Concluding our review of 2023 we look back at some of the news we brought you in December…

• HUNDREDS of people lined the streets of Tralee on a chilly December afternoon as the Christmas parade returned to the streets of the town on Saturday, December 2.

The event was organised by Tralee Chamber and Kerry County Council, in partnership with Sean Murphy Electrical and the local business community, as ‘Santa’s Magical Fairytale Parade’ proved a big hit with families.

• IT was announced that the public consultation would commence on plans to develop a new greenway linking Tralee and Listowel.

It is expected that the proposed Tralee to Listowel Greenway will connect to the Tralee to Fenit Greenway and the Listowel to Abbeyfeale Greenway.

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• THE Kerry Heritage Award, which is presented each year by the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society, has been awarded for 2023 to Kerry historian and author, Tim Horgan.

The presentation to the author of several books on the revolutionary period in Kerry was made at a special ceremony at the Rose Hotel in Tralee.

• MULTI-MILLION euro funding was announced for two projects in Munster Technological University (MTU) that will progress to the next stage of development under the Technological Sector Strategic Projects Fund (TSSPF).

The Tralee campus proposal is the development of a Student Learner Centre with the potential to serve 2,000-3,000 students.

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• A KERRY woman won a Clean Coasts Ocean Hero Award at a ceremony in Dublin on Thursday.

Martha Farrell from Maharees Conservation won the Individual of the Year in Clean Coasts Ocean Hero Awards at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel. She is also involved in Tidy Towns Tralee.

The award acknowledges those individuals who initiate change and inspire others to do more to protect and conserve their coastline.

• THERE were some very lucky people playing the lotto in Kerry this month. A EuroMillions Plus draw winning ticket worth €500,000 was bought in Tesco in Tralee while over in Dingle a player scooped over €192,000 in the Lotto draw, all over the weekend of December 15/16.

• IT was revealed there would be two Fianna Fáil candidates contesting for Kerry County Council seats in the Tralee Electoral Area next year.

At the convention in December, Councillor Mikey Sheehy and Anne O’Sullivan, Parliamentary Assistant to Minister Norma Foley were both selected to run for the party in the local elections in 2024.

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• IT was also revealed that this year has seen the highest numbers of patients waiting on trolleys at University Hospital Kerry since records began in 2006.

There were 3,775 patients waiting on trolleys at the hospital since the start of the year according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) released earlier in December.

• KERRY saw a stormy end to 2023 with wind and rain warnings issued by Met Eireann. Storm Gerrit brought heavy rain and strong winds in the few days after Christmas Day, while another wind warning was issued for New Year’s Eve with a wet end to the year.

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Continuing our review of 2023 we look back at some of the news we brought you in November…

• NOVEMBER started brightly in Tralee with hundreds of people converging on Denny Street to watch the National Circus Festival of Ireland parade and fireworks display.

There was a great family atmosphere enjoying the post-Halloween entertainment on a chilly night with colourful performers and floats lighting up the night.

• AN Garda Síochána held its annual National Garda Youth Awards in Portlaoise with Kerry teenagers honoured.

A Special Achievement Award was presented to Erin O’Sullivan from Tralee who has a rare disorder Ataxia Telangiectasia, a condition that combines the symptoms of muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis and immune system disorder.

Members of Banna Rescue — Amber Dunne and Eoin Buckley — received a Community Safety Award while The Upcyclers from Castleisland Community College received a Group Award.

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• THE winners of the Family Business Awards were announced and a Tralee business picked up an award in Dublin.

Ryle’s Pharmacy on Ashe Street was named Pharmacy Family Business of the Year while Romantic Castles Of Ireland, who have Ballyseede Castle Hotel in their collection of hotels, won Hospitality Business of the Year.

• OVER 200 people headed to the Greenway at Fenit  in November to take part in the first ever Fenit Parkrun.

The efforts of volunteers paid off as it was a hugely successful first running with people of all ages taking part. The runners and walkers set off from the starting line at the bridge making their way off on a 5k route.

• FAMILY Carers Ireland announced that this year’s Netwatch Kerry Family Carer of the Year was Kathleen O’Sullivan from Portmagee.

This accolade recognises the exceptional dedication and commitment of family carers across the nation who provide vital care at home for loved ones with additional needs.

Kathleen was described as being an incredible and passionate individual who is constantly giving her time to help others. Kathleen, in particular, cares for her daughter Hannah who has cerebral palsy.

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• UNIVERSITY Hospital Kerry (UHK) has officially opened its newly renovated Interim Oncology Day Ward.

