Pupils, parents, friends and John the Unicorn get ready to begin the sponsored walk in aid of Naas Community National School's new astro-pitch Photo: Jimmy Fullam The parents’ association has been fundraising for this reason for quite some time, with the very successful Naas Chase Table Quiz event with special guest Darragh Ennis that was held last year. This year’s walking event brought together the school community and raised an amazing €10,586.70. Combining funds raised from the recent walk and last year’s Naas Chase event, the parents’ association has announced that it has reached its funding goal and is ‘good to go’ for the school astro-pitch. Parents’ association chairperson Aimée Merry said: “It was a great day. We raised the money and also created some lovely school-community links.”  Aimée thanked all sponsors on behalf of the school community, including the “great bunch of kids, parents, guardians and the dedicated committee members”. Kildare Nationalist Newsletter delivered directly to your inbox https://www.kildarenow.com/section/1005/contact-us All the latest breaking local news from Kildare and county Keep up to date with the latest sports news Read all the latest Irish news and updates from around Ireland Find whats happening in and around Kildare and Leinster Enjoy our award winning photos and picture galleries taken in Kildare and Leinster Catch up on all the latest business news in Kildare and Leinster Read about the latest properties available in Kildare and Leinster Enjoy our latest and up to date motoring review and news in Kildare and Leinster Kildare and Leinster Met Eireann Weather Forecast Recent death notices and obituaries from Kildare and Leinster Latest environmental and climate change news in County Kildare Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter Support our mission and join our community now you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism Sarsfields forward Harry Redmond skips past Naas man Lee Kennedy in their Hanlon Concrete Senior Football League game Sarsfields deservedly took the points away from their clash with Naas The Kildare county champs handed the visitors the first point with a 3v3 infringement The error and subsequent score kicked this game into life with Sarsfields following it up with a point from Conor O’Donovan and a superb two-pointer from Daragh Ryan Naas got their first in the 12th minute with a second soon to follow but Sarsfields remained on top in the opening half After a sharp solo & go from Harry Redmond grabbed himself a point before a Ben Loakman two-pointer put Sash five points clear at 0-7 to 0-2 The visitors deserve huge credit for their first half display but Naas managed to do all their damage in a seven-minute spell.Centre-forward Dermot Hanifin had his effort blocked down superbly on the counter-attack but the ball broke to Lee Kennedy who volleyed the ball into the net Paul McDermott’s second point of the day made this a one-point game before Naas then shot in front in the 24th minute Neil Aherne punched a hole in the Sarsfields backline and laced an effort in the back of the net off his left side to give his team a 2-3 to 0-7 lead Sarsfields would have been shocked to have been behind and and Shea Ryan all added quick-fire points before Conor O’Donovan grabbed a goal late into the half to send the visitors in with 1-10 to 2-3 lead Naas were back level just seven minutes after the restart and looked set to kick on following points from Neil Aherne and a two-point free from goalkeeper Luke Mullins There was little to separate the teams from then on and they would get no more than a point away from one another until the 55th minute of this game Daragh Ryan’s second two-pointer was the score to do it and a Shane Doyle free-kick won moments later had the visitors in the driving seat coming down the home stretch A late Cathal White goal put the finishing touches on a great Sash performance and a 2-18 to 2-13 win as they beat Naas on their own turf SARSFIELDS: Marc Courtney Byrne; David Higgins Subs: Cian Costigan for Ciaran McEnerney Aspell (Half-time) Alan Scully for Gavin Anderson (45 minutes) Jake Loakman for Conor O'Donovan (55 minutes) Subs: Daniel Lenehan for Lee Kennedy (50 minutes) Dallan Gallagher for Dermot Hanifin (55 minutes) READ NEXT: Where to get tickets for the Kildare ladies' crucial clash with Meath " + $(".testo_articolo").html().replace(//g please subscribe and support local journalism Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles To continue reading this article for FREE,please kindly register and/or log in Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news Photo courtesy of An Garda Síochána Kildare Outside Naas courthouse are: Susanna Cawley House of Hearing's experienced audiologist Matt Allen Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie https://www.leinsterleader.ie/section/1240/advertise-with-us All the latest breaking local news from Kildare and Leinster County Read the latest crime and court news from Kildare and the surrounding areas Woman taken to hospital after hit-and-run by e-scooter in Naas Gardaí are investigating a hit-and-run road traffic collision which occurred along The Harbour, Naas, Co Kildare yesterday evening Friday 11th April 2025 at approximately 5.20pm.A female pedestrian aged in her 50s was struck by an e-scooter as she was out walking The e-scooter driver failed to remain at the scene The woman was removed from the scene by ambulance to Naas General Hospital where she was treated for her injuries which are non-life threatening.Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward.Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) who were travelling in the area 2025 are asked to make this footage available to Gardaí.Anyone with any information is asked to contact Naas Garda Station on 045 884 300 the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 READ NEXT; Kildare residents urged to clean up after their dogs.  Gardaí are seeking witnesses following a hit-and-run incident in Naas involving an e-scooter that left a pedestrian injured A woman in her 50s was struck by an e-scooter while walking along The Harbour last Friday evening at around 5.20pm The e-scooter rider left the scene without stopping The woman was taken by ambulance to Naas General Hospital where she received treatment for injuries described as non-life threatening Gardaí are asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward A Garda spokesperson added: “We are particularly interested in speaking with road users who may have camera footage from the area around the time of the incident on Friday evening Anyone with information is urged to contact Naas Garda Station on 045 884 300 t/a Kfm Radio - Company No: 355494 - Registered Office: Kfm Broadcast Centre Kfm is licenced by Coimisiún na Meán as a local sound broadcaster for Co Kildare Michael (Mike) will be sadly missed by his beloved wife Rosemary, his cherished sons Michael and Brian, adored grandchildren Shauna, Eoin, Jamie, and Ailbhe, and his great granddaughter Kyra. He will also be fondly remembered by his daughter in-law Mary, Susan, extended family, dear friends, former colleagues and members of the Civil Defence. Reposing at the George Mullins Funeral Home, Kilcullen Road, Naas (Eircode W91CD0K) on Sunday 4th May from 1pm until 3pm. Removal on Monday morning at 9.30am to the Church of Our Lady and St. David to arrive for Requiem Mass at 10am. Cremation service at 1.45pm in the Victorian Chapel, Mount Jerome, Harold's Cross (Eircode D6W HY98). Your presence and support are what matter most. In lieu of flowers donations if desired, can be made to Oscar’s Kids Ireland. Those who would like to leave a message of condolence for the family may do so in the 'Condolence' section below. Funeral Service.css-h76uj{display:inherit;margin-right:-4px;margin-left:8px;}Cremation / BurialDate Published: If you would like to make a donation to the chosen charity please click on the button below. memorial mass or anniversary for a Loved One?You can now create a family notice on RIP.ie to remember your loved one Visitor restrictions have been implemented at Naas General Hospital to stop the spread of norovirus. Photo: Google Maps Visitor restrictions continue to remain in place at Naas General Hospital in Co Kildare following the outbreak of norovirus in the community. Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that leads to vomiting and diarrhoea. Visiting is still limited to one person per patient during the designated visiting times of between 2pm to 4pm and 6.30pm to 8.30pm for 30 minutes. There is no visiting on Moate and Curragh wards except for compassionate purposes. Any visiting outside of these times is for critical or compassionate purposes only and must be arranged in advance with the nurse in charge. It comes as Naas General Hospital is reminding the public to consider all care options, including local injury units, GPs, pharmacists, and GP out-of-hours services before attending the emergency department (ED) this bank holiday weekend. “We continue to be very busy in the lead up to the bank holiday weekend,” explained Kieran McDonald, General Manager at Naas General Hospital. "Our emergency department in particular is dealing with significant presentations and hospital admissions. In addition, visiting restrictions remain in place on two wards where there are norovirus and flu cases. "We are working hard to minimise the length of time patients wait to be treated, particularly those aged over 75. It is really important that people consider all options available to them before attending an ED, including their local injury unit where often waiting times can be a lot less” The Naas Hospital Injury Unit, which is located in the Vista Primary Care Centre on the Ballymore Eustace Road in Naas, treats non-life-threatening injuries such as broken bones, dislocations, sprains, wounds, scalds, and minor burns. People from Kildare and West Wicklow aged 16 and over can attend the unit seven days a week, from 10am to 8pm, including bank holidays. Meanwhile, those with minor illnesses or non-emergency medical issues, are asked to visit their local pharmacy or make an appointment with their GP. If you need to see a GP urgently outside of normal hours, you can contact KDOC at 045 848 701 or visit www.kdoc.ie. KDOC operates in Naas and Celbridge, with opening hours from 5.30pm to 8am on weekdays and 24 hours a day on weekends and bank holidays. CrimeHomicide is the leading cause of non-natural deaths among children, state pathologist study revealsHomicide is the leading cause of child deaths that are examined by the state pathologist, a new study has found. Located close to the Co Kildare town of Naas and on the right side of the N7 for commuting to Dublin the developer has given these homes ample footprints with lots of storage spaces along with areas carved out for working from home and good-sized utility rooms Twenty houses are being released to the market today on March 20th including a range of two- and three-bedroom duplexes and spacious three- and four-bedroom terraced houses All houses have good ceiling heights of 2.7m with designer kitchens in a variety of colours including spiced carrot and deep vibrant green These full-height units can also be chosen in timber grain if a more natural wood is preferred Neff appliances and satin brass hardware add to the cool design features in the kitchens Large-format terrazzo and marble-effect tiling in bathrooms full-height wardrobes in bedrooms and a mix of spotlights and pendant lighting are indications of the thought that went into the overall design All the woodwork in the A2-rated houses was handcrafted by a local Kildare carpenter says Elaine Mackenzie Smith of Number 10 Design the Kildare-based commercial and residential interior design company that created the showhouse interiors [ Look inside: Large detached arts-and-crafts home in Carrickmines for €2.695mOpens in new window ] All homes are A2-rated thanks to energy-efficient heat pumps, controlled ventilation and thermostatic central heating. Houses have paved front gardens with parking for two cars, while rear gardens have painted timber side gate access for privacy. It is ideally located a few minutes from Naas town centre, with excellent transport connections. It’s a three-minute walk to the nearest bus stop, a 40-minute drive to Dublin Airport and a 40-minute commute by train to Dublin. For horseracing enthusiasts, it’s only an eight-minute drive to Punchestown Racecourse. The development includes seven acres of landscaped parkland with looped walks, a multi-use games area, a playground and picnic space in addition to a grocery shop and creche. The 20 houses launching today include two-bedroom duplex homes measuring 90sq m (969sq ft), priced from €435,000; three-bedroom duplexes with a utility room measuring 131sq m (1,406sq ft), priced from €495,000; and three-bedroom terraced houses (125sq m/1,347sq ft), priced from €545,000. Four-bedroom terraced homes set over three stories, measuring 200sq m (2,153sq ft), are listed from €595,000. These three-storey homes have four bathrooms, as there are two main en-suite bedrooms. All inquiries to joint selling agents Knight Frank and CME New Homes. Elizabeth Birdthistle, a contributor to The Irish Times, writes about property, fine arts, antiques and collectables Facebook pageTwitter feed© 2025 The Irish Times DAC Michael Parsons, Chairperson of Kilkenny, Carlow and District FRS and Fergal Dunne Naas Macra Sponsored by Kilkenny/Carlow and District Farm Relief Services, the weekend welcomed 24 contestants to The Hoban Hotel. Friday kicked off with bowling, followed by on-stage interview with MC Aindriú de Paor at The Hub, sharing light-hearted stories and entertaining the crowd. On Saturday, Fergal completed a private interview, while sporting the county colours with pride, with judges George Candler, Lisa O’Rourke, and Martin Merrick, before contestants were invited for jiving lessons and team-building challenges. The festival ended with a banquet and live music from The Fogues. The title of Mr Personality for 2025 went to Sean Kelly of Nenagh Macra, North Tipperary, with runners up Eddie Casey from Bree Macra, Wexford in second place and James Russell from Tullyallen Macra, Louth in third. Aontú candidate for Kildare North has called for urgent action on Phase 3 of Naas General Hospital who gained over 2,000 first preference votes in the recent general election has said that"the silence is deafening” regarding the future development of the hospital planning permission for Phase 3 was originally granted in2014 but as no progress was made the permit was extended for a further five years permission expired in December 2024 due to lack of progress “There appears to be no intention by HSE or Hospital Management to advance the project we see a hotch-potch of prefabs taking up any available space” “The building known as the “temporary morgue” – another prefab – is jammed alongside unsightly hospital utilities and has been in situ for the past 24 years Families facing the dreadful task of identifying their deceased have to walk past a forty-foot shipping container and two large refuse skips with noisy compaction units which are in regular use.” Ms O'Connor stated that inside the hospital family rooms attached to the three main wards – Moate Ward Allen Ward and Curragh Ward – have been