this journey, some people were saying to me 'are you crazy? You should have done this years ago', stuff like that. It's not that I'm out to prove them wrong, I'm out to prove to myself what I can do. I know I can beat Gago, I know I have the skills to beat him, I know I have the intelligence to beat him, what I would need to do is get physically prepared. By the time the chance comes for me, and I don't even know if he'll be champ by then but, if he is, and that fight presents itself, oh man I would take that at the drop of a hat."

Of course, all this talk will be worth nothing if Donovan cannot get the win on June 16. With two eight-round bouts under his belt, he will fight over this distance again against a durable opponent as he builds toward the ten-round distance over which EU title bouts are contested. The 32-year-old has had to overcome his first major injury in the pros too, having been splinted up for weeks without punching to resolve a long-standing hand issue - which scans revealed was a fractured finger.

Back with the bit between his teeth, the ever-improving, evergreen Donovan outlined how “now I am training like that champion I know I am going to be, that European champion and that goal I set myself. I am not the biggest puncher in the game but I have other strengths that far outweigh that, my hand speed, combinations, footwork and so on. All my career was long distance counter punching, now I am more comfortable setting my feet in the danger-zone and trusting in my hands. I trying not to forget the fundamentals too."

"I've never been as physically strong or as healthy in my life. I feel that I've got a new mature head, a new perspective on life. I'm not boxing to hold on to funding, I'm not boxing to qualify for the Olympics, I'm just boxing for the same reason I was when I walked into the gym as a seven-year-old kid - because I can express myself and it's something that I love to do, that makes me really happy. I'm back in that place now."

The 'Celtic Clash 6' undercard will feature Lucan welterweight John Joyce, Blanchardstown cruiserweight Chris Scuvie, Crumlin super featherweight Aiden Metcalfe, Smithfield welterweight Keane McMahon, Ballybrack lightweight Niall O'Connor, Cavan light middleweight Owen Duffy, Waterford welterweight Rohan Daté, Sallynoggin super feather Stephen McAfee, and a BUI Celtic super bantamweight title fight between Jobstown's Carl McDonald and Youghal's Colin O'Donovan.

Tickets for the fight night are priced at €55 (ringside), €35 (unreserved) and are available from the boxers involved. Tickets from Eric Donovan can be bought from the Healthy Living Centre, 2 Duke Street, Athy, County Kildare, or by calling Laura on 086 7949 406

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A driver who was committing motoring offences is set to appear in court after trying to flee from a Garda checkpoint by going down a one-way road.

The motorist was caught by members of the Naas Road Policing Unit while they were conducting a routine checkpoint in the county yesterday.

The BMW driver  turned away from the checkpoint and drove the wrong way down a one-way street, but they ran out of road and Garda pursued the motorist before finding that the there was no insurance on the car.

The vehicle was seized and the motorist will face a day in court at a later date.

‘Although we've come to the end of the road still I can't let go it's unnatural’

Naas RPU: Gardaí at c/point, car turned away & drove wrong way down a one-way street which was end of the road. No Insurance. Car seized & court date to follow! pic.twitter.com/YqXSOUDAmQ

— An Garda Síochána (@GardaTraffic) May 11, 2018

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A property that formerly operated as an Asian restaurant in Kildare Town will go under the virtual hammer at an online auction next month.

The property, which was the home of Victoria House Asian Cuisine will be part of a massive online auction organised by specialist online auctioneers BidX1, formally known as Allsop Ireland. Victoria Cuisine have since moved to the unit next door, freeing up the space between their new premises and an NCBI outlet.

The property is arranged over ground floor only to provide a mid terrace retail unit, and the total floor area extending to approximately 59 sq metres.

It is currently in vacant possession.

Over 7,000 assets have been sold by BidX1 since 2011, raising in excess of €1.3bn. With the recent acquisition of London based Andrews and Robertson, BidX1 has become the second largest commercial and residential auction house in Britain and Ireland.

