AN Garda Siochana in Tralee have again rolled out an initiative to enable every house enjoy the spooky season in a safe and non-intrusive manner.
Each year thousands of homes welcome trick or treaters to their door for the annual ritual, but for a variety of reasons, residents in many houses are unable to partake in the festivities or would prefer not to answer the door.
This can lead to confusion and upset for kids and adults alike so to help everyone enjoy Halloween, An Garda Siochana are providing houses with door signs that will clearly let everyone know whether or not they are taking part in the trick or treating tradition.
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The aim is to make it a more enjoyable Halloween night for everyone. The signs are similar to the ‘do not disturb/make up my room’ signs on the doors of hotel rooms.
The red sign indicates the resident prefers that trick or treaters do not call, while the green one lets children know they are welcome to knock on the door.
The signs are free to collect from Tralee, Listowel, Killarney, Cahersiveen and Dingle Garda Stations. They are also available in all Kerry Libraries.
The Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation’s shop in Tralee is appealing to the public to donate some ‘spooktacular’ costumes in time for Halloween.
The nationwide charity, which provides in-home nursing care and respite support for families caring for children with severe learning disability often associated with complex medical needs, is asking people to put the ‘care into scare’ by donating pre-loved Halloween costumes and décor this autumn.
Any costumes and accessories in good condition can be dropped off at The Jack and Jill Charity Boutique located at Pier 17 Business Park on the Dingle road opposite the canal.
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Commenting on the ‘Costumes for Care’ call out Store Manager, Etain Usher said, “Everyone loves the fun of dressing up at Halloween but very often these costumes may only get one wear before children, and adults too, have outgrown them or just want a different one the following year.”
“It’s a shame to see these fantastic costumes miss out on a second chance to trick or treat here in Tralee. As people are now taking out the decorations and costumes and children are planning their spooktacular outfits, we would love if they would think about donating any items no longer needed in order to give them a new lease of life.”
Since its foundation in 1997, Jack and Jill has cared for 91 families in Co. Kerry.
If dressing up isn’t your autumn style, The Jack and Jill Charity Boutique is also looking out for donations of any Halloween and seasonal home décor.
From pumpkin wreaths to glitter skulls, anyone looking to resurrect their autumn interior sustainably can drop off items no longer needed… and who knows, you might pick up some new unexpected treats and treasure while there!
The store will also be accepting donations after Halloween in order to bank a few tricks and treats ahead of next year.
AN Garda Siochana in Tralee are rolling out an initiative to enable every house enjoy the spooky season in a safe and non-intrusive manner.
Each year thousands of homes welcome trick or treaters to their door for the annual ritual, but for a variety of reasons, residents in many houses are unable to partake in the festivities or would prefer not to answer the door.
This can lead to confusion and upset for kids and adults alike so to help everyone enjoy Halloween, An Garda Siochana are providing houses with door signs that will clearly let everyone know whether or not they are taking part in the trick or treating tradition.
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The aim is to make it a more enjoyable Halloween night for everyone. The signs are similar to the ‘do not disturb/make up my room’ signs on the doors of hotel rooms.
The red sign indicates the resident prefers that trick or treaters do not call, while the green one lets children know they are welcome to knock on the door.
The signs are free to collect from Tralee Garda Station.
AS people prepare to celebrate Halloween, An Garda Síochána is reminding the public that it is an offence to possess fireworks without a licence.
It is an offence to throw an ignited firework at any person or property. The offence carries a fine of €10,000 and or a term of 5 years imprisonment. The possession of a firework without a licence is an offence which is liable to a fine of up to €10,000.
Parents are asked that if they discover that their children have bangers/fireworks please remove them and hand them into your local Garda Station.
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Parents should be extra vigilant during this period and know where their children are at all times. Adults, in general, should ensure that children are aware of the very real dangers associated with fireworks.
If you have any information relating to the illegal importation/sale of fireworks please contact any Garda Station or use the Garda Confidential Line Telephone number 1800-666-111.
A LOCAL man has come up with something spooky for the Halloween weekend to view at home.
