Wild About Clane – Nest Box Scheme!

Posted on January 29, 2012 by jkennedy

In recent months volunteers from the Kildare Branch of BirdWatch Ireland have surveyed public spaces in Clane and identified numerous sites that would be suitable for nestboxes for certain species. Based on this we would like to invite you to root out that jar of screws and spare bit of plywood in the back of the shed and bash a nestbox together for us!

Different species prefer different types of nestboxes, so for this year we are requesting  boxes with holes of diameter 25mm (for Blue Tits and Coal Tits) and 28mm (for Great Tits
and Tree Sparrows) – we can drill the hole if that suits better. For complete plans for the ideal nestbox please see our recommended nest box design.

We will be siting these boxes carefully with the guidance of BirdWatch Ireland, and of course the sooner we install them the better the chances they will be found. If you could drop off your box to The Abbey, opposite the playground, at 5pm on Saturday February 18th, we would be delighted to also take your details and make sure you are
told of the final location of your box.

Please note we won’t be installing nestboxes in housing estates, so why not consider making a box for your local residents association too. You are welcome to contact WildAboutClane@gmail.com if you would like a survey of your estate to suggest which locations might suit certain species. Good luck!

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Liffey Cleanup at Clane – Sunday Feb 19th

Posted on January 16, 2012 by jkennedy

Clane Trout and Salmon Anglers Association are organising a cleanup along the Liffey on Sunday February 19th. Starting at Alexandra Bridge, where the Sallins Road crosses the Liffey, the cleanup will continue downstream, along the Liffey walk. Many hands make light work – if you could spare an hour or two why not come along and lend a hand – kick-off at 10:00AM!

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Clane Community Council AGM – Monday Jan 30th

Posted on January 15, 2012 by jkennedy

Clane Community Council holds its AGM at 8pm on Monday January 30th in The Abbey. Please come along to find out what your community council has been up to in 2011, and help shape our plans for 2012. We hope to see you there. All are welcome.

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Interesting in teaching English?

Posted on November 1, 2011 by jkennedy

Failte Isteach runs English courses for non-English speaking adults who need assistance with their spoken English skills. The classes are held in Clane Parish Centre each Thursday evening from 19:00-21:00. The atmosphere is one of friendly assistance in developing spoken skills in small groups rather than traditional lessons. They need extra tutors to help their growing number of students. Tutors do not need formal teaching skills – only an ability to speak English and a willingness to help those who are struggling to.

For anyone interested in finding out more please contact Peter Thew at pthew@ireland.com or on 086-958-3116.

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Congratulations to our Best Kept Estates and Premises

Posted on October 31, 2011 by jkennedy

On Monday October 17th the winners of Clane Best Kept Estates and Best Presented Premises were announced to an eager audience. With a record 21 local estates entering the competition, 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes were awarded for large, medium and small estates. The winners are all listed here, and congratulations to all estates that entered this years competition.

The recently inaugurated Best Presented Premises award this year went to Heavenly Shoes and Accessories, on Main Street.

Nick Fitzgerald, Chairman of Clane Community Council, thanked everyone who helped in any way with Clane’s Tidy Towns efforts, and encouraged people to get involved in whatever way they could. Mr. Ted Murray, Chairman of Clane Project Centre, generous sponsers of the awards, congratulated all involved and was delighted to see the competition going from strength to strength.

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Your invitation: Clane Heritage Forum – Discussion Day

Posted on October 2, 2011 by jkennedy

All are welcome to take part in a forum on Clane’s rich heritage this October. It will take place in The Westgrove Hotel on Saturday 22nd October. Registration is from 2.00pm  with the main events starting at 2.30pm and finishing at 6.00pm.

National and local speakers will make short presentations of value and interest to all. Speakers include Éanna Ní Lamhna broadcaster and author. Your views are important so come along.

This event is organized by Clane Community Council and will be opened by Clane Lord Mayor Dessie Marron.

For more information please see the Clane Heritage Forum Flyer.

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Congratulations to all our Community Games athletes

Posted on August 30, 2011 by jkennedy

Congratulations to all the young sports men and women from Clane and Rathcoffey that represented Kildare at the the recent National Community Games finals.

Our 12 local swimmers had a very successful weekend at the National Community Games finals. While a number of the boys had a tough draw this year in the heats, they achieved excellent success with Matthew Walsh-Hussey receiving a Bronze medal in the boys U-8 freestyle and Enda O’Connell receiving a 4th place bronze medal in the boys u-14 freestyle. The remainder of the team performed well with Eoghan Maguire reaching the semi-finals and Peter Doyle swimming strongly in his heat. A very young boys relay team – age 13 – performed exceptionally in the u-16 relay as they reached the semi-final. We expect great things from this team in the coming years.

On Sunday, the girls team also performed very well in their respective heats with Aine Maguire reaching the u-8 semi-finals; and Claire Delaney, Zoe Mason and Eimear O’Connell both coming 4th in very tough heats. The girls u-16 relay team performed very well by winning their semi-finals, only to be subsequently disqualified on a technical infringement – a very disappointing result to an excellent team performance by the girls.

A great exciting weekend with some excellent swimming by all competitors.

Thank you to the Westgrove Hotel whom facilitated training sessions for the squad over the summer. A very special Thank You to coach Paul McLoughlin for all his experience, time, energy, enthusiasm and most of all fun.

Swimming team training with Paul McLoughlin

Swimming team preparing for the finals with coach Paul McLoughlin in the Westgrove Hotel

In the Gaelic football events our boys made it all the way to the All Ireland final and picked up silver medals, losing out to Carrick-on-Shannon in the end. our under-12 girls also made it all the way to the medals, being awarded bronze after winning their play off.

