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Welcoming the awarding of the Purple Flag to Tralee a few weeks ago were Jean Foley and Frank Hartnett of Kerry County Council, Mayor of Tralee Norma Foley, President of Tralee Chamber Alliance Aidan Kelly and David Scott of Tralee Chamber Alliance. Photo by Dermot Crean
TRALEE is above the standard when it comes to offering a broad appeal to visitors and locals with a vibrant choice and rich mix of offerings at night, according to the judges who awarded Purple Flag status to Tralee recently.
They were impressed by the strong visible Garda presence between the hours of 5pm and 5am on the night they visited, while a recommendation to pedestrianise the town centre and “bars buzzing with a happy customer base” were also among the key findings in the assessment report.
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In a team approach, the Garda, Kerry County Council, vintners and other representatives of the hospitality sector were involved in a comprehensive application process which was led by Tralee Chamber Alliance.
The judges did note very limited public toilets in town open post 6pm and suggested they remain open at increased sites.
The Chief Executive of Tralee Chamber Alliance, Kieran Ruttledge, said: “In being awarded the Purple Flag, we were pleased to receive such positive feedback from the Judges in their Assessors’ Report. They noted the good spread of different themed bars across town, many of which are themed with live music. They said that the sites visited felt safe, well managed and engaged and that Tralee catered for both younger and older customer base. A number of the bars open to 2am – which catered for late night offer. Many live music themed and offered places for both older and younger generations. All bars were buzzing with happy customer base. Number of hotels in town also offered late night experience. This may well encourage more visitors to come to Tralee and encourage locals to stay in their home town for a good, safe night out.”
To confirm that a vibrant night time economy is not solely reliant on the pub trade, the judges were impressed by the great range of early evening activity at the Aquadome (open till 10pm), Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre (7pm), the Omniplex cinema (midnight).
Plenty of outdoor offers available from all types of sport, healthy living, education / training, youth engagement (KYDS), Museum, Town Park and festivals throughout the year.
The report mentioned an ample amount of free, spacious, clean and well-lit car park spaces in close proximity to the town centre at night.
In relation to the overall strategy to achieve the Purple Flag, it was noted that there was a good level of public engagement and awareness raised through the media, #LoveTralee and Tralee Chamber Alliance.
The President of Tralee Chamber Alliance, Aidan Kelly, thanked and congratulated everyone who gave their time to work on the Purple Flag submission and ensured that it was successful.
The judges paid tribute to Tralee Community Volunteer and Tralee Chamber Alliance Board Member, James Finnegan for his excellent local knowledge and support given to Tralee across a wide range of activities.
They also congratulated the Manager of the KDYS Youth Service, Gemma O’Brien, for the excellent outreach work for young and old and for offering great support at weekends and at night to young people.
The formal presentation of the Purple Flag accreditation will take place at an award ceremony in Norwich, England in November.
I think it’s brilliant Tralee was looked at with outside eyes and will help the town no doubts. However, I thought it was an Irish initiative not a place where Norwich will do the awards.