We begin our review of 2022 with a look back at some of the news we brought you in January…
• THE year began with news that Tralee had improved its standing in the latest Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) report by An Taisce.
Tralee was once again deemed Clean To European Norms in the latest poll and was placed 14th out of the 40 towns and cities.
The An Taisce Report stated that, compared to a number of years ago, Tralee has been inching its way up the IBAL litter league over the last few years, with a very strong performance this time around.
• It was a momentous day for Kilmoyley as they were crowned Munster Intermediate Hurling Champions.
They beat Courcey Rovers by 0-24 to 0-21 after extra-time to spark scenes of wild celebrations.
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• It was declared by Council management at the January meeting of Tralee Municipal District councillors that the Tralee-Fenit Greenway would open by June of 2022.
Meanwhile, Councillors were also told construction of the new skate park at the Tralee Sports Complex would begin in March.
• THE people of Tralee showed up in their hundreds in The Square on January 14 to pay tribute to Ashling Murphy, the 23 year old woman who was murdered while out running by the canal in Tullamore on January 12.
A moment’s silence was held in Ashling’s memory and many people placed candles on the plinth in the Square in tribute to her.
• TRALEE schools enjoyed great success at the BT Young Scientists and Technology Exhibition as the award results were announced.
Mercy Mounthawk’s Dara Newsome, David Hughes and Conor Bradshaw’s project ‘Specs – A Wearable Smart Device for Dementia Patients’ was Overall Runner-up in the competition, while their school won Best Overall School in the Republic of Ireland.
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The boys also won the Health Research Board award for the project in the Technology section. Coren Hughes from Mercy Mounthawk won Chemical, Physical & Mathematical Senior individual 1st place for his project
Grace Ni Ifearnáin of Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí won the Eli Lilly Award and the Chemical, Physical and Mathematical Junior Individual 1st place for her project.
• THERE were mixed fortunes for Tralee clubs in the Munster football finals in mid-January.
Just two years after winning the Munster and All-Ireland Junior Club titles, Na Gaeil added Intermediate silverware to the cabinet and they did so in some style against the Clare champions Corofin in Mallow, winning by 6-15 to 1-12.
Sadly, Austin Stacks could not make it a double win for Tralee teams. St. Finbarrs beat them by 2-9 to 1-10 on a fine sunny afternoo in Semple Stadium in the Munster SF Club Final.
• It was revealed that gardai in Kerry seized around €540,000 worth of drugs in the county in 2021.
The figure was revealed by Kerry Garda Chief Superintendent Eileen Foster as she went through the data at the online meeting of the Kerry Joint Policing Committee in January.
Chief Supt Foster said the majority of the seizures were for cannabis, but cocaine was also on the increase.
• KERRY collected their first piece of silverware of the year after a comprehensive win over Cork in Killarney on January 22.
Goals from Tom O’Sullivan and Paul Geaney helped ensure the game was more or less done by half-time with Kerry 2-9 to 0-5 ahead and Cork didn’t put up much of a fight in the second half, with a final score of 2-17 to 0-11.
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• JAMES O’Donoghue officially confirmed his retirement from inter-county football on January 25.
The 2014 Player of the Year and two-time All-Star made the announcement on Off The Ball’s “The Football Pod”.
•˘Garvey’s Tralee Warriors were crowned the InsureMyHouse.ie Pat Duffy National Cup champions after an 88-75 win over C&S Neptune at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght on January 22.
The atmosphere at basketball HQ was electric with the Warriors faithful supporters providing incredible colour, noise and support as they cheered their team to their historic victory.
The Cup win completed the Warriors’ trophy cabinet of national titles in their short but hugely successful history in Super League.
• IT as announced a company based in Tralee was to create 20 new jobs securing funding from the Davy EIIS Fund.
Salaso, based at the Tom Crean Centre at Kerry Technology Park, was hiring for a number of tech roles to help the company grow internationally, with a focus on the US where it already has an office.
• Tickets for the Kerry v Dublin league game in Austin Stack Par sold out within hours of going on sale on January 31.
The game on Saturday, February 6 was expected to see a large blue contingent travel south for the match, but the big winners would be the hospitality industry.
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