Located within the hospital in a reconfigured space of the Ratoo Ward, this dedicated medical oncology unit provides a modern, bright, and compassionate environment, ensuring patients experience privacy and a welcoming atmosphere.

• MINISTER for Education and Kerry T.D, Norma Foley, visited Presentation Secondary School Tralee to announce multi-million euro funding for new facilities there.

The Department of Education announced funding for the school to provide for a suite of new facilities including specialist classrooms for music, science, technology, graphics and textiles. Prep rooms, where required, are also included.

• THE Kerry College Assistant Principal won a national award for her work on Universal Design at the John Kelly Awards.

Celia O’Shea said it was a great honour to have won the John Kelly Award for the Further Education and Training Sector this year.

• KERRY GAA launched the new home jersey for its teams. With this jersey, the classic green and gold colours have a deeper tone and is inspired by the jersey of the 1984 All Ireland winning Kerry team.

“This statement piece of combining the vintage elements with modern characteristics embodies the message of Kerry GAA – always building on tradition when moulding future vision,” reads the description on the Kerry GAA website.

• THE PwC GAA Football All-Stars were held at a gala black-tie event in Dublin’s RDS tonight and four Kerry players received the accolade.

There were nine Kerry players nominated, but Tom O’Sullivan, Sean O’Shea, Paudie Clifford and David Clifford were the ones who collected the prestigious awards, while David Clifford won the Footballer of the Year honour for the second year in a row.

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• KERRY star Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh was named as the 2023 TG4 Senior Players’ Player of the Year at the annual TG4 All Star banquet, in association with Lidl, at The Bonnington Dublin Hotel.

Kerry had five representatives on the All-Star team — defenders Eilís Lynch and Cáit Lynch, midfielder Lorraine Scanlon and forwards Niamh Carmody and Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh.

• THE month saw a number of changes at Kerry FC. There was change in the senior management team for the 2024 season.

Billy Dennehy is moving to his original position as Sporting Director while the first team coaching group will consist of Billy’s original staff of Conor McCarthy, James Sugrue and Del O’Shea with Shane Guthrie joining as Strength and Conditioning coach.

Also, Brian Ainscough has stepped down as CEO of Kerry FC to pursue other interests at Dundalk FC.

• TRALEE Chamber’s Annual General Meeting took place at the Meadowlands Hotel where Stephen Stack was elected the new President.

He expressed his enthusiasm for the Astellas project, highlighting its potential to be a game changer for Tralee. Stack commended Kerry County Council for its proactive efforts in enhancing the town’s infrastructure, setting the stage for such progressive developments.

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Continuing our review of 2023 we look back at some of the news we brought you in October…

• NED O’Shea Construction company lodged a planning application for a €70m, 235-home, Large Scale Residential Development (LRD) in Lisloose, Tralee.

Work at the 9.2-hectare Lisloose site is located off the Bracker O’Regan Road will create 200 direct construction jobs in the local community and with local suppliers the developer said.

The planning proposal included a mixture of dwelling types and sizes, including 2, 3 and 4-bedroom houses, and 1 and 2-bedroom apartments, with a view to creating sustainable homes in landscaped green areas. In addition, a childcare facility and a small commercial unit are proposed as well as space for 372 car spaces, and 349 cycle spaces.

• KERRY International Film Festival (KIFF) has announced actress Eileen Walsh as this year’s recipient of the Maureen O’Hara Award.

Eileen Walsh’s notable roles include The Van, The Last Bus Home, When Brendan Met Trudy, The Magdalene Sisters, Pure Mule, Eden, and Catastrophe, to name a few.

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• IT was announced that after the success of last year, Tralee Chamber in partnership with Kerry County Council were bringing back the Island Of Geese Festive Market as part of their 2023 Christmas programme.

The said the Festive Markets would run on Friday, December 8, Saturday, December 9 and on Sunday, December 10.

• RADIO Kerry had a fantastic time at the IMRO Radio awards at the Lyrath Hotel in Kilkenny tonight, winning four Gold, three Silver, one Bronze award.

One of the popular winners at the prestigious awards — regarded as the ‘Radio Oscars’ — was Tim Moynihan who won the Gold in the Sports Broadcaster of the Year Local Regional category.

• TRALEE won its 11th Tidy Towns Gold Medal in a row and in doing so upped their points tally significantly on last year.

They were awarded 366 points, up an impressive nineteen points on 2022’s total of 347.  It was the fourth highest mark of all towns and villages in the county after Killarney, Kenmare and Listowel. Ireland’s Tidiest Large Town 2023 went to Killarney who achieved 375 points.

