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April 2013 Archives

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April 29, 2013

Free Yoga Classes in Donadea

yoga Traditional yoga from an experienced teacher from India.

Learn yoga the traditional way!

Yoga sessions are offered in natural settings in Hortland Donadea, which is not far from the Donadea Forest Park. The sessions include asanas, pranayama, surya namaskar, meditation, detox kriyas and lots more.

Contact Name: Shankari

Contact Email: chycentre@gmail.com


April 26, 2013

Further jobs announcement for Naas a huge boost for the town


Opensky Fine Gael TD for Kildare North, Anthony Lawlor, warmly welcomes the announcement this morning that 30 new jobs are to be created at Opensky, an innovative IT solutions company based in Naas. These new jobs will almost double the total workforce at Opensky from 50 to 80 over the next 18 months.

“The announcement from Opensky this morning, is further proof that Naas is quickly becoming an attractive location for both multinational and smaller companies. Since its inception in 2004, Opensky has opened its headquarters in the Osprey Business Park in Naas and also has offices in Poland. The company has a proven track record in the UK, Europe and the Middle East and today’s announcement is an endorsement of their success to date.

“For anyone interested in the new positions, please access Opensky’s website page at http://www.openskydata.com/careers/current-vacancies.html. This ‘good news’ jobs announcement comes on the back of a successful week for Punchestown which is benefitting the businesses of Naas”.


April 25, 2013

New Gentle Yoga Classes in Maynooth

yoga Gentle yoga 10-11am Tuesdays (Leinster Clinic)
and 12-1pm Fridays (Finesse, Main St. Maynooth)

With the focus on deep, slow, gentle stretching, breathing and relaxation, these classes are especially suited for those recovering from illness or injury, or for anyone looking to destress from everyday life.

We use specific yoga postures to recover and maintain healthy joints and muscles, to improve mobility and cardiovascular and respiratory function.

Drop in anytime for 10e.

For more info: see www.vitalityyoga.ie


April 22, 2013

Chamber Announce Monthly Network Evenings in Celbridge

North Kildare Chamber North Kildare Chamber now provide monthly Network evenings in Celbridge, so along with over 100 network mornings, this new venture increases the benefits of being a member of the Chamber. 

The monthly meetings take place in  Gannon Office Solutions, M4 Business Park in Celbridge.  The meetings start at 6pm and finish at 7pm. 

This is a perfect way to meet with local businesses over a cup of coffee.  To find out more, contact the chamber office on 045 894074.

Its FREE for any business to attend


April 19, 2013

Spring in the air on the Bog of Allen


marsh-fritillary The Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC) is welcoming the somewhat delayed onset of spring for 2013. After a long winter with temperatures hitting record lows in March, wildlife is beginning to make a welcome return and each day IPCC are finding more and more evidence for this at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre and their two peatland reserves in Lullymore, Co. Kildare.

“It started out with our garden ponds filled with croaking frogs, and as temperatures increase we are now looking at water brimming with tadpoles and pond life that is starting to thrive. Our reserves too are showing the signs of spring with our three resident curlew returning to Lodge Bog and the endangered Marsh Fritillary butterfly being found in abundance on Lullymore West” says Tadhg Ó Corcora, Conservation Officer with the IPCC.

The rarity of native curlew in Ireland means that these three individuals may prove very important to the future national population. Last year the IPCC carried out a detailed survey on these birds and found that breeding had occurred though unfortunately the nest was subject to predation. It is hoped that 2013 may bring more success. The group is thrilled with the Marsh Fritillary numbers where this week six nests were found on the Lullymore West Bog site, with further searches to be carried out over the coming days.

“There were fears for the Marsh Fritillary as it has been over-wintering as a caterpillar buried in the cold ground since September. If they awoke too early we were concerned that there would not be sufficient food available after their long hibernation. However in only one hour of searching we found 6 healthy nests and this matches the numbers found last autumn before hibernation so we are thrilled. To top off the day I saw my first two swallows of 2013 flying over the site so it seems that spring has finally arrived.” Mr. Ó Corcora continued. 
 


April 18, 2013

Who wants to be a Thousandaire? - at the Osprey Hotel, May 16

Who Wants To Be AThousandaire?

