Goodbye Kate

After a beautiful session of music on stage with her partner Patrick at Féile na Sollán, and a completely different session with Tedí and a lovely group of children the following day, Cill Dara le Gaeilge said goodbye with a heavy heart to our talented friend Kate Ní Raoghaill. Kate is from Athy and received her entire education through Irish before graduating in Irish and English from Dublin City University before starting to work with Cill Dara part-time from June 2025 until the end of August 2026. Kate spent most of her time with Cill Dara le Gaeilge working with primary schools and events for young people. She did a great job introducing Irish to the children of local English primary schools in a fun and enjoyable way, and her imagination and creativity greatly enhanced every event she organised. Some of Kate’s achievements during her time with us included winning a prize for the family event she organised for Heritage Week 2025, a very interesting presentation on the Irish language and the 1926 Census in the context of Kildare, and organising and managing Kildare’s first Irish language summer camp in July this year. And of course, her musical talents cannot be overlooked! Kate and her partner Patrick took part in the 2025 Street Festival in Nás na Ríogh and the Sollán Festival in 2025 and 2026.

Kate is a dedicated, enthusiastic and positive person with her heart in the Irish language. We will miss our kind, generous and cheerful colleague and wish her all the best as she now undertakes an MA in Modern Irish at Cork University. Good luck Kate!

— Following a lovely music performance on stage with her partner Patrick at Féile na Sollán, and quite a different session with Teidí and a group of children the following day, Cill Dara le Gaeilge bid farewell with a heavy heart to our talented friend Kate Ní Raoghaill. Kate is from Athy and following her all-Irish primary and secondary school education, went on to gain a degree in Irish and English from DCU before starting working part-time with Cill Dara le Gaeilge from June 2025 to the end of August 2026. Kate worked mostly with local primary schools and with events for young children in her time with Cill Dara le Gaeilge. She did huge work bringing the Irish language to pupils in the local English-medium primary schools in a fun enjoyable way, and her creativity and imagination was a great addition to every event she organised. Amongst some of Kate’s achievements in her time with us were the prize she won for the family event she organized for Heritage Week in 2025, her interesting presentation on the Irish language and the 1926 Census in a Kildare context, and it was Kate who organized and managed Cill Dara le Gaeilge’s first summer camp in July of this year. And of course we can’t forget her musical talents! Kate and Patrick performed at the 2025 Street Festival in Naas and at Féile na Sollán in 2025 and 2026.

Kate is diligent, committed and positive with a great love for Irish. We’ll miss our kind, bighearted and cheerful colleague and we wish her all the best with her MA in New Irish in UCC. Good luck Kate!