If you have a story or want to send photos or videos to us please contact the KildareNow editorial team. via our Facebook, via our email at content@kildarenow.com or on 045 409350 during office hours.

The death has occurred of Catherine DALGARNO (née Casey), Leixlip, Kildare

Dalgarno,(nee Casey); Catherine, 11th May 2016, peacefully at home in the loving care of her family, dearly loved wife of Richard and loving mother of Suzanne, Cathrina and David, sadly missed by her loving husband, daughters, son, sons-in -law Paul and John, daughter-in-law Sarah, brothers, sisters, her darling grandchildren Ben, Lucy, Alex, John, Tadgh and Sophia, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended family, relatives and friends.

Reposing at her home from tomorrow (Sunday) between 5pm and 7pm. Removal on Monay to St. Charles Borromeo Church, Lexlip, arriving for 11o/c Mass. Funeral afterwards to Confey Cemetery.

If you have a story or want to send photos or videos to us please contact the KildareNow editorial team. via our Facebook, via our email at content@kildarenow.com or on 045 409350 during office hours.

(Pictured:Paul Robinson with Kildare County players, Paul Dermody, Paul Cribbin and Offaly footballer Will Mulhall, Pop Up Races organiser Brian Conroy, Transition Year and 5^th Year students travelling to Zambia Members of Clane Athletic Club: Lucy Mc Cann and Robyn Donovan)

By Kim O'Leary

Next weekend Scoil Mhuire Community School in Clane are hosting a 6k Run/Walk in aid their Outreach Zambia project on Saturday 19^th May at 11am, and they will be joined by Kilcock-based athlete Paul Robinson who recently broke the record for the fastest mile ever run in Antarctica.

The upcoming event is to help raise funds for a volunteering trip to Zambia that a group of 10 students and 4 teachers are undertaking in June.

While there, the team will be working in the Cheshire Home, which is a home for young people with disabilities.  The Cheshire Home is run by the Presentation Sisters in Mongu, Zambia. As well as working on the ground while in Zambia, they would also like to provide financial assistance to the Presentation Sisters as they build a rehabilitation centre for young people with disabilities.

Paul Robinson, Irish and European athlete will lead out the run/walk on Saturday 19^th May at Scoil Mhuire Community School, Clane. The 26-year-old undertook a record attempt to run the fastest mile in Antarctica on November 25 2017, and Paul shattered the previous record clocking in with an incredible time of 4 minutes and 17.9 seconds. The challenge was organised by Richard Donovan, a fellow Irish athlete who has become renowned for organising some of the world’s biggest adventure races.

Now Paul is lending his support to Scoil Mhuire in Clane in their fundraising efforts, and the 6K run/walk starts at 11am at the school and registration details can be on Pop Up Races; Adults are €15, Students €10 and there is a special family rate of €30 for two adults and two kids. Registration will be open on the morning of the 6K for those who have not registered online.

On the popupraces page a statement reads: "We hope to raise enough money to fund a follow-on centre for the children when they reach the age of 16. On the morning registration opens at 10am in Scoil Mhuire Community School Clane and the race will also start and end there. There will be a prize for Junior/Senior category and adult category. NOTE – THERE WILL BE AN OPTION FOR KIDS TO TAKE PART FOR €5 – THIS ENTRY IS AVAILABLE ON THE DAY ONLY, AND THE CHILD WILL NOT BE CHIP TIMED."

The ten students participating in the outreach project have gone through a rigorous interview process and have been working extremely hard in order to raise the funds required to make this trip a success.

The group are well on the way to raising their target sum of €40,000 and they are hoping that their last fundraising activity will get them over the line.

For more information visit https://www.popupraces.ie/events/6k-for-zambia/

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By Kim O'Leary

For Kildare gardening enthusiasts, the Summer months are arguably the best for doing work in the garden and now Burtown House and Gardens will host the Rare and Special Plant Fair, in association with Bord Bia Sunday tomorrow Sunday 13th May 2018.

