County Kildare News

"I have to say this has been the most wonderful experience and it has brought out our hidden talents. Something very special comes from classes like this." Participant 2011

What is it?

The Creative Well offers free, friendly, daytime workshops in your locality where you can try creative arts activities. Learn about the arts, develop skills and connect with others in your community. We welcome adults with all levels of experience including complete beginners!

The aim of this programme is to support health and wellbeing through the arts within local communites. Previous participants have remarked on how participation in this programme has added interest to their lives and also helped them to explore their own creativity.
The Creative Well is supported by Kildare County Council Arts Service, HSE Kildare West Wicklow Mental Health Services, HSE Health Promotion, Kildare County Mental Health Association and Kildare County Council Library Service.

How does it work?

The Creative Well is a twelve week programme. Workshops run once a week and are delivered by professional trained artists in a supportive, relaxed and non-pressurised environment.

During workshops you can learn and improve visual art skills while developing your own creativity. This programme will introduce drawing, painting, printmaking, clay work and three dimensional studies.

When and where?

Wednesday 10.30am – 12.30pm in Kilcock, Co. Kildare

Interested?

Participation is free but by application. You must be over 18 years of age and a resident of County Kildare. If you are interested in making an application, you can either:

Download an application form

Contact Catherine O’Grady Tel: 087 0566784 (9am – 5pm) or
email: catherine.ogrady@hse.ie

Application Deadline: 13 March 2013

Creative Well Information Sheet: Download a copy of A4 information sheet

Workshop Facilitator Biographies

Dominic Thorpe
Dominic Thorpe originally hails from Newbridge in County Kildare. He studied art at the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology and received an MA in Fine Art from the National College of Art and Design Dublin in 2006

Dominic has wide experience of teaching art at all levels from beginners to advanced. He has worked on various public art projects and has also been a visiting lecturer at the National College of Art and Design, the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology and the Dublin Institute of Technology.

Emma Finucane
Emma Finucane was born in Dublin and lives in Co. Wicklow. She graduated from the National College of Art and Design, Dublin with MA Fine Art in 2006 having received a BA Fine Art Print in 1997.

Emma has experience teaching all levels of age, experience and ability. Over the past 10 years she has taught in Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art Design and Technology, The National College of Art and Design, City of Dublin VEC Adult Education and has lead outreach workshops for Amnesty International, Draiocht Blanchardstown, The National Gallery of Ireland and The Hugh Lane Gallery Dublin.

Volunteer Mentor Opportunities

Le Chéile Mentoring & Youth Justice Services is a child-centred, non-judgmental service which recruits and trains volunteers from local communities to work with young people and their families involved in Young Person’s Probation.

Le Chéile is currently looking for men and women in the North Kildare area to become:

Young Person Mentors

A Le Chéile youth mentor is a role model who through weekly meetings supports a young person to make positive choices.

Activities could include, cinema, eating out, snooker, evening classes, etc. or simply chatting with and guiding them with issues affecting their lives.

Activity costs will be covered.

Parent Mentors

As a parent mentor you can help a parent through a difficult period in their life and help them to make positive changes in their home.

For more information call or email Claire Carroll – 0872016801 / recruitment@lecheile.ie

Web: www.lecheile.ie

County Kildare Chambers are hosting a Taoiseach's Breakfast on Friday 1st March 2013 at The Silver Restaurant, Newbridge. The event is kindly being sponsored by The Curragh Racecourse. Guest speaker will be An Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

North Kildare Chamber and Newbridge Chamber are both extremely active local business organisations who represent  varied industries throughout the County. The business breakfast should undoubtedly be a great success with the business community being represented by sole traders, SME's and large Multi Nationals.

One year on from the very successful launch of the North Kildare Chamber Strategic Plan by Enda Kenny, both Chambers will inform the Taoiseach of the progress made to date. North Kildare Chamber and Newbridge Chamber have been working closely over the past year on several areas of the plan, and this breakfast is an ideal opportunity for the organisations to update Enda Kenny on the work that has been achieved to date.