Well done to everyone who participated in the games, and a big thank you to all those who helped make it possible. The coaches, the organisers, the parents:  everyone who supported Clane Community Games 2011.

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Best of luck to our young sports-men and -women!

Posted on August 13, 2011 by jkennedy

Clane’s Community Games is having a tremendous year.

After a very successful run of local and regional events, two teams from Clane/Rathcoffey are this weekend representing Leinster (Kildare – Clane) in the National Community Games Finals in Athlone. A record number of 12 of our swimmers are also representing Kildare.

The Under 10 boys Gaelic football team are scheduled to play the Muster representatives (Kerry – Rathmore/ Gneeveguilla) in the 2nd semi-final at 11.00am on Saturday 13th August. The winners of this play the winners of the 1st semi-final between Connaught (Leitrim – Carrick-on-Shannon) v Ulster (Down – Clonduff) on Sunday 14th August.

The Under 12 girls Gaelic football team are scheduled to play Munster (Cork – Glanmire) at 3.30pm on Saturday 13th August.

The full details of all these matches are below.

Our yong swimmers are also having a fantastic year. In fact more of Kildare’s representatives come from Clane/Rathcoffey than anywhere else: we have 12 swimmers representing Kildare in this weekends competition – all the details are below. The majority of these children have trained in the Health & Leisure Club on the Celbridge road which has recently closed.  However, we are grateful to the Westgrove Hotel for facilitating training sessions for the squad over the summer, coached by Paul McLoughlin.

Here’s wishing all the young sportsmen and women the best of luck in their matches.

Gaelic Football Under 10 Mixed

First Semi-Final: Connaught V Ulster
Leitrim – Carrick-on-Shannon V Down – Clonduff

Second Semi-Final: Munster V Leinster
Kerry – Rathmore/Gneeveguilla V Kildare – Clane/Rathcoffey

Gaelic Football Girls Under 12

First Semi-Final: Connaught V Ulster
Mayo – Charlestown V Cavan – Baileborough

Second Semi-Final: Munster V Leinster
Cork – Glanmire V Kildare – Clane/Rathcoffey

Gaelic Football Provisional Time Table:

Saturday 13th August:

  • 9.30am – U10′s 1st Semi-final
  • 11.00am – U10′s 2nd Semi-final
  • 2.00pm – U12′s 1st Semi-final
  • 3.30pm – U12′s 2nd Semi-final

Sunday 14th August

  • 9.30am -U10′s Play-off
  • 11.00am – U10′s Final
  • 2.30pm – U12′s play-off
  • 3.30pm – U12′s Final

Boys Swimming – Saturday August 13th:

  • Boys U8 Freestyle Matthew Walsh-Hussey
  • Boys U12 Freestyle  Eoghan Maguire
  • Boys U14 Breaststroke Peter Doyle
  • Boys U14 Freestyle Enda O’Connell
  • Boys U16 Squad  Enda O’connell, Peter Doyle, Dara McKeon, Brian Corbett

Girls Swimming – Sunday August 14th:

  • Girls U8 Freestyle Áine Maguire
  • Girls U10 Backstroke Claire Delaney
  • Girls U14 Freestyle  Zoe Mason
  • Girls U16 Freestyle  Eimear O’Connell
  • Girls U16 Squad Zoe Mason, Sinead Corbett, Rachel McCarthy, Eimear O’Connell
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Community Council Golf Classic

Posted on July 13, 2011 by jkennedy

For many years  Clane Community Council’s main source of funding has been its Annual Golf Classic, sponsored in recent years by Nellie Dillon-Ford of Larchfield Park Nursing Home. The money raised, totalling €5000 in 2010, supports the extensive voluntary work that the Council does in Clane village. Besides providing a forum for discussion of local issues and representation of the Community’s interests, the Council’s projects include Tidy Towns, Community Games, the Abbey Community Centre and its Garden of Remembrance, the Friary Graveyard on the Sallins Road, the recently opened Liffeyside Nature Park as well as the more established  Stream Park in the village centre . This year has been particularly expensive for the Council because of the need to spend significant sums of money on the fabric of the Abbey, so all money raised is much needed.

The  Council is  hoping for good levels of support from the Community in Clane for its Golf Classic at Knockanally Golf Club on Friday August 5th , with tee-times between 12 noon and 4pm. Recognising the more difficult times this year, not only has the cost has been maintained at €180 but this is now for a four person team, instead of three as previously. For those unable to play golf or put in a team then sponsorship of a hole is available at  €100 – and is restricted to one sponsor per hole.

The time sheet is in Marron’s Pharmacy, Main Street, Clane and Des Marron can be contacted at 045-868112 . Alternatively Des Drumm can be contacted at 086 2241761. Other members of the organising sub-committee are Nellie Dillon-Ford, Tom Cleary, Sean Kealy and Jack Kinsella , who will happily take bookings for teams!

All  support is very much appreciated by the Community Council and is being acknowledged with a certificate, which can be displayed in business premises, as well as in the Council’s publication Le Cheile,  local press as well as signs at the golf course on the day.

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Clane Heritage Workshop – an invitation

Posted on June 25, 2011 by jkennedy

Clane Community Council’s new Heritage sub-committee is planning a key workshop to help discuss and debate how best to preserve, promote and get the most value of our heritage and cultural interests in the coming years.

Currently at a planning stage, all interested parties and individuals are invited to register their interst with the sub-committee. For more information please see our  Heritage Workshop Invitation.

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