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• KINGDOM Pride in Kerry won the Community Organisation of the Year Award (Volunteer Staff) at the GALAS Awards.

From a longlist of 48 volunteer-run organisations, Kingdom Pride was shortlisted alongside Equality for Children, Na Gael Aeracha, and the Small Trans Library.

• A NEW residential development was given the go ahead at the site of the CBS Monastery at Castlecountess in Tralee.

Kerry County Council granted permission to the applicants Nailun Limited for the development, subject to 19 conditions.

The existing two-storey building — which is located adjacent to CBS The Green Secondary School — would be demolished to make way for the construction of 14 new housing units.

• A TRALEE woman was among the winners at the 16th Writers Guild of Ireland (WGI) Zebbie Awards. The awards celebrate the best of Irish writing for stage, screen and radio.

Katie McNeice won the Best Short Film Script award for ‘Lambing’ which she also directed.  Katie, of Hardback Films, is a former winner of  the Kerry Short Film Bursary of €10,000.

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• A NUMBER of rallies were held in Tralee and Killarney during October to show solidarity with the Palestinian people during the  humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

They were organised by the Kerry branch of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) — which campaigns for justice and works to support the rights of the Palestinian people.

• A SOLICITOR from Tralee was included in the prestigious Airline Economics 40 Under 40 Class of 2023.

Claire McDermott featured in the list in the leading and largest finance and leasing global publication for the aviation sector, which reaches industry professionals from lessors, investors, banks, airlines, law firms & MROs.

A daughter of Peter and Nora McDermott, Claire graduated with a Bachelor of Civil Law from National University of Ireland, Galway in 2007. Her primary education was at St Oliver’s National School Killarney before attending Balloonagh/Mercy Mounthawk Secondary School and Brookfield College, Tralee.

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Continuing our review of 2023 we look back at some of the news we brought you in September…

• RTE journalist Katie Hannon was selected as the 2023 Kerry Person of the Year while two Radio Kerry sports broadcasters were honoured by the Kerry Association in Dublin.

Ambrose O’Donovan and Tim Moynihan were selected to receive the Laochra Chiarraí award which recognises exemplary leadership in community activity in the county.

Both awards were presented at the Association’s annual Oíche Chiarraí  in the Louis Fitzgerald hotel, Dublin in October.

• THERE were some very fancy cars on display at the FBD Insurance/Peevers Slye Cotter car park on Dan Spring Road for the second ‘Automobili Italia Tralee’.

Ferraris, Maseratis, Lamborghinis, Alfa Romeos, Fiats, Lancias and many more old and new cars rolled into the venue for the successful event which raises funds for the Irish Wheelchair Association.

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• IT was revealed that Kerry County Council have plans for developments at Blennerville Windmill.

They revealed they are progressing a design for extensive upgrading of the existing Blennerville Windmill Visitor Centre. The first phase of the development project proposes a new Bakery and Baking School which has received funding approval under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.

• A LOCAL councillor called for immediate maintenance work on the old O’Sullivan’s Bar building in Fenit.

Speaking at the Tralee Municipal District meeting of Kerry County Council on Monday, Sinn Féin Cllr Deirdre Ferris said the building was in such a state of neglect that it was in danger of collapse.  She asked that something be done immediately in regard to maintenance.

Cllr Ferris said it was a building of historical importance to the area and local development groups should be consulted as to the future use of the building.

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• IT was revealed plans for the new plaza area at the bus and railway station in Tralee will reach the planning stage by the end of the first quarter of 2024.

The proposed plaza area to the front of Casement Station will involve a landmark re-invention of the space on the southern aspect of the Tralee Casement Train Station which will revitalise the Train and Bus Station and its environs.

The proposed redeveloped area will create a sustainable transport hub and a serviced termination/start point for the Tralee Fenit Greenway linking to the numerous proposed and existing safe cycling and walking routes throughout the Town.

• MINISTER for Education Norma Foley TD announcesd official project approval for a second multi-million euro building project for Mercy Mounthawk Secondary school, Tralee.

The new project brief caters for six classrooms dedicated for the provision of special education with five pastoral rooms; one home economics room; two graphics rooms; two science labs and a prep area; two art rooms with six project store rooms; two construction studies rooms and six engineering rooms.

• THE Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council decided he would not run for office in the next local elections due to be held in 2024.

Fine Gael’s Tralee Municipal District Cllr, Jim Finucane, originally from Tarbert, successfully ran for Tralee Town Council in 1986 and would spend the next 14 years in that local authority.

He took a break from politics for much of the Noughties but returned in 2009 when he was asked to run for the County Council and he has been reelected twice since then.