On 16 May next, Gael Scoil Nás na Ríogh brings the hugely popular “Who wants to be a Thousandaire” to Naas in the Osprey Hotel.

This show has attracted large audiences all over Ireland over the past seven years and is fast becoming the most popular source of fund-raising for schools and clubs. Contestants are drawn from ticket sales and each contestant will play for €1000. The show is fully computerised with 50/50, Ask the Audience and a brilliant video linked Phone a Friend.

This incredibly successful show, which is provided Pallas Marketing Ltd, is being run by Gael Scoil Nás na Ríogh to assist in fundraising for essential services at the school.

Launch

The launch evening for the show was held in Naas Town Hall last Tuesday and a large attendance included Mayor of Naas Cllr Willie O’Callaghan, along with representatives from its main sponsors including Born Clothing, Tesco Extra Monread, Rioghnagh Bracken Solicitors, K Leisure, Revamp.ie Building & Renovation, Scoil Rince Chill Dara, Tom Cross Coach Hire and Craddock House Nursing Home and Tom from Pallas Marketing the show providers. The first ticket for the event was purchased by Naas Mayor, who also participated in a sample round of the quiz show much to the delight of the audience.

Speaking at the launch, Bernard O'Dubhslaine, Chairman of the Parent's Council: “We have been in contact with several others groups who ran, “Who wants to be a Thousandaire” shows around the country with great success. We are all looking forward to a great night on the 16 May as the show is really hi-tech and offers a superb night’s entertainment. The show is timed to start at 8pm and we would encourage people to come early to ensure a seat.

“We would also like to say a particular word of thanks to our major sponsors and to all of those 70 plus businesses in Naas and the surrounding areas who have taken out advertising at the show,” he continued. “Some might ask why do we need to raise funds for the Gael Scoil Nás na Ríogh, haven't we a fine building, young enthusiastic staff and a growing student population. We were lucky to get a fine state of the art building only four years ago. But like many things we got the building but there remained a lot to be done in terms of equipment and fittings, hence this is why we are raising money,” he added.

Charity Round

In addition, the Gael Scoil is running a charity round for the Jack and Jill Foundation to support the work of this important local Kildare charity. “We want to give back and support so we chose a local charity to raise funds for. We are very honoured to have Jack and Jill on board with us,” the chairman concluded.
Deputy Mayor of Naas and Gael Scoil parent Rioghnagh Bracken paid tribute to the ethos of the school and also to the hard-working committee in securing great support for the event. “The school by far has one of the hard-working committees in Naas and that is to be commended,” she added.

Tickets

Tickets for “Who wants to be a Thousandaire” are available from any member of the fundraising committee or at the door on the night.

Advertising Space

In addition, there is still some large screen digital advertising space available for the show, please contact Lisa for further information on 087 6776839.

 


One Million Trees in One Day project coming to Celbridge

1 million trees in 1 day The ACRE Project, Celbridge will be planting over a 1,000 Native Trees between FRIDAY 26TH APRIL and SATURDAY 27TH APRIL 2013 as part of the ONE MILLION TREES IN ONE DAY  tree planting project.

Where: The ACRE Project, Salesian College, Maynooth Rd, Celbridge, Co.Kildare
When: Friday 26th April, 10am -3.30pm

Contact:
For GROW: Lucy Bell, GROW, 0876508226, email: growingardens@gmail.com
For The ACRE Project: Ken McEvoy, 0872412918, ken@acreproject.com

THE PROJECT:

One Million Trees in One Day is a charity, not-for-profit, cross-border, community and environmental initiative which will plant a million young native trees at many different sites across both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in 24 hours.

One Million Trees in One Day is a good news story and a major call to action to the Irish people...the time has come to pick up a spade and dig into the future. One million Trees in One Day is a pro-active response to the economic and environmental doom and gloom of the time; an attempt to cheer everyone up with a truly good and truly sustainable project that will deliver a lasting legacy to our children and their children and their children...

To that end, the ACRE Project in collaboration with GROW have successfully applied for and been granted over 1,000 trees and hedgerow plants to put in the ground at the ACRE Project site beside the Salesian College Secondary School, Celbridge. The groups involved in the ACRE project currently will be taking on the planting of the trees. This includes the adult FETAC horticulture group, the transition year ‘local food module’ students, LCA students and members of the Autistic unit all from the Salesian secondary schools beside the ACRE will be taking part on the day.


