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Continuing our review of 2023 we look back at some of the news we brought you in June…
• KERRY Airport released the Annual Report & Accounts for the 12-month period ended 31st December 2022 reporting an Operating Profit after Taxation for the period of €1,061,413 as compared to an after Taxation Operating Profit of €2,439,515 in the previous year.
Passenger numbers for 2022 finished at 356,141 which represents a 96.3% recovery from the highs of 2019 and the highest percentage recovery, in those terms, of any airport in the State. It also represents an increase of 240,743 on the 2021 passenger figures.
• THE Board and Management of Siamsa Tíre made a joint decision in early June to suspend all non-profit-making productions after June 17 and for the remainder of the summer season.
The board said this will provide an opportunity to secure the necessary funding to review the production offerings for the remainder of 2023 and into 2024, while the organisation prepares for a relaunch of its programme.
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• NETWORK Ireland launched its new Kerry branch in June at The Rose Hotel and it was a fantastic success.
Network Ireland is a not-for-profit, voluntary national organisation that supports the professional and personal development for women in business.
• THE Kerry branch of the Green Party has announced its line-up of candidates for next year’s local elections, with representatives in all six electoral areas.
The candidates are Tralee – Anluan Dunne; Killarney – Diarmaid Griffn; Listowel – Anne-Marie Fuller; Kenmare – Cleo Murphy; Dingle – Peadar Ó Fionnáin and Castleisland – Paul Bowler.
• FÉILE na mBláth once again proved hugely popular with large crowds enjoying free entertainment in the Town Park, but unfortunately heavy thunderstorms spoiled things on Saturday afternoon.
The freak weather caused havoc in town with many businesses and homes suffering flood damage over a short period time with incredibly heavy thunderstorms localised over the town.
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• MINISTER for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, TD, turned the sod on the new Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) Building at MTU’s Kerry North Campus.
The STEM building, 9,042 meters squared in size, will provide the capacity to expand MTU’s portfolio of programmes and services in STEM disciplines.
• TRALEE got a new Mayor as veteran politician Cllr Johnnie Wall was elected unopposed to the position on June 19.
The Fianna Fáil Cllr took over from his party colleague, Cllr Mikey Sheehy after he was proposed for the position at the Tralee Municipal District AGM held at Kerry County Council buildings. Labour Cllr Terry O’Brien is the Deputy Mayor.
Cllr Wall was first elected to Tralee Town Council in 1985 and this is his seventh term as Cathaoirleach/Mayor of the town. He was last Mayor of Tralee from June 2021 to June 2022.
• THERE was a Tralee winner at the prestigious Association of Irish Musical Societies (AIMS) Awards at the weekend. The awards were held on June 17 at the INEC in Killarney attended by hundreds of guests.
Tralee native Clodagh Harrington won the award for Best Female Singer for her performance as Eva Peron in The Light Opera Society of Tralee’s production of Evita directed by Grainne O’Carroll in Siamsa Tire last November.
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• TRALEE-BASED Fine Gael councillor, Jim Finucane, was elected Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council at its Annual Meeting at County Buildings in Tralee on June 26.
Cllr Finucane, who has been a member of Kerry County Council since 2009, is a Tralee-based auctioneer and is currently chairperson of the Kerry Education and Training Board. He is a former Mayor of Tralee and was a member of Tralee Urban District Council for fourteen years.
• TRALEE lost its Clean To European Norms’ status in the June IBAL Anti-Litter League, Survey.
Tralee was placed 29th out of the 40 towns / cities surveyed and is classed as ‘Moderately Littered’ in the An Taisce report. Killarney is placed 20th in the table and is ‘Clean To European Norms.
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