repurposed as ad-hoc extensions to the wards with three additional beds in each She said that staff have stated that these rooms are not suitable as wards due to lack of bedside oxygen supply visitors to very sick patients are left standing in corridors and landings where previously they could gather with dignity in the family rooms Ms O’Connor said: “When canvassing for the general election numerous people brought to myattention the lack of privacy or comfort when accompanying their loved ones through critical illness The outstanding work and commitment by hospital staff is undermined by the dismal state of hospital infrastructure “Management are just reacting with sticking plasters – a prefab here They lack the requisite ambition for the third phase “I have asked my Oireachtas colleagues in Aontú to bring this matter to the Minister’s attention A Parliamentary Question has been lodged to uncover the status of the planned extension which isbadly needed and long overdue.” READ NEXT: Great news as some officers in the Defence Forces in Kildare are set for pay rise Naas Roads Policing Unit apprehended a motorist travelling at double the speed limit on the L1009 Donadea, Kildare over the May bank holiday weekend gardai discovered that apart from dangerous driving the motorcyclist was a learner driver who had no insurance or tax (which expired nine years previously) and was not wearing a fluorescent tabard as required by law Naas Roads Policing Unit took swift action arresting the driver for dangerous driving and impounding the motorcycle An Garda Síochana Kildare's Facebook page stated: “It’s a stark reminder of the importance of road safety and following regulations “Speeding and dangerous driving not only endangers the driver but also puts other road users at risk this serves as a lesson for others to be more responsible on the roads READ NEXT: Calls for urgent action on Phase 3 of Kildare hospital " + $(".testo_articolo").html().replace(//g, ' To continue reading this article, please subscribe and support local journalism! Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles. To continue reading this article for FREE,please kindly register and/or log in. Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites. You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news! Outside Naas courthouse are: Susanna Cawley, James Morrin, Richard Wixted BL and Andrew Coonan Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles. Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm. This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie. Cllr Anne Breen raised the issues in the April meeting of the local Municipal District, having initially raised it only the month before, and the formal reply seems to indicate her pressure is getting work done. “I’m asking that the council investigates and ensures that the proper flood risk prevention measures are delivered, and guaranteed, in the new housing development at the old SPS factory site adjacent to the Paddocks Estate on the Tipper Road, Naas,” she asked first. In March, she had made similar enquiries about the neighbouring estate of Mountain View where she believed 395 houses built over the last four years on what she claimed was a floodplain could lead to flooding issues in the future. A senior engineer at Development Control had a positive reply for her. “There are a number of conditions within the granted planning permission relating to surface water discharge and flood prevention in the proposed development,” said Liam McNeela. “The developer is required to submit details of their proposals to Kildare County Council for review to ensure compliance with the relevant conditions and the granted planning permission. “Development Control will monitor construction of works on site." Then Cllr Breen was straight in with her second query in relation to the Stonehaven estate, located half a kilometre away to the southwest. “Can the council confirm if the permanent attenuation pond and the soil bank has been installed at Stonehaven Estate to curtail any future flooding in the area?” she asked. “The temporary soil bund has been constructed along with a temporary drain to take the surface water from the old ditch and divert it away from Mountain View,” replied Mr McNeela. “The developer stated recently that they are finalising an agreement with a contractor to begin construction of the attenuation pond area in the southwestern corner of the site, and this work will begin shortly." 'Naas set to come alive' for Punchestown Festival - Kildare minister Lawless James Lawless said he is eagerly looking forward to the Punchestown Festival Mr Lawless said the Festival “has been a fixture in my calendar as long as I can remember” and he wished the organisers all the best The Kildare North TD told the Leinster Leader: “The meeting is a great boost to the local economy and Naas especially comes alive every year at festival time eat or socialise and the town and surrounds have a really special buzz all that week “Visitors from UK and around Europe as well as around Ireland will be very welcome to sample the famous hospitality that Co Kildare has to offer fashion and food is the highlight of the social calendar in Kildare and will be enjoyed by over 130,000 people “I know that Kildare people living abroad often come home and have a big reunion for Punchestown Week and enjoy feature races like the Punchestown Gold Cup and the Champion Hurdle “Best of luck to all racegoers and to all horses and connections in the run-in!” ALSO READ: Millions of euro paid out in Kildare to bring old houses back into use.  It took many hands to remove all of the waste including Naas Tidy Towns, students from the CBS secondary school and Waterways Ireland. Chair of Naas Tidy Towns, cllr Bill Clear commended all who came out to help with the cleanup, especially the CBS boys who “did a great job.”  Naas Tidy Towns, who did commendable work, were not able to get in far enough to remove all of the rubbish. Digger sent out by Waterways Ireland to help with the problemWaterways Ireland then got involved and hired a digger to remove the rest of the rubbish. Naas cllr Bill Clear estimated that there was around 25 bags full of domestic waste thrown into the canal. Cllr Clear said: “Anyone who does that is a disgusting, dirty person. It’s unfair to local residents. "It’s not tolerated in this day and age.”  It's understood the council believe they have identified the culprit and will issue a fine for the dumping that they must pay or be brought to court. “We found evidence of the person in one of the bags of rubbish on a jobseeker's receipt,” said cllr Clear. “A fine will be issued and if they don’t pay they will be named and shamed.” The Cemex site has been empty since 2007, derelict since a fire gutted most of it in 2012 As reported in the Kildare Nationalist recently that this was likely, it could only be described as “unconfirmed” – until now. “As a member of An Taisce myself, I am very happy that they have seen the light and withdrawn their appeal,” said long-time campaigner on the issue, and chair of Naas Tidy Towns, cllr Bill Clear. “We’ve worked for years to try and get this site developed and not left as a ghetto,” he said. “It’s been derelict now for 15 years, and on the Council’s Register of Derelict Sites (since 2019), but in fairness to Applegreen, they have submitted a substantial plan,” he said. “When I first raised the issue of this on Tik Tok I got 175,000 views, which just goes to show just how much interest there is in the site. “At this stage, I am reliable informed that demolition will begin as early as May, but at the end of the day I just want the thing flat." He added: ”It’s been a blight on