The first ever Patch Tyre Equipment Fiesta Championship got under way this week with a busy opening test day on Wednesday and the Championships' official launch at the Naas Court Hotel on Friday night. The new series is already proving popular, with a number of new drivers on track for the test day and many more prospective competitors present at the launch.

The series, for lightly modified Ford Fiestas built between 1996 and 2001, is already looking like a winner with a mixed field of new and experienced drivers set to hit the track for their first race in April. Drivers have been attracted to the series by its low cost and the promotional package put in place by Patch Tyre Equipment and Mondello Park. The huge interest in the championship is proof that a well organised championship with a low cost of entry can attract full grids even in a tough economic climate.

The official championship launch was an opportunity for drivers to find out more about plans for the season ahead and to get a look at the cars, three of which were on hand for the launch. One driver who was very keen to get a closer view was former European Rallycross Champion Derek Tohill who will be one of the first drivers to race the 'Patch' celebrity car.

Having already provided Registered competitors with one free test day the organisers announced plans to cut costs in other areas such as future test days, entry fees and running costs through further trade and sponsor partnerships some of which will be announced over the next few weeks.

Speaking at the launch Patch Tyre Equipment MD Brian Matthews said “We are delighted to be involved in this series from the start. Everybody is talking about it and like our company, it offers unrivalled value. It is also great to see so many young drivers and first time racers getting involved.”

On behalf of Mondello Park, Leo Nulty explained some of the thinking behind the series, saying “In the current economic climate, cost is everything, and the interest in this class thus far has borne that out. The idea of being on the grid in a car for under €2k was previously unheard of. Our association with Patch Tyre Equipment allows us to offer even better value to the competitors, such as the recent free test day for registered drivers. We will continue these type of incentives as the season progresses. The fact that the majority of the drivers are complete novices can only benefit the sport as a whole and who knows, this class may even produce the next Aron Smith!”.

The Patch Tyre Equipment Fiesta Championship gets under way with the first of five double headers on April 14th. The ten round championship will run through until September with all races taking place at Mondello Park and further information can be found on www.mondellopark.ie/fiesta.

With a busy Motorcycle Track Day calendar and a successful Track Day Training programme already in place, Mondello Park is set to expand its Motorcycle performance training with the addition of a Superbike School.

The Mondello Park Superbike School will be introduced on March 22nd and will give riders an opportunity to learn from some of Ireland's top Motorcycle Racing trainers and coaches. With an emphasis on cornering techniques, the programme will help already skilled Track Day Riders and Motorcycle Racing competitors to improve their performance and therefore their lap times.

The course will run at Mondello Park and will be for riders using their own Track or Racing Motorcycles. The single day course will take riders through a series of exercises designed to improve their braking, steering, throttle control and racing lines and will use a combination of classroom, low speed and high speed instruction. With numbers limited to thirty, riders will be guaranteed sufficient personal attention to make the most from the course.

The new course aims to fill a gap in the Irish market for advanced track riding instruction. Coaching is a very important part of racing even for the most experienced riders, right up to World Superbike and MotoGP level, but previously it has not been readily available in Ireland. It is hoped that the new course will be used by existing competitors, in addition to becoming a part of the training of new competitors over the coming years.

Bookings are now being taken for the first Mondello Park Superbike School on Friday March 22nd, which is perfectly timed to offer pre season coaching before the 2013 Motorcycle Racing and Track Day seasons get under way. The cost of the course is €275.00, which includes refreshments and lunch.

The Curragh Racecourse today announced that Tattersalls is to sponsor the Irish 2000 Guineas. Taking place on Saturday 25th May, the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas is the first Group 1 race of the year in Ireland and the highlight on day one of the Curragh’s Spring Racing Festival.

The Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas is established as one of the great races for 3 year old colts in Europe with a long and illustrious list of previous winners since it’s inaugural running in 1921.

