Monread playground to 'open in August'

NAAS, 27 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. The long-awaited playground in Monread Park (above) 'will be opened in August', outgoing mayor of Naas Willie Callaghan told the town council at the AGM this week. And he said that with planning permission now cleared for the Swimming Pool operated by Kildare County Council, that the possibility of establishing a second playground at the Fair Green site 'should be looked at'.

Mayor Callaghan reviewed the town council's achievements under his year of stewardship, which was, he said, 'a year I enjoyed' and which set off to a great start when he welcomed the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern TD (below), to the opening of the Caragh Road Sports Centre.

"It's also great to see the housing scheme on the Caragh Road started," he said in his outgoing address. "But we must move much faster with social housing ... where we have land available, we should use it quickly."

He noted the introduction of the pilot Community Warden Scheme in February, though 'there is work to be done here', he added, and said the introduction of pay parking to Naas was bringing in 9,000 euros a week to the town wheich would be used for the benefit of the town.

Mayor Callaghan referred to the twinning visit to Omaha, and his visit to St David's in Wales in March, a visit which was reciprocated by a delegation from there for the Easter celebrations which included the boat rally (above) to the refurbished harbour. "I hope the sight of so many boats in the harbour will becomes an annual event," he said.

He thanked the many groups and organisations who had invited him to their events as mayor and noted that many of them had benefited from grants given by the town council.

Cllr Timmy Conway was elected as the new mayor of Naas.

Outgoing mayor of Naas Willie Callaghan

New mayor of Naas Timmy Conway

©2002knn