Mark Flanagan from Ballyard has created ‘Silent Screams’, a short film made up of four poems which has been posted to YouTube.
“These poems are acted out by myself and three talented actors — Kevin Looney, Abigail O’Brien, Celine Natasha Murphy and directed By Fidelma Fitzgerald,” said Mark.
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“I have written two poems for this production. ‘Silent Screams’ and ‘Devil Behind the Mask’. This short film is in memory of the people we lost during the COVID pandemic,” said Mark. Not for the squeamish! See the video below…
IT was a dry, crisp morning for the Tralee Parkrun on Saturday, but there was a twist to proceedings this weekend.
Runners were encouraged to come in fancy dress to mark Halloween, so there were some ghoulish characters on the route with witches and pirates the preferred option for costumes.
As usual, there was a wonderful atmosphere at the Town Park and we were there to capture some of the characters. Scroll down for photos…
It’s Halloween weekend and with the weather mixed (Saturday = dry, Sunday = disaster) there’s a few things to do indoors and outdoors to keep you occupied…
Friday
1. Huddle Horror…
The Huddle Bar on Strand Street is holding a fancy dress party tonight, offering a free cocktail to anyone who makes a big effort to come dressed up. There’s also a prize for best dressed. The fun starts from 8pm (any other bars out there holding fancy dress parties this weekend?).
Saturday
2. Running Scared
Get those spooky outfits on and head down to the Town Park for a bit of fun.
The Park Run are holding their annual Fancy Dress Halloween run at 9.30am. A good, healthy way to start the weekend.
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3. Fun at Ballyseedy…
It’s frightfully good fun at Ballyseedy Home and Garden Centre all weekend as they continue their Halloween children’s festival. From 10am to 4pm kids can enjoy the ‘Halloween Experimental Zone’ in the playground while there a barbecue in the yard from 11.30am to 3.30pm.
Ballyseedy will also host an Autumn Garden Planting and Cookery Demonstration fundraiser for the Tralee Branch of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind (IGDB).
Branch members and IGDB volunteers will be present on the day with Ambassador Dogs and Puppies-in-Training for people to meet. It takes place from 12noon to 4pm.
Tickets are €25 and are available by PM @irishguidedogstraleebranch or via text 087-6686275.
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4. Championship action…
The Kerry senior football championship Round 1 games are taking place this weekend around the county, but the pick of the games from a Tralee perspective are in Austin Stack Park on Saturday.
Kerins O’Rahillys take on St Kierans at 5pm followed by Austin Stacks against champions East Kerry at 7pm.
This is a straight knockout format, so we’ll know by Saturday night if Strand Road and Rockies will live to fight another day. Both teams are hoping for big support on the night so head up if you can.
THE Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is urging the Kerry public, especially parents and guardians to be extremely vigilant to the dangers of inadvertent consumption, particularly by children, of cannabis edibles, products such as jelly sweets containing the psychoactive cannabis component known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
There is growing availability in Ireland of food products, in particular jelly sweets that contain significant amounts of the illicit narcotic drug THC.
The FSAI issues this warning in advance of the Halloween festivities next week where small children, teenagers and adults will be celebrating and where there is an increased risk of people, particularly children, unwittingly consuming these types of products that are intentionally packaged to resemble popular brands of jellies in order to avoid detection.
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This year to date, it has been reported that six children under the age of ten have been hospitalised having accidentally consumed THC-containing products which looked like normal jelly sweets.
Cannabis edibles are illegal food products containing THC and come in many forms, but primarily jelly sweets.
THC is a controlled substance in Ireland with a zero tolerance under the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977. Furthermore, in food, THC is considered a contaminant, with no permitted threshold in EU or Irish food law.
The FSAI states that the high concentrations (up to 50mg/jelly) of THC in these illicit edible sweets can pose serious health risks, particularly to teenagers and children of all ages whose neurological, physical and physiological development could be impacted negatively.
Depending on the THC concentration, eating one of these jellies can mean ingesting a level of THC that is 5-10 times higher than that inhaled when smoking cannabis.
The real concern is that children are not aware of the dangers and if they manage to gain access to a bag of these jellies, they will rarely eat just one and therefore, overdosing is a very likely outcome.
