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Continuing our review of 2017, here’s some of the stories we brought you in August…
• THE month began with some good news for local businesses. Four from Tralee made the Retail Excellence Top 100 Stores In Ireland list.
Ballyseedy Home and Garden, Corcoran’s Furniture and Carpets at Manor Park, Garvey’s Supervalu in Rock Street, and Horan’s Health Store in Manor West made the grade. The ultimate winner would be announced in November.
• A TRALEE man was deemed the Best Dressed Man at the Galway Races.
Nathan McDonnell of Ballyseedy Home and Garden Centre made the shortlist wearing a Ted Baker checksuit purchased in Ryle Menswear of Ashe Street, Tralee.
He was then announced as winner of the big prize, which was a made to measure suit by Louis Copeland.
• THERE were 4,238 single males and 4,352 single females in the town on the night of the census, April 24, 2016, the latest CSO figures revealed.
There were 19,041 persons aged 15 or over in Tralee of which 8,590 or 45.1% had a marital status of single, the highest percentage of all towns in Kerry.
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• WE’VE got great cafes and restaurants, but not enough parking. We feel safe by day but not as much by night. We have a very good standard of service in shops, but more to do when it comes to the range of events on in Tralee.
These were some of the findings of a major new survey on Tralee Town Centre.
The survey revealed people’s impressions of the town’s shopping and eating options along with parking and entertainment facilities.
• THE workmen left the Mall area in time for the Rose of Tralee festival.
The Mall was open to pedestrians with the surface finished up to Quinlan’s Fish and was looking great for the festival period. The workmen returned on August 28 to resume the revamp.
• AN amazing mural at the Abbey Street/Dominick Street junction off The Square was unveiled.
The new mural, some 20 metres long by 10 metres high, was painted in an area called ‘Tess Quarter’, after the late Tess Leane of The Abbey Inn.
• A COMPANY began the demolition of the former Denny Factory site at The Island of Geese in town.
Loftus Demolition and Recycling Ltd took control of the site and work on the demolition of the factory was expected to be finished by the end of the year.
• TRALEE Golf Club won the AIG Barton Shield Munster Final with a great display of golf against Castletroy at Barrow.
The hosts defeated holders Cork in the morning semi-final. They took an early lead in the final and although Castletroy mounted a comeback the deficit was too great and Tralee eventually won by eight holes.
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Thomas Lynch from Castleisland.
• THOMAS Lynch, a business consultant from Castleisland, topped the poll among Roses and Rose Escorts to become the 2017 Rose Escort of the Year at the Rose of Tralee International Festival.
Dáithí Ó Sé announced the result live on RTÉ One television in the Festival Dome and presented him with a cheque for €1,000.
It’s the second time in three years that a Kerryman has won the title. Shane Kenny from Churchill was the 2015 winner.
• OFFALY Rose, Jennifer Byrne was named Rose of Tralee 2017, the first win for the county.
She was in shock after hearing her name called out in the Dome and was immediately surrounded and congratulated by her fellow Roses.
The 24 year old is from a small rural area in Offaly called Clonaderig. She studied Medicine at NUI Galway and is currently working as a junior doctor in the Accident and Emergency department of University College Hospital Galway.
• TRALEE entrepreneur, Jerry Kennelly, was presented with the TK Whitaker Award, the highest honour that the Irish Academy of Management (IAM) can bestow, at the Queen’s Management School at Queen’s University in Belfast.
Previous recipients include Denis Brosnan (2014), Margaret Downes (2015) and Dr Martin Naughton (2016).
The pre-eminent body for academics researching management and business in Ireland, the IAM, recognised Kennelly for “his significant contributions to business and the wider community of current and future entrepreneurs in Ireland and beyond”.
• Finally, the Kerry seniors bowed out of the All-Ireland championship at the semi-final stage. After a thrilling drawn match against Mayo on August 20, the westerners proved too strong for the Kingdom in the replay six days later at Croke Park winning by 2-16 to 0-17.