the town for too long, and should never have been allowed to go on this long. “I have seen a lot of sites like this in towns across the Midlands that local authorities have turned a blind eye to, until one local voice starts raising concerns." The decision to develop this almost 20-year eyesore of a former cement plant was granted to Petrogas — the parent company of Applegreen — on 7 March, however within a month An Taisce – the Irish National Trust – chose to appeal this to An Bord Pleanala. What the new facility is expected to look likeThe €17m plan was build a motorway services and distribution warehouse on the 1.49Ha (3.67a), to include Ireland’s largest EV hub, with 36 spaces, and is expected to provide up to 400 local jobs during construction and subsequent operation. All this on a site that has been empty since 2007, derelict since a fire gutted most of it in 2012, and where the parent company first applied to the council to re-develop for something similar in 2015. This was granted in early 2016 but the company subsequently withdrew this application after an appeal against the €750,000 development levy failed at An Bord Pleanala, as Applegreen argued their responsibilities in this area should have been just €127,000. Petrogas applied again, and though were initially opposed by Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE), the council eventually granted the permission in March. A computer generated image of what the old Cemex site in Naas might look like after its proposed re-development. This was agreed after a suspension of standing orders at this week’s April meeting of the municipal district to allow members voice their opposition to this appeal. The decision to develop this almost 20 year eyesore of a former cement plant was granted to Petrogas — the parent company of Applegreen — on 7 March as reported in these pages, however, within a month An Taisce, the Irish National Trust, chose to appeal this to An Bord Pleanála. The €17m plan is to build a motorway services and distribution warehouse on the 1.49Ha (3.67a), to include Ireland’s largest EV charging hub, with 36 spaces. All this on a site that has been empty since 2007, derelict since a fire gutted most of it in 2012, despite the parent company first applying to Kildare County Council (KCC) to re-develop for something similar in 2015. Visualisation of the proposalThis was granted in early 2016 but the company subsequently withdrew this application after an appeal against the €750,000 development levy failed at An Bord Pleanála, as Applegreen argued the levy should have been just €127,000. Last June Petrogas applied again, and though were initially opposed by Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE), the council eventually granted the permission last month after only one request for further information. “This is one of the worst appeals ever,” commented cllr Fintan Brett, a long-time campaigner to have the derelict site re-developed. “They want a ‘landmark’ building at the entrance, and some sort of boutique hotel within, but it’s an industrial estate." “It (Applegreen’s plan) went with the County Development Plan (CDP), zoning, the masterplan for the Maudlin’s area, there was even a traffic count, and 400 jobs!” said cllr Brett. “Even TII (Transport Ireland Infrastructure) who have responsibility for the site didn’t see any point to object to it, because they were involved in the (Maudlin’s) masterplan and the traffic count,” he said. He said: “I only found out about it the morning of the MD meeting [Tuesday] so we suspended the standing orders and I tore at them." “The MD (Municipal District) has agreed to write to An Taisce to ask them to withdraw its objection,” he confirmed. “Why don’t they do it easily?” He was joined in his criticism by fellow campaigner Cllr Bill Clear. Cemex in Naas“Kildare’s biggest derelict site is at risk with this appeal,” he said. “As a member of An Taisce I am disappointed and angered that they has objected on several grounds, many of which seem out of touch with the realities on the ground,” he said. “They claim that the proposal creates car dependency, yet the site’s proximity to the M7 motorway and the inclusion of a greenway corridor addresses both vehicular and non-vehicular needs. They argue it conflicts with sustainable transport policies, even though it integrates seamless greenway access, encourages cycling, and would fund further greenway expansion”. Click NEXT or on the arrows above to see next picture The Naas GAA Club Awards Night took place in Lawlors Hotel in Kildare last Friday READ NEXT: 'Faye brought so much love and happiness' - GoFundMe set up after tragic death of young Kildare girl The controversial stretch outside St Mary's Church, Naas. However, a Kildare County Council representative said at a recent meeting of Naas Municipal District that “there are no known significant funding opportunities available for such improvements”. “We have €50,000 (LPT funding) already put aside for this, and that would go a long way." Cllr Clear had asked that “the council redesigns the area in front of the Church of Our Lady and St David, Mercy Convent Primary School, and McAuley Place, with consideration given to the installation of a pedestrian crossing to Chapel Lane”. At first, it sounded like his entreaty had landed on fertile ground. “Kildare County Council has outlined plans to transform the outside of the school and church environment on Sallins Road,” confirmed Donal Hodgins, the senior engineer at traffic. “The main objective of such plans is to significantly improve facilities for vulnerable road users and primarily to address issues of accessibility, and ease of movement for pedestrians,” he pointed out, not unreasonably, before settling on the uncomfortable crux. “However, there are significant constraints including the camber of the carriageway, existing drainage, public lighting provision, the standard of footpath surfaces, safety concerns regarding the existing perpendicular car parking, and the lack of accessibility at the bus stop,” he listed. “All these issues need to be resolved as part of a solution for this area, and a plan would need to be sensitively designed requiring a cross-departmental multi-disciplinary team,” he explained. “Any plans would require significant consultation with all relevant stakeholders, (but) a design to rebalance provisions for pedestrians and other vulnerable road users would be most effective, with a complete reimagining of the streetscape from the junction at Poplar Square to the junction of Wolfe Tone Street with an emphasis on reducing the attractiveness for motorised traffic to drive outside this sensitive area,” he outlined. “However, this is not an insignificant project and would require central government funding and there are no known significant funding opportunities available for such improvements,” concluded Mr Hodgins. “OK, they say there is a lot of design in this, but that €50k is enough to get the ball rolling on this,” said cllr clear. “I’ve even commenced formal talks with the church and the school, then we can improve the safety in this are for all vulnerable road users,” he said. “This location is next for a 30kph zone … last year alone there were seven people knocked down in Naas, fortunately none fatally. “We will ensure this plan will tie in with the (public realm team’s) plan for the centre of Naas." It looks like JavaScript is not enabled in your browser An Taisce has filed an appeal with An Bord Pleanála against a proposal for a service station development at the former Cemex site on the Dublin Road in Naas Applegreen had been granted approval for a €17 million project which includes a service station and electric