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• ASTELLAS Pharma Ireland announced it is to apply for planning permission for a €330 million facility at the Kerry Technology Park in Tralee.

When constructed, the new plant will provide investment for Tralee and bring 110 highly-specialized engineering, science and technology jobs to the county and the region. Around 600 people will be employed during the construction of the building.

• A LOTTO player in Kerry won the top prize of €1 million in a Lotto Plus 1 draw. The Kerry winner scooped their top prize after purchasing their ticket online at www.lottery.ie or through the National Lottery app.

The National Lottery confirmed that a notification to the user’s online account and a separate email had been sent to the lucky  Kerry  ticket holder.

• TRALEE Bay Wetlands Eco and Activity Park and Tralee Town Park  were recognised once again with Green Flag awards.

They were among the 101 parks, gardens, grounds and wildlife sanctuaries around the country announced as Green Flag Award winners this year.

Tralee Bay Wetlands received 2023 Green Flag Award and Heritage Site Accreditation as well as the Overall Pollinator Award.

• NINE Kerry players received PwC GAA Football All-Star nominations with David Clifford among three nominees for Footballer of the Year.

All-Ireland football champions Dublin had 10 nominations among the list of 45 players spread across 13 counties – the largest representative breakdown since 2008.

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Continuing our review of 2023 we look back at some of the news we brought you in August…

• A WOMAN from the Spa was celebrating some good luck as she won a Radio Kerry Bingo Jackpot worth €28,200.

Kathleen O’Brien, from The Spa, bought her winning book in Hartnett’s Costcutter in Ballyheigue. Speaking about her win Kathleen said she has been playing the new Radio Kerry Radio Bingo game since it began in May 2021 and has not missed a week.

• THE Ballygarry Estate played host to the People of UHK Awards at the start of the month.

Orchestrated by University Hospital Kerry (UHK) to celebrate the exceptional individuals and teams shaping lives within their care, the event shines a spotlight on those who exemplify the essence of compassion, dedication, and innovation within UHK, leaving an indelible mark on patients, families, and colleagues alike. (see full story).

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• IT was a day to forget for the Kerry ladies team once again in Croke Park on August 13.

Never before was there such support for a Kerry ladies side at Croke Park, with thousands taking to the roads —mainly by bus — hoping to see the Kingdom bridge that 30 year gap and bring the title home. Alas it wasn’t to be, with the Dubs once again foiling Kerry celebrations winning by 0-18 to 1-10.

• THE new Rose of Tralee was announced as Róisín Wiley from New York. She was announced on the stage at the Kerry Sports Academy by hosts Daithi Ó Sé and Kathryn Thomas.

The 27 year old lives in Manhattan and is  VP of National Sales at a consumer marketing company, managing a territory of OTC and Pharmaceutical accounts.

This was the fifth win for New York. Previous winners from the Big Apple were Maggie Flaherty in 1974, Marie Soden in 1976, Roisin Egenton in 2000, and Lisa Murtagh in 2007.

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• THE new Féile Thrá Lí was a great success with super entertainment on the streets throughout the five days to coincide with the Rose of Tralee festival.

ABBA and Queen tribute acts as well as local and national artists drew thousands of people into the town to enjoy the fun which benefitted local businesses.

• THE Irish Academy of Management (IAM) announced an Abbeydorney man as the recipient of the Whitaker Award for 2023.

The accolade, which is awarded annually, acknowledges those the Academy believes have made an exceptional and life-long contribution to Irish business and society.

The award was presented to Martin Shanahan at a ceremony at J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics, University of Galway.

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• IT was a hectic August Friday morning for the Leaving Cert Class of 2023 as they celebrated their results.

While the traditional gatherings at schools to receive the brown envelopes is a thing of the past thanks the availability of results online, there were still a few who turned up at Tralee schools on the morning to meet with friends.

Minister for Education, Norma Foley, visited each school in town to meet with the happy teenagers.

• GREAT credit was due to the staff Woodies Tralee as their efforts helped raise €10,770 in this year’s Heroes Campaign.

The campaign came to an end in August after four weeks of fundraising activities which included raffles, bric-a-brac sales and a table quiz. Woodies colleagues all over Ireland have raised more than €300K this year for Heroes, the biggest amount ever.

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Continuing our review of 2023 we look back at some of the news we brought you in July…

• THE Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle was another massive success in early July with around 4,500 setting off from early in the morning on the route.

Thankfully, the sun was shining for the most part and there was a carnival atmosphere at the Beech Road Car Park in Killarney as cyclists arrived home after the gruelling event.