Unlike the almost immediate effects from smoking cannabis, there is at least a thirty-minute time delay from consumption of cannabis edibles until the initial effects are felt.
This poses a serious risk to those who have eaten these jellies who might mistakenly believe that they need to consume several jellies to feel an effect and then find they have overdosed when it is too late.
Cannabis toxicity can cause cognitive and motor impairment and in the case of children this can be extreme, lasting up to 24 to 36 hours after consumption.
This call by the FSAI follows reports of the first cases of paediatric cannabis poisoning in Ireland with six children, all under the age of ten, hospitalised after accidentally consuming these illegal jelly sweets.
In addition, there have also been reports of teenagers falling seriously ill, and in some cases requiring hospitalisation after having seizures and becoming unconscious from overdosing on these cannabis edibles.
Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI says the accidental consumption of edible cannabis products by children is extremely worrying.
“We know adults and/or teenagers are ordering these illegal products from online or other illegal sources for their own personal use. However, they often have no understanding of the real health dangers of these products and are careless or reckless in putting young children’s health at risk by allowing them access to these products.
“The prevalence of these edible products containing THC in communities and schools around the country is a growing cause for concern and parents and guardians should be extra vigilant during festivities such as Halloween where parties will be underway, and the risk of accidental consumption of these products is considerably higher.”
“We are working closely with other Government agencies including the Health Service Executive’s Environmental Health Service and the Public Analyst’s Laboratory, Dublin; An Garda Síochana; Revenue’s Customs Service; Forensic Science Ireland; the State Laboratory and; the Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland to detect and stop the import of these illegal food products into Ireland. We welcome any information from the public in the national effort to curb the availability of these illegal products and to protect our children and young people. We can be contacted through our online complaint form at www.fsai.ie/makeitbetter,” she added.
GARDAI in Tralee are appealing to parents to be responsible in ensuring their children do not possess illegal fireworks.
In the run up to Halloween, the Gardaí are conducting Operation Tombola, a nationwide policing plan focused on the prevention and detection of the sale of fireworks and associated public order and anti-social behaviour issues during the Halloween period.
Gardaí say there are already fireworks going off in Tralee Town Park. Gardaí are asking parents to take any fireworks from their children as they can cause serious injuries. Gardaí are also targeting markets and car boot sales to see if fireworks are being sold there.
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Apart from the risk of injury, fireworks can cause great distress and annoyance to elderly residents.
They can set off intruder alarms, causing unnecessary extra demands on Garda resources. They can also cause great distress to family pets and animals. Finally, there is always the possibility of outbreaks of fires in properties if fireworks continue to burn after landing.
Anyone with any information relating to the illegal use or sale of fireworks is asked to contact their local Garda Station or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
GARDAI in Tralee are encouraging parents to have a discussion with their children to explain why they can’t go out trick or treating this weekend, while extra gardaí will be on patrol this Saturday night to curb any anti-social behaviour.
Community Policing Officer, Garda Mary Gardiner, acknowledged that young children would be disappointed, but trick or treating and calling to other people’s houses is not allowed under Level 5 Restrictions.
She also said bonfires are not permitted as it encourages people to gather and can cause criminal damage resulting in extra pressure on the emergency services.
Garda Gardiner said gatherings of young people on the streets and in estates is not permitted under Level 5 restrictions and encouraged parents to know where their children are on Saturday night.
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While most young people enjoy Halloween safely and responsibly every year, it’s also a time when some use it as a opportunity to engage in anti-social behaviour.
Garda Gardiner said extra gardaí would be out on patrol and extra vehicles on the road on this Saturday night to respond to any complaints and to ensure public health guidelines will be adhered to.
Garda Gardiner said if we all make an effort by sacrificing the Halloween socialising and being complaint over the next number of weeks, then it will be worth it if we can get the numbers down so we can all enjoy a safer Christmas with fewer restrictions on socialising.
People can use the ‘See Something, Say Something’ service to report crime, anti-social behaviour or gatherings of youths by texting TRALEE and the incident to 50555.