Last year's winner POWER was a 50,000 guineas purchase from Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Europe's premier yearling sale, and other recent winners of the Group One Classic include Canford Cliffs, Henrythenavigator, Dubawi and Rock of Gibraltar.

Commenting on the new sponsorship, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony said;

"Our sponsorship of the Irish 2000 Guineas demonstrates Tattersalls' continued commitment to Irish racing and breeding at the highest level and we are delighted to add Ireland's first Classic of the season to our long association with the Tattersalls Gold Cup and to our global sponsorship portfolio. The support Tattersalls receives year after year from Irish breeders, owners and trainers cannot be overstated and to be able to show our appreciation by sponsoring such a prestigious and important race gives us enormous pleasure. The Curragh's Spring Racing Festival is one of the highlights of the Irish sporting calendar and we look forward to working with the team at the Curragh and to two days which will showcase Irish racing at its finest."

Europe’s leading bloodstock auctioneers will also continue to sponsor the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup taking place on Sunday 26th May. Tattersalls' sponsorship of the Gold Cup is now in its 29th year and is one of the longest continuous sponsorships in the Irish racing calendar.

Paul Hensey, Curragh Racecourse General Manager commented “The support of two major Group one races by Tattersalls is hugely positive for both the Curragh racecourse and Irish horse racing. Tattersalls' association with two of our most prestigious races will ensure we continue to attract the very best horses and riders for what promises to be an outstanding weekend,” he added, “We will work closely with Edmond Mahony and his team to ensure they maximise their association with this great weekend of entertainment.”

The Emirates Equestrian Federation will continue to sponsor the Irish 1000 Guineas and His Highness The President of the UAE Cup on Sunday 26th May.

The new Mondello Park Race Experience was launched at the County Kildare Track on Sunday February 17th with an all new Formula One theme on show for the first time. Other changes include improved course content, a lower price and the chance to win a free season racing in Formula Sheane in 2014.

The hugely popular Motor Race Experience gives drivers with no previous racing experience a unique opportunity to drive a single seater race car and is the closest most will ever get to emulating their Formula One heroes. To add to the Grand Prix feeling, the Mondello Park single seater fleet has now been styled on the latest Ferrari and Red Bull Formula One colour schemes, as well as adding an Irish angle with some Jordan look-a-like cars.

Mondello Park operates a fleet of professionally prepared racing saloons and single seaters, with drivers receiving extensive tuition in the saloons before they progress to the adrenaline filled single seater experience. As part of the new format, a reduced classroom briefing session sees drivers move straight from the saloon car to the single seater. This results in participants completing their course in less time than before, even though they spend virtually the same amount behind the wheel.

As an extra incentive for drivers to get the best from their experience, on each day the course is run during 2013, the chief instructor will select one driver to go forward to the heats of the 2014 'Become a Racing Driver' competition. The competition, which is only open to drivers who have never held a competition licence, will result in one driver winning a seasons racing in the Irish Formula Sheane Championship, completely free of charge.

The new look Mondello Park Race Experience is now more attractive than ever to Formula One and Performance Driving fans. With its new colour scheme, new course content, a reduced price of just €199 and the opportunity to win a free seasons racing, there is no better way to get your first Motor Racing buzz.

 
BetVictor, one of the leading sports betting and gaming companies in the world, have agreed to sponsor the Irish Lincolnshire. The feature race on the opening day of the flat racing season takes place at the Curragh on Sunday 24th March. The ultra competitive handicap over one mile will carry record prize money of 100,000 euro this year
 
Karl Riley, Marketing Director of BetVictor, said ““We are delighted to be sponsoring at the Curragh the home of Irish flat racing and one of the most iconic venues in world racing; the hope is this will be the beginning of a long and happy marriage between ourselves and the racecourse. The Irish Lincolnshire is sure to attract an ultra-competitive field for a record purse and we are proud to lend our name to the race which is sure to be a strong betting heat to mark the start of the Irish flat turf season.”
 
