A SEARCH by the emergency services was stood down this evening after a missing windsurfer off Brandon Bay turned up safe.
He was reported missing at around 7.30pm and the RNLI and Irish Coastguard helicopter were alerted and a search operation launched, co-ordinated from Valentia.
However, the windsurfer turned up safe and sound just after 8pm in Fahamore, Maharees and the search operation was stood down.
REV. Jim Stephens, Rector, and the Community of St. John’s Church of Ireland, Tralee, have extended an invitation to everyone to join them for a special celebration.
Taking place in the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Ashe Street on this Sunday, October 6, at 4pm, a Service of Thanksgiving will celebrate the Bicentenary of the present church and 400 years and more of Christian worship in Tralee.
The Guest Preacher is the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, Most Rev. Richard Clarke and other guests include the Bishop of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe, Rt. Rev. Reverend Dr Kenneth Kearon and the Catholic Bishop of Kerry. Most Rev. Raymond Browne.
To coincide with the bicentenary there will be a Harvest Thanksgiving exhibition of flowers and vegetables which will be open in the church on Sunday from 12 noon.
KERRY Sinn Féin will hold General Election and County Council conventions in The Rose Hotel Tralee on Friday, October 4 at 7.30pm.
The conventions are being held to select a new candidate to run in the forthcoming election and to replace Toireasa Ferris on Kerry County Council.
Tralee man, Cllr Pa Daly, is expected to be chosen as the candidate for the election.
Meanwhile, Cathal Foley is also to be chosen to replace Toireasa Ferris on Kerry County Council. Sinn Féin Finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty will be the guest speaker on the night.
THE Status Orange Wind Warning has been extended by three hours for Kerry, Limerick, Clare, Galway and Mayo.
Storm Lorenzo is continuing to approach of the west coast and later tonight southwesterly winds veering westerly will reach mean speeds 65 to 80km/h with gusts generally of 100 to 130km/h, higher in some coastal regions. Storm surges will produce coastal flooding and damage.
A Status Yellow warning is currently in effect, but that turns to Orange from 6pm this evening until 6am on Friday morning (it previously was forecasted to end by 3am).
COLÁISTE Gleann Lí post-primary school, on the Clash road, is holding its annual Open Evening on Thursday, October 10 from 5pm to 8pm.
The event is open to 5th and 6th class students in local primary schools and their Parents/Guardians.
The school promises to be a hive of activity for the event, with teachers and students displaying their work, teaching methods and modern facilities.
Principal, Richard Lawlor explained; ‘The Open-school event always draws great numbers and interest in the local community. The event has changed from Saturday morning to a Thursday evening, this year.
“It promises to be interactive and fun-filled, providing a snapshot of our inclusive, caring and student-centred characteristic spirit. Coláiste Gleann Lí offers a multi-denominational education in a child-centred, nurturing and inclusive environment. All are welcome to observe the Gleann Lí experience first-hand,” he said.
The school has much to celebrate in recent years with a recently opened €1.1million extension to cater for the steadily increasing enrolments at Junior and Senior Cycle for the Junior and Leaving Certificate.
The school boasts an on-site astro-turf pitch, a multi-media space and excellent ICT facilities.
Additionally, the school has become nationally recognised as a leader in Robotics, with students scooping a range of awards and the overall prize at the ‘National EA Robot Games’ earlier this year.
The school is now the only school in Tralee offering the full range of technology-based subjects: Engineering, Applied Technology, Wood Technology and Graphics.
In addition to English, Irish, Mathematics, French, Art, PE, CSPE, SPHE, Wellbeing, Home Economics, Science, ICT (Computer studies) and a range of new Junior Certificate short courses including Film Studies and Caring for Animals.
The message from the school community of Coláiste Gleann Lí is to come along and experience their school for yourself! Doors open on Thursday the 10th of October at 5pm.
If you need further information, you are welcome to follow the school on the Coláiste Gleann Lí Facebook page, the gleannli twitter page or on the web on www.gleannli.ie or if you wish to speak to a member of the Coláiste Gleann Lí team contact us via the school office by phone on 0667122552 or email office@gleannli.ie
FIANNA Fáil TD for Kerry John Brassil is warning that more patients will be facing long waits on hospital trolleys this winter unless the government begins tackling the issue of delayed discharges.
Deputy Brassil said that following inquiries, more than 3,000 bed days have been lost at University Hospital Kerry so far this year.
The latest INMO figures show that more than 3,000 people have been treated on trolleys at UHK in 2019.
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“The health system, home support crisis, and capacity issues in hospitals are all linked,” said Deputy Brassil. “The simple fact is that we do not have enough home support hours or step-down facilities, and as a result, acute hospital beds are filled for longer than they should be, and Emergency Department wait times grow.”
“It’s an all too common practice for patients, who are perfectly well, to be kept in hospital because there is no step-down facility or home care support available to them. This government needs to wake up to the seriousness of this crisis. The solution is relatively simple, and will in the longer term, actually save the State money. If we had proper step-down facilities and home care supports, we could free up capacity in our hospitals and vastly reduce the trolley figures.”
“Unless urgent measures are taken, we will be facing a rise in the number of people waiting on trolleys, and healthy people being kept in hospital because the supports are not in place to allow them to be discharged. This winter could be the worst we’ve seen to date”, warned Deputy Brassil.
THE approaching Storm Lorenzo has caused flight cancellations and IT Tralee will close earlier today due to the weather.
Aer Lingus Regional Flights operated by Stobart Air EI3204 at 12.40pm Inbound from Dublin to Kerry and EI3205 2.10pm outbound from Kerry to Dublin have been cancelled and passengers are asked to contact their airline for more details.
Currently there is no expected weather related disruption to the Ryanair flight schedule in and out of Kerry today, however they advise all passengers travelling to check the status of their flight before departing for the airport.
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Meanwhile, IT Tralee will close from 5pm today and all classes and activities taking place after 5pm are to be cancelled. The Institute is scheduled to reopen Friday as usual.
At Tralee Library, Dr. Mary O’Kane lectures scheduled for Tralee, Castleisland and Killarney Libraries on Thursday and Friday have been deferred. Kerry Library will re-schedule them at a future date.
Met Eireann has updated their warnings this morning with the Status Orange warning dropped to Status Yellow for Cork.
They say the storm isn’t quite as powerful as they thought it would be yesterday, however a Status Yellow wind warning is in place for Kerry from 9am this morning and will be upgraded to Status Orange at 6pm this evening. People are asked to heed all warnings from the emergency services and take precautions with securing their properties.
THE woman who died in the road traffic collision on the Castleisland-Abbeyfeale road yesterday has been named locally.
Twenty-six year old Kerrie Browne from Brosna, who worked as a nurse at University Hospital Kerry, was killed in the road traffic collision involving a jeep and a car that occurred at approximately 8am on Wednesday, on the N21, at Meenleitrim, Castleisland.
Ms Browne had recently returned to Kerry having spent some years working in London as a nurse.
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Gardaí at Tralee are appealing for any witnesses to come forward, particularly any motorists who were travelling in the area at the time and may have dash cam footage.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Tralee Garda Station on 066 7102300, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