vehicle hub covering 10,000 square metres The industrial site has been derelict since Cemex shut down in 2007 after more than 50 years of operation It’s thought the proposed development could create around 400 jobs locally It is believed that An Taisce's concern centres on the long-term sustainability of transportation and the appeal is likely based on the view that a service station would encourage car usage which contradicts many climate action goals Several local councillors from the Naas Municipal District have expressed their frustration with the appeal with some calling it "disgusting" and "disgraceful." Co. Kildare FM Radio Ltd. t/a Kfm Radio - Company No: 355494 - Registered Office: Kfm Broadcast Centre, M7 Business Park, Newhall, Naas, Co. Kildare. Kfm is licenced by Coimisiún na Meán as a local sound broadcaster for Co Kildare. Directors: Anna May McHugh (Chair), Clem Ryan (Executive), Catherine Wall (Secretary), Seán Ashmore. All rights reserved. The new Lily & Wild restaraunt opened at Naas Racecourse last Friday. Pictured are Kevin and Davina Walsh, with staff members at Naas Racecourse Photos: Aishling Conway The restaurant will bring a modern and inviting space for racegoers and the wider public to enjoy exceptional food in a relaxed setting. Owners of Lily & Wild Kevin and Davina Walsh The restaurant is spearheaded by Davina and Kevin Walsh, owners of Lily & Wild, who have built a strong reputation for high-quality catering through their Newbridge location and at some of Ireland’s top sporting venues and other events. Lily & Wild restaurant at Naas RacecourseLily & Wild will also be available for private event catering, making Naas Racecourse an ideal choice for celebrations, corporate gatherings, and special occasions. “We are thrilled to launch Lily & Wild in this fantastic setting,” said Davina Walsh. “Our focus is on fresh, high-quality food and creating a welcoming, comfortable space. Whether you’re here for a race day, a casual meal, or a private event, we want guests to feel at home.” Lily & Wild will be open seven days a week, operating exclusively for racegoers on race days and welcoming the public on all other days. The restaurant officially opened on Friday 28 February. Clane's Cian Shanahan gets a tackle in on Naas' Tom Kelly Photo: Sean Brilly Highly-impressive Naas put the departure of three-in-a-row winning manager Joe Murphy behind them with an emphatic first win of the Hanlon Concrete Ltd Senior Football League over a disappointing Clane outfit in Conneff Park on Saturday evening. With Murphy taking the reins of his native Carlow, Pádraig Cribben took charge temporarily for Naas pending a permanent appointment and he would have been delighted with a fluent attacking display from a team who had only picked up one point from their opening two games. Previously unbeaten Clane meanwhile, with former Naas manager Paul Kelly in charge, struggled with their kick-out, particularly into a strong breeze in the first half, with Naas dominant around the middle and the home side couldn’t cope with the fast, direct running of the likes of Elliot Beirne and Dermot Hanafin. Kevin Cummins was another to cause Clane problems, with a ten-point haul including a superb two-point free from well outside the arc, and he opened the scoring with a close-range free. Adam Fitzpatrick was a lively performer in attack for Clane and he responded with two points. Two fine scores from Hanafin sandwiched one from Clane midfielder James Dolan and at three-points apiece after nine minutes it looked as though we were in for a competitive game. Sean Hanafin on the ball for Naas Photo: Sean BrillyBut a minute later Naas got in for the only goal of the game, from which they never looked back. The two Hanafin brothers set up Paul McDermott to finish to the bottom corner of Hugh Muldoon’s net. Shane McCormack hit back with a free for Clane but that big two-point free from Cummins kicked off a scoring spree of five points in eight minutes with the speedy Beirne registering two to add to another from Cummins and a lovely left-footer from Dermot Hanafin. That made it 1-9 to 0-4 after twenty minutes and although Shane O’Sullivan responded with two frees and Caolan Smith added another, Naas finished the half on top with Dermot Hanafin and Cummins adding their fourth and fifth points respectively to send them in 1-11 to 0-7 ahead. The second half was something of a procession with early Clane wides ruining their hopes of a comeback. Naas tacked on six more points (Cummins with four of those and Beirne and Sean Hanafin with the others) before centre-back Hugh Prendergast ended twenty minutes without a score for the home side. Experienced Naas star Eoin Doyle Photo: Sean BrillyNaas didn’t let up, adding six points to Clane’s three by the finish with that man Cummins bringing his tally to ten, Beirne adding his fourth, Sean Hanafin his second and Tom Kelly and Leo Kennedy getting themselves on the scoresheet. O’Sullivan provided the only resistance for Clane with three points including a two-point free. This photo is used for illustrative purposes only Gardaí responded to the situation finding that a woman aged in her 50s was struck by an e-scooter while she was our walking. Gardaí noted that the driver of the e-scooter “failed to remain at the scene.”  The woman was removed from the scene by ambulance to Naas General Hospital where she was treated for her injuries, which are non-life threatening. Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward, including road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) who were travelling in the area, on the evening of Friday 11 April are asked to make this footage available to Gardaí. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Naas Garda Station on 045 884 300, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station. Opening of the Forge Inn with Gerry and Annette Roche and family  Pub owner, Ger Roche, and his family warmly welcomed people through the doors to the cosy new bar that has been long-awaited for by Naas townfolk. Gerry and Annette Roche serving a pint “I think we did a nice job on it,” said Ger. “We’re open a week now, so it’s going very well and we’re happy.”  The building, which had been closed for around 20 year, was taken over by Ger. “We were at it for the guts of five years. We put a lot of work into it and we’re very happy.”  Mary Gill, Gerry Roche and Paddy Kennedy Gerry explained that he purposefully designed the pub to cater to a middle-aged crowd with its relaxed and laid back fittings, which he hopes will encourage the same spirit in the pub’s customers. He said: “I don’t want people falling out the door. It’s very important to control the outside area.”  “It’s kind of a middle-aged group we’re here for.”  Gerry and Annette Roche cutting the Ribbon with Josie Kelly well known Lady from Naas The Forge, which is expected to be a great addition to the town, has created between 15 to 20 local jobs, with many of the employees serving customers with a smile on the day of the launch. Dan Eccles, Darren Forde, Nicola Gagola and Michael Di LiegghioGer, who has taken on the reconstruction of the neighbouring Naas Shopping Centre, is still awaiting an anchor tenant for the development. “We haven’t found one yet, but they will come.”  “We’re starting the car park. We’ve started that already, and there’ll be 300 spaces open in six months.”  With plans for another pub in the town, Gerry confirmed that he will be turning the vacant previous pub ‘The Five Lamps’ back into a pub. Gerry previously had the building in mind for apartments, but has since “changed course” and decided to keep it as a pub and hopes to develop it to have a different vibe and atmosphere to The Forge. "I’m just thinking out loud. Maybe a younger crowd for The Five Lamps,” he concluded. Fáilte chuig gaa.ie - suíomh oifigiúil CLG Fergal Conway, Celbridge, and Alex Beirne, Naas, in Kildare SFC Final action at Cedral St Conleth's Park. