Kildare Fáilte’s Annual General Meeting and Networking Event

Venue: Lullymore Heritage & Discovery Park, Lullymore East, Lullymore, Co. Kildare, R51 E036 

Date:     Thursday 20th November

Time:    Registration from 10.30 am

Meeting Starts: 11.00 am

Guest Speaker: 11.45am- 12.15pm

 Light Lunch: 13.00 pm 

Agenda of the day: 

1. Welcome by Mr. David Mongey, Chairman, including outline of business
2. Minutes of Annual General Meeting for 2023, held on 19th November 2024
3. Annual Reports from:

• Chairman of the Board
• Honorary Secretary
• Honorary Treasurer

4. Election of Directors to the Board
5. Appointment of auditors
6. Presentation by the Chief Executive Officer
7. Other Business

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of Kildare Failte, held in Lawlor’s hotel on 19 November 2024. 

1. The Chairman, Mr David Mongey, opened the meeting and welcomed those present, including the Cathaoirleach and Chief Executive of Kildare County Council, acknowledging the continuing high degree of cooperation with and input to the company from the Council, which is very positive and appreciated.
2. He then proposed a minute’s silence in memory of Charlie Talbot, former Council official, who played a key role in the evolution of the company in his role as Secretary for many years.
3. The minutes of the AGM for 2022 were proposed for adoption by T. Robinson, seconded by A. Dunney.
4. In his opening address, the Chairman spoke initially about the importance of Brigid and the number and variety of events and collaborations that had taken place during what was an extremely busy but highly successful year. He highlighted the strong, ongoing connection with the Irish Embassy in London, which resulted in several high-level activities and events in the city during the year.
5. A recent key highlight was the very successful Taste of Kildare held at Naas Racecourse. In outlining the key aspects of the event, the Chairman emphasised the significant input of Board members, in both time, effort and professional advice, without which the event could not have been successful.   A formal review of the event will take place, following which decisions on the future direction will be made.
6. Following the Chairman’s report, those of the Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer, which had been circulated in advance, were read into the record. They were both adopted.
7. In her report, Anne O’Keeffe, Hon. Secretary, summarised the activities and developments during the year and, in signalling that she had taken the decision to retire from the Board, thanked her fellow Board members for their tolerance and support, and wished the company and incoming Board members success in the years ahead.
8. There were two vacancies on the Board filled during the year, arising from the retirement of Michael Davern and of Anne O’Keeffe. These were proposed to be filled, in line with the Constitution, by Mary Fennin Byrne and Veronica Cooke. This was endorsed by those present.
9. Appointment of Auditors:  A recommendation to reappoint Grealy and Company as the auditors to Into Kildare was put to the meeting by B. Flanagan, was seconded by B. Fallon and passed by a show of hands.
10. Presentation by CEO: Aine Mangan, CEO, gave a comprehensive presentation to the Board covering the range of activities since the last AGM (in 2023 and 2024 to date), including the recent Taste of Kildare.  She also acknowledged the input, during his tenure, of Michael Davern as a valued and long-serving Board member, and recognised the importance of the input by the small team of staff.
11. Following the acknowledgement by the Chair and thanks to Aine and the team, the Cathaoirleach of Kildare County Council, Cllr. Joe Neville offered words of appreciation for the company’s work. He cited several specific events which had taken place.  He finished with the phrase “a lot done, more to do.”
12. Before the presentation by Eoghan Corry, a vote of sympathy was passed on the death of Rose O’Loughlin, the proprietor of the Keadeen Hotel.
13. This completed the formal business of the AGM and was followed by a comprehensive and very useful input by Eoghan Corry, whose insights, including those on the threats and opportunities facing the tourism industry, were well received by those present.
14. Following Eoghan’s presentation, lunch was served in the hotel for those present.

Treasure Report  

Treasurer’s Report to the 2024 Annual General Meeting of Kildare Fáilte 

To be held at Lullymore Heritage & Discovery Park on Thursday, 20th November 2025.  

Dear Member, 

Thank you for joining us here today. I would like to begin by expressing my sincere appreciation for your continued support of County Kildare Fáilte (CKF). Membership remains at the heart of our organisation; without it, CKF simply could not exist. 

Below is a summary of our financial position for the year ended 31st December 2024: 

Total Income: €855,684 

Total Expenditure: €934,652 

Deficit: €78,968 

Income 

Our total income of €855,684 represents a significant increase from the 2023 figure of €339,352. This growth is primarily due to an increase in our core grant (rising to €350,000 from €200,000 in 2023) and substantial funding received in connection with Taste of Kildare (€344,000). 

As the designated tourism body for County Kildare, we are deeply grateful for the ongoing support of Kildare County Council, which contributed €459,727 in 2024. Maintaining and ideally, enhancing this level of support will be vital to sustaining the momentum of tourism development across the county. 

We continue to seek every opportunity to increase income through available grant funding streams. 

Expenditure 

Total expenditure for 2024 amounted to €934,652, compared with €488,934 in 2023. This increase primarily reflects costs associated with Taste of Kildare. As always, our spending is focused on supporting tourism, with a strong emphasis on marketing and digital promotion. All funds are fully committed in advance of the year, ensuring that expenditure aligns with our strategic objectives. 

Acknowledgements 

We are fortunate to have a dedicated and proactive Board, guided by an equally committed Chairman. I wish to thank all Board members for their continued involvement and acknowledge the outstanding work of Áine Mangan and her team in promoting tourism throughout County Kildare. I look forward to working closely with everyone in 2025 to build on the progress achieved. 

I also confirm that our audited accounts have been submitted to Kildare County Council in accordance with all required procedures. 

Finally, I wish to extend my thanks to Brian Flanagan for his assistance during the year. Should any members have questions, we are happy to address them. 

 
Yours faithfully, 

Brian Fallon 
Treasurer, Kildare Fáilte 

Images of event