News

THEY may be attending the various secondary schools around town now, but the CBS Primary School ‘Class of 2021’ had a very good excuse to meet up again on Saturday. The occasion was their belated Confirmation Day at St John’s Church and families were blessed with the weather as they […]

THE site of a significant event in the War of Independence in west Kerry was investigated recently as part of archaeological works on the N86 road improvement scheme, the details of which have been produced in a short documentary which has been published online. Archaeological Management Solutions Ltd. (AMS), who […]

THERE were 26 patients waiting on trolleys at the Emergency Department of University Hospital Kerry this morning. Nationwide there are 413 admitted patients waiting for beds this morning in the country’s hospitals, according to today’s Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation Trolley Watch. This is the highest number of patients on […]

THE HSE has paused ‘walk-in’ testing for COVID-19 at the Tralee centre in Ballymullen Barracks. Cork Kerry Community Healthcare took the decision to temporarily suspend the walk-in service to manage the demand for appointments. Demand for tests has risen in recent weeks, leading to long waiting times for walk-ins. People can still […]

Unprecedented grades inflation increases CAO points requirements, but Kerry’s applicants sweep up a copious supply of college offers in Round One says Billy Ryle… The record-high Leaving Cert grades have caused a dramatic increase in points requirements for many third level courses for the second consecutive year. There was an […]

Met Eireann has issued a Status Yellow Rain and Thunderstorm warning for Ireland, but it looks like we’ll escape the worst in Kerry. Scattered heavy downpours and thunderstorms are expected in some areas of the country today, tonight and for a time on Thursday. Localised flooding may occur where the […]

PEOPLE will be able to avail of walk-in COVID vaccination clinics in Tralee and Killarney this week. If you are eligible for a Pfizer BioNtech vaccine you can receive a first or second dose at either the Kerry Sports Academy in Tralee or Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre, without an appointment, […]

EBS and the Federation of Irish Sport have launched this year’s Volunteers in Sport Awards, which recognise and support the army of volunteers in sport and physical activity in local communities across Ireland. Kerry people are invited to nominate their everyday hero for the Awards which will take place virtually […]

KERRY County Council said it is open to arranging a public awareness campaign in relation to the use of jet skis and other leisure craft in Fenit and other parts of the county. The issue was raised in a motion by Sinn Féin Cllr Cathal Foley at the meeting of […]

MINISTER for Education, Norma Foley TD was on hand to launch two new Leaving Certificate Programmes at Coláiste Gleann Lí on Friday. The new programmes are Computer Science and Physical Education and will be offered from this year to Senior Cycle students at the school.The two new courses are being […]

IT was a long time coming, but Confirmation Day finally arrived for the Scoil Eoin Balloonagh Class of 2021 on Saturday. Our Lady and St Brendan’s Church hosted three separate ceremonies to accommodate each of the classes taught by Ms Sugrue, Ms Daly and Ms Curtin. The ex-pupils wore the […]

A DANCE initiative providing creativity for people aged 55+ is inviting people of Kerry to register for a free, online 12-week programme offering a fun, healthy and safe way to get people moving. Dance for the Young at Heart is curated by Catherine Young Dance and  will be choreographed by […]

THE Minster for Housing, Local Government and Heritage was in Tralee on Monday to officially open a new estate in Tralee. Minister Darragh O’Brien TD also visited numerous projects and developments in Tralee, Farranfore, Barraduff, Rathmore and Killarney. Chief among the events on the agenda was the official opening by Minister […]

GARDAI in Tralee are conducting enquiries into an allegation of assault that occurred on Main Street, Blennerville between 8pm and 8.30pm on Wednesday, September 1. It is alleged that a teenage male was assaulted on the Main Street by a male adult who was unknown to him. If anyone saw […]

KERRY County Council will look at erecting signage on the canal walkway to advise cyclists to be mindful of pedestrians using the facility. The issue was raised by Mayor of Tralee, Fianna Fáil Cllr. Johnnie Wall at the meeting of Tralee Municipal District on Monday morning. Mayor Wall had a […]