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile By Ger McNally at Cedral St Conleth's Park Darragh Kirwan kicked a wonderful match winning point in the 60th minute as Naas secured a fourth Kildare senior title in row. It was a historic day for Kildare GAA as the gates of Cedral St Conleths Park were opened for the first time following the redevelopment work there and it ended with a historic win for Naas as they became the first Kildare club to win four in a row since the early 1900s. It was a third final defeat for Celbridge since 2017, and second in a row by just a point, but this will hurt more than most. Davy Hughes had just put Celbridge into the lead in the 50th minute when Paddy Brophy, barely on the field after being introduced in place of Aaron Browne, lashed out at Eoin Doyle and was sent off there. After that, Alex Beirne hit an equalising score before man of the match Kirwan came up with the decisive score. Celbridge dominated the early stages but couldn’t get the scores and then fell behind in the eighth minute when Dermot Hanafin carried the ball half the length of the field before shooting to the Celbridge net for a brilliant goal. It took until the 16th minute for Killian Browne to open the Celbridge account and that was quickly followed by a score from Fergal Conway. Apart from that Hanafin goal, Naas were slow to find their attacking groove but once Kirwan fired over their first in the 19th minute, two more were tagged on in quick succession. Although the first half generally lacked in the quality that might be expected of these two top class team, there were flashes of class and Celbridge finished off the half with two good points, from Tony Archbold and Killian Browne, leaving two between the sides at the break, 1-3 to 0-4. Celbridge took the lead for the first time in the 37th minute when Archbold teed up a chance for Hugh McGrillen and the oldest man on the field palmed the ball into the net to spark the game into life. Kirwan pointed either side of a 45 metre free by Shane McNamara but the drama was to mount in the final ten minutes. Hughes was fresh off the bench when he converted a difficult free to push Celbridge ahead once again before Brophy’s moment of madness. It was to prove costly as Beirne levelled before Kirwan kicked a brilliant winning point from a difficult angle on the right to land yet another title for the all conquering Naas side. Naas: Luke Mullins; Cathal Daly, Conor McCarthy, Robert Fitzgerald, Brian Byrne, Eoin Doyle, Eoin Lawlor; Ryan Sinkey, Paul McDermott; Alex Beirne 0-1f, Tom Browne, Paddy McDermott, Darragh Kirwan 0-5 (1f), Dermot Hanafin 1-0, Neil Aherne 0-1. Subs: Paul McDermott for Beirne, b/s 11-15; Cathal Daly for Fitzgerald, 49; Paul McDermott for Sinkey, 50; Kevin Cummins for Aherne, 55; Sean Hanafin for Browne, 60. Celbridge: Shane McNamara 0-1f; John Clarke, Cian Powell, Mick Konstantin, Dean O’Donoghue, Fergal Conway 0-1, Liam O’Flynn; Hugh McGrillen 1-0, Mick O’Grady; Niall O’Regan, Kevin O’Callaghan, Tony Archbold 0-1, Paddy Brophy, Aaron Browne, Killian Browne 0-2. Subs: Davy Hughes for Flynn, 46; Paddy Brophy for A Browne, 50. Kerry impress in Electric Ireland Munster MFC win over Cork6 hours ago Tipp beat Clare in Electric Ireland Munster MFC Phase 1 Final10 hours ago Referees named for Ulster and Leinster SFC Finals17 hours ago Kevin McStay expecting positive Mayo response23 hours ago Official Sponsors of the GAA Football All-Ireland Championship Official Sponsors of the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Championship Naas have performed a U-turn on the inclusion of former Derry manager Rory Gallagher as a coach of the club’s senior football team The four-in-a-row Kildare champions confirmed in a statement on Sunday that Gallagher was to be part of Joe Murphy’s management team for 2025 the move sparked some strong public kickback – including calls online for club fundraisers to be boycotted and memberships withdrawn It is believed that GAA President Jarlath Burns also made contact with Naas on Sunday outlining concerns over the proposed appointment a club spokesperson confirmed: “Rory Gallagher is now not part of the Naas senior football coaching and management team.” Gallagher stepped down as Derry manager in May 2023 after his former wife however Gallagher was given a temporary debarment from the GAA by the Ulster Council – a decision he later succeeded in overturning Gallagher had been coaching Monaghan side Corduff until recently and in September the former Donegal and Fermanagh manager stated that he fully intended to return to intercounty management He was again linked with the Oak Leaf position towards the end of last year following the departure of Mickey Harte, but ultimately Paddy Tally was appointed as the county’s new manager. Gallagher’s proposed move to Naas was seen as his first major coaching role since stepping down as Derry manager, the Kildare champions already considered contenders for the Leinster club title this year. Naas have lost to Dublin opponents in the Leinster Championship in each of the last four years, continuing their hunt for a first provincial title. On Sunday, a statement from the club read: “Joe Murphy has been reappointed into the role of Naas senior football manager for 2025. Joe has confirmed that his management team will consist of Rory Gallagher, Pádraic Cribben, Kevin Martin, Martin Sweeney and Fionn Higgins.” Following the public reaction to the announcement, the club’s executive decided not to proceed with Gallagher as part of Murphy’s management set-up. Murphy is entering his fourth year as Naas manager, having guided the club to three of their four consecutive county triumphs. Meanwhile, writing in his annual report, Leinster Council secretary Michael Reynolds has highlighted a need for all counties to support the development of more referees. “The shortage of hurling referees remains a pressing concern, not only in Leinster but across all provinces,” Reynolds stated. “Addressing this imbalance will require a concerted effort in the years ahead. As we move forward, I urge incoming County Chairpersons to prioritise refereeing within their counties. Increased support and resources are essential to overcoming the recruitment challenges and ensuring the ongoing development of match officials. “The role of the referee is vital to the integrity of our games, and it is incumbent upon us all to provide the necessary support for their success. With continued collaboration and innovation, I am confident that we can navigate the challenges of the coming year and ensure the growth and sustainability of refereeing within Leinster GAA.” Reynolds also questioned the decision to remove the pre-league provincial competitions, such as the O’Byrne and McKenna Cups, from the 2025 calendar. “(The 2024) O’Byrne Cup proved to be a great opportunity for counties to test players, trial tactics, and build momentum ahead of the main season, begging a raised eyebrow at their lack of presence this year,” he added. Gordon Manning is a sports journalist, specialising in Gaelic games, with The Irish Times Naas CBS celebrate after their South Leinster Final win over Kildare rivals Ardscoil Na Trionoide and today went one step better to secure a Leinster Final place Photo: michaelorourkephotography.ie Naas will now face the winners of the Dublin Junior “A” Final which takes place on Friday afternoon. Already shorn of a number of players through injury Naas