BACKGROUND INFO:

The ACRE Project at the Salesian College is an eco-friendly community project and  horticultural alliance for the local Celbridge/Straffan/Leixlip community supporting young people and adults educational needs. The main focus is a community garden project, directly linked in with the boy’s secondary school, on whose land it is based. At the moment there are adult FETAC horticulture courses run there, a Transition year local food & horticulture project and a leaving certificate applied horticulture module.

GROW is Lucy Bell an organic horticulturalist and community artist from Kildare. Lucy set up her own company GROW in 2009. Lucy trained at An tIonad Glas, The Organic College, she has a Diploma in Organic Horticulture. Lucy has been a horticulture tutor with Kildare VEC since 2009, working on a variety of community garden projects around the county. She is the current tutor for the adult FETAC course and the TY local food module at the ACRE Project.

More info:

 

 

 


April 17, 2013

Modified Live - the place to be this weekend for Modified Car fans


Modified Live If you are a fan of Drifting and Modified Car Culture there's only one place to be this weekend and that's 'Modified Live' at Mondello Park. The Sunday April 21st event will feature Drifting, Time-Attack, and Ireland's best modified and performance cars, both on and off track.

Before Modified Live gets under way on Sunday, the new Irish Drift Championship (IDC) will get the ball rolling on Saturday, with Semi-Pro action and qualifying for Sunday's main event. IDC takes over from Prodrift as the premier Irish Drift Series and will be run by the same organisation which has long been the leading promoters of Irish Drifting.

The IDC 'Pro' series will have the best entry list it has seen for many years, including all of Ireland's top drifting names. International stars such as James Deane, with his brand new Mazda RX7, and Darren McNamara in his rotary engined AE86, will be just part of a line-up loaded with talent, including Mike Fitz, Alan Sinnott, Adrian Walsh, Martin Ffrench and Shane O'Sullivan.

The 'Pro' competitors will be joined in Sunday's main event by the best of the 'Semi-Pro' drivers, who will compete for their class honours on Saturday. 'Semi Pro' will be easily the biggest class at Round 1, due to the amalgamation of the 'Amateur' and 'Semi-Pro' divisions. This has been carried out due to the high standards achieved by Amateurs over recent years. The 'Amateur' division has been replaced for this season by a 'Rookie' class, for drivers with less than three competitive events under their belt.

Joining the Drifters on Sunday will be the Irish Time-Attack series which will contest its second event of the season. Sunday's Round 2 will have a twist however, as the circuit will be reversed to give competitors a new challenge. Unlimited class driver Paul Molloy was the first to sample the circuit in the wrong direction at the 'Modified Live' launch last week and he commented that it was “a completely new challenge and one that no amount of laps in the correct direction can prepare you for as the corners are all unrecognisable when travelling in the opposite direction”. The Time-Attack drivers will have two qualifying sessions to bed themselves in to the new layout before the Open final and the Super Lap final, where most of the day’s championship points will be awarded.

Modified Live will be a full day event and in addition to the on-track activity, there will be a large number of clubs, web sites and owners exhibiting their highly tuned and modified cars with winning the lucrative Show & Shine competition being the aim. The Show & Shine competition is backed by Autoglym, who will provide some valuable prizes. The winners will also receive Driving Experience vouchers courtesy of Mondello Park.

To find out how to benefit from special offers for tickets purchased in advance, how to make your car, owners club or web site part of the event or to simply find out more about the Modified Live show see www.mondellpark.ie/modified.

 


Summer Stage performing arts camp in locations across Kildare

Summer Stage Summer Stage performing arts camp returns to locations across Kildare this July and August for another summer of fun!  Running from 10am-3pm Monday to Friday, Summer Stage involves singing, dancing, drama and theatre games for boys and girls aged between 4 and 13 years. 

Spend a week making friends, having fun and building confidence through learning about performing.  The camp culminates in an end of week performance which participants receive a free DVD of! 

Now in its fourth year, Summer Stage is run by Evelyn Purcell, a native of Naas and an experienced drama teacher who studied Drama at Trinity College Dublin before training in Musical Theatre at Guildford School of Acting in the UK.