The fair will feature over 40 stalls of rare and unusual plants as well as expert advice from growers.

There will also be an exhibition of botanical work by acclaimed botanical artist Wendy Walsh at The Green Barn Restaurant, Shop and Gallery. With 10 acres of flower, woodland and vegetable gardens with large sculpture set in old parkland as well as the award winning Green Barn Restaurant, the fair is one event in the keen gardener’s calendar not to be missed!

The Rare & Special Plant Fair was established in 2001 to ensure that the gardening public has an opportunity to purchase rare, unusual and special plants at reasonable prices, and to ensure that nurseries and breeders of these plants in Ireland have an opportunity to present them for sale.

At the same time, the Fair aims to provide an opportunity for visitors to visit a private garden that they might not otherwise visit. The fair is an annual event, always held on the second Sunday in May.

Over the years the event has grown in stature and reputation with the fair being hosted in some of Ireland’s most notable and beautiful private gardens, and more recently in public and state gardens of note, including Fancroft Millhouse Gardens, Roscrea, Lakeview Gardens, Co Cavan, Kilfane Glen, Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, Anne’s Grove Gardens, Co Cork, Castleforbes, Co Longford, Farmleigh, Phoenix Park, Dublin, St. Anne’s Park, Raheny, Russborough House, Co. Wicklow, Killruddery House, Co. Wicklow, Airfield Gardens and Farm and Mount Congreve, Co. Waterford.

An early Georgian villa, Burton House is also surrounded by woodland gardens with beautiful park and farmland walks, perfect for walks. Entrance to the gardens at Burtown House on Sunday 13th May costs €6.

For further information please visit www.rareandspecialplantfair.ie or email info@burtownhouse.i

If you have a story or want to send photos or videos to us please contact the KildareNow editorial team. via our Facebook, via our email at content@kildarenow.com or on 045 409350 during office hours.

Kildar County Council have asked community groups around the county to get involved with the upcoming Culture Night weekend that is taking place next month.

The council are hoping to build on the national initiative, which is an annual all-island public event that celebrates culture, creativity and the arts and will be officially held on the weekend of Friday September 22.

KCC are hoping to arrange their own events that weekend, which can come from any type of community group or organisation.

In addition to events’ registration, this year Kildare County Council is also looking for community projects that could get local groups involved in the lead-in to Culture Night Weekend.

Anybody interested should present a proposal of collaboration with one or more local groups (such as schools, GAA clubs, women’s and men’s clubs, youth groups, active retirement groups, etc…) to be carried on before Culture Night. The artistic output of the project must be presented on Culture Night Weekend. The selected proposals will receive €500.

The deadline for any proposal is June 15.

For further information or help finding venues or coming up with ideas please contact Kildare Culture Night Coordinator, Federica Petronilli (Email: culturenightkildare@gmail.com, Tel: 083 1698936)

​

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Kildare     2-17

Antrim     4-7

Leinster MHC Tier 2 round one

Kildare opened their Leinster Minor Hurling Championship campaign with an impressive come from behind win over Antrim on Saturday afternoon in Newbridge.

The Lilywhites trailed by five points at one stage but managed to hang on despite the destruction that Antrim full-forward Conaill Bohill caused them in the opening half, as the visitors plundered four goals to really rattle Kildare. The nerve and lasting power that Cathal Fenton’s side showed was impressive as they ground down their opponents to secure victory with four points to spare in the end.

Antrim hardly played any expressive, extravagant hurling in the first half, but what they did do was work to a tactic that provided them with four goals of near identical nature.

Bohill was an absolute menace at full-forward, and aside from scoring the Saffrons’ first goal, he created the other three and also landed half of their first half points.

