Category Archives: Clane Community Council

Saving Clane Swifts…

Swift (by Dick Coombes)

A recent study by volunteers of Kildare Branch of Birdwatch Ireland revealed that Clane is at risk of losing a species that has graced our skies since possibly the first buildings were built in Clane. A bird with an amazing story: the swift.

Swifts only spend a few months of the year in Clane, arriving in late April from sub-Saharan Africa, and departing by the end of August. Somewhat similar to swallows, house martins and sand martins, swifts are perhaps twice as large with stiff scythe like wings. They can sometimes be heard frantically chasing and screaming after each other in and around our buildings in the summer evenings.

Swifts are true masters of the air. They eat, drink, mate and even sleep on the wing – in fact swifts typically only stop flying to breed. So, once young swifts leap out of their nest for the first time, they may not stop flying for two or three years, until they are ready to look for a nest site themselves and start a family. Swifts typically nest in gaps under roof tiles of tall buildings, but modern building and roofing techniques are making it more and more difficult for them to find suitable nesting sites. Luckily solutions are not too complex and volunteer groups such as the Northern Ireland Swift Group are working to raise awareness and improve the lot for these birds.

The Abbey, Clane

Last year about 10 swifts were seen flying in and around Clane, but only two swift nests were actually located – both in very old buildings, and one in a building that may be redeveloped shortly. With the possibility of existing nest sites being lost, Clane Community Council and Clane Tidy Towns have made a special effort to preserve this species in Clane by providing dedicated accommodation for swifts in the tower of the Abbey.

A swift colony nest box that includes space for five nests has been specially constructed and installed behind the louvres of the window high up above the main door to the Abbey. The entrances are designed to line up with existing gaps in the louvres, and yet not let starlings in. The rear is designed to allow the nests be checked discreetly, and cleaned. Each nest includes a simple ‘concave’ to keep the eggs from rolling around and possibly even out of the nest box.

The new nest boxes with rear windows and walls removed

The next challenge in this project will be encouraging swifts that have been flying non-stop for two or three years to finally come to a rest and consider a nest site in this particular window. Although one of the current nest sites is nearby, success is not guaranteed. Another factor is food supply. Swifts only eat insects, so the health of our surrounding gardens, fields, rivers and countryside will also be important to ensure that there are enough insects for them to breed successfully. However, fingers are crossed. If the younger swifts simply discover the nest boxes this summer it could be an important step to securing the presence of this amazing bird in Clane for hopefully many years to come.

The nest boxes with their rear wall removed

Temporarily blocking the louvres beneath the nestboxes

The new nest boxes awaiting prospective tenants

Have you seen our missing nest box?

Earlier this year Clane Tidy Towns ran a nest box scheme in association with the Kildare Branch of Birdwatch Ireland. We were delighted with the response: in the end 18 boxes were generously donated by the community, and installed in carefully chosen locations.

Unfortunately however, one of these boxes has been removed by somebody in the last few weeks.

The missing nestbox number 1, with distinctive Clane Tity Towns logo.

Box number 1, with our Abbey and “CTT” Logo painted on the side, was carefully hand-made by a local retired gentleman. This unique box even boasted a torched felt roof. We were really curious to see if it would be occupied: it is very disappointing that this box has been interfered with.

If you come across the box, or have any information on its whereabouts, please let anyone on the Tidy Towns team know. Information can also be sent (in confidence and anonymously if necessary) to ClaneTidyTowns@gmail.com.

Nestbox 1 after installation

The bare tree today

Clane goes a little bit Batty

Hot on the heels of a successful Nestbox Scheme for our feathered friends, Clane Tidy Towns is not forgetting our other aerial, ahem, acro-bats. Working closely with Kildare Bat Group and Bat Conservation Ireland, two specialised bat boxes have recently been installed.

Clane's new bat boxes

These ‘boxes’ are actually a bit like large concrete mineral bottles. They are made from concrete so that the temperature does not fluctuate as much as in a wooden box, and are painted black and installed facing South so they absorb as much heat as possible. The inside of the box has a rough surface so that bats can climb up inside them.

All Irish bats are insect eaters, and so are very small. Anything from one or two to twenty or thirty bats might move into these boxes. We will monitor the boxes carefully and keep you posted of any developments.

You can see one of these bat boxes for yourself by the Liffey in our Liffeyside Nature Park. Four species of bat (the Leisler, Daubenton, Soprano Pipestrelle and Common Pipestrelle) have been recorded by the Liffey recently. These bats can each hoover up more than 2000 moths and midges every night. We hope they enjoy their new accommodation.

For more information on bats in Ireland check out Bat Conservation Ireland‘s website.