The high quality support programme includes the Group 3 Lodge Park Stud Park Express Stakes, the 200th running of the Gabriel Curran Memorial Madrid Handicap, Big Bad Bob Maiden and Tally Ho Stud two year old Maiden
 
Evan Arkwright, Commercial Manager of the Curragh Racecourse, commented, “We are delighted to welcome BetVictor to the Curragh for the first time and hope this will be the start of a very positive partnership between us both,” he added “Entries for the race close early with the objective to generate a strong ante post market for the first feature race of the new flat racing season and we hope to attract a strong British trained challenge to take on the home team.”
 

In January 2013, Dublin Rock band ‘Wolf Regime’ released a Charity single entitled ‘Her Divinity’, with all proceeds going to The Irish Cancer Society.

The song was written as a tribute to Miss Donna Brady who passed away after a year long, courageous battle with Cervical Cancer. She was 26 years old and was the niece of bass player Keith Brady.

In support of the single, Wolf Regime are taking their show on the road in order to raise some much needed funds and awareness for the charity.

Their first stop is The Phoenix Music Venue, Kildare on March 9th.

The show promises to be highly entertaining with support from local Kildare band ‘Fool The Joker’ and Celtic Metal band, Raw Dawgs.

The Charity single will be available at the gig and is also available on itunes and all major music download sites.

Details of this event can be found at www.wolfregime.com & www.facebook.com/wolfregime.

The Irish Modified Car Scene will have a new show for 2013 with the arrival of Mondello Modified Live. The new event will take place on Sunday April 21st and will be a major boost to the Irish Modified Car Scene. The event will showcase the best of Ireland's modified car culture, along with a full days live entertainment on the Mondello Park track.

Mondello Modified Live is an event for owners of European, Japanese & American cars to display their vehicles. The show will feature displays by owners clubs, websites and individuals, as well as track action, including the first round of the new Irish Drift Championship, which is set to replace the Prodrift Series as the premier Irish Drifting championship.

The circuit will be kept busy for most of the day with qualifying and the finals of the opening round of the Irish Drift Championship. The drifters will share the track with round two of the Irish time-Attack Series, which for the first time will run in an anti-clockwise direction between drift sessions. When the competitive action takes a break, the track will continue to be busy as owners clubs and individuals will have the opportunity to take to the track and demonstrate the performance of their vehicles, in one of the twenty minute 'Track Day' sessions available.

At the April 21st event, the Show & Shine competition will play a big part in proceedings as the organisers search for Ireland's best presented Modified Cars. The competition will have more than €500 worth of prizes up for grabs and the show cars will have their own dedicated area for the first time. With the help of 'Autoglym' the entrants will be whittled down to a short list for closer inspection, before the overall winner is announced.

Mondello Modified Live will follow the venues popular show format of mixing live action and static displays and will be the biggest Modified Car event of the year outside of September’s Jap-Fest. Additional attractions will be announced over the coming weeks.

Display space is limited and entries for clubs, organisations and individual exhibitors and traders are now being taken. For information on how to get involved, car owners, clubs, websites and traders should visit our website http://www.mondello.ie/modified/ or contact Mondello Park on 045-860200.

Wednesday 20th February    8pm     cost : 20e
'The link between children's behaviour and nutrition'  Speaker Fiona Montague

Wednesday March 20th   8pm        cost :20e
The Importance of raising emotional intelligence       speaker Gaye Mullen
'Children who manage their emotional intelligence not only do better in school but in life .'

A Saturday Workshop for pre-teens 8-12 yrs      10 - 3pm
This valuable workshop includes lots of activities to help build self esteem and confidence .Various topics included, all geared to the preteen age. Please have your child dress comfortably and bring a healthy lunch. Cost 45e.

Venue : Punchestown AMI School

For further details and pre-booking call Gaye Mullen   045-874175    
mobile  086-6005614

The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month.

Have a pain-free, strong & healthy body ready for Spring activities as you shed all the winter layers and coats:

We are now taking bookings for Spring (March-April) Pilates Classes!!
 
