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Continuing our look back at the stories we brought you in 2020, here’s the news from September…
• Kerins O’Rahillys GAA club asked residents in estates surrounding their pitches to be vigilant and contact gardaí if they see any anti-social behaviour on their grounds. The request comes after damage was caused to the goalposts in their juvenile pitches at Ballyrickard on Tuesday night.
The club said this had been a continuous problem at both their Ballyrickard and Strand Road pitches since lockdown began in March.
• A player in north Kerry won €20,649 after matching five numbers on the main EuroMillions draw in early September. This lucky ticket was a Quick Pick bought in the Londis Store in Lixnaw.
• Part of the Tralee-Fenit Greenway should be open before summer of 2021, councillors were told in September.
At a Tralee Municipal District meeting of councillors, an update on the progress and timeframe of the project was requested and Senior Engineer at Kerry County Council, Tom Sheehy, informed members that they are confident the section from Spa to Fenit should be completed and open to the public before the start of the summer tourist season in 2021.
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• A Tralee Municipal District councillor called for action after what he called a rat infestation in parts of the Mitchels area of town.
Independent Councillor Sam Locke raised the issue and said he contacted the Environment Section in Kerry County Council, who then referred him to the HSE.
Cllr Locke believes the rat infestations were as a result of demolition and road development work in the area which disturbed the rodents.
Sean Hurley.
• Shock and sadness spread throughout the county at the news of the passing of well-known broadcaster and Tralee native Sean Hurley.
Tributes were paid from all over the county and beyond from people in the worlds of media, business, politics, entertainment and sport.
Based in Killarney, the presenter of the ‘Kerrywide’ programme was known far and wide and had been involved in the radio business since the 1970s. He was described by General Manager of Radio Kerry, Fiona Stack, as one of life’s true gentlemen and a great ambassador for the station over the years.
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• An Taisce has awarded a Green Flag for Tralee Town Park for the first time.
Only awarded for exceeding tough environmental standards in green space management, and excellence of visitor attractions – the Green Flag Award for Parks is the mark of a quality park or green space and is recognised throughout the world. Mayor of Tralee, Cllr Terry O’Brien said the announcement is wonderful news for Tralee.
Jessie Buckley
• The Kerry International Film Festival (KIFF) announced that Jessie Buckley would be the recipient of this year’s Maureen O’Hara award.
The Killarney native would accept the accolade in October in celebration of her exceptional work in both film and the arts. The much-coveted award is offered exclusively to women who have excelled in film.
• Tralee MD councillors approved a diversion of the Tralee-Fenit Greenway at Bawnboy just outside the town in late September.
Six councillors voted for the 700 metre diversion and one (Cllr Deirdre Ferris) against the change. The diversion will now take in Bawnboy and Ballynahoulort before rejoining the original route of the 10k greenway, which is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2021. The route will be diverted around a business, part of which is located on the old railway line.
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Denise Lynch
• A volunteer lifeboat crew member with Fenit RNLI in Kerry, has been passed out as an RNLI Coxswain and is the the first woman to be appointed to the role in the country.
Denise Lynch is currently the only woman to hold the senior position on an operational lifeboat crew in Ireland. Denise began as a volunteer in 2001 and has served on both Fenit RNLI’s inshore and all-weather lifeboats.
• The Kerins O’Rahillys GAA Club was mourning its Club President, Micheál Kerins, who passed away in late September. Micheál represented his club with distinction on and off the field, enjoying a stellar playing career with Kerins O’Rahillys winning three senior county championships during the 1950s.
• As of September 30, the official number of COVID-19 cases in Kerry since the start of the pandemic stands at 390 (an increase of 62 on the previous month).
