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____________June Editorial____________

PROPOSED COUNTY COUNCIL DUMP SITE

Our community is now facing one of it’s greatest challenges and possibly the greatest ever threat to it’s environment. Of about eighty possible sites initially considered by consultants appointed by the County Council in 1999, all but three have been ruled out by February 2001 for one reason or another, and Drehid is one of these. Drehid is on the western edge of Timahoe North bog. The others are at Newtowndonore near Robertstown and a gravel pit at Usk, near Kilcullen. While anti-dump opposition is apparently well organised elsewhere, certainly in Newtowndonore, it is yet to get organised here.
At a special Tir na Mona meeting at St Kevins’ on April 17th, it was acknowledged that the task would require a new organisation created specially to remove this site from consideration as a dump. This would comprise people from all over North Kildare. Such an organisation would have the support of various community and other bodies in the north Kildare area especially ourselves- Tir na Mona.
A public meeting was arranged for Thursday May 17th, at Kelly’s pub in Timahoe, inviting people from Carbury, Kill, Johnston Bridge and Kilcock. Following a debate with many valuable contributions from the large number of attendees, a working group was formed to tackle the campaign of opposition. They can be contacted through the Tir na Mona office 045-869977 or Martin Murray of Timahoe.
If a dump is put in our neighbourhood, please don’t complain about it if you yourself didn’t contribute all you could to help stop it. If you feel you might have a particular expertise or knowledge which you could offer to the working group please do get involved.


COMPUTER COURSE

To everyone who expressed an interest in doing the computer course, we have applied to the Dept. of Social, Com. & Family Affairs for funding and hope to hear from them in July/Aug. If successful we plan to run the first course in Sept.


GOOD LUCK

Good luck to all the students in the area who are about to start their Junior & Leaving cert exams. We wish you all success now & in the future.


COMMUNITY NOTES

Since its inception in 1997 (not called Tir na Mona then) I’m often asked (by the most surprising of people) “ What does Tir na Mona do?” What the same person is asking I feel was “what has it done for me?” Of course I started reaming off its purposes and ideals as a voluntary community body:
Like acting as a forum for the community.
Express fears & aspirations of its community.
Concern for the environment, both social and physical.
In other words to develop the principal of any caring community. But to get back to the original question “What has Tir na Mona done?” To name its main achievements would be: Set up proper legal structure (1999) Tir na Mona limited company through which to carry out its work.
Set up “Friends of the Forest” to help enhance the many aspects oh the Forest Park with Coillte and with funding from K.E.L.T.
Set up water scheme with help of Kildare County Council, a process that is now taking place with the laying of over 20 miles of piping.
Carries out functions of the Community Alert and Home Security devices for elderly people.
Feasibility study of the Ballinafagh Lake area and walled gardens of the Forest Park.
Produce free monthly newsletter mostly supported by the local business community through advertisements.
Involve itself in social events eg. Field days, Bog days, Wren Boys, Jamboree days, Coffee days all contributing to that special element in any community “Community Spirit”. Plus many more.
All these things happen because people make them happen. Though all its work is voluntary apart from an office worker, Tir and Mona costs money to run. Between four and five thousand pounds in fact. Why?
-It’s a limited company and has to have yearly audited accounts. Cost of running an office in St. Kevin’s with telephone, stationary and equipment like computers and photo copying, which are available to groups and individuals in the community.
- Our yearly insurance (which is a substantial portion of our expenses). That’s what you have to pay to cover public liability insurance. This covers all the events run by Tir na Mona plus many others.
Most of the money is raised through functions of one kind or another. To this end a draw will take place (£5 per ticket) and it is hoped that each household in the Tir na Mona area will buy at least one ticket. Your generous support is much appreciated and we hope you will join us in our future activities.