CBS were dealt a further blow when corner back, Eoin Markey from Trim, suffered an injury in the warm up and was replaced by Liam Mescal, who had an outstanding game, particularly in the second half. Points from Cathal Harris and Thompson as well as Hugh Kelly and Reilly drew just a single response from Pat’s through Bobby Gaffney. By the 20th minute Pat’s hit a purple patch with points from Nathan Reilly (free), Will Byrne and DJ Reilly to bring them back to one but late points from Callum Cowser and Max Sargent gave Naas a three point lead again before a late charge on Will Byrne by Aran Martin led to a pointed free from Nathan Reilly for Pats to leave the Kildare school 0-11 to 1-5 up at half time. Any worries that those two points would hardly be sufficient against the stiffening breeze in the second half were quickly realised as Pat’s hit 1-4 in an opening seven minutes blitz to turn the half time deficit into a five point lead, 2-10 to 0-11 and Naas CBS looked in trouble. Back came Naas again in a dramatic finish with pointed frees from Thompson, with Pat’s full back, Michael Byrne receiving a Black Card for the first of the offences and although another Pat’s substitute, Tomas Proudfoot, pulled one back two minutes into injury time it wasn’t enough to deny Naas CBS the victory, much to the delight of their large following at the game. Joe Murphy lead out Carlow in the opening round of the Leinster Championship on Sunday in Pairc Taileann after leaving Naas to take over as interim manager of the Carlow senior football team Photo: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane Murphy takes over his native county following the departure of Shane Curran last week after just seven league games in charge.  The Éire Óg club man took over Kildare side Naas ahead of the 2022 season and helped them to retain the SFC title, and added further titles in 2023 and 2024. He also led Naas to a Leinster final but wasn't able to overcome the Dublin champions in each of his provincial campaigns.  The current Carlow hurling manager, Tom Mullally, has been a long serving manager for the Naas hurlers and has enjoyed similar success but any thoughts of such an agreement with Murphy on the football side of things were quickly quashed.  Naas confirmed the re-appointment of Murphy for the 2025 season on 3 January of this year but there was subsequent discontent within the club when the rumoured appointment of Rory Gallagher as coach made national headlines. Naas backed away from that appointment and Murphy has led the team through the opening two rounds of the League in recent weeks but he was obviously attracted by the lure of his home county in their hour of need.  He will quickly get to action with Carlow due to face Meath in the opening round of the Leinster Championship on Sunday, while Naas will look to make an appointment that will continue the incredible success that they have enjoyed in the last four years. It is thought that the wheels are already in motion for Naas and they could even have a new manager in place before this weekend's league game against Clane. THE PITCH:How Naas GAA Club gambled jeopardy against strategy and lost.   Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile sponsors and other invested stakeholders of Naas GAA will gather with the membership for the club’s annual awards night Maxol and a dozen other investors are expected to attend the dinner at Lawlor’s Hotel for what ordinarily would be a standard night of celebration and toasting another year of exceptional achievement This is exclusive subscriber content. Already a subscriber? Sign in Introductory offers for new customers. Annual billed once for first year. Renews at €120. Monthly initial discount (first 4 months) billed monthly, then €10 a month. Ts&Cs apply By clicking on 'Sign Up' you will be the first to know about our latest and best sporting content on this browser You have accepted push notifications for this content. If you would like to manage your push notification preferences, you can do so here The predicted snowfall has arrived in Naas safe but care is needed as slush has accumulated in places Equally roads with less traffic volumes are more treacherous Read more Kildare news Kildare County Council does not provide grit for footpaths or minor roads Despite the inclement weather the horseracing event in the town went ahead as planned and despite the conditions It was one of the few sporting fixtures to survive the wintry conditions and a meeting in Chepstow was abandoned with most of the races still left to run ME is forecasting that the snow will continue to fall but sleet conditions  are more likely between now and 1 am tomorrow - when a frost will set in as temperatures dip to minus three degrees celsius before dawn A new €257k creche is to be built in Naas, Co Kildare The address of the proposed creche has been listed by Construction Information Services (CIS) as north of An Post depot east of IDA Business Park and west of Mountain View and the Paddocks Planning permission was issued by Kildare County Council on 24/3/2025 to Tapeford Limited for the construction of a ground floor creche building replacing a ground floor maisonette The development includes the construction of a proposed front The ground floor creche of floor area of 139.6 m² forms part of a proposed three storey maisonette building and consists of a 3 no universally accessible wc and a staff room cyclist and vehicular access to the development as per details granted under planning register reference no 23/750 for 58 residential units (consisting of 5 blocks of maisonettes 26 units in total and an apartment block of 32 units.) All associated site development works including landscaping bin storage and bicycle storage areas etc are included in the plans The architect in charge of the project is Clarke and Company Engineers & Architects READ NEXT: Plans for a massive €21m solar farm development in Kildare Walter Hill fans are in for a treat at the inaugural Naas Film Festival on Thursday April 17th as the auteur director’s 1984 musical action film Streets of Fire will be screened at Naas Library & Cultural Centre Set to a rousing rock n’ roll soundtrack (featuring music by Ry Cooder and more) in a dystopian metropolis where rock star Ellen Aim (Diane Lane) is kidnapped by a biker gang known as The Bombers headed by evil Raven Shaddock (Willem Dafoe) Aim’s ex-boyfriend Tom Cody (Michael Pare) takes charge in bringing Aim out of the clutches of the terrorising gang and back to the stage where she belongs and this screening will feature a Q&A with two special guests: film historian and author of the acclaimed book Walter Hill: The Cinema of a Hollywood Maverick and director (and Film Ireland writer) Paul Farren who also contributed to the book which details Hill’s career as well as the making of the much-underrated Streets of Fire These inveterate Hill enthusiasts and experts will discuss the director and their experience of documenting the film for the book who curated the event on behalf of the Naas Film Festival admits a personal indulgence in choosing Streets of Fire: “This film festival is quite music oriented so when the idea of programming a musical came up I thought it was a perfect opportunity to screen Streets of Fire and for several reasons – the fact that I love Walter Hill and I honour him any chance I get and because I wrote about the film in detail in my book and believe it to be one of his best works It was its 40th anniversary recently and deserves to be seen again in such a great setting as Naas Library & Cultural Centre which was itself a cinema going back a hundred years it’s a great opportunity for Paul and I to celebrate the film