Kilcock Residents Community Development Association .

31/08/2026

After a quiet summer and a much‑needed break from social media, I’m back. There wasn’t much to report over the last couple of months — and honestly, the pause was welcome.

But summer is over, the kids are back to school, traffic has surged again, and the town is feeling the strain. One of the biggest questions people keep asking is when the Millerstown ring road will finally open. It would take huge pressure off the town — especially once the Maynooth college campus opens.

And that’s not the only concern.

We’re heading into Autumn with vacant buildings and unfinished sites becoming bigger problems by the week. The most obvious one is the eyesore of the unfinished apartment blocks at Angie’s. The High Court stopped work on the site due to unsafe practices, and now it’s being treated like a playground by teenagers. Only last week there was a fire — and with Halloween season approaching, fireworks and more incidents feel almost inevitable unless something changes.

And what about all the other vacant buildings and derelict sites around the town? How long do we keep waiting for action?

Meanwhile, Shalom Convent is still sitting in limbo. It was supposed to have a decision from An Coimisiún Pleanála on the Section 5 referral submitted by Kildare County Council. Yet we’re told there’s a “backlog”. But referrals from other county councils — lodged after ours — have already been decided. So why is ACP holding out on making a decision for Kilcock?

With all of this going on, we’re looking for new committee members who want to help drive real change. Whether your passion is:

Fighting for Millerstown ring road access

Tackling vacant buildings and proper redevelopment

Pushing for clarity and accountability on Shalom Convent

…we need people who care about Kilcock’s future and don’t want to see our town left behind.

If you’d like to get involved, please contact the page. Every voice, every skill, every bit of help matters.

Kilcock deserves better — and together, we can make sure it gets it.

15/05/2026

📢 Shalom Convent Update – More Delays, More Questions
At this stage, the pattern is impossible to ignore.
Frostbreak appealed Kildare County Council’s decision on the unauthorised fencing and gates at Shalom, which pushed the whole thing to An Coimisiún Pleanála.
A decision was due on 25th February 2026, but we were told it was delayed due to a “backlog.”
Then the new date — 20th April 2026 — came with letters landing through many of our doors saying the case was now delayed again because of the “complexity of the case.”
And it doesn’t stop there.
On 12th May, An Coimisiún Pleanála was also supposed to issue a determination on Case 324005, the Section 5 (ED1305) ruling on whether turning floors in Shalom Convent into an IPAS centre is exempt from planning permission.
That decision has now been pushed out too — all the way to 3rd July 2026, again citing backlog.
Three major delays.
Three moving deadlines.
Three decisions that directly affect our town, our planning system, and our right to transparency.
Meanwhile, next door, Fr. George didn’t get the decision he wanted for his parish centre — yet local TD James lawless and councillor Paul Ward had no issue supporting it. The contrast is hard to ignore.
And now we have the principal of St. Coca’s, Linda Daly, raising alarm about pupils “losing the right of way” through the parish grounds — even though no such loss has occurred.
But where is that same level of concern for the impending IPAS centre right beside the school?
Instead, what we see is support for plans to tear down walls and the grotto to create what’s being sold as a “safer entrance” — an entrance that would be 100 metres from a proposed IPAS centre.
At the same time, Frostbreak is offering land for her prefab classrooms, and appears aligned with both the school and the parish on their respective projects.
It’s hard not to notice how these interests overlap.
It’s hard not to notice who is helping whom.
And it’s very hard not to ignore how the community is being left out while others look after each other.
Kilcock deserves clarity, fairness, and transparency — not endless delays, selective concern, and behind‑the‑scenes arrangements.
We will keep watching.
We will keep documenting.
And we will keep holding every decision‑maker to account

04/05/2026

From the Mind of the Developer.......
I never meant to become the villain of Kilcock.
But if the shoe fits, I’ll wear it — polished, expensive, and bought with the profits I intend to squeeze from every square metre of Shalom Convent.
People think development is about community, heritage, planning law.
Please.
Development is about opportunity, and Shalom is the biggest opportunity I’ve seen in years.
A derelict convent on prime land, right in the heart of a growing commuter town?
That’s not a building — that’s a goldmine wrapped in ivy.
And when the government started throwing money at IPAS accommodation, I knew exactly what Shalom could become.
Not a sanctuary.
Not a community asset.
But a revenue stream.
A guaranteed, state‑funded, long‑term revenue stream.
Of course the locals don’t see it that way.
They talk about schools, traffic, safety, heritage, planning rules.
They cling to their Section 5 decisions and their appeals like they mean something.
But I’ve learned one thing in this business: planning is flexible when you know the right people.
Which brings me to my good friends — my very good friends — The planners
Ah, John
The kind of planning consultancy every developer dreams of.
They speak fluent planning law, fluent bureaucracy, and fluent “how to get things over the line.”
They know the system, the loopholes, the timing, the language that turns “inappropriate development” into “strategic necessity.”
When I say jump, they don’t ask how high.
They ask, “Will you need a supporting statement, a landscape appraisal, or a traffic assessment to go with that?”
Together, we’ve danced through applications, exemptions, retention requests, and appeals.
Every delay is just a puzzle.
Every refusal is just a challenge.
Every objection is just noise.
And now?
Now we’re closer than ever.
New gates.
New railings.
New landscaping.
A tidy little planning application — nothing dramatic, nothing flashy.
Just enough to keep the momentum going while the bigger decisions brew quietly in the background.
People say it’s suspicious.
People say it’s coordinated.
People say it’s all too convenient.
They’re right.
Because I don’t leave things to chance.
I don’t wait for opportunity — I manufacture it.
And if that means pushing every boundary, filing every application, appealing every refusal, and smiling politely while the community fumes…
So be it.
Shalom Convent will become what I want it to become.
Not because it’s right.
Not because it’s needed.
But because I want it, and I have the partners, the money, and the persistence to make it happen.
Greed?
Call it what you like.
I call it business.
And business is very, very good.