Meanwhile, speaking at the daily press briefing on COVID-19 at the Department of Health on Tuesday, Chief Medical Officer, Tony Holohan, said normal Halloween celebrations would not be possible this year due to Level 5 Restrictions.
“I don’t think unfortunately that the disease transmission levels now that we are experiencing are at a level where we can start saying we can set aside some of that advice and guidance notwithstanding the fact that it is Halloween,” he said.
“The kind of mixing that that would go on is social settings that we are all familiar with at Halloween time – visiting one anothers houses, gathering together in the evening time for the kind of celebrations that we all miss – these things are just not going to be possible this year I’m afraid.”
GARDAI are asking parents to be aware of where their children are on Halloween as they prepare for what is usually their busiest night of the year.
Speaking on Radio Kerry’s ‘Talkabout’ programme on Tuesday afternoon, Garda Cathy Murphy said hundreds of youths congregating at Caherslee and Mounthawk is a serious problem every year.
He said parents are dropping off their children in the area and the teenagers travel around the estates causing problems for residents with their anti-social behaviour.
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Garda Murphy also said it is an offence to be in possession of and to light fireworks. If you are caught in possession of a large amount of fireworks there are substantial fines and a maximum prison sentence of up to five years.
She also warned against throwing eggs at people’s property and at vehicles as they could cause drivers to crash. Garda Murphy said Halloween is supposed to be fun, but teenagers and parents need to show more responsibility on the night.
SCOIL Eoin, Balloonagh, held a Halloween Fancy Dress Day on Thursday, October 25 to raise funds for ‘Recovery Haven’.
Children came to school wearing amazing creative Halloween costumes on the day (which you can see by clicking here)and brought in a donation of €2 each.
On Monday morning, the money raised was presented to ‘Recovery Haven’, which is a drop-in support centre in Tralee for cancer sufferers.
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‘Recovery Haven’ helps cancer sufferers and their loved ones to cope. It aims to provide a tranquil place where people with a cancer diagnosis can safely access support and information.
This is a very worthy cause and was well supported by pupils and teachers alike. A total of €1,019 was collected. The school wished to thank all pupils and parents who supported this worthy initiative.
SO it’s the mid-term break and you’re wondering how to entertain the kids tomorrow.
Well Tralee Library is holding a fun event where they are inviting children to come along to and help them to design a Spooky Street!
It’s free of charge and will go on through out the day, between 10am and 5pm. Arts and crafts/colouring materials will be provided and the street will then be on display in the library…once it’s not too scary!
GHOULS, vampires and zombies invaded Scoil Eoin in Balloonagh on Thursday as the school held a Halloween Fancy Dress Day.
This year the fun day was to raise funds for Recovery Haven and children duly obliged wearing Halloween costumes where each child was asked to bring a donation of €2 each.
The money collected will be given to the cancer support facility which was a great idea by the school.
The children looked like they were having ball when we arrived this morning with many making a supreme effort with the ghoulish make-up, while some teachers also got into the spirit of things. Scroll down for photos…
HE’S already given the Welsh fans nightmares and hopefully Irish soccer player James McClean will do the same in a couple of weeks against Denmark.
For the season that’s in it, a Churchill man decided to capture the Derry man’s image in a pumpkin. Shane Kenny, who is now based in Cork, has form in this as he’s already created a Paul O’Connell pumpkin and Nidge and Fran from Love/Hate carvings.
His latest to scare the Danes is probably the best pumpkin carving in the world (sorry!!).
THERE were some dangerous looking types in the Abbey Inn last night but it was all for a great cause.
Terence Crean and Manus Leane organised a charity Fancy Dress Rock Night in the bar and some people really made the effort for the occasion.
The two charities benefitting were Bru Columbanus and the Kerry Coronary Care Unit. Manus said Bru Columbanus – who provide accommodation for people who have a family member staying in hospital – was a facility close to his heart.
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“We used Bru Columbanus when my mother had an accident some years ago. It’s one of those place you don’t know about until something like that happened. We wanted to give something back,” said Manus.