One of them was Anthony ‘Anto’ Cronin, a teacher in CBS The Green, who participated on a penny farthing bicycle in aid of Kerry Mountain Rescue, one of the main beneficiaries of the 41st edition of the event.

• THERE was a great turnout early in the month for the launch of a book from a first-time local author.

‘What Anna Did Next’, was the debut novel by Denise Brassil and her late sister Martha.  Denise’s family and friends gathered in The Rose Hotel where she launched the book and was interviewed on stage by Radio Kerry’s Elaine Kinsella.

It was an emotional afternoon for the Caherslee woman who explained the novel has been over two decades in the making.

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• TRUE golfing royalty was present in Tralee Golf Club when Gary Player paid a visit to the Barrow course to play a bit of golf and meet members.

The winner of nine majors also posed next to the statue of the Tralee course’s designer, Arnold Palmer, a friend and contemporary of the South African legend.

• IT was announced a new humanitarian scheme agreed by Government ministers would provide up to €200,000 for small businesses, community, voluntary and sporting bodies who, through no fault of their own, had been unable to obtain flood insurance and were affected by recent floods in Kerry in June.

Flooding occurred in Tralee, Killarney, Listowel and other parts of Kerry last month due to freak rainfall amounts over a short period.

This new scheme will provide much-needed funds to these organisations to carry out essential repairs to their businesses and to return premises to their pre-flood conditions.

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• THERE was great sadness in Tralee in mid-July at the news of the passing of Mairead Fernane. Mairead was a former Chairperson of Austin Stacks GAA Club and a true Rockie to the core growing up in Rock Street.

Mairead was also a Fine Gael Councillor elected to Tralee Town Council in 2009 and served as Deputy Mayor in 2009/10 and 2013/14. Mairead was a prominent local activist for the Tralee Community Hospital and also served with the Kerry Hospice Foundation committee for 15 years, retiring in 2021. In 2005, Mairead founded Victim Assistance, a voluntary organisation which helps victims of crime.

• PLANS for a new five-day festival of family fun and street entertainment in Tralee in August were at an advanced stage.

The name and branding for the new ‘Féile Thrá Lí’ were unveiled on July 17. Féile Thrá Lí, the Tralee StreetFest would take place between August 18-22 to coincide with the Rose of Tralee International Festival.

• THE County League Division 1 relegation playoff battle between Austin Stacks and Kerins O’Rahillys was held on Sunday, July 23  and it was the Blues who prevailed after an epic battle in difficult conditions at Austin Stack Park. They retained their Division 1 status while the Rockies headed down to Division 2.

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• RTÉ announced that Kathryn Thomas would join Dáithí Ó Sé as co-host for the Rose of Tralee 2023.

The pair would make history as the first ever joint presenters of RTÉ’s coverage of the Festival, broadcasting live from the Kerry Sports Academy at the Munster Technological University (MTU) on August 21st and 22nd.

• SOMEONE scooped the €1 million top prize in a Lotto Plus 1 draw in late July after purchasing their  ticket in Murphy’s Supervalu on Railway Road in Kenmare.

Store owner Derry Murphy was delighted to hear the good news: “It really could be anyone who’s won, since we have a real mix of locals and tourists who shop with us every day.” It later emerged that it was a European tourist who won the prize.

• LOUISE Ní Mhuircheartaigh produced a stunning display and shot 1-10 as Kerry ladies took another major step towards ending their famine as they booked their place in the TG4 All-Ireland final for the second year in a row.

There was a huge Kerry crowd in Semple Stadium in Thurles for the semi-final against Mayo which they won by 1-16 t0 1-11.

• THE Kerry footballers suffered heartbreak against Dublin once again as they were beaten in the All-Ireland Final in Croke Park on July 30.

A rainy day in Dublin was the setting for Kerry’s defeat at the hands of our great rivals and there was disappointment on the faces of the many, many thousands of Kerry fans who made the trip to the capital.

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Continuing our review of 2023 we look back at some of the news we brought you in June…

• KERRY Airport released the Annual Report & Accounts for the 12-month period ended 31st December 2022 reporting an Operating Profit after Taxation for the period of €1,061,413 as compared to an after Taxation Operating Profit of €2,439,515 in the previous year.

Passenger numbers for 2022 finished at 356,141 which represents a 96.3% recovery from the highs of 2019 and the highest percentage recovery, in those terms, of any airport in the State. It also represents an increase of 240,743 on the 2021 passenger figures.

• THE Board and Management of Siamsa Tíre made a joint decision in early June to suspend all non-profit-making productions after June 17 and for the remainder of the summer season.

