Latest news with #CoKildare
Irish Times
9 hours ago
- Health
- Irish Times
Alcohol labels fool nobody
Sir, – The logic behind placing warning labels on bottles of alcohol seems to be that the product can cause health and other problems and, therefore, people must be told. Apart from the fact that this is condescending – people already know that – it is unwise to take the same approach to alcohol as has been adopted towards tobacco. Alcohol only causes problems in excess, while most people use it in moderation. Last Saturday, for example, in the Drinks section of The Irish Times, there was an article headlined 'Wine shops moonlighting as bars are saving the neighbourhood'. On the opposite page were the four recommended tipples of the week. READ MORE Should that, too, be banned as it encourages dangerous behaviour? There is no evidence that warning labels will have any effect, in particular on problem drinkers. Labelling a bottle of wine 'This could kill you' is an irrelevant message for most people and will be regarded as laughable and therefore ignored. The obvious measure to take is to properly fund addiction treatment and services. That takes time, money and political will. Slapping warning labels on bottles is an exercise in 'Something must be seen to be done. Here is something'. – Yours, etc, DAVE SLATER, Co Kildare.
Irish Times
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Majority of carvans camped on Curragh remain despite court order, judge hears
The majority of more than 80 caravans camping on Department of Defence-owned lands in the Curragh, Co Kildare, were still there on Friday morning despite a High Court order that they leave by 1pm, a judge was told. As a result, Mr Justice Brian Cregan ordered that interim injunctions he granted on Tuesday over the alleged trespass should remain in place until further order. More than 80 caravans, believed to be occupied by members of the Traveller community who come over from England and France for the summer, had parked at a number of different locations on the Curragh plain since March, the court heard earlier this week. Their presence has resulted in 'mountains of rubbish' having to be removed at a cost so far of €31,700. Some €186,000 was spent on similar clean-ups last year in what has become an annual problem for land owners, residents, and horse trainers in the Curragh, the Minister for Defence has claimed in proceedings seeking to remove the caravans. READ MORE There have also been problems with noise nuisance, scramblers and quad bikes causing damage to greens on a golf course, dogs running around horses being trained and animals being left to graze on the plain. The Defence Forces have been prevented from carrying out training on a firing range on the lands. The case was returned to Friday when there was no appearance for any of the caravan dwellers, including 21 named individuals who it had been possible to identify. The court heard the injunction notices were either handed to the occupants or pinned by bailiffs to the caravan doors and included a 'plain English' version of them ordered by the court. Kelley Smith SC, for the Minister, said that as of 10.10am on Friday, there were 60 caravans at four different locations on the lands. One slightly troubling aspect was that one group of caravans had moved from one location within the lands to another, she said. She applied to make the interim injunctions interlocutory, which means they stay in place pending the full hearing of the Minister's case against the defendants. Mr Justice Cregan said he was satisfied to grant the orders sought and said in notifying the defendants about the orders they should be informed, again in plain English, that further applications may be brought against them. Ms Smith said in event of failure to comply with the orders, it may be necessary to apply for attachment and committal orders seeking the jailing of the defendants for contempt.
Irish Times
4 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Dozens of caravans parked on Curragh must leave, judge orders
The Minister for Defence has been granted High Court orders preventing dozens of caravans camping on lands in the Curragh, Co Kildare . Mr Justice Brian Cregan ordered that caravans, cars and other vehicles parked on the Department of Defence land, including areas used by horse trainers for gallops attached to the Curragh Racecourse, be removed by 1pm this Friday. Some of the caravans are also close to the Defence Forces firing ranges and have prevented the carrying out of training exercises. In an affidavit, department principal officer of property management, Eoin McDonnell, said 'mountains of rubbish' have been left behind by the transient and changing groups of caravan occupants, who the court heard are believed to be members of the Travelling community. There were caravans on the lands for nine months of last year and the bill for cleaning up the rubbish was nearly €186,000. Since the arrival of the first group of caravans in March, the bill has reached some €31,700, he said. READ MORE The dumped waste includes garden waste dumped as a result of transitory businesses along with household rubbish including clothing, bedding, mattresses, furniture, used nappies, sanitary towels and other such items. On one occasion, a young pup was found in rubbish dumped in a gully along the side of a road. The use of scramblers and quad bikes on the lands has caused damage to greens at Cill Dara Golf Club, while local residents have complained about noise and general nuisance from the encampments, Mr O'Donnell said. Fires have also been lit causing damage while on occasion illegally dumped material partially buried on the land create a serious trip hazard for horses galloping on the Curragh plain. Dogs are running around the horses and animals have been left to graze on the land by the caravan occupants. Some 200 horses are trained daily on the lands and the trainers based at the Curragh have said it is becoming very difficult to train due to the increased volume of caravans being parked close to a gallops known as Little Curragh, Mr O'Donnell said. Applying for the injunctions on a one-side only represented basis, Kelley Smith SC, for the Minister, said there has been quite a history over the decades of regular trespass on the lands by caravans, usually coming from England or France, during the months of May and August. Between 1992 and 2000, six court orders were obtained prohibiting the trespass. Despite those, since 2000, the unlawful caravan encampments have continued. Last year, counsel said, the number hit a record 75 at one point but this year that number was exceeded, with 89 counted. The caravan dwellers change as some move on and others arrive and they are located in a number of different areas around the Curragh. The Dublin-Cork rail line runs through the lands and a fire next to the line last March caused major disruption, counsel said. Bailiffs had been employed to serve notices to quit to the caravan occupants and only 21 people were identified, but because of the changing composition of those involved it has not been possible to identify everybody, counsel said. Mr Justice Cregan ordered that notices of the court order be pinned to the doors of each of the caravans, including the 21 named people, along with a 'plain English' notice explaining the order. He said anyone who wishes to contest the orders can turn up in court on Friday. He further ordered that the defendants and all people with notice of the orders be prohibited from returning once the Friday deadline has passed.
