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The organisers of the public meeting on Tralee at KDYS on Monday. From left; Bairbre de Bairead, Martin McMahon, Ted Cronin, Abigail Bernard, Andrea Donovan and Kevin O’Connor. Photo by Dermot Crean
A FULL and frank discussion about Tralee, the problems it faces and how the community can solve them, took place at the KDYS hall in Denny Street on Monday evening.
Organised by Bairbre de Bairead with the help of a small committee, the aim of the meeting was to bring people from all parts the community together to suggest ideas on how to work together for the betterment of the town.
A number of Tralee Municipal District councillors were present along with businesspeople and members of community groups.
Bairbre de Bairead.
Bairbre de Bairead gave a presentation on the issues facing the town, before she open the floor to the public and many people had their say on the Town Park, anti-social behaviour, tourism, pollution, parking charges, the pedestrianisation of the Mall and a myriad of other issues.
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The full video of the meeting is available below, but be warned it’s over two hours and the sound quality isn’t the best…
Touching on just some of those issues raised, relating to the pedestrianisation of the Mall, Ms de Bairead said that they had contacted 43 businesses in the town centre and the vast majority wanted traffic to run through the Mall during business hours again.
A lifeguard in Banna, Methembe Mafu, said the problem of pollution and rubbish being dumped on Banna Beach was a disgrace. He also asked about the promised skate park for Tralee.
Cllr Toireasa Ferris told Methembe that funding for the Skate Park was likely to be announced in the coming months and the location for it will be adjacent to Tralee Sports Complex.
Cllr Ferris also spoke about developing Tralee as an autism-friendly town and encouraged businesses to get on board with this.
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There were a number of speakers on the closure of the Women’s Resource Centre in Aras an Phobail and that issue received particular support, with a consensus that it should be reopened as soon as possible.
On the issue of organising events in Tralee, Cllr Pa Daly said there was money available for small festivals, but it’s a question of applying for it. He said the vast majority of applications for these grants to Kerry County Council come from outside Tralee, so he encouraged people to apply.
Mary Fitzgibbon said there is a huge problem of drugs and addiction among young people in Tralee and Doireann Barrett concurred saying it was also a problem in the workplace and wasn’t confined to young people.
Eddie Barrett said the evidence of the success of free parking at Manor West Retail Park must be noted by councillors as the issue is killing businesses in the centre of town. He said there must be a free parking period to encourage shoppers into Tralee.
He also said it was baffling that the tourism office was located at the back of the Ashe Memorial Hall as opposed to in other big towns, where the offices are more accessible on the main street.
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To this end, the auctioneer offered his vacant premises in Denny Street, rent-free for one year, if the tourism office moves in there.
The Town Park was also mentioned frequently in terms of the anti-social behaviour at the playground and in other parts of the facility. A full-time warden was suggested and more help with the upkeep was needed.
Mayor of Tralee, Jim Finucane, said they were fighting for a second horticulturalist to be appointed for the park.
Cllr Terry O’Brien said he and the rest of the councillors have nothing but the betterment of the town in their hearts and that the town has so much to offer the people living here.
Some of the speakers spoke of the spirit of volunteerism and the sharing of skills to get more done for the town.
It was agreed that the meeting was productive and it is hoped another can be arranged in the near future. For more views from the meeting, watch it in the video above.