The board said this will provide an opportunity to secure the necessary funding to review the production offerings for the remainder of 2023 and into 2024, while the organisation prepares for a relaunch of its programme.

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• NETWORK Ireland launched its new Kerry branch in June at The Rose Hotel and it was a fantastic success.

Network Ireland is a not-for-profit, voluntary national  organisation that supports the professional and personal development for women in business.

• THE Kerry branch of the Green Party has announced its line-up of candidates for next year’s local elections, with representatives in all six electoral areas.

The candidates are Tralee – Anluan Dunne; Killarney – Diarmaid Griffn; Listowel – Anne-Marie Fuller; Kenmare – Cleo Murphy; Dingle – Peadar Ó Fionnáin and Castleisland – Paul Bowler.

• FÉILE na mBláth once again proved hugely popular with large crowds enjoying free entertainment in the Town Park, but unfortunately heavy thunderstorms spoiled things on Saturday afternoon.

The freak weather caused havoc in town with many businesses and homes suffering flood damage over a short period time with incredibly heavy thunderstorms localised over the town.

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• MINISTER for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, TD, turned the sod on the new Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) Building at MTU’s Kerry North Campus.

The STEM building, 9,042 meters squared in size, will provide the capacity to expand MTU’s portfolio of programmes and services in STEM disciplines.

• TRALEE got a new Mayor as veteran politician Cllr Johnnie Wall was elected unopposed to the position on June 19.

The Fianna Fáil Cllr took over from his party colleague, Cllr Mikey Sheehy after he was proposed for the position at the Tralee Municipal District AGM held at Kerry County Council buildings. Labour Cllr Terry O’Brien is the Deputy Mayor.

Cllr Wall was first elected to Tralee Town Council in 1985 and this is his seventh term as Cathaoirleach/Mayor of the town. He was last Mayor of Tralee from June 2021 to June 2022.

• THERE was a Tralee winner at the prestigious Association of Irish Musical Societies (AIMS) Awards at the weekend. The awards were held on June 17 at the INEC in Killarney attended by hundreds of guests.

Tralee native Clodagh Harrington won the award for Best Female Singer for her performance as Eva Peron in The Light Opera Society of Tralee’s production of Evita directed by Grainne O’Carroll in Siamsa Tire last November.

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• TRALEE-BASED Fine Gael councillor, Jim Finucane, was elected Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council at its Annual Meeting at County Buildings in Tralee on June 26.

Cllr Finucane, who has been a member of Kerry County Council since 2009, is a Tralee-based auctioneer and is currently chairperson of the Kerry Education and Training Board. He is a former Mayor of Tralee and was a member of Tralee Urban District Council for fourteen years.

• TRALEE lost its Clean To European Norms’ status in the June IBAL Anti-Litter League, Survey.

Tralee was placed 29th out of the 40 towns / cities surveyed and is classed as ‘Moderately Littered’ in the An Taisce report. Killarney is placed 20th in the table and is ‘Clean To European Norms.

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Continuing our review of 2023 we look back at some of the news we brought you in May…

• IT was revealed in early May that over 100 Kerry groups joined the National Spring Clean 2023 campaign. Almost 4,000 volunteers in Kerry removing an estimated 20 tonnes of litter.

In Kerry, clean-ups took places in various locations, including Castlegregory, Tralee, Ballyheigue and many more places during April.

• MERCY Mounthawk students were to the fore at the Kerry SciFest@MTU Kerry Campus in early May.

Over 100 post-primary school students from 12 schools across Kerry took STEM to the next level at the event but it was Yasmine Odugbesan from Mercy Mounthawk Secondary School, Tralee who won Best Project.

Yasmine went on to represent MTU – Kerry Campus at The SciFest National Final in November with her project entitled “How effective is the Carotenoid Lycopene in regards to UV protection?”

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• IT was proving a good month for Mercy Mounthawk students who were among winners of Young Social Innovators of the Year Awards.

The winner of the YSI Make Our World Safer Challenge Award was a YSI team from the school, for a project titled ‘Catch My Drift: Water Safety’, highlighting essential water safety and drowning prevention awareness in their school and local communities.

• NÓRA Relihan was chosen by the Kerry Association in Dublin as the 2023 recipient of the Kerry Association in Dublin Arts Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the Arts.

Nóra was an actor with Listowel Drama Group and Listowel Players, a Director, Adjudicator, Entertainer, Broadcaster, Writer, Nurse, Social Worker, Co-founder of the Listowel Players in 1959, Writers Week in 1971 and St John’s Theatre and Arts Centre in 1987.

