REVIEW 2020: The News From January

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Beginning our review of the news we brought you this year, we start at the obvious point, January…

• Believe it or not, the year started off on a positive note, with the news that someone who bought their Millionaire Raffle ticket in Fenit had won €100,000.

The lucky lady told how her mother and father gifted their entire family Christmas Millionaire Raffle tickets and she was fortunate that she found the winning ticket worth €100,000 in her stocking on Christmas morning.

• There was also good news on the jobs front in Kerry with ALDI confirming the expected opening date of its new ‘Project Fresh’ store in south Kerry.

The development in Cahersiveen, which will involve a €5.1 million investment from Aldi, will bring up to 80 jobs to the local area during its construction, with an estimated 20 permanent positions being made available once the store is opened in August 2021.

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• IBAL (Irish Business Against Litter) announced their first results of 2020, which saw Tralee in 6th place in their table of large towns and cities in Ireland.

Even though it was in 5th place out of 40 in the last report of June 2019, the rankings showed Tralee to be ‘Cleaner Than European Norms’ in their report and is one of the cleanest large towns in Ireland.

• Kerry County Council announced plans for the extension of an adjacent walking and cycling route along the coast of Tralee Bay which would connect with the Tralee-Fenit greenway.

The council is proposing to extend an existing walkway and cycleway which has been developed in recent years from The Basin and the Canal in Tralee and which currently terminates at the end of Cockleshell Road near Lohercannon. Plans are being developed to continue this coastal route as far as Spa village.

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• It emerged that the chimney at the old Denny site is being considered as a location for a sign spelling out Tralee in large letters.

At the Tralee Municipal District meeting, then Cllr Norma Foley, asked that the Council erect a large sign depicting the name of the town in big bold letters at an appropriate location.

Council management said options are being considered to depict the name on the old chimney at the Island of Geese/old Denny site.

• Crime figures from the Kerry Garda Division released in January showed most crimes increased in the county in 2019 on the previous year.

The statistics were revealed at the Joint Policing Committee meeting at Kerry County  Council and revealed Property Crime up 7%, Crimes Against the Person up 16%, Drugs and Offensive Weapons up 16% but Criminal Damage and Public Order offences were down 3%.

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• There was bad news for jobs with the news that fashion retailer Swamp announced it was to close with immediate effect.

The Tralee store, located at Abbeycourt, was one of the seven stores in Ireland to shut and it was understood that up to 60 staff nationwide would be impacted.

• Kerry County Council reminded members of the public to check that they were registered to vote after the general election was announced for Saturday, February 8.

• There was bad news for Tralee when the UK-based company which announced in 2018 that it would set up a centre in Tralee creating over 100 jobs decided to delay their plans.

Representatives from Central Pharma arrived in December 2018 to the IDA Advanced Technology Building at Kerry Technology Park to make the announcement of jobs but over a year later, there ws no sign of the contract packaging and supply centre opening and the company then informed the IDA that they have delayed their plans.

• Legends of Kerry football were feted at the 30th annual Kerry Supporters Club Social at Ballygarry House Hotel attended by over 250 guests.

The five Kerry players — Ger Power, Pat Spillane, Ogie Moran, Mikey Sheehy and the late Páidí Ó Sé — who each hold eight All-Ireland SFC medals, were celebrated.

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• Kerry Airport announced that Ryanair had confirmed a new route to Manchester would commence in late March would have heralded a great start to 2020 for passengers travelling between the UK and Wild Atlantic Kerry.

The service was to operate twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays from the 29th of March but, sadly, because of the pandemic that could not come to pass.

• Na Gaeil became All-Ireland Junior Club Champions after the Oakpark club beat Rathgarogue-Cushinstown by 3-20 to 1-5  in Croke Park to make it the greatest day in their short history.

There were great celebrations in Croke Park when captain, Eoin Doody, lifted the cup and the celebrations went on for some time in Tralee.

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