THE new Tralee Skatepark has experienced delays due to COVID travel restrictions, the meeting of Tralee Municipal District of Kerry County Council heard on Monday. Sinn Féin Cllrs Deirdre Ferris and Cathal Foley both asked the Council to issue an update on the Skate Park and the proposed start date […]

SEPTEMBER is about to see a plethora of First Holy Communion ceremonies hosted in churches around the county as more and more restrictions are lifted. Last Saturday saw children from Caherleaheen National School gather in St John’s Church in Tralee for their belated big day out. The boys and girls […]

OVER €2.6 million in capital works and equipment funding has been announced for Munster Technological University. This capital grant allocation of €2,679,257 will facilitate MTU to address a number of key capital investment priorities including: • Minor works and equipment needs to support safe campus reopening. • Procurement of additional […]

THE annual Tony O’Donoghue Memorial Walk saw over €3,700 collected this year and in seven years nearly €60,000 has been raised in his memory. The walk in aid of Kerry Hospice took place yesterday with people invited to register at the Blennerville Windmill carpark. Andrea, Tony’s daughter, was delighted with […]

BRILLIANT sunshine lit up the glorious setting of the Church Of The Purification in Churchill on Saturday morning as families arrived for a special day. Like last year, the Spa NS First Holy Communion day was delayed until September, but there was very much a summery feel to the occasion. […]

IT’S been such as bizarre time for the Class of 2021, but the fruits of their labour were finally realised on Friday when the Leaving Cert results were revealed. Like last year, students received their results directly on the Candidate Self Service Portal so they didn’t have to go to […]

SIAMSA Tíre has reopened its doors for live events and has recently announced an exciting Autumn/Winter programme of theatre, dance, music, art, and storytelling events. Throughout September, Turas – the theatre’s in-house production showcasing the best of traditional Irish music, song, and dance – will take centre stage.  A special series of performances will take place on Culture Night, September 17th. Siamsa Tíre begins preparing for the Celtic festival of Samhain […]

KERRY Hospice is reiterating its call for people to host a Bewley’s Big Coffee Morning Social for Hospice later this month. Now in its 29th year, Together for Hospice alongside its long-term partner Bewley’s want to make this year’s event bigger and better than ever and are asking people in […]

CULTURE Night returns to Kerry on Friday, September 17 with 40 free events to celebrate the rich and diverse creativity that is alive and treasured throughout the Kingdom. Kerry County Council Arts Office has been busy organising a very special programme of events to bring people together again to celebrate […]

KERRY International Film Festival (KIFF) has announced their new headline sponsor partnership with Kerry Airport. Running for its 22nd year, the festival will take place October 14 – 17.  Speaking at the launch of the partnership, CEO of Kerry Airport, John Mulhern said; “The Kerry International Film Festival is a […]

Guidance Counsellor Billy Ryle congratulates Leaving Cert students on their results, but after the celebrations it’s important to pay attention to what comes next… The long wait for 61,125 Leaving Cert candidates (57,952 LC Established & 3,173 LC Applied), including 1806 candidates from Kerry (1700 LC Established & 106 LC […]

ST Brendan’s NS in Blennerville has been going from strength to strength in recent years, especially since the new school opened in 2016. This is evident in the numbers now attending as 30 new junior infants began their schooldays on Wednesday. Prinicipal Robbie O’Connell said the children settled in well, […]

THERE were 189 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Tralee Local Electoral Area in the 14 day period up to Monday, August 30, according to figures available on the Government’s COVID-19 data hub. This is a 14-day incidence rate of 572.1 per 100,000 of the population, above the national […]

A SPECIAL programme of museum events will take place in Kerry and across the country, over the weekend of September 11/12 to encourage visitors back into museums. The initiative — titled Museums Now — is being brought to the public by the Irish Museums Association and the NI Museums Council. […]

SCHOOLS all over town welcomed their new junior infants this week. From the biggest school to the smallest, all the children were made feel equally welcome by staff as the little ones’ educational journey began. The town’s largest primary school, Scoil Eoin in Balloonagh, saw three classes of pupils arrive, […]