There was great music and loads of spot prizes to keep everyone rocking until the small hours and both charities will be seeing a healthy donation coming their way. Scroll down for photos…
PUPILS had a great start to the mid-term break when the school dressed up for a Halloween party on Friday.
Vampires, zombies, witches and superheroes walked the corridors of the school as each class got a chance to enjoy party games and fun in the school hall.
A fun time then and no doubt those costumes will get another wear as the weekend unfolds. Scroll down for photos…
THERE were vampires, witches and ghouls aplenty in Blennerville on Sunday afternoon as youngsters enjoyed a party at the local GAA club.
The people at St Pats GAA Club decided to get a headstart on the Halloween fun by hosting a fancy dress party for the younger members.
There was a disco and refreshments and the adults got in on the act too, dressing up in the spirit of the occasion. The next week will see many more parties like this for young and old repeated around town. Scroll down for photos supplied by the club. Is your club or school having a Halloween party this week? Let us know by emailing dcrean@traleetoday.ie or via our Facebook page…
RESIDENTS in the Caherslee area have expressed safety concerns for next weekend, after huge groups of teenagers congregated in the area last Halloween drinking alcohol and throwing firecrackers at each other.
Speaking on Radio Kerry’s Talkabout programme this afternoon, resident Padraig Foley, told host Deirdre Walsh about what happened last year and how parents of teenagers from all over town and beyond were dropping their children in the area.
“There is nothing in particular organised [in the area], I suppose a lot of this is organised on social media where they are contacting each other telling each other where to meet. Unfortunately they are able to source fireworks and firecrackers. Apart from wearing masks, some of them would be wearing balaclavas. We had the guards called quite a few times last year.”
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Mr Foley said they have met with the gardaí recently and they will offer additional resources this year in terms of uniformed and plain clothes gardaí.
Cllr Norma Foley has attended residents meetings about the issue and heard their concerns .
“The residents have had a horrendous time,” said Cllr Foley on the radio show. “It’s a very mixed area where you have older people and young families and many people spoke about being confined to their houses in fear. They feel under threat and it’s not safe for them,” she said.
Cllr Foley said that while Halloween is normally a very happy weekend for families – especially for younger children trick or treating – when large groups congregate it becomes intimidating. She asked that parents to be more aware of where their children are at a given time.
Cllr Foley said the vast majority of young people in her experience are terrific and do great work in a voluntary capacity in the community, but this particular weekend causes difficulty for residents in estates.
IT was a colourful morning at St Vincent de Paul on Saturday as they hosted a fun event for kids to mark Halloween.
Everyone was invited to come along and enjoy the sweets, cakes and refreshments at a face-painting and storytelling morning at their shop in Friary Lane, one of a series of events throughout the year to thank customers and to encourage people to come to the shop.
“We have little events like a customer appreciation night, this event for Halloween and we’ll have another event for Christmas to show our appreciation to our customers and to encourage people to come in,” said Yvonne Quill, manager of the shop.
SO did you have fun yesterday? It certainly looks like it!
You sent us in a few photos of your dressing up efforts from yesterday and it looks like ye went all out for Halloween.
We also stole a few photos from Twitter.
A lot of fun was had...(feel free to send in any photos via email dcrean@traleetoday.ie or our Facebook page from yesterday and we’ll add them on here)
Tommy Naughton was clowning around on a big day of sport.
Great day of sport on tv , feel sorry for anyone who knocks on my door to interrupt it. pic.twitter.com/NpzamwirGq
WITCHES, zombies and even the Grim Reaper are getting health conscious these days as they turned up for the Halloween Fancy Dress Park Run on Saturday.
Setting off at 9.30am, even a few vampires braved the daylight to do the three circuits of the Park where people walked and ran the course in all sorts of fancy dress costumes.
We were there to capture the fun atmosphere.
Scroll down for a short video of the start and photos…
It’s the time of year when people become obsessed with ghosts, vampires, zombies, demons and, of course, haunted houses.
Well, with Halloween almost upon us, one Tralee writer has penned her own childhood memories of strange occurrences in her family home in Cloonbeg and had it published in Broadly, a branch of the massively popular Vice website.