The draw will take place on Jamboree Night
25th August in St Kevin’s G.F.C., Staplestown

Prizes: 1. Weekend for 2 in a quality Irish hotel
2. Two All Ireland Football tickets.
3. £100 cash prize.
4. £100 cash prize.
5. Meal for 2 voucher
6. £50 cash prize.
7. £50 cash prize. …………….. Plus LOTS more
Thank you for your anticipated support.
Pat McLoughlin, Treasurer, Tir Na Mona



COUNTY KILDARE COMMUNITY AND VOLUNTARY FORUM

In January and February of 2000 Kildare County Council engaged in a series of information meetings around the county to inform community and voluntary groups on the setting up of the County Development Board & the Strategic Policy Committees. These new bodies were being set up as part of the reform of local government. Part of the plan for this reform involved greater involvement for local groups in the future of their counties. Community and voluntary groups would be involved in these new bodies through a proposed Community and Voluntary forum.Many groups in the Tir Na Mona area have taken an active role in the County Kildare Community and Voluntary Forum over the past year by registering as members of the Forum, attending the Forum meetings and taking part in the selections for members of the County Development Board, the Strategic Policy committees and the Executive of the Community & Voluntary Forum and by taking part in the consultation carried out by the County Development Board and the audit of community groups in January of this year.

It is a great credit to the commitment of groups in the Tir Na Mona area that two members of Tir Na Mona, Gail Maher and Sean Flannery were selected for the County Development Board and the Economic Planning & Development Strategic Policy Committee respectively.

On Tues June 12th next the formal Launch of the County Kildare Community and Voluntary Forum will take place in the Keadeen Hotel at 8 p.m. (registration 7.30 p.m.) All groups are invited to attend this launch, whether or not they are members of the Forum . (Perhaps this is a chance for your group to get involved).

The night will include a report on the consultations which took place in January and the draw for the groups who took part in the community group Audit, as well as a photographic exhibition to mark the involvement of people in groups all over Kildare in this the International Year of the Volunteer.
So why not come along and take part in the Community and Voluntary Forum and get to know people from other groups around the county.?



TABLE OF EVENTS, IN THE COMMUNITY

12th June Community & Voluntary Forum Launch, Keadeen Hotel , Newbridge @ 7.30 p.m.
14th June Timahoe Filed Day Planning Meeting, Kelly’s Bar @ 8.p.m Mobile Library, Staplestown, 11.50 – 12.30 pm.
15th June Parent & Toddler Coffee Morning @ 10-12 noon Irish Night in Kellys Bar
22nd June Staplestown Table Quiz, St. Kevin’s G.F.C. @ 9.30 p.m.
27th June Timahoe Active Age Group, Kelly’s Bar @ 9.p.m. Final date for articles for the July issue of the MONA
28th June Mobile Library, Staplestown, 11.50 – 12.30 pm.
29th June Timahoe Table Quiz, Kelly’s Bar @ 9.30 p.m. 4th July St. Mochua Hist Soc outing to Larch Hill, Kilcock, 6.30pm
5th July Timahoe Ladies Club, Kelly’s Bar @ 8 p.m. 8th July Timahoe Field Day, Timahoe N.S. @ 2.30 p.m.

Articles for the MONA Newsletter can now be dropped into the TIR na MONA office at St. Kevins’s G.A.A. club, Staplestown. If possible please supply articles on disc in Microsoft Word format. If you have an event happening during the first week of the month please let us know about it in time for the previous issue as it take approx. 10 days to produce the MONA. The June issue was put together by Hugh Maher, Paula Kelly, David Curtis and Gavin Butler .


If you have an article, or news item you would like to include in this newsletter, please contact:

Staplestown, Mary Murphy 869416,

Timahoe, Hugh Maher,

Timahoe, Sonia Higgins,

Timahoe, Bernard Owens 863676,

Coill Dubh, Rosaleen 860023 (school),

Donadea, Bernadette Crean 869118,


The views represented in this Newsletter are not necessarily the views of the MONA committee. While every attempt is made to print factual information, we are not responsible for third party information that may be incorrect at time of going to press. Where errors occur, every attempt will be made to redress and amend. All parties have the right to reply within the MONA Newsletter.

Thank you.


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