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Continuing our Review of 2016, here’s some of the stories we brought you in February…
• A UK clothing chain opened a new store on Abbeycourt.
A number of new jobs were created at Mountain Warehouse – the UK-based discount outdoor clothing seller which has branches in Dublin, Wexford, Banbridge and Antrim – when it opened next to Holland & Barrett.
• CLASSES were disrupted at IT Tralee in early February because of a nationwide strike by lecturers and researchers in opposition to government cuts.
The Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) felt they had been forced to strike because of austerity measures imposed by the Department of Education over the last number of years.
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• THE Irish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) awarded Coláiste Gleann Lí, Tralee, the ‘Shield’ Anti-Bullying Flag in recognition for their work in strengthening their preventative and proactive approach to bullying.
Several schools in Kerry have decided take action to positively engage with the ISPCCs Shield Campain, but Coláiste Gleann Lí was the first in the county to take extra steps to reach the six necessary criteria to attain this award.
• HUNDREDS turned out in the Brandon Hotel in February, for the unveiling of two restored anchors from the Aud, the ship forever linked with the events in Banna in 1916.
The unveiling of the anchors this year, marked the centenary of Roger Casement’s ultimately doomed plan to support the cause of Irish freedom by bringing an estimated 20,000 rifles, 1,000,000 rounds of ammunition, 10 machine guns, and explosives in the ship, the SMS Libau, which masqueraded as the Aud, a Norwegian vessel.
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• As General Election loomed, there was a surprise when Danny Healy Rae declared himself as a candidate.
In a move which shocked the political world, the brother of Michael Healy Rae, was bidding to get two seats for the Healy Rae clan.
The independent councillor in the South Kerry Municipal District lodged his election papers just before the noon deadline of February 11 at the Courts Services offices in the Centrepoint building in Tralee.
• IT seems someone in town felt Donald Trump should be kept in mind for a No.1 ahead of general election day.
This photo was not taken in some square-shaped ‘fly over state’ in the US, but on the Dingle road just past the roundabout to the Aqua Dome back in mid-February showing someone was backing a winning horse back then.
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• IT was a full house in the Brandon Hotel Conference Centre for the Lee Strand Protein+ Milk Katie Taylor v Queen Underwood bout.
The Olympic champion recorded her 61st consecutive win in the ring by beating the American on points and there was a fantastic atmosphere throughout the evening generated by the 800 people present.
• THE Rose of Tralee International Festival won an Accenture Digital Media Award – the Oscars of digital media in Ireland.
The ‘Access All Areas’ coverage of the 2015 Festival came out on top in the Best Use of Social Media Category ahead of major brands such as HB Ice Cream, Uncle Ben’s Ireland, Life Style Sports and Avonmore.
• MINISTER for Health, Leo Varadkar was in Tralee in February to formally rename Kerry General Hospital as University Hospital Kerry.
The Minister also officially opened a number of recent service improvements including a new CT scanner, Diabetes Services and the hospital’s UCC Education Centre.
The formal renaming of Kerry General Hospital to University Hospital Kerry links it formally to eight other acute hospitals in counties Kerry, Cork, Waterford, and South Tipperary, with Kilkreene Regional Orthopaedic Hospital in Kilkenny, and with UCC as the primary academic partner.
• A TRALEE woman won €19,646.55 after putting down a mere €7 on a five-bet accumulator back in February.
The happy punter stayed true to her roots and had a local theme going through her bet selections, with one of the seven winners trained by a woman named Kerry and another by a woman called Rose.
• The five Kerry TDs for the next Dail were elected in late February with the big story being the dominance of the two Healy-Rae brothers.
They were joined by Martin Ferris, John Brassil and Brendan Griffin who were elected on the 11th count with sitting Fine Gael TD Jimmy Deenihan losing out.
There were scenes of wild celebration as presiding officer Padraig Burke deemed them elected.
• Tralee man Ultan Dillane came on to play against England in the Six Nations match. He made a big impact too, but Ireland came up short against the Old Enemy.