Dates and Locations are as follows:

Naas Community Centre      July 1st-5th, July 8th-12th, August 19th-23rd

Scoil Diarmada, Castledermot  August 12th-16th

Confey College, Leixlip         July 22nd-26th

The cost is €80 per child with family discounts available.

Summer Stage Teen Workshop

Also, new for 2013 is Summer Stage Teen Workshop, a concentrated and advanced form of Summer Stage running for a week in June in Naas for older performers between 13 and 16 years.  This workshop is perfect for those who love performing, but have outgrown the traditional camp format.  Practice songs and scenes from musicals, dance to chart hits and show off your skills at an end of week performance for parents and friends! 

Running from 12-3pm daily, the cost is €55 per person, with family discounts available.

For more information on any of the above or to reserve a place, contact Evelyn
on 087 1532277 or on info@summerstage.ie

Hope to see you at a Summer Stage camp!

 


April 12, 2013

National Spring Clean Campaign hits halfway mark in Kildare

National Spring Clean 11th April, 2013: An Taisce’s National Spring Clean campaign is still going strong in County Kildare and this week will see the campaign hit the halfway mark.  Hundreds of clean up events have already taken place in Kildare and there are still plenty more to come! The National Spring Clean campaign is Ireland’s largest anti-litter initiative organised by An Taisce and funded by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.

Events taking place in Kildare next week include:

  • On the 19th of April, Allenwood BNS in Naas will spring clean their school, adjoining church grounds, footpaths and football pitch. For more information, please contact: Alison Bell on 045860098
  • On the 20th of April, Kerdiff Residents will be cleaning up their estate in support of National Spring Clean. For more information, please contact: Josephine Broderick on 0868121605
  • On the 22nd of April, Scoilbhride GNS in Clane will clean and weed different areas around the school and Roadside. For more information, please contact: Anne Giffney on 045868614


               
All volunteers registering for the National Spring Clean campaign are issued with a FREE clean up kit which contains information, posters, colour coded refuse sacks for segregation of waste materials, protective gloves and tabards to keep participants clean.  An Taisce will also liaise with local authorities to ensure that all materials collected will be picked up without charge.  Those who wish to take part should go to the National Spring Clean website at www.nationalspringclean.org


This year, An Taisce is also celebrating ‘Local Heroes’ who have demonstrated their commitment both to their communities by organising anti-litter events over the last number of years.  You can nominate your National Spring Clean Local Hero on our Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/NationalSpringClean.
 
The Local Hero 2013, who will be announced in April, will win a Spring Break in the Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel.
 
The National Spring Clean campaign is also sponsored by the Wrigley Company and supported by Repak who supply colour coded refuse sacks for recycling the materials collected.  Local Authorities co-ordinate activity in their areas and also support their local communities.
 
To register for National Spring Clean call 01 4002220 or online at www.nationalspringclean.org.


April 10, 2013

New Classes and Live Streaming to feature at Mondello

Mondello Live Mondello Park's Car Race season starts with a bang this weekend, with a packed seventeen race programme run by the Irish Motor Racing Club taking place over Saturday and Sunday. The event will feature some brand new classes and the first ever Live Streaming Web TV Coverage of an Irish Car Race event.

The season looks like being a spectacular one with many classes seeing increased entries and the introduction of three new series, two of which will be on show this weekend.

The most impressive of these new classes is the Patch Tyre Equipment Fiesta Championship, with the brand new series for standard Fiesta Zetec's cars, having attracted an entry of more than 25 cars for its for race. The Fiestas will be joined on the timetable by the new 'Future Classics' championship for modern Historics, which are not eligible for the current Historic Racing age limitations. The third new class will be the revitalised GT series which will début at the next event on June 10th.

The Fiesta Series will be one of five classes which will star in the first Mondello.TV Live broadcast, which will transmit from the County Kildare circuit throughout Sunday's event. Joining the Patch Tyre Equipment supported series will be Formula Vee, Formula Libre, Irish Touring Car Championship and Ginetta Juniors. Each class will race twice and both races for each series will be broadcast. In between races the presentation team will bring viewers background information from the event and interviews with drivers and other guests. The live stream will be accessible through mondello.tv or the Mondello Park web site.