Kildare began brightly with scores from Muiris Curtin – a county minor footballer also – and Daragh Melville, but Bohill bagged his first goal following a long ball into the square. Ferran O’Sullivan hit back with a goal for the home side when he stroked in the rebound of his own shot, and Shane White stroked over a point, leaving Kildare with a 1-3 to 1-0 lead after 10 minutes. Bohill caused chaos again in the 12^th minute when breaking the ball down to Caolan O’Connor to find the net, and while Conan Boran and Cathal McCabe hit scores for Kildare, Eoin McGrath raised another green flag at the other end to push Antrim into a 3-0 to 1-5 lead.

The visitors dominated the rest of the first half as Ryan McFarlane and Bohill notched their first points of the day after the 26^th minute, while Bohill’s breakdown to Michael McGarry set up his fellow inside forward to hit the net three minutes before the half-time whistle.

Shane Whyte’s point kept Kildare in touch, but only just, as they trailed by 4-2 to 1-6 at the turnaround.

Kildare flew out of the traps at the beginning of the second half, immediately setting about overturning the deficit as they attacked from all angles. An early free from Curtin was followed by points from Dermot Hanafin and Harry Dunne, before Curtin landed another from a placed ball to cut the gap to one.

The game became a real tit for tat affair after that as both sides picked off scores, though Antrim always managed to keep their noses in front. Niall O’Connor knocked over a couple of points in quick succession either side of a Sean Whyte score, while substitute Dannan McKeogh also hit the target for the Saffrons. McCabe launched over a brilliant effort for Kildare, but a pointed Bohill free put Antrim into a 4-6 to 1-13 lead with 10 minutes left to play.

The Lilywhites’ big break came in the 52^nd minute when substitute Michael McGovern got in behind the Antrim defence and smashed the ball to the back of the net, and three converted frees from Curtin put Kildare four clear going into the closing stages.

McKeogh and McGovern swapped points before the end, but Kildare managed to see the game out comfortably as their defence stood up to the Antrim onslaught to secure the win.

Scorers for Kildare: M Curtin 0-7f, M McGovern 1-1, F O’Sullivan 1-0, S Whyte 0-3, C McCabe 0-2, C Boran, H Dunne, D Melville and D Hanafin 0-1 each.

Scorers for Antrim: C Bohill 1-2(2f), M McGarry, E McGrath and C O’Connor 1-0 each, N O’Connor and D McKeogh 0-2 each, R McFarlane 0-1 each.

Kildare

Sean Burke; Daniel Murray, John McKeown, Cian Shanahan; Ben Noone, Eoghan Dempsey, Drew Costello; Harry Dunne, Conan Boran; Muiris Curtin, Shane Whyte; Daragh Melville, Cathal McCabe, Ferran O’Sullivan.

Subs used: Matthew Eustace for McKeown 26mins, Jack Cleary for Dempsey 32mins, Michael McGovern 43mins, Jack Higgins for Melville 50mins.

Antrim

Kevin McAuley; Declan McCloskey, Anthony Gallagher, Ciaran McQuillan; Daire Stevenson, Cormac Donnelly, Caolan McKernan; Shane O’Boyle, Niall O’Connor; John McAllister, Ryan McFarlane, Caolan O’Connor; Eoin McGrath, Conaill Bohill, Michael McGarry.

Subs used: Ryan Hill for McFarlane 38mins, Dannan McKeogh for McGarry 41mins, Ronan Crossan for McGrath 46mins.

If you have a story or want to send photos or videos to us please contact the KildareNow editorial team. via our Facebook, via our email at content@kildarenow.com or on 045 409350 during office hours.

Kildare North Labour General Election Candidate Emmet Stagg is pushing for Maynooth Castle to be considered for funding under the recently announced 'Investing in Our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018-2027 Plan'.

The former TD has been in contact with the Minister for Public Expenditure, Kevin Boxer Moran, in relation to the matter, after it was announced that €60 Million has been allocated under the plan for protecting and conserving our built heritage.

He has stated that the Phase 2 Restoration works to Maynooth Castle would be a suitable project under the plan.

Maynooth Castle was founded in the 13th Century and remodelled in the 17th Century. It was the home of the Kildare Branch of the Geraldines.