Kildare Bat Group records installation details of bat box 1

Bat box 2 open for business

Community Games 2012 off to a flying start…

Congratulations to the Clane & Rathcoffey Community Games Gaelic Football Under 10’s team who kicked off their campaign in style with a great win away to Monasterevin last Thursday evening (5th April) in Ballykelly. The final score was Monasterevin 1-00,  Clane & Rathcoffey 4-8.

Here’s wishing them and all our Community Games athletes and competitors the best of luck. Information on our ever-popular summer games, to be held May 27th, will be posted here in the coming weeks.

Spring Clean 2012 – thank you!

A big thank you to everyone who turned out today and in previous days to help clean up the countryside around Clane. With the initiative coordinated by Tír na Móna, and with support from An Taisce, AES and Kildare County Council, the local effort was spearheaded by Cllr Pádraig McEvoy. Members of Clane Tidy Towns and Clane Community Council organised teams of volunteers of all ages, and spread out around the local roads. A phenomenal amount of rubbish was removed, some of it with a JCB, and Clane’s Main Street also received a thorough spring clean.

Many residents’ associations took the opportunity to clear up their public spaces, and this waste was removed also.

To help sustain energy levels throughout the day a wonderful cup of tea and lunch were provided by the volunteers in St. Kevin’s GAA, Staplestown.

To minimise landfill, the rubbish collected was segregated, and the various piles of green waste, general waste, electrical appliances, metal, tyres and litter (collected on an ongoing basis) can be seen in the accompanying photos.

All who helped out can sleep easy that this volume of rubbish has been cleared from our environs. If you spot dumping appearing from now on, please inform Clane Tidy Towns or the Kildare Litter Warden hotline at 1800 243 143.

Clane Community Council – Best Themed Float 2012!

Clane Community Council was delighted to be awarded Best Themed Float for the Clane St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2012. Featuring Oisín Aosta, Oisín Óg, Niamh and a team of warriors and volunteers from Clane Tidy Towns, the team dragged the last boulder out of Clane, revealing a beautiful village twinned with Tír na nÓg.

Despite the inclement weather there were smiles all round during the parade itself and it seemed like everyone had a great day.

A big thank you to everyone who helped put our float together, and a very well done to the St. Patrick’s Festival Committee for pulling off a fantastic 8th festival in a row.

Happy St. Patrick’s Weekend!

This is going to be a packed weekend for Clane Community Council! Proceedings kick off at 3pm with our entry in Clane’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade…keep an eye out for Oisín, Niamh and their special announcement in association with Clane Tidy Towns. We also have our Church gate collection this weekend – all support is gratefully appreciated. Finally we are participating in the “Reeling In the Years” exhibition in the Parish Hall on Sunday from 11:00am to 5:30pm. Please drop in and say hello.

Keep up-to-date…

The Community Council is delighted to introduce a new mailing list which everyone is welcome to join to keep up to date with Clane Community Council activities. It will include news from our Community Games, Tidy Towns, Heritage and Clanewatch initiatives.

To subscribe:

  1. Type your email address into the “Join our mailing list” box on the right and click subscribe.
  2. Check your email. You should receive a “confirm your subscription” email. Follow the instruction to complete the subscription.

If you use a calendar on your computer or phone we have another feature that might be of interest – you might be able to add the Community Council calendar to your calendar.

Anyone and everyone is welcome to use these facilities. Complete details on how to keep up-to-date at https://clanecommunity.ie/council/keep-up-to-date/

Wild About Clane – Nest Box Scheme!

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!

Congratulations to our Best Kept Estates and Premises

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.

Your invitation: Clane Heritage Forum – Discussion Day

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.

Community Council Golf Classic

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.

Clane Heritage Workshop – an invitation

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.

Liffeyside Nature Park – a wonderful new amenity for Clane

Mayor of Kildare Cllr. Weld, and local budding photographers Jessica Doran and Stephen Doyle unveil one of the two new wildlife signs at Clane Liffeyside Nature Park.

Clane Community Council and its Tidy Towns Sub-Committee marked International Biodiversity Day, Sunday 22nd May, in style with the official opening of its Liffeyside Nature Park and the unveiling of its two new “Wild About Clane” information panels.

The showers blew over and the sun came out just in time for the evening’s events.

Supported by experts Niall Tierney and Deirdre Moran from Birdwatch Ireland Kildare Branch, Terry Walsh from Clane Trout and Salmon Anglers Association, and Philip Strickland from Moths Ireland, John Kennedy from Clane Tidy Towns led the enthusiastic crowd on a guided nature walk. People were introduced to the variety of native trees, wildflowers, birds, insects, fish and animals present in and around the park. They were also treated to a glimpse of a kingfisher that bolted out from under Alexandra Bridge, and to stories of otters seen lying on their back in the river, feasting on freshwater mussels picked from the riverbed.