01/05/2026

08/04/2026

Is there anybody from Kilcock or surrounding areas in the Fuel Price Protests? Please contact page .

08/04/2026

**Thank you to everyone who came out on Saturday.**
The support from Kilcock and the surrounding areas was incredible — it reminded us exactly why this fight is worth fighting.

We need help from the community now more than ever.
Everyone needs to engage with **all** local representatives — no matter what party they’re in — and ask them a simple, direct question:

**“Can you ensure that even if Shalom doesn’t get an IPAS contract, it won’t become a Temporary Accommodation centre either?”**

We need to show fierce, united opposition.
Our local representatives cannot ignore us when the community speaks with one voice.

And please — stop sending leaflets through doors telling people there will be no IPAS centre at Shalom. That only lulls people into a false sense of security when the facts in front of us tell a very different story. As we’ve said from the start: **we want to be wrong — but we can’t ignore the facts.**
And maybe it’s time others started noticing those facts too.

If you missed the meeting, **check out the coverage on Gript Media** and **this week’s Liffey Champion**. The message is spreading, and the community is wide awake.

We’re fighting for the safe future of Kilcock — and after Saturday, we know we’re not fighting alone.

Huge thanks to ClCllr Linda de Courcy, Clondalkin LEACllr BiBill Clear Councillor Kildare CoCollr Tom McDonnell , Damien ,Rosanna, Veronica , Regina and Carmel.

Also to those that got up and spoke , and shared their realities and fears. All valid . Its just a pity more Maynooth/Clane MD Councillors weren't there to listen .

Siobhan (KRCDA)

01/04/2026

🇪🇺 How the EU Migration Pact Could Affect Kilcock — And Why We Deserve Straight Answers

With the EU Migration Pact moving toward implementation, communities across Ireland are trying to understand what it will mean on the ground. For Kilcock, that question feels even more urgent now that the Shalom Convent has already been set aside as either an IPAS centre or a temporary accommodation facility.

People aren’t looking for conflict. They’re looking for clarity, transparency, and a sense that decisions affecting their town aren’t being made behind closed doors. Yet right now, many residents feel they’re being kept in the dark.

🏘️ What the Migration Pact Means for Towns Like Kilcock
The pact aims to streamline how EU countries process asylum applications, relocate people, and manage returns. But for a growing town with stretched infrastructure, the real questions are practical:

- How many people could be placed here under the new system
- What supports will be provided for schooling, healthcare, transport, and integration
- Whether Kilcock’s infrastructure has been assessed for capacity
- How long “temporary” accommodation is expected to last

These are basic planning questions — and residents deserve answers.

🏚️ Shalom Convent: A Decision Made Without Local Input
The designation of Shalom Convent has raised concerns not because people lack compassion, but because the process has lacked transparency. Decisions seem to be happening to Kilcock rather than with Kilcock.

Residents are entitled to know:
- Why this site was chosen
- What the expected occupancy will be
- What supports will be provided for both new arrivals and existing residents
- Whether this is a short‑term measure or a long‑term plan

Silence only fuels frustration.

🗳️ Why Are Local Representatives Avoiding the Conversation
This is the question many people in Kilcock are now asking. When something this significant is happening in a small town, elected representatives should be front and centre — explaining, engaging, and advocating.

Instead, many residents feel they’re watching their representatives bury their heads in the sand.

If they support the plan, they should say so and explain why.
If they have concerns, they should voice them and fight for answers.
If they don’t know what’s happening, they should be demanding information on behalf of the people who elected them.

Leadership requires engagement, not avoidance.

📣 If You Want to Help, Come to the Kilcock Community Meeting
Kilcock deserves transparency, honesty, and a real conversation about what’s happening.

If you want to be part of that conversation, come to the Kilcock Community Meeting at Kilcock Community Centre on 4th April at 3.30 pm.
Your presence matters. Your voice matters. Our town deserves to be heard.

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