"Just under €2 Million was spent in 2,000/2001 on the Phase 1 Restoration Works which involved the development of the ground vaulted areas for exhibition purposes together with access to the first floor and the provision of small-scale guide and visitor facilities," stated Mr Stagg.

"Phase 2 of the restoration works would have seen the provision of a roof on the Keep of the Castle and an Auditorium."

Minister Moran has advised Mr Stagg that the proposed phase 2 restoration works to Maynooth Castle would, in the first instance, fail to be considered in the context of the funds recently announced in respect of Built Heritage. The Minister further advised Mr Stagg that the Office of Public Works are currently working with the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to identify where the recently announced additional resources will be allocated.

Kildare North Labour General Election Candidate Emmet Stagg stated that he would continue to press the Minister to include the phase 2 restoration works to Maynooth Castle in the new funding announced under the 2018-2027 Plan.

If you have a story or want to send photos or videos to us please contact the KildareNow editorial team. via our Facebook, via our email at content@kildarenow.com or on 045 409350 during office hours.

Kildare                 4-26

Roscommon       1-10

Christy Ring Cup round one

Martin Fitzgerald bagged a hat-trick for himself as Kildare thoroughly outclassed a poor Roscommon side in the Christy Ring Cup opener on Saturday afternoon.

The margin of victory was 25 points in the end, and that scoreline was probably justified as this was a complete and utter mismatch right from the word go. Barry Cormack was also superb on his first appearance for Kildare in championship hurling, finishing with 15 points in a classy display from midfield for the winners.

Having suffered relegation from Division 2A of the National Hurling League earlier this spring, it was always going to be intriguing as to how Kildare’s confidence would be as they began a competition where they are considered one of the favourites. They certainly looked fired up from the very first whistle as they thundered into challenges and won the vast majority of the rucks in an impressive physical showing.

Kildare looked pretty comfortable within just a few minutes of the throw-in, and it was Martin Fitzgerald who carried the fight to the Rossies as he tormented full-back Michael Beirne. The Ardclough man endured a difficult league campaign by his own standards, but his scoring prowess will be pivotal to Kildare’s hopes as this competition progresses. He bagged 2-3 from play in the opening half, while Barry Cormack was rocksteady from placed balls also.

The first point took less than 60 seconds to arrive as Paul Divilly burst through the Roscommon defence before laying it on a plate to Fitzgerald as he smashed it over. Cormack stroked over his first of the day soon after, before the opening goal arrived on six minutes when Mark Moloney angled a fine ball across the pitch to Fitzgerald who cut in from the right and found the net.

Roscommon eventually got off the mark in the eighth minute, but Kildare kept their foot on the gas and extended their lead through a couple of Cormack frees and a fabulous score from Fitzgerald, who showed great control to take a long ball in his stride.

Mick Purcell could have stretched the lead were it not for a fine block by ‘keeper Joe Keane, and Roscommon offered a little resistance as Daniel Glynn measured over two points in the space of three minutes either side of a point from Fitzgerald at the other end.

Niall Ó’Muineacháin launched over a superb score from midfield midway through the half, before two points in a row for Roscommon from the hurls of goalkeeper Keane and Jason Kilkenny reduced the gap to just five with 25 minutes played.

It was all Kildare from then until half-time however, with Joe Quaid’s side picking off some really impressive scores before the break. A brilliant effort from the right wing from Kevin Whelan was followed by a fine score from Mark Grace, and Fitzgerald then rattled the net for the second time to put the result beyond doubt. The full-forward showed good strength to gather a long ball from Purcell before thundering an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the Rossies net.

Divilly followed up with a point from the left wing, and a couple of scores from Cormack further stretched the lead before Connaughton responded with his second point for the visitors. The scoreline made for bleak reading for Roscommon followers at the interval, Kildare running away with things as they led by 2-12 to 0-6.

The second half was merely a formality, with the only question left to answer being how much Kildare would win by in the end.

