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Taking a look back at some of the news we brought you in June…
• There was exciting news at the start of the month for soccer fans in the county.
Kerry Football Club’s application to the FAI to enter the club licensing process had been accepted with the prospect of League of Ireland football coming to Tralee
Led by Billy Dennehy and American based directors Steven Conway and Brian Ainscough, they had been working with Kerry District League for many months on the application.
• IT was a disappointing day once again for the Kerry hurlers as they were beaten for the third year in a row in the Joe McDonagh Cup final.
A sunny Croke Park was the venue for a thrilling final but, despite a late goal, Kerry couldn’t catch Antrim and went down by 5-22 to 4-24.
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• SALLY Ann Leahy finally gave up the Kerry Rose title she has held since 2019 as the lady who would represent the county at the festival in August was announced at Siamsa Tíre.
After an entertaining selection night and much deliberation from the judges, Édaein O’Connell was announced as Kerry Rose 2022 by host Daithi Ó Sé.
• SPA National School near Tralee was named the overall winner of Applegreen’s BioDive sticker collection competition, in association with the education organisation Biodiversity in Schools.
Spa were the lucky winners from more than 120 other schools to win a biodiversity garden worth €10,000 by completing a classroom poster with stickers of native Irish animals, insects and plant life. The initiative saw more than 1,000 schools apply to take part.
• KERRY Airport released the Annual Report & Accounts for the 12-month period ended 31st December 2021, reporting an Operating Profit after Taxation for the period of €2,439,515 as compared to an after Taxation Operating Loss of €144,996 in the previous year.
Gross Revenue in 2021 reflected the recovery in passenger numbers from a low in 2020 of 82,959 to 115,398 in 2021, complemented by a growing Corporate & General Aviation sector during the period.
Outside of Dublin and Shannon Airports in 2021, Kerry had the highest business aviation aircraft movements in the State.
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• A EuroMillions player who bought their ticket in a Kerry shop was €500,000 in June. The winning Quick Pick ticket was purchased at Hickey’s Centra (Donnagh Hickey Motors) at Shinnagh Cross in Rathmore.
• The 2022 Kerry Short Film Bursary of €10,000 was awarded to Tralee native, Katie McNeice, of Hardback Films and her collaborator Maggie Ryan of Escape Pod Media, for their short film “Focail Baile Croí”, (“Words Home Heart”).
It is a film that explores the depths of love and grief. In 2022 the focus remained on a strong creative connection with Kerry with at least one of the core creative team having to be from or living in Kerry.
• TAOISEACH Micheál Martin was in Tralee to attend the official opening of a company’s new offices where 280 new jobs will be created.
RelateCare is an Irish healthcare communications consultancy and outsourcing organisation and the first of 30 jobs had been filled at the offices located in the campus of the Munster Technological University.
A further 250 management executives, support-function staff and front-line access-to-care staff are to be recruited as part of RelateCare’s ongoing expansion plans, supported by Enterprise Ireland.
Victoria Kennefick.
• A TRALEE-BASED writer and poet won the Emerging Writer Award at the Dalkey Book Festival.
Victoria Kennefick is originally from Shanagarry in Cork but now domiciled in Tralee.
Her acclaimed collection ‘Eat Or We Both Starve’ won her the award and she received a €10,000 prize.
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• NEW parking meters, which have a cashless payment option, were installed in Council-run car parks this week.
Twenty new machines — which also take coins as payment — were installed in the Brandon car park, Abbey car park, ‘Parklands’ car park, the car park in Boherbee near Dom O’Donnells, ‘Slatts’ car park in Boherbee, the St John’s car park, Balloonagh junction car park and Garveys Supervalu car park.
• THE opening of the first phase of the Tralee-Fenit Greenway took place on June 24, when the Fenit-Spa leg of the greenway was opened to cyclists and walkers.
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD joined Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD, Mayor of Tralee, Cllr Johnnie Wall and Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council, Cllr Jimmy Moloney to launch the opening of the first 6.5km of greenway, allowing pedestrians and cyclists travel from Fenit to Spa and back again.
• FIANNA Fáil Cllr Mikey Sheehy was elected as the new Mayor of Tralee this morning.
The councillor was proposed by his Fianna Fáil party colleague, outgoing Mayor Johnnie Wall and seconded by Labour councillor Terry O’Brien, who will be Deputy Mayor for the coming year.
Mayor Sheehy said he was honoured to represent the town and looked forward to working with fellow councillors and council management.
• KERRY defeated Mayo by 1-18 to 0-13 in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Quarter Final at Croke Park to progress to the semi-finals.
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