A member of the Arts Council she was accorded a Civic Reception in Listowel in 2008 in recognition of her prestigious contribution to the Arts.

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• KERRY FC finally picked up their historic first win in the senior league of Ireland Football. They beat Athlone Town 2-3 on May 13.

• MINISTER for Education and Kerry T.D. Norma Foley today official project approval for a multi-million euro building project for Mercy Mounthawk Secondary school.

This major project will provide for an additional six-classroom extension to the Mercy Campus in Tralee. The project brief will deliver four new mainstream classrooms through the Department’s state-of-the-art modular framework as well as two classrooms dedicated to the provision of special education.

• A CAHERSIVEEN woman was selected as the new Kerry Rose to represent the county at the festival in August.

Kelsey Lang McCarthy was chosen from the 14 contestants by judges Mary Lucey, Olivia Walsh Murphy and Shane Kenny at the selection hosted by Daithi Ó Sé in the Heights Hotel Killarney on May 14. She took over from Kerry Rose 2022 Edaein O’Connell who was present to relinquish her title.

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• KERRY was the county with the most Blue Flags awarded for 2023. There were 13 beaches and two marinas receiving Blue Flags among the total of 159 awards.

The 13 Kerry beaches to receive Blue Flags were Baile an Sceilg (Ballinskelligs); Ballybunion North Beach; Ballybunion South Beach; Ballyheigue; Banna Strand; Doire Fhíonáin (Derrynane); Fenit; Fionntrá (Ventry); Inch; Kells; Maharabeg; Rossbeigh White Strand and White Strand, Caherciveen.

The two marinas in Kerry to receive Blue Flags were Fenit Marina and Portage Seasonal Pontoon. Green Coast Awards were given to Ballinskelligs, Castlegregory, Littor and Béal Bán beaches.

• THE Tralee Food Festival provided the best advert for the town seen in years.

The weather was ideal, the spread of the food stands between The Square/Dominick Street and the Island of Geese worked a treat and the family atmosphere all combined to make it the best food festival to date and a great platform to build on for 2024.

Ken Tobin of the Tralee Food Festival said they were delighted with how things panned out. “It’s been an overwhelming success, we’re incredibly happy with the crowds of people who have shown up over the two days,” he said.

• THE Rose of Tralee International Festival announced it would not be organising a Rose Ball or financing street entertainment for the festival in August.

In a statement issued  in late May on their website, the Festival’s Executive Chairman, Anthony O’Gara, did confirm that the Rose of Tralee selections would be broadcast live from MTU’s Kerry Sports Academy again.

The reason cited for discontinuing support for street entertainment is due to rising running costs and financial support not increasing over the past decade.

However, Kerry County Council said they would work with the business community to ensure there were family events and activities on the streets of Tralee during the Rose of Tralee Festival.

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Continuing our review of 2023 we look back at some of the news we brought you in April…

• THE Mall was the place to be for fans of all things automobile-related on Saturday April 1 as some of the cars taking part in the Circuit of Kerry Rally lined the thoroughfare.

‘Rally Town’ returned to the town centre, with support from Tralee Chamber Alliance, and they certainly attracted a lot of attention. The cars were taking part in the rally stages on the Sunday.

Rally Town was a great attraction at an event which is proving a timely economic boost to the town as the tourism season kicks off.

• TRALEE was nominated to participate in the Ireland’s Best Kept Towns Competition for 2023. The town, which had another impressive result in this year’s Tidy Towns Competition, was an entrant in the Best Kept Large Urban Centre category.

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• TWO students from Tralee secondary schools were prizewinners in the 69th Texaco Children’s Art Competition announced this week. Seventeen-year-old Clodagh McCluskey from Presentation Secondary School and 13-year-old Jolin Weng from Mercy Secondary School were Special Merit Winners.

• KERRY produced a stellar performance at Croke Park to earn their 12th Lidl NFL 1 crown with a comprehensive win against Galway of 5-11 to 1-10.

Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh, Hannah O’Donoghue and captain Siofra O’Shea all scored goals over the course of the action to complement a two-goal salvo from Niamh Ní Chonchúir as the Kingdom reached the top of the NFL ladder for the first time since 1991.

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• A NEW Tralee Heritage Trail and accompanying audio guide and story map was launched in April at the Ashe Memorial Hall.

The free audio guide is available to download as a podcast and the accompanying Story Map  is freely available online and can be used by the local community to brush up on their knowledge of Tralee or by the visiting community to interpret the many historic buildings and stories of Tralee both in advance of and during their visit.