Roscommon hardly looked bothered after the restart, and Kildare, to their credit, never took the foot off the throat of their opponents. Cormack began the new half by pointing a free before Fitzgerald completed his hat-trick when O’Neill picked him out with a pass and he managed to hit the net from a tight angle.

Two Cormack frees soon followed, before championship debutant Shane Ryan cracked home a brilliant goal from 20 metres out after clubmate Brian Byrne picked him out.

Roscommon’s first score of the second half arrived in the 43^rd minute through a Glynn free, and that was the source of their second after Cormack pointed at the other end.

The fizz slowly went out of the game in the final 25 minutes as Kildare just picked off points, and though Roscommon bagged a consolation goal through Connaughton, it didn’t affect the miserable feel to this game. Kildare ‘keeper Paddy McKenna also pulled off a couple of fine saves during the closing stages to deny Hugh Rooney and Robbie Fallon certain goals, but there was little else of note that occurred in the final stages.

Scorers for Kildare: B Cormack 0-15(11f, 1’65), M Fitzgerald 3-3, P Divilly 0-3(1f), S Ryan 1-0, E O’Neill, M Grace, N Ó’Muineacháin, M Purcell, K Whelan 0-1 each.

Scorers for Roscommon: N Connaughton 1-2, D Glynn 0-4(3f), J Keane(1f), R Fallon(1f), J Kilkenny and A Moore 0-1 each.

Kildare

Paddy McKenna; Cian Forde, John Doran, Paul Sullivan; Eanna O’Neill, Mark Moloney, Mark Grace; Niall Ó’Muineacháin, Barry Cormack; Michael Purcell, Paul Divilly, Kevin Whelan; Brian Byrne, Martin Fitzgerald, Shane Ryan.

Subs used: Dylan Brererton for Moloney 32mins, Chris Bonus for Byrne 50mins, Bernard Deay for Whelan 56mins, Mark Delaney for Fitzgerald 56mins, Tadgh Forde for Purcell 60mins, Simon Lacey for C Forde 65mins, Sean Gainey for Divilly 69mins.

Roscommon

Joe Keane; Pat Nolan, Michael Beirne, Alan Moore; Kerrill Hardiman, Jason Kilkenny, Eamon Flanagan; Darragh Heavey, Shane Curley; Daniel Glynn, Cillian Egan, Naos Connaughton; Cathal Kenny, Robbie Fallon, Cormac Kelly.

Subs used: Warren Boyle for Heavey 41mins, John Murray for Glynn 51mins, Hugh Rooney for Beirne 51mins, Ronan Kilcline for Nolan 61mins, Joe Brennan for Curley 61mins.

If you have a story or want to send photos or videos to us please contact the KildareNow editorial team. via our Facebook, via our email at content@kildarenow.com or on 045 409350 during office hours.

Monread Shopping Centre has been involved in sponsoring many clubs in the local community and have been sponsoring Naas Utd for several years now.

Pictured is John McHugh, Naas FC Underage Secretary (left) and Donal Coyle, Naas FC Secretary (right) presenting a framed Jersey to Keith Brady, Regional Centre Manager Tesco Ireland (centre),

Keith Brady said the Monread Shopping Centre was delighted to once again sponsor Naas Utd Football Club.

He added: "The work, effort and time put into their club is a credit to all involved and we at Monread are delighted to support them.”

If you have a story or want to send photos or videos to us please contact the KildareNow editorial team. via our Facebook, via our email at content@kildarenow.com or on 045 409350 during office hours.

Kildare Co Council planners are due to decide on Thursday on an extension to Ashley Lodge Nursing Home outside Kildare Town.

The facility located at Tully East near the National Stud has applied for planning permission to increase capacity from 52 to 55 residents.

The floor area will be increased by 23.5 square metres under the proposed plans.

The planning application was lodged in early February and more information was provided to the Council on the plans last month.

If you have a story or want to send photos or videos to us please contact the KildareNow editorial team. via our Facebook, via our email at content@kildarenow.com or on 045 409350 during office hours.