Kinvara and District SEC (Sustainable Energy Community) carried out our Energy Master Plan over the last 2 years and the results showed that the 2 highest contributors to carbon emissions in our area are home energy and transport. Having set up our first Solar Meitheal in December we have now set up a Sustainable Travel action group. This group will aim to encourage the use of active and public transport and will draw up actions to promote better use and better facilities for our area. We will be carrying out surveys to explore local priorities and working with students in Seamount College on this project.  If you would like to be involved in our group please email us at kindissec@gmail.com.

Say Hello to your new Kinvara Community Choir: We will be coming together to gather and sing together under the expert guidance of group song leader Oonagh O’Sullivan. Each week promises a relaxed session where you will learn new songs; build confidence; have fun; and connect with others. The best part is there’s no experience needed! Just bring yourselves in comfy clothes, with your water bottle to the Kinvara Community Centre, ready to connect and have fun. Imbolc Term starts Thursday January 30, 7.30pm – 9pm. 6 week term: €60, Drop-in session: €15.

Kinvara Community Council: Our next monthly meeting will take place on Wednesday 15th January 2025. We encourage all members of the community to attend these meetings where discussion and debates on any items put forward on the agenda are always welcome. All sub groups who are affiliated to Kinvara Community Council must send a representative to every KCC meeting in order to maintain their benefits. Any items for inclusion on the agenda must be emailed in by Monday 13th January and you must be there to present your item.

Tidy Towns Kinvara say – Thank you, Mile Buiochas, Dyakuyu to our incredible volunteers for this year’s hard work and commitment to looking after our community and environment its unwavering and so heartening!❤️ Two national awards and 16 points of an increase, unreal achievements!  To our youth groups and clubs who painted and got involved in projects, ye should be so proud as we are of you all. To the teachers in each school, we really appreciate your efforts and collaborations with Tidy towns, earth keepers and tree Gang. We are grateful and greatly enjoy our collaborations with our community and environmental groups. Finally to our businesses and wider community, your support of helping us to keep our village looking well and our sustainability initiatives are so important…thank you, thank you and forever thank you 😊 

Meeting of Solar Meitheal on Monday December 16th at 7pm:We had a great turnout at the last meeting setting up the Kinvara and district Solar Meitheal at the end of which we have a group of 27 members interested in going ahead to install photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. We have now sent the names, contact numbers, and Eircodes to the 3 local PV contractors and we are expecting to get analysis done on a sample of quotes before the next meeting. So on the 16th we will have Dr Orla Nic Suibhne reporting the analysed results of the samples and giving us guidance on which is the most appropriate to sign up with.

Community members who did not attend the last meeting are welcome to attend and to see if they feel ready to go ahead with an application depending on what they learn. The date to keep in mind is the 31st December 2024 as if you are thinking of applying for the solar PV grant it will be reduced by 300 euros on that date,

There is no obligation on anyone to go ahead and you can use any of the installers when you are ready. Hopefully the analysis of the tenders will assist you in making that decision.

AN INVITATION FROM KINVARA ALIVE – Please join us on Thursday, 5th December, at 10.30am in the Parish Garden at St. Joseph’s church, Kinvara to celebrate the placing of the Community Bench by Kinvara Alive in the garden. This can be a place for everyone to sit in the quiet and take time to relax and reflect with the ‘Tree of Hope’. To mend and support our mental health we all have to sit down every now and then, either alone, or with a friend and talk or just enjoy the peace and quiet of nature. There will be a short ceremony led by Father Hugh and we invite you to come along.

Kinvara Parent and Toddler Group welcomes parents and guardians to our weekly playgroup; Wednesdays 10am-12pm in the meeting room of Kinvara Community Centre. Children under 6 are welcome to socialise in a relaxed, casual atmosphere. We have plenty of toys and play tents for little ones and we offer tea/coffee and biscuits for grown-ups. We ask for a donation of €3-€4 per family to cover running costs and special events. Follow us on Facebook, search for Kinvara Playgroup or message 087-7662294 to be added to our WhatsApp group which is a fantastic hive of information, and the odd hand-me-down, for local parents. 

We are running a fundraising drive until the end of the year to cover the added cost of a 150% increase in rent. If you have benefited from the group in the past we’re appealing for €5-€10 to keep the group running. You can donate directly at playgroup on Wednesdays, make a lodgment at Kinvara Credit Union (ac# 23145) or send via Revolut via revolut.me/kate8ua8g. We are so grateful for your support. 

Kinvara Community Defibrillator Project (KCDP) have now completed our AED upgrade program, to replace aging AEDs at our 5 locations with new equipment. We also updated a number of heated cabinets that had sustained storm damage last year. In addition, the other devices that we monitor for GAA, Seamount College and Kinvara Soccer have also been serviced to remain in perfect working order.

KCDP remains a voluntary organisation run in conjunction with the HSE/Ambulance service.

The upgrade program was funded through community donations, a HSE/National Lottery grant and a generous donation from the Kinvara Christmas Tractor Run.

Thanks to all our sponsors, donors, Joe Byrne (grant assistance) and all involved in organising the Tractor Run, including McMahon Transport, Kinvara GAA and Garda Considine and others. KCDP AEDs are located at Northampton NS, Doorus NS, Nogra, St Joseph’s NS and The Pierhead. Other AEDs are positioned at Community Centre, Soccer Pitch, and GAA Pitch.