Check out our new Spring Timetable and book your place - limited spaces available and classes fill up quickly.

Spring Break - there will be no classes between March 25th and April 8th

Monday Courses - due to Bank-Holidays on March 18th, April 1st and May 6th the Monday courses will only commence on April 8th.

Special workshops will be held on Mondays March 4th & 11th - details to be announced so keep an eye out!

Spring Offers
We have Special Offers for New Clients and for booking Multiple Courses. We also LOVE referrals and award €20 referral credits for each new clients you refer to the Studio!

Contact Details:

Pilates Studio Kildare
Keep Strong & Healthy
Efrat (Aoife) Kahanov - Pilates Instructor & Owner
Claregate St. Kildare Town, Co. Kildare
Tel: 045-527903 Txt: 087-6674863
Email: info@pilateskildare.com

The 2013 Adelaide Masters Series was launched today, February 9th, at the Adelaide Motorcycle Festival in the Kings Hall Belfast. On hand to announce details of the championship were John Morris, MD of Mondello Park, Nichola Pearce, representing motorcycle insurance specialists Adelaide Insurance Services, and some of the main contenders for the 2013 titles.

The Adelaide Masters Series is entering its third season as Ireland's biggest Motorcycle Racing Championship and continues to attract the best of Ireland’s Short Circuit Racers along with guest appearances from Road Racing and International stars. The 2013 series will continue as a five event, fourteen race, championship, for both the Superbike and Supersport Classes which will include a 'Cup' division for newcomers and less experienced riders.

Speaking prior to the announcement of their continued support of the Adelaide Masters Series Adelaide Insurance Services founder Sam Geddis said,“This event has gone from strength to strength, gaining huge popularity in 2012 as already Ireland’s most successful motorcycle racing championship with record crowds and more riders committed. The 2013 series is set to be another thrilling season“.

Mondello Park MD John Morris said, “The Adelaide Masters Series has been an unqualified success to date and we will further build on that success again this year. It’s really encouraging to see the younger talent rising through the ranks over the last two years and I’ve no doubt some of these riders will be challenging for top honours in 2013”

The popular championship format will remain unchanged apart from the removal from the race day programme of the Grand Final. This move is designed to cut costs for riders who will now compete for the biggest cash prize of the weekend in their final championship race of each event.

Moving away from running a non-championship Grand Final will mean that Supersport and Superbike competitors will both have a chance to race for prize money, without the expense of an additional race. The change will also mean that the event timetable can be altered to bring more of the feature Superbike and Supersport races into Sunday afternoon time slots, which will make the events even more attractive to spectators.

TV coverage of the series will continue into 2013, on UTV as well as satellite channels. Other aspects of the series which will be retained include the pre race build up and podium presentations and the Adelaide Grid Girl competition. The championship will continue to be supported not only by Adelaide but also Dunlop Tyres, Safety Direct, Motorcycling Ireland and Failte Ireland.

Further information on the series will be released over the coming weeks and the championship can be followed on mondellopark.ie/adelaidemasters or on the Adelaide Masters Series facebook page.

'Patch Tyre Equipment' to support Fiesta Championship.

Mondello Park is delighted to announce the introduction of a new Budget Saloon racing series, the 'Patch Tyre Equipment Fiesta Championship'. The new class will be run at all 2013 Mondello Park car race events and will be contested by near standard Ford Fiesta Zetec Cars.

The Fiesta Championship will have the backing of tyre trade suppliers Patch Tyre Equipment, who are making their first foray into Irish circuit racing, having previously had a long involvement in Rallying. The series will be run for lightly modified Ford Fiesta's, built between 1996 and 2001 and will be organised by the Mondello Park Sports Club.

The Fiesta Championship is intended to offer an affordable introduction into motorsport for novice drivers, as well as attracting drivers from other budget saloon series such as the now dormant Fiat class. The championship regulations will be tightly controlled with strict chassis, engine, suspension and tyre regulations designed to guarantee a level playing field for all.