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Sarah Waldron – who writes regularly for The Irish Times, Dazed, Stellar Magazine among others – writes about how unexplained noises, visions and other freaky happenings in the Ballymullen house, terrified Sarah, her siblings and their friends through their childhood, even prompting a visit from the priest with holy water.
Well lo and behold, it’s the weekend again. It’s set to be a great one too with Halloween upon us, so there’s bound to be loads to get up to. Here’s a few suggestions…
Friday
1. Watch some great live music
The annual Celebration of Christie Hennessy takes place this weekend and it’s gonna be great.
The Troubadour Club presented by Francie Conway will return to kick-start the weekend tonight featuring performances by ten artists.
It starts at 8.30pm, admission is €10, but everyone who arrives before 9pm will receive a complimentary drink. That’s fair enough!
Aslan’s Christy Dignam and Joe Jewell will be the special guests at the Live Final of the 2015 IMRO Christie Hennessy Song Competition on Saturday, October 31 from 8.30pm. Free Entrance.
The people who organise the regular Tralee Park Runs on Saturdays have capitalised on the fact that it coincides with Halloween for a special event.
A 5km fancy dress run will be held at 9.30am with participants encouraged to come as ghosts, vampires, witches, mummies or whatever else takes your fancy.
As usual, those wishing to take part in the timed 5km run for the first time will have to register on the Park Run site HERE.
3. Halloween fun in Friary Lane
The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul are having a Halloween Story Telling and Face Painting event on Saturday morning from 10:30am until 11:30am in their thrift shop on Friary Lane.
Refreshments will be served on the day and everyone is welcome to join in the fun Contact SVP Tralee on 066-7122706 for more details.
4. Get out and enjoy the witching hours
Whether it’s bringing the kids trick or treating or dressing up for parties all over town, get out and enjoy yourself on Saturday. The weather’s meant to be great too.
Sunday
5. Having a baby?
The Baby Market returns to the Fels Point Hotel for another buying and selling bonanza from 12 noon to 2pm.
There’ll be 20 stalls with all things all things baby-related and some local vendors selling their goods and services.
Entrance fee is €3 per adult, €5 for two, kids free
FRIDAY was a fun day at Blennerville NS with pupils (and many teachers) really getting into the spirit of Halloween.
Fancy dress was the order of the day, as pupils donned all sort of costumes and enjoyed traditional Halloween games like apple-bobbing, before breaking up for the mid-term break.
Everyone had great fun and the pupils really made the effort as can be seen in the photos below.
THERE was a great atmosphere in Tralee schools on Friday as pupils (and teachers no doubt!) looked forward to a well-earned mid term break.
Of course, with it being Halloween next Saturday, children in the primary schools donned all sorts of costumes creating an army of witches and zombies across town.
CBS pupils certainly got into the spirit of things with a fancy dress zumba class and party games while over in St Brendan’s NS in Fenit, they held a Witchy Walk around Fenit on the morning of Friday, October 23, as part of their Green School activities based on the theme of travel.
They also made a donation to Temple Street as part of their Halloween fundraising campaign.
IT’S almost time to grab the make up kits, dust off your capes and rustle up something delightfully ghoulish to wear this Halloween with the ‘Tralee Fancy Dress Park Run’ edging ever closer on our calendars.
With the infamous night of October 31 happening to fall on a Saturday this year, the team over at ‘Tralee Park Run’ have jumped on the chance to host a very special 5km fancy dress run to mark the special occasion.
The all-hallows eve celebration will be kicking off at 9.30 in the morning with participants being warned to expect a whole host of ghosts, vampires, witches and mummies taking part on the day.
As usual those wishing to take part in the timed 5km run for the first time will have to register on the Park Run site HERE. To keep up to date with information on the run, you can do so HERE on the Tralee Park Run Facebook page.
THERE were witches, ghouls and vampires aplenty in the Ballyroe Heights Hotel on Halloween night for the annual Ballyroe/Clogherbrien Community Association Fancy Dress kids party.
Children and parents from all over the area converged on the venue for a party night replete with bouncy castles, games with Sean Lyons, spot prizes and a disco.