and talk about everything we learned from speaking to Walter and other people involved in its making but it got lost among other high-profile blockbusters that came out in 1984 But here we are screening and discussing it forty years later to hopefully an audience of old fans and potential new ones The screening will take place in Naas Library & Cultural Centre on Thursday, 17th April at 6.30pm. The event is not ticketed, seats are assigned first-come first-served. For further information, contact at naaslib@kildarecoco.ie or on 045 980795  For more information on the Naas Film Festival visit them on social media and on their website: https://naasfilmfestival.com/ Wayne Byrne, Author of ‘Walter Hill: The Cinema of a Hollywood Maverick’ Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" We take a look at some of the Irish films coming to screens in 2025 release dates and platforms and add reviews and interviews as they come in Dev Murray takes a fresh slice out of Vingt Dieux’s tender portrait of rural youth our contributors look back at some of their favourite films of the year © Film Ireland Naas Art Group presented Painting at the Forge Inn in Kildare this past week.  The newly refurbished Forge Inn is due to open shortly Sneak preview look at the interior of the newly refurbished Forge Inn READ NEXT: Kildare Gardaí probe bizarre theft at Dunnes Stores Naas Community Gardaí have responded to these concerns by monitoring the area where they found “numerous” motorists breaking red lights and issued them Fixed Charge Penalty Notices (FCPNs). FCPNs were also issued to motorists who were holding mobile phones while driving. The Gardaí said in a social media post: “Continued enforcement will be maintained to help keep our communities safe.”  “Remember the Rules of the Road and Road Traffic Legislation. If you break it we'll enforce it.”  Local Fianna Fáil Minister James Lawless TD and Councillor Carmel Kelly are working with Naas Community Gardai to try a resolve the problem. Deputy Lawless said “I have received several representations from residents raising concerns of the persistent problem of traffic breaking these pedestrian lights.”  “Both Councillor Kelly and I raised this with Naas Community Gardai who conducted traffic enforcement recently at this location with six people being caught for traffic violations”  Deputy Lawless continued: “However the Gardai are continuing their regular enforcement at this location with their presence in the area remaining over the recent weeks. The Gardai will continue this enforcement going forward.” Food group Kerry is to establish a new digital centre of excellence in Co Kildare, aimed at making its operations more efficient. The new facility will support digital initiatives to drive productivity and business performance through operations, research and development, commercial activities and global business services. It will also use advanced generative AI solutions to improve its business processes and support customer partnerships. The centre will be located at the nutrition giant’s global innovation facility in Naas, Co Kildare. “The Digital Centre of Excellence creates exciting opportunities to accelerate our business,” said Shane McGibney, chief business transformation officer at Kerry. “The initiative represents a new aspect of transformation at Kerry.” The centre builds on the digital initiatives piloted by the food group in past 12 to 18 months, including the launch of the KerryNow customer portal. There are plans to grow the deployment of the initiatives and embark on more in the coming two years. It is being supported by a €7.5 million grant from Enterprise Ireland under its research, development and innovation fund that supports large-scale transformation projects. “This investment is further proof of Kerry Group’s commitment to innovation and commercial excellence,” said Jenny Melia, executive director at Enterprise Ireland. “Enterprise Ireland is proud to support this new Centre of Excellence at the Kerry Global Innovation Centre in Kildare and we remain committed to supporting Irish companies like Kerry on their innovation agenda to further build on the resilience and competitiveness of the Irish food sector.” Ciara O'Brien is an Irish Times business and technology journalist Photo from the 2025 Leinster Junior 'A' Football Championship final in St Brigid's GAA Leinster PPS 2024-2025 (Leinster) Junior Football A Final Naas CBS dominated Dublin’s St Benildus College to become Leinster Post-Primary Schools Junior ‘A’ Football champions After a cagey opening 10 minutes with just a point for each side, the Kildare school got their break and never looked back A short kick-out from Benildus was intercepted by centre-forward Rian Curran and the Raheens man found clubmate Rory Thompson in all kinds of space Thompson looked unfazed as a huge moment was passed into his hands and he rifled the ball into the top left corner of the net Naas CBS kicked on with points from all over the park before a second goal before the half-time put their opponents in the rear view mirror.  after having his initial effort brilliantly saved spun sharply before finding the net.  Naas CBS led 2-5 to 0-1 at the break and their second half showing was no different as the deserving winners added further points to their tally on a regular basis Naas CBS finished 24 points clear in this final at 4-15 to 0-3 Rory Thompson 1-3 (0-1 frees),  Rian Curran 1-0 Subs: Mark McCarthy for Matthew Galvin (43 minutes) Fionn Stewart Byrne for Oisin McAfee (50 minutes) Subs: Jack Byrne to Phillip Moore (28 minutes) Ciaran Whelan for Andy McDonnell (36 minutes) Chris Cunningham for Davin Tighe (54 minutes) Jack Byrne for Aaron Corrigan (56 minutes) READ NEXT: Two Kildare clubs have applied for League of Ireland status Oh no! 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U-TURN: Rory Gallagher's appointment as coach to the Naas footballers won't go ahead  Donegal and Fermanagh manager was set to be part of Joe Murphy’s management team for the season ahead as they look to claim a fifth consecutive Kildare SFC title Following Sunday’s news that Gallagher was coming on board in place of Kevin Downes GAA president Jarlath Burns emailed the Naas club to express his misgivings about the development Although Gallagher was cleared to manage and coach teams following an appeal to the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA) last year it is believed Burns stressed his appointment in Naas might conflict with the association's core values Burns’ intervention is a considerable one and may yet have implications Gallagher continues to coach Monaghan club Corduff and will do so into 2025 Local reaction in Naas to the report of the Fermanagh native joining the club had been mixed Unrest about the appointment prompted the executive members to meet on Sunday when it was agreed Gallagher would not be assisting Murphy this season The 46-year-old stepped down as Derry manager days prior to the 2023 Ulster final win over Armagh following allegations of domestic abuse made against him by his estranged wife Nicola Gallagher successfully contested a temporary barring order imposed upon him by the Ulster Council The DRA ruled the province’s decision “was not disproportionate on the facts of the case” It is the second managerial controversy for Naas in the last four years Paul Kelly stepped down as manager prior to a county semi-final A player-management team led by Eoin Doyle took over and the club claimed their first senior county title before Murphy took over the following season From as little as €1 a week with our digital introductory offer Already a subscriber? 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