Interest in the series is already proving strong with more than 100 sets of regulations having been sent out. Drivers have been attracted by the low cost of competing and now with the backing of Patch Tyre Equipment costs will be further reduced.

Speaking on the announcement of their involvement with the series, Patch Tyre Equipment's Managing Director Brian Matthews said: “We've been supplying the tyre trade for more than twenty years and have had an involvement with Rallying for more than ten of those. I've always loved motorsport and when the opportunity came along to get involved with a new series offering affordable motorsport and a chance for young drivers to get into racing, we jumped at the opportunity. This is a great opening for Patch Tyre Equipment as many of our customers share our keen interest in motorsport. We are really looking forward to working with Mondello Park to progress the Championship”.

Mondello Park Managing Director John Morris said: “We’re delighted to welcome Patch Tyre Equipment as sponsors of the Championship and Brian is a well known figure around Mondello. This sponsorship will be invested back into the class and will subsidise competitor entry fees, assist with marketing the series and allow us to provide a hospitality suite for drivers use at all events. We’re also looking at televising one or more rounds, so for a new Championship, it really is arriving with a bang”.

The Patch Tyre Equipment Fiesta Championship kicks off at Mondello Park on April 14th and a strong grid of cars is expected for the first event. With many intending competitors having only recently started to prepare cars for the series, grids are expected to grow as the season progresses. Drivers interested in finding out more about the championship, will find all the information and regulations at www.mondellopark.ie/fiesta.

A new online TV station dedicated to both Irish Horse Racing and Irish Horse Sport activities.

At the K Club on February 5th Jockey Paul Carberry,  Olympian Camilla Speirs and Paralympic medallist Helen Kearney posed for photographs with the iconic horse, Vintage Crop at the launch of Irish Horse TV, a new online TV station dedicated to both Irish Horse Racing and Irish Horse Sport activities.

Managing Director of Irish Horse TV, Len Regan said, “We are very excited about the collaboration with HRI and HSI as it brings all equestrian pursuits together at one easily accessible source. People can watch Irish Horse TV any time of the day or night on their PC, lap top on their smart phone, iPhone, iPad or any other device connected to the internet so you can keep up with your favourite sport and industry news.”

"We are delighted to be bringing all of the elements of the Irish Horse together,the Horse Racing and Horse Sport industries have a combined annual value of €1.7 billion to the Irish economy and we are very pleased that we could bring all of the relevant stakeholders together to essentially promote and celebrate the very best of the Irish Horse Racing and Sport Horse industries.”

The station commences broadcasting on the 5th of February, 2013.

www.irishhorse.tv

Helping young people who have experienced bereavement and loss.

The next Residential Weekend is: Friday 22nd – Sunday 24th February 2013 at Kerdiffstown House, Naas, Co. Kildare.

Youthlife is the only youth led residential support programme for young people who have experienced bereavement and loss.

Research tells us that experiencing bereavement at a young age, becoming part of a different family unit, adjusting to social and economic changes cause children and young people pain and anxiety and can often impact negatively on their education and self esteem. The trauma is difficult for young people to deal with because their limited experience does not yet contain the tools to cope with such a situation.

Research also tells us that peer support is an effective tool in dealing with teenage difficulties. 

Our youth led bereavement programmes provide a friendly, non-judgmental and confidential space for young people to talk about the things that are worrying them

We are a non-profit organization made up of caring and understanding adults and young people who volunteer their time and experience to help others and themselves.

If you are interested in attending the Growing Through Change Residential Weekend please contact:

Youthlife Kildare
Mob:  086-7349575 (Admin)
Email:  youthlifekildare@gmail.com

Website: see www.youthlife.org for information about our service.

Entries are invited from all primary and secondary schools in County Kildare to enter the  Annual Cecil Day Lewis Literary Awards.

The competition  consists of students entering under the various sections  :-  Short Story, Poetry and ( One Act Play for secondary schools).  Students can submit one entry under each section if they wish.. 