With the season opener being so busy the event is scheduled to take place over two days with qualifying taking place on Saturday afternoon and Racing all day Sunday. Joining the Televised classes on the timetable will be the Future Classics with a single race and the HRCA Historics, Strykers, and Global Light classes with double headers.

Admission to Sundays race day is just €10 for adults with accompanied under sixteen’s admitted free of charge. All admission includes a complimentary event programme. For a event timetable see www.mondellopark.ie.


April 09, 2013

Wins for Sheils and Ryan at Adelaide Masters Series Opener


Adelaide MastersReigning Champions Chris Dowd Racing got their 2013 Adelaide Masters Series Superbike campaign off to the best possible start at Mondello Park last weekend with three wins for new signing Derek Sheils. Their defence of the Supersport crown may prove more difficult however as Sheils could only manage a best result of third as Richie Ryan and Marshall Neill took the wins.

The new Adelaide Masters Race season kicked off with continuing backing from Motorcycle Insurance Specialists, Adelaide Insurance, with three races each for Superbike and Supersport.

The Supersport contest proved the tightest of the weekend with a full grid and a large number of young riders using the championship to try and make their name. It was the more experienced riders who came out on top however, with Neill on the Wilson Craig Honda beating Ryan's Triumph to top spot in race one. Ryan turned the tables in the next two races and ended the weekend on top of the Adelaide Masters Supersport standings.

Mark Conlin had earlier taken pole position ahead of Carl Philips but an injury to his shoulder made it difficult for him over a race distance and he faded back down to eight place. The pain then became too much for him and he failed to make the remaining races. Pre event favourite Car Phillips also had problems and did not quite reach the heights expected as he managed just a single podium position.

Following a slow start, reigning Supertwin champion Conor Parkhill took two wins in the Supersport Cup. Having had problems in practice he had to start from the back of the grid and failed to finish race one which went to Gary O'Brien. Parkhill fared better in races two and three, to take the cup honours and score points in the overall championship, while two runner-up spots for O'Brien, added to his earlier win, sees him lead the series after three races.

The Superbike grid was smaller than Supersport but brimming with quality. Sheils sat on pole for the three races and made the most of the position to record three relatively easy wins. The first victory was aided by an incident for Marshall Neill who was thrown out of the saddle on the exit of Dunlop corner but somehow managed to hang on and stay upright. The incident gave Sheils the break he needed and he never looked back, eventually finishing well ahead of Mark Glasgow who took his first ever runner-up position. Races two and three followed the same pattern with Sheils well clear, but with the minor placings unsure until the flag. Neill recovered from his earlier error to record two podiums and keep himself in championship contention but it was Glasgow with two second places who emerged as Sheils closest challenger.

The Cup class was a straight fight between Frank Smyth and Brian Coomey who finished first and second in all three races. Smyth took two of the wins to Coomey's one and leads the Cup standings. Coomey sits second with Superbike novice Thomas O'Grady in third thanks to three podium finishes.

The championship takes a long break now before it resumes on June 22nd, again at Mondello Park. In the mean time information on developments within the series can be found at www.adelaidemasters.ie.


Novice Racer wins Motorsport Opportunity of a Lifetime

Stephen O'Keeffe Novice racer Stephen O'Keefe was presented with the opportunity to fulfil his Motor Racing Dreams at Mondello Park last weekend, as he was announced as the winner of the 2013 Mondello Park and Sheane Cars sponsored, 'Become A Racing Driver' Competition. The Corkman can now look forward to racing in the Irish Formula Sheane Championship this year with all costs covered.

31 year old O'Keefe became the third winner of the competition following in the footsteps of Mayo's Sean Hynes and Bray's Timmy Swail, both of whom went on to impress in their first seasons' racing. The fantastic prize is valued at over €15,000 and will provide him with everything he needs to go motor racing. Included in the prize package is coaching, all testing and entry fees, use of a Formula Sheane race car supplied and maintained by the Sheane Factory in Wicklow, all running costs and a full set of racewear to keep, courtesy of Murray Motorsport.

The new Become A Racing driver champion won his opportunity by coming out top in a qualifying heat and then beating all-comers in the final, which consisted of a day of assessment, both on and off the track, at Mondello Park. On his way to winning the prize O'Keefe underwent assessment in a Racing Saloon with an instructor alongside and in a Formula Sheane single seater, as well as having to undergo a Media skills interview.

