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. Kevinss
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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