Kildare playground set to open 'end of September or early October'

The opening of the much anticipated playground at Leixlip Amenities is set to be “a great day for a lot of Leixlip and North Kildare”, a Fianna Fáil councillor has declared.

Cllr Bernard Caldwell called for the Celbridge-Leixlip Municipal District to sponsor the opening of the playground at a recent MD meeting.

The opening of the playground at Leixlip Amenities - which Cllr Caldwell said is due to take place "hopefully" at the end of September or early October - was going to be a significant event, he said, and he was looking for a financial contribution towards the opening.

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Also speaking at the meeting, fellow Leixlip councillor Nuala Killeen (SD) said this was a very important development, which Leixlip had been waiting “at least five years” for.

It was very important to support the opening of the playground, she said, because not only would it benefit local children, it would also allow the council the opportunity to move on and progress a “second” playground in Leixlip.

Supporting Cllr Caldwell's motion, Cllr Killeen said she was happy to support funding towards entertainment on the day, and asked – in the interest of sustainability – that only that reusable items are used on the day rather than single-use plastics.

Speaking of the playground at the Amenities, Cllr Killeen told the council that the project has been on the agenda since around 2016, so that it was about time it was opened to the public.

Having been reminded by a council official that there will be a second playground at The Wonderful Barn, Cllr Killeen apologised and said she looked forward to a “third” playground for Leixlip.

This provoked the ire of Celbridge councillors, Lumi Panaite Fahey (FG) and Claire O'Rourke (SD), who said that Celbridge is “well overdue” it's “first playground”, and suggested this should be given attention first.

A council official, on a point of clarification, reminded Cllrs Fahey and O'Rourke that there is in fact a playground in Willowbrook in Celbridge, so that it was incorrect to state that Celbridge has no playground.

On the matter of funding for the opening of the playground at Leixlip Amenities, she said, if members were to agree on funding, it should come from LPT (Local Property Tax), which would have to be ratified at a public meeting before funding is allocated.

Cllr Caldwell proposed €500 be allocated towards the playground from the discretionary fund, which was agreed by the council.