“We organise this every year and Ballyroe kindly give us the room to host it,” said John King of the association.
“We’ve been running for ten years now and we organise community alert, text alert, alarms for the elderly and so on. On these occasions we try to raise a few bob for the running of the association and our activities. We had a lot of spot prizes donated from the local community and from Tralee and Ardfert. It’s very much appreciated by the community,” said John.
The children and parents clearly put a lot into the outfits with some mammies also dressing up for the fun.
GARDAI seized fireworks, believed to be en route to Tralee, last Friday when a van was searched in Farranfore.
A vehicle was stopped and searched and and €350 worth of fireworks were seized. A file has been sent to the DPP and a prosecution is foreseen according to a Garda source.
Otherwise it has been quiet in terms of fireworks seizures and use.
“The main thing is the eggs at the moment. Mainly young people firing them at each other on the streets,” said the Garda.
The Gardai are urging shopowners not to sell large quantities of eggs to young people as it is thought that they’re not planning on cooking a giant omelette, but are meant for more nefarious purposes.
The Gardai have issued some tips for young people and parents in the run up to Halloween…
Tips for Halloween
If you see material such as pallets or tyres being hoarded in advance ring the County Council to have it collected or contact Gardai.
Do not throw items onto illegal bonfires or firework displays near your home. It is not an excuse for people to dispose of rubbish.
There will be organised bonfires stay a safe distance from bonfires and fireworks- wind can carry sparks long distances.
Parents should explain the dangers of illegal fireworks ad bonfires to children and teenagers.
If you see an illegal bonfire get out of hand ring 999 or 112 and ask for the fire brigade immediately.
Parents, businesses and householders do not provide any materials for bonfires.
Keep pets indoors on Halloween night as fireworks may cause distress to animals.
Tips for parents- trick or treating
Stay with children and escort them on “Trick or treat” visits, parties and events.
If children dress up in dark clothes, add reflective material so that they can be clearly seen by motorists or cyclists. Reflective jackets available in all Garda Stations.
Only fire resistant material should be used for costumes.
Keep dangerous substances such as oil, petrol and diesel away from fires or fireworks.
Always stay in groups; never trick or treat on your own always stay with family or friends.
Fireworks
If parents discover that your child or teenagers have bangers/ fireworks please remove them and hand them into your local Garda Station.
If you have any information relating to illegal importation/ sale of fireworks contact and Garda Station.
All fireworks cause injury even sparklers burn at more than 2,000 oC. Injuries may result from being too close to fireworks when they explode.
Dozens of children were left with serious burns and hand injuries last year most children were aged between 10 and 12 years.
It is an offence for any person to possess a firework with intent to sell or supply without licence.
It is an offence to throw an ignited firework at any person or property.
It is an offence to light unlicensed fireworks.
The penalty for these offences is a fine up to €10,000 or 5 years imprisonment or both.
The simple possession of fireworks without a licence is also an offence liable to a fine up to €10,000.
MONSTERS, ghosts and ghouls were let loose in the town park on Wednesday when around 120 children took part in a free Halloween themed fun-run.
The event called the ‘Halloween Fancy Dress Fun Run and Inflatable Disco Dome’ was organised by the Tralee Chamber Alliance and the Born To Run running group to promote running as a sport to younger children.
It was also hosted to give kids a fun event they could take part in during their mid-term holidays from school.
Every child received a medal and a ‘goodie bag’ of sweets when the completed the run around the town park.
“We are really pleased with the turn out, so hopefully now the kids will show their friends their medals and we’ll have even more at next year’s run,” said Marcus Howlett, of Born to Run.
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After the run, kids were treated to another event called the ‘Inflatable Disco Dome’, just a stones-throw away in the KDYS.
Zumba Salsa Tralee entertained kids with fun dancing and there were also plenty of their favourite cartoon characters for the kids to meet.
“The idea is to have more community events while the kids are off school,” said David Scott, of Tralee Chamber Alliance.
“Numbers have been good and thankfully the weather held up because there were a lot of people hanging on until the last minute to see how it played out before they registered,” said David.
“These events help Tralee, to be a better place to live and visit,” said David.