Irish Times
18-06-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Look inside: Equestrian haven on 15 acres in north Kildare for €1.95m
Address : Mount Windsor House, Mountarmstrong, Donadea, Co Kildare Price : €1,950,000 Agent : Sherry FitzGerald Country Homes View this property on Mountarmstrong, the hill on which the Georgian, mid-18th-century Mount Windsor House stands, has quite the storied past. Long before it was acquired by Charles Armstrong, the sheriff of Kildare , in 1720 as a site to build a family home, it was one of the waypoints on an ancient road, the slí dála that led from Naas , home of Kings, to Tara. Many of the old Georgian features can still be seen in this elegant home outside Clane in north Co Kildare. The exterior of the house has been kept as it was centuries ago, but within, this property has seen a stunning transformation as its developer-owner spared no expense gutting the 285sq m (3067sq ft) four-bed house and completely refitting it to create the calm, stylish country retreat it is today. Not just a beautiful home, Mount Windsor also possesses a small-scale equestrian set-up: the yard behind the house has seven stables, a barn, a tack-room and an apartment, and there are acres of paddocks beyond the expansive gardens. Spread over 15 acres, it would be an enviable location for a small training set-up. Entrance hall Inner Hall Sittingroom Back kitchen Kitchen with Aga and island Kitchen with bespoke cabinetry Utility The renovations on the house, undertaken in 2020, included re-roofing, rewiring and replumbing and the fitting of a new kitchen, as well as remodelling of some interior spaces. READ MORE A gravelled drive leads to the house, and there are curved granite steps to the front door. An old quoin surround on an interior hall door was found during renovations and the front hall was expanded. On the left is a diningroom with a handsome marble fireplace and long views over the gardens. The sittingroom, with a green marble fireplace, is on the other side of the hall, and is papered in a luxurious linen wallpaper. Both of these rooms are south facing and filled with warm sunlight. The floors are engineered solid oak, with underfloor heating. The property has an air-to-water heating system and the Ber is B2. Back in the hall on the left-hand side is a small study, papered in a vivid hunting print, and stairs leading to the first floor, which has the first of two bedroom wings. The bedrooms are beautiful, with the same gorgeous views as the reception rooms below. A stylish bathroom lies between them with a free-standing, claw-foot bath, more lovely wallpaper and French doors that open on to a small, railed balcony with more lovely views. On the other side of the house is a large kitchen, which is connected to the hall via a butler's pantry or galley kitchen. The attention to detail that went into the handcrafted kitchen is phenomenal. The owner wanted a country look that suited the house, and achieved it with tall, free-standing units, shiplap panelling and a large island with a Belfast sink beside an Aga stove. An old oak beam in the ceiling neatly bisects the kitchen and dining areas, and beyond the kitchen is a guest WC, utility and bootroom, with a door leading outside to a series of curved outdoor sheds. Study Main bedroom Bathroom with French doors to balcony Bedroom in second wing Bathroom in second wing Gardens Gardens Yard with stables and apartment A barn-style oak door in the kitchen slides back to reveal a stairway leading to the second bedroom wing; this could be perfect for guests or young adults or teenagers. There are two bedrooms with more of the beautiful cabinetry seen everywhere in this house, and a bathroom between the bedrooms. There's also a small comms room. The gardens are stunning, with a series of granite steps descending from the terraces surrounding the front of the house into lush lawns, studded with an impressive amount of mature trees: oak, beech and willow. At the end of the sweeping lawn is a mini-forest, from which a steady stream of birdsong issues. A tennis court and a small secret garden are accessed through a beech hedge. Mount Windsor is right beside 600 acres of woodland at Donadea Forest, and Clongowes Wood College is five minutes away by car. Clane is less than 10-minutes away and Maynooth and Naas are within a 20-minute drive, so although it feels deep in the country, connectivity is excellent. Mount Windsor is brought to market by Sherry FitzGerald Country Homes, seeking €1.95m.
BreakingNews.ie
03-06-2025
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Almost 3,000 drivers caught speeding over bank holiday weekend
Almost 3,000 drivers were caught speeding over the bank holiday weekend, according to gardaí. This wass part of an operation that started on Thursday at 7am and lasted until 7am Tuesday. Advertisement The highst speed was recorded was on the M50 at Templeogue, where a driver was recorded riving 188km/h in a 100km/h zone. Other speeds included a driver going 119km/h in a 80km/h zone on R148 at Broadford, Co. Kildare. While in Dunboyne, Co. Meath, a driver was recorded going 114km/h in a 60km/h zone. Over 4,000 breath tests and approximately 270 oral fluid tests were carried out, leading to 167 arrests for suspected driving under the influence of an intoxicant. Advertisement During this period, there was one fatality on our roads, while 14 serious collisions resulted in 14 individuals sustaining severe and life-threatening injuries. There was 210 fixed charge notices for drivers using their phones, with over 215 for Unaccompanied learner drivers. Over 70 drivers were given fixed charged notices for not wearing a seatbelt. 99 vehicles were seized from learner permit holders driving unaccompanied, with 380 vehicles seized for not having tax or insurance. In a statement, gardaí said: "An Garda Síochána continue to appeal to all road users to never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, to slow down and to always choose a speed that is appropriate to the driving conditions, to wear your seatbelt and keep your eyes always on the road."