The competition, organised by Athy Heritage Centre-Museum, celebrates the connection between the celebrated poet and the South Kildare area.  C.D Lewis was Professor of Poetry at Oxford from 1951-1956.  A talented and humorous man, he wrote in An Italian Visit, parodies on poets ranging from Hardy to Dylan Thomas.  His autobiography was published in 1960 and in 1966, he was awarded Poet Laureate.

Trophies, Book tokens and Certificates are given to 1st ,2nd & 3rd in each category. We also award Highly Commended certificates.

Closing date for entry  no later than Friday 19th April 2013

This years award ceremony which will take place Thursday evening  23rd May 2013.

Entry forms can be downloaded from the website www.athyheritagecentre-museum.ie or contact Margaret Walsh, Athy Heritage Centre-Museum, Emily Square, Athy, Co. Kildare. Phone 059 8633075

Profile of Cecil Day-Lewis

Cecil Day-Lewis, born in 1904 was the son of a Church of Ireland Minister, then living in Ballinturbbert House, Athy, Co. Kildare.  He was educated in Sherborne School and then Wadham College, Oxford.

He was a schoolmaster until 1935 and during that time his restless intellect led him into writing detective fiction.   He wrote under the pen name Nicholas Blake, introducing the detective Nigel Strangeways in A Question of Proof, which was followed by twenty popular and successful stories.

Given the political and social turmoil between the wars years, like many intellectuals of his day, he leaned more and more towards Marxism, joining the Communist party in 1936.  He edited the Socialist Symposium The Mind in Chains, which took place in 1937.

His frequent broadcasts were a joy to him and he enjoyed giving recitals and lectures in schools and colleges.  He sat on committees, judged awards and his enthusiasm embraced children’s stories for radio and he wrote a number of children’s’ books including the popular Poetry for You.

His pride in accomplishment and his craft in the writing of poetry and prose make him an excellent example for aspiring writers and we are proud that these awards were  established  for poetry, short story and the one-act play.  It is good to know that his talents survive in his sons Sean and Daniel and his daughter Tamasin, who spend considerable time in Ireland.
 

Mondello Park wishes to announce, that despite the best efforts of the circuit owners, the Kildare track will not now host a round of the 2013 FIA European Rallycross Championship, even though it was listed on the original calendar.

On Wednesday last, January 30th, in consultation with the Championship promoters, IMG, it was decided to sit out 2013, with a view to running an event in the 2014 Championship. The FIA was advised of the decision on Thursday, as were the other event organisers at a meeting in Modena in Italy, prior to the 2012 Championship Prize Giving and the 2013 Safety Seminar.

Speaking about the cancellation, Mondello Park Managing Director John Morris, who was present in Modena said, "we're obviously disappointed but it was undoubtedly the correct decision. After the FIA calendar had been published, the organisers of the Rallycross Challenge, which appears to be a rival series, scheduled a date in Holland on the same weekend as the Mondello Park date and the FIA seemed powerless to intervene.We highlighted our concerns about this to IMG in writing on several occasions and we discussed the issue at a meeting in London on January 11th.

Mondello Park is an Internationally Licensed Race Circuit and we are solidly booked with events and shows from the middle of July until the middle of October, so we simply had nowhere to move our ERC event. The clashing event could have taken competitors from our event and consequently neither Mondello Park, nor IMG was prepared to take the risk".

"Although there will be no FIA Rallycross in Mondello Park this year the door remains open for 2014". Mr Morris continued, "IMG has indicated its genuine wish to have Ireland on the calendar, due to the level of facilities and infrastructure Mondello Park brings to an event and the Championship. We've had a preliminary discussion about 2014, where undoubtedly the most cost effective option for competitors would be to twin our event with the British round, which simply wasn’t possible this year.

Ireland has a great Rallycross tradition and fans are naturally very upset, but hopefully the FIA will take control of the situation, work closer with the promoters and be seen to more actively support its own Championship”.