• STUDENTS and staff from Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí gathered at the school in Moyderwell for the last time on Monday, April 24 as they said goodbye to the building that had been home for the last 34 years.

They then walked from Moyderwell to Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí Campas Nua in Cloonbeg to mark the move to the new building. They were joined by Kerry Education and Training Board Senior Management and Board Members.

The new campus marked the beginning of an exciting chapter in the history of Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí.

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• THE Bon Secours Hospital Tralee announced the appointment of ECKL Ltd as the main contractors for their €15m development of a new Day Ward, Minor Operations Suite and new entrance.

This project will cost in the region of €15m and is part of the Bon Secours Health System 2025 Plan which is seeing €300m invested across the Bon Secours Health System.

• THE life and legacy of the late Vicky Phelan was celebrated in poignant style in Tralee in late April as local cancer support charity, Recovery Haven Kerry, hosted the Kerry stage of the nationwide Vicky Phelan Campaign and Portrait Tour.

The Tralee-based charity joined forces with portrait owner David Brennan and friends and family of the late cervical cancer campaigner for the two-day awareness raising initiative, which was kindly hosted by MTU Kerry and supported by Tralee Chamber Alliance.

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Continuing our review of 2023, we look back at some of the news we brought you in March…

• THE official unveiling of the new information panel on St Brendan The Navigator took place in Fenit in early March.

The information panel, which is in both Irish and English, is located adjacent to the playground and the entrance to the new greenway. It’s divided into three sections, with the first giving a brief history of St Brendan and beginning of a timeline of his life.

The second panel gives information on the statue of St Brendan which overlooks the entrance to Fenit Harbour, while the third section concerns the St Brendan Way.

• SINN Féin Party President Mary Lou McDonald delivered the main address at the centenary commemoration of the Ballyseedy Massacre on Sunday March 5 at the famous monument outside Tralee.

2023 marked 100 years since one of the most infamous acts of the Civil War took place, when nine IRA prisoners were removed from Ballymullen Barracks in Tralee, tied to a mine and blown up by Free State forces at Ballyseedy Cross just outside Tralee.

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• THE Tankard in Kilfenora was one of the winners in the Munster Regional Finals the 2023 Irish Restaurant Awards which took place in the Strand Hotel, Limerick.

Top establishments in each county were named. The Tankard won in the Best Customer Service  Kerry category.

• THERE was widespread shock and sadness at the news of the passing of Tralee man and Offaly GAA football manager, Liam Kearns on March 12.

The Austin Stacks man was 61. A retired Garda sergeant, he had previously managed Limerick, Tipperary and Laois.

He played 10 times for the Kerry in county league campaigns from 1984 to ‘86. He won an All-Ireland minor medal for Kerry in 1980 and won a Kerry Senior Football Championship medal with Austin Stacks in 1986.

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• THE Tralee St Patrick’s Day parade provided a spectacle of colour and noise with hundreds of people taking part.

As usual, there was a real community feel to the occasion with the town’s clubs, organisations and local businesses getting into the spirit of the day.

Local Community Garda, Mary Gardiner, was the Grand Marshal for the day and she really enjoyed the occasion, waving to the crowd who gave her a great ovation.

• ON March 23, Gardaí arrested two people, a male in his 60s and a female in her 50s, in relation to the discovery of the body of a male infant at White Strand, Caherciveen, on  April 14, 1984.

They were arrested in the Munster region on suspicion of the offence of murder and were detained at Garda Stations in the south of the country under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. They were later released without charge.

On April 14, 1984 on White Strand Beach in Caherciveen the lifeless body of a new-born baby boy was found in a bag. The baby was called Baby John and he is buried in Caherciveen.

• TRALEE jockey Bryan Cooper announced his retirement from race riding on March 24.

The 30 year old who enjoyed Gold Cup success on Don Cossack in 2016, along with 39 Grade 1 successes, released a statement to that effect.

“I am lucky to have had a wonderful career over the past 14 years as a jockey. To my family, the owners, trainers and stable staff who have supported me throughout my whole career, I can’t thank you enough for some incredible days,” he said.

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• MORE good news emerged for holidaymakers when Kerry Airport has announced that French Airline Chalair was to launch two new summer routes to Quimper and Brest in Brittany.

Commencing on July 1st, the seasonal summer service would operate every Saturday with a flight time of less than 1 hour 40 minutes from Kerry to France on board a 70-seat ATR 72 aircraft.

• THERE was a positive end to the month with Garvey’s Tralee Warriors were crowned InsureMyVan.ie Men’s U20 National League champions after overcoming Titans of Galway in a pulsating final at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght on March 31.

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