Terry Walsh, Chairman Clane Trout and Salmon Anglers, treating the locals with stories of otters lying on their back in the Liffey feasting on freshwater mussels.

The nature walk was followed by the official opening ceremony, with the crowd addressed by Chairman of Clane Community Council Mr. Nick Fitzgerald, coordinator of the project John Kennedy from Clane Tidy Towns, and special guest Mayor of Kildare Cllr. Brendan Weld.

After describing the 15 year history of the project, the individuals and groups that had contributed to the park, the signs and the day’s events were all sincerely thanked. The importance of biodiversity was also highlighted. The park was then officially opened by Mayor Weld and the two local children whose photographs featured on the signs: Jessica Doran and Stephen Doyle.

The celebrations moved on to the Westgrove Hotel for some refreshing teas, coffees and finger food. This was followed by the final event of the day: a batwalk down by the Liffey. Tina Aughney from Bat Conservation Ireland provided a fascinating insight into these surprisingly small insect-eating mammals, and thanks to Tina bringing a supply of bat detectors, everyone was able to listen in to the clicks and calls of the three species of bats that were identified on the walk.

John Kennedy, Clane Community Council, pointing out some Butterbur - a plant traditionally used to wrap butter.

A great evening seemed to be had by all, with people commenting that all the hard work may have turned the former sewage works into not just a wildlife refuge, not just a wonderful amenity for the people of the town, but an important attraction for visitors to Clane too.

Why not take a walk down by the park yourself. We hope you find the new signs helpful in introducing the beauty of the natural world…

…Wild About Clane.

For more information please see our press release. To print out your own copy of the signs you are welcome to download the high resolution posters from the Wild About Clane section of this website.

Our thanks to John Power for supplying all the photographs…

Celebrating Biodiversity Day in style at Clane Liffeyside Park

Sunday May 22nd is International Biodiversity Day and this year Clane will be celebrating it in style. Clane Community Council and its Clane Tidy Towns committee are delighted to announce the grand opening of Clane Liffeyside Nature Park and the unveiling of its brand new wildlife signs…

Buzzard over North Kildare (T. Byrne)

…Why not come along and enjoy the evening with us. There will be wildlife experts available from 6:30 pm to help point out and explain some of the plants and animals that are “Wild about Clane“.

The opening and unveiling ceremony will happen at 7:30pm, and will be  followed by a guided nature walk.

The day will be rounded off with a bat walk where you can learn about, see and even hear some of our most remarkable inhabitants. The walk will depart from the Abbeylands Shopping Centre Car Park at 9:30 pm.

Willow Catkins by Alexandra Bridge (J Kennedy)

The Liffeyside Park is beside the Alexandra Bridge on the Sallins road. The nearest car park is at the Abbeylands Shopping Centre. All are welcome…we hope to see you there!

Clane Tidy Towns 2011 – kick-off April 16th

Having tackled various ceanup projects over the winter, and with the successful Clane Spring Clean event on April 2nd, Clane Tidy Towns are now looking forward to launching their 2011 activities in earnest on April 16th.

All are welcome to join in. Plans include preparing the street flower tubs and the approach signage for summer planting. The group will gather by the Stream park across from the Abbey on Saturday April 16th at 10AM – all equipment will be provided – we hope to see you there!

Spring Clean 2011 – thank you!

On Saturday April 2nd Clane Tidy Towns held the annual Spring Clean for Clane, armed with a National Spring Clean kit from  An Taisce, and the support of Kildare County Council and Clane Community Council. With some volunteers getting a head start earlier in the week, by the end of the day a substantial mound of rubbish had been cleared from our approach roads, country lanes, Liffey-side park, streams and rivers.

Some of the rubbish gathered during Clane Spring Clean 2011

The weather was kind, fresh air was enjoyed, and friendships were made and renewed. There were some surprises on the day too, including close encounters with some lobster-like animals – White-Clawed Crayfish – in the River Liffey!

Although two tonnes of general material had to be collected by Kildare County Council and sent to landfill, this year a substantial amount of the rubbish collected was metal and was segragated and is being sent to a scrap metal merchant. Similarly, the timber reclaimed has been kept for recycling.

Congratulations to all the volunteers who helped make Clane Spring Clean 2011 a success, and thanks to Cllr. Pádraig McEvoy for arranging the support and his hands-on help on the day.

Some more of the rubbish gathered during Clane Spring Clean 2011

Please help us keep Clane beautiful, and report any dumping you may observe to the local Gardaí or the Kildare County Council litter warden.

If you have some time during the week and would like to help Clane look its best this summer, why not come out and lend a hand with Clane Tidy Towns. They are kicking off their 2011 programme with a cleanup on Saturday April 16th, meeting at 10:00 AM at the Stream Park outside the Abbey. All are very welcome.