Speaking shortly after the announcement of the result, O'Keefe said, “I cant believe that against so many other competitive drivers, I'm the one that has been chosen. It’s a fantastic opportunity for someone so passionate about motor racing, to get a chance to take up this great sport is just amazing. I'm very grateful to Mondello Park, Sheane Cars and Murray Motorsport for the time and financial investment they are putting in to allow me fulfil my dreams. I hope to put in a competitive season and try to match the success of the two previous winners.”

Mondello Park chief Instructor Ken Elliott summed up O'Keefe performance, saying, “Stephen drove really well on the day. He really impressed all the judges and I'd like to wish him all the best in his first season of Formula Sheane. He will have a tough job following in the footsteps of our previous winners but we are all sure his is up to the job.”

The new addition to the Formula Sheane grid will had very little time to get used to the idea of going racing as he back in Mondello Park just a few days later to undergo another assessment, to qualify for his Motorsport Ireland race licence. The next Stage for Stephen will be a test day at Mondello Park before tackling his first race weekend at Bishopscourt Co. Down in May.

With the 2013 competition completed the search for the next 'Become A Racing Driver' champion is already under way. For 2014's competition all drivers who complete a Mondello Park Motor Racing Experience will have a chance of being put forward for the award, with at least one driver being nominated each day that the experience is run. To get involved all you have to do is buy a Motor Racing Experience Level 1 or Level 2 and show our instructors that you could have what it takes to be our next future star.

For further information on the 'Become A Racing Driver' competition see www.racedriver.ie.


April 03, 2013

Big Names Return for Adelaide Masters Series Opener


adelaide-masters This Saturday and Sunday the new Adelaide Masters Series season will kick off with the first three rounds of its fourteen race 2013 schedule. The series returns with renewed backing form Motorcycle Insurance Specialists, Adelaide Insurance Services, as well as the support of Dunlop Tyres, Irish Ferries and Safety Direct.

The series, which is promoted by Mondello Park with the support of Motorcycling Ireland's Short Circuit Racing committee, will once again be made up of five events, four at Mondello Park Co. Kildare and one at Bishopscourt Co. Down.

An excellent line-up has been gathered together for the season opener with some big names making their return to the series. The Superbike line-up will see a top ten brimming with talent battle it out for championship points and the substantial prize fund. Adding an extra competitive edge to the previously announced contenders will be entries for Derek Sheils and Paul Barron. Sheils will ride the CD racing machinery which Brian McCormack took to two Adelaide Masters Series titles last year while former British Champion Barron will make his Masters début.

The Superbike races will be backed up by a huge and very competitive field of Supersport machinery with this class tipped to be the most keenly fought of all, as a number of young guns move up from the Cup class. The Cup class is the breeding ground for future stars in both Supersport and Superbike and offers newcomers and less experienced riders their own championship to chase while trying to also compete with the Pro's at the front of the field.

As with 2012, all of this seasons Mondello Park Adelaide Masters events will include a round of the Stunt Ireland motorcycle stunt riding championship. The series got under way last year in a small way but quickly grew and is already an important part of Masters events. This season the championship will grow with a number of new riders joining in, having seen the success of last years events.

The 2013 Adelaide Masters Series will continue with its popular format which sees the Superbike and Supersport classes as the focus of the timetable. One major change is the removal from the programme of the Grand Final and this has allowed Sunday's first Superbike and Supersport races to be moved to a later time to allow more spectators the chance to see these classes. The supporting cast will be made up of races for Pre-Injection machinery, Twins, Two-Strokes, Lightweight Supersport and Classics.

All the information on the 2013 Adelaide Masters Series is now available on a dedicated championship web site www.adelaidemasters.ie.


April 02, 2013

Parish Hall among 10 entries for the Irish Open Alleged Stakes

At the Curragh this Sunday:

curragh-logo Parish Hall is among ten entered for the Listed Irish Open Alleged Stakes taking place at the Curragh this Sunday.  The Jim Bolger trained performer has been off the track since landing the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes in October 2011.

