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Continuing our review of stories we brought you in 2018, here’s the news from May…
• GARVEY’S Tralee Warriors new coach for the 2018/2019 season, Pat Price, said he was thrilled to be part of the club’s set-up and praised how basketball has been developed in the town.
The former Demons and Neptune coach was introduced to the players, committee and assembled press in the Brandon Hotel.
He took over from Mark Bernsen who coached the Warriors in their first two seasons in Superleague leading the Tralee side to back to back Champions Trophies.
• A FLOOD relief scheme for Tralee, estimated to cost over €15m, will go ahead as the town was included in a list of five large scale projects to get priority and will proceed to detail, design and construction phase.
Fourteen other schemes will get underway in six river catchment areas nationwide costing between €1m and €5m, and a further 31 smaller schemes costing up to €1m, will be undertaken by local authorities.
Banna and Abbeydorney schemes are expected to cost under €1m while Kenmare is also included in the national ten year scheme which will cost €1bn.
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• THE contract was signed for the construction of 21 new housing units in Tralee. The new homes are being developed at Killeen Road under the Rebuilding Ireland Programme.
The Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council, Cllr John Sheahan, and the Mayor of Tralee, Cllr Norma Foley signed the contracts with contractor Ned O’Shea who is developing the housing units which will be ready in 2019.
• THOUSANDS again converged on CBS The Green for the third annual Darkness Into Light Tralee walk and the weather was ideal for the event.
From just after 3am they started to arrive for the Pieta House fundraiser which has raised tens of thousands over the past two years.
Organisers say they had around 2,000 registrations online but almost double that number showed up in a tremendous display of community spirit and compassion.
• BRENDAN Griffin TD, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport officially turned the sod today on the site of Coláiste Gleann Lí post-primary school.
This marks the commencement of extensive building works, valued at €1.1 million, by Kerry Education and Training Board which will see Coláiste Gleann Lí- Post Primary School extended, refurbished and upgraded.
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• GARDAI and councillors in Tralee Municipal District were encouraging people not to give money or food to people described as ‘professional beggars’ operating in town since late last year.
Sinn Fein councillor Pa Daly said well-meaning people trying to help them were being ‘taken for a ride’ by these beggars. Gardaí briefed members of the Tralee Municipal District and said that on one occasion one of the beggars was arrested and found to have had between five and six hundred euro on her and the keys of a BMW.
• AROUND 400 people gathered in The Square in Tralee for a silent vigil to stand in solidarity with Emma Mhic Mhathúna and all the other women and their families affected by the CervicalCheck scandal.
The 37 year old mother of five was diagnosed with terminal cancer and she spoke to the crowd present at the event.
Emma thanked everybody for their support. She said she was sick of being treated “like nothing”. She said her death would not go unnoticed and she would make sure the health service would pay for what they are putting families through by the failings of the system.
• KERRY tops the list of counties with the most Blue Flag beaches in the country.
Kerry retained all its 14 Blue Flags for Ballybunion North, Ballybunion South, Ballinskelligs, Ballyheigue, Banna, Derrynane, Fenit, Fenit Marina, Inch, Kells, Magherabeg, Rossbeigh, Ventry, and White Strand, Caherciveen.
Four Green Coast awards have also been announced for Béal Bán, Castlegregory, Littor and Ballinskelligs.
• THE Minister for Justice says he’s alarmed at the antiquated condition of the courthouse in Tralee.
Charlie Flanagan spent nearly an hour inspecting the building on Ashe Street in Tralee amid proposals from the Court Services to build a new courthouse on the outskirts of the town.
Tralee Chamber Alliance, local politicians and the Kerry Law Society say such a move would have a devastating impact on the town centre economy and they are calling for the existing courthouse to be renovated.
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• Gardai at Caherciveen were investigating a fatal stabbing which occurred at Fertha Drive, Caherciveen at approximately May 23.
A 33-year-old male, Robert Elston, received serious stab wounds and was removed by ambulance to University Hospital in Kerry where he was pronounced dead. A 20-year-old man Blake Sweeney was later charged with the murder.
• Kerry gave a resounding Yes vote to repealing the 8th Amendment. The official count was Yes — 58.27% (40,285) No — 41.73% (28,851).
The total electorate was 111,108 was and the turnout was 69,345 (62.4%). The Yes vote was carried emphatically nationally.
• THE Kerry Rose was chosen in late May.
Celine O’Shea’s from Cahersiveen was announced as winner by Daithi Ó Sé at the end of the Kerry Rose Selection in the Ballyroe Heights Hotel.