“Parish Hall is very much ground dependent,” said his trainer Jim Bolger. “He is in great form and we will work him tomorrow (Wednesday) and make a final decision on Thursday regarding his participation in Sunday’s race.” Captain Joy, Chamonix, Ernest Hemingway and Unaccompanied are other notable entries for the 10 furlong contest.

The Big Bad Bob Gladness Stakes is also part of the seven race programme and again Jim Bolger will be well represented by Lady Wingshot in the seven furlong Group Three contest. “She is in good form and will possibly take her chance is Sunday’s contest,” remarked Bolger. Also among the entries for the race are Dermot Weld’s Yellow Rosebud, which finished runner to Rehn’s Nest in a Group Three race here two weeks ago, the Aidan O’Brien-trained pair of Declaration Of War and Nephrite and the Mick Channon-trained Arnold Lane.

Saburo landed the first juvenile race of the season here two weeks ago to initiate the first leg of Jim Bolger’s four-timer and the and the Coolcullen-based trainer will be hoping to follow up in the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Two-Year-Old Maiden. Bolger can choose between Club Wexford, Focus On Venice and Freedom Square. “I’m not sure at the moment which of them will run on Sunday but you can take it that we will have a runner in the race,” commented Bolger. “We will work them on Wednesday and make a decision then.” Aidan O’Brien has six entered for the race, including Stubbs which finished third behind Saburo here two weeks ago.

The world of horse racing and professional golf will come together at the races on Sunday  when the exciting Irish ‘Double Ticket’ initiative will be officially launched by famous faces from the two sports which will form part of a ‘Super Saturday’ of world class action in County Kildare on the 29th June.

European Tour champions Peter Lawrie and Damien McGrane will be in attendance to launch the innovative ticket package which includes entry to Day 3 of the Irish Open at Carton House and to the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby. With the golf commencing early in the day, and the Derby meeting starting in late afternoon, sports enthusiasts will have the perfect opportunity to experience what promises to be two of the great summer events, both taking place in Co. Kildare


New Adelaide Masters Season Ready for the Green Light


adelaide-masters The 2013 Adelaide Masters Series is almost set for the green light with less than a week to the opening event of the season at Mondello Park Co. Kildare.

Ireland's premier Motorcycle Racing Series continues to benefit from the support of motorcycle insurance specialists, Adelaide Insurance Services, as it heads into another year. And what a year it promises to be. Despite the top two from last years Superbike series and the winner of the Supersport crown not being present for all rounds this season, the championship looks healthier than ever.

The Superbike series will start with at least eight riders capable of taking the crown. Former champion Marshall Neill will make a return riding for one of Ireland’s most successful teams, as Wilson Craig Racing enters the full Adelaide Series for the first time. Neill will tackle the Superbike and Supersport series in an effort to emulate Brian McCormack's double success from 2012.

Neil will have no shortage of rivals with David Haire returning for the full season, Alan Bonner shifting his focus from the roads to the Masters Series and Damien Byrne upping his efforts to improve on third in the stranding last year, all of them will be Honda mounted. Moving up to the bigger engined class will be Jonny Buckley who will have an ex BSB Ducati at his disposal and if he can get the new machine sorted he will be a definite contender. Throw in the likes of Mark Glasgow, Nico Mawhinney and Isle of Man resident Gavin Hunt and there will be plenty of strength in depth on the Superbike grid.

Supersport could well be the preserve of the young guns this year, with a number of young riders very fired up for the season. If any of the new kids on the block want to capture the title however, they will have some very big names to overcome. Combining Superbike and Supersport efforts will be Marshall Neill and David Haire and they will be joined by Declan Swanton and Richie Ryan as the benchmark for anyone looking to make their name. Carl Phillips who just failed to pip McCormack to the title last season will start as favourite of the younger riders and he will be joined by a number of graduates from the Cup class such as Luke Johnston, James Kelly, Jason Lynn, Timothy Elwood, Dean McMaster and Mark Conlin.

As well as the supporting races which run alongside the Superbike and Supersport classes each Mondello Park round will also include a round of the Stunt Ireland Irish stunt riding championship. This series is going into its second season and following the success of last year a much bigger and more competitive championship is expected.

Full details of the Adelaide Masters Series will be available as the season progresses on a new dedicated Adelaide Masters web site www.adelaidemasters.ie.