A COMPANY is to create 80 jobs at a new store in Manor West later this year.
The Range, a home, garden and leisure retailer, will begin recruitment for the full and part-time positions next month.
The new outlet will be located in the former Debenhams unit at Manor West Shopping Centre.
There is also likely to be additional seasonal positions available. The Range has over 180 stores in the UK and Ireland.
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SANTA Claus will arrive at Manor West Retail Park and Shopping Centre this Saturday and all are invited to join in the excitement .
From 12pm to 6pm on November 23rd and 24th, Santa Claus will be greeting the people of Kerry and spreading the festive cheer.
It is free of charge to visit Santa at Manor West and everyone is encouraged to being their camera or mobile phone to capture those special moments with Santa.
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Radio Kerry will also join Santa at Manor West Shopping Centre and Retail Park on Saturday, November 23 and will be chatting with Santa, playing your favourite songs and giving away some fantastic spot prizes.
There will also be some balloon modelling fun and face painting for everyone to enjoy.
Speaking ahead of Santa’s arrival Derek Rusk, Centre Manager said; “The excitement is definitely building for Christmas 2019 here at Manor West, especially with Santa’s arrival on Saturday, November 23rd. Christmas is such a special time of year and we’re looking forward to enjoying the festivities with our customers. Our Christmas Food and Craft Fairs are also coming up and are a great way to source some of the Kingdom’s finest, locally made products.”
Children will be able to visit Santa every Saturday and Sunday from 12-6pm right up to December 23rd.
Parking is free of charge at Manor West Shopping Centre and Retail Park, with over 1,000 manned car parking spaces available. Throughout the festive period, additional parking spaces will also be available daily behind Debenhams and beside Woodie’s during peak traffic times.
MANOR West Retail Park and Shopping Centre will host a fun and exciting day for your little ones to remember on Saturday, October 27.
From 12pm to 5pm, the Junior Einsteins Science Club will visit Manor West with their popular ‘Gross Slime & Bubbling Potions Show’ for one day only.
On the day, Junior Einsteins’ fantastic team of science instructors will share their love of science and learning with children through fun, hands-on, interactive science experiments, encouraging children’s natural curiosity and igniting their enthusiasm and creativity.
Junior Einsteins will host five, hour long shows, as well as lots of other entertainment on the day including face painting and balloon making to keep children of all ages entertained.
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Speaking ahead of the event, Derek Rusk, General Manager of Manor West Shopping Centre and Retail Park is looking forward to welcoming the event to Tralee.
“We are delighted to bring the hugely popular Junior Einsteins to Manor West on October 27th. This will be their first time bringing their ‘Gross Slime & Bubbling Potions Show’ to The Kingdom and we invite everyone to come along and join in on the fun. We understand it can be hard to think of ways to keep children entertained during the mid-term break, and this is a great way to incorporate fun and learning at the same time.”
The first show kicks off at 12pm, and shows run each hour, with the last show starting at 4pm; and everyone is welcome to join in the fun at Manor West Retail Park and Shopping Centre on Saturday, October 27th.
For further information on Manor West Shopping Centre and Retail Park please visit www.manorwest.ie or find them on Facebook and Twitter.
MANOR West Shopping Centre and Retail Park will host its annual ‘Wellness on Your Doorstep’ exhibition on Saturday, September 22nd from 12pm to 5pm.
The event will provide information to the local community and visitors to Manor West about organisations, clubs and services which are right on their doorstep in Tralee and its surrounding areas.
There will be a wide range of information stands where the public can chat to representatives from various organisations on topics such as wellness, health, fitness and education, and discover ways to get involved and give something back to their local community, while improving their own sense of wellbeing.
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The event will also highlight the support services that are available locally which help people stay healthy both in body and mind.
Speaking about last year’s event, Siobhan Johnston from Kerry Volunteer Centre said, “It was a wonderful event and we are thrilled to be involved again this year. It is a brilliant opportunity for local organisations to engage with the public and showcase what it is they do and what services they offer. It’s also a fantastic way to meet new people in the locality and let them know how they can get involved.
Speaking about the upcoming event, Derek Rusk, Centre Manager, said, “We get fantastic feedback from the exhibition every year and we are delighted to be hosting ‘Wellness on your Doorstep’ once again. At Manor West we believe that it is so important to create awareness of the wonderful organisations that do so much for the local community, and we are encouraging everyone to come along on the day with their families and friends to learn more about how they can get involved, whether it’s joining a club, volunteering or just picking up a new hobby.”
Spin South West will be there on the day playing great live music and with their SPINIs creating a buzz in the centre, as well as their DJ chatting with the local organisations about the fantastic work they do locally.
For more information on Manor West Shopping Centre and Retail Park and upcoming events please visit www.manorwest.ie or find them on Facebook and Twitter.
MANOR West was buzzing yesterday as it welcomed over 100 cyclists taking part in the Tour de Munster.
The charity cycle is held every year in aid of Down Syndrome Ireland (DSI) and individual beneficiaries and sees amateur cyclists take on over 600km around the six counties of Munster.
The sun was shining as people gathered in the car park in the afternoon where there was family entertainment laid on, including a drum workshop, face painting and Mickey and Minnie Mouse meeting the kids.
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The cyclists came in at around 5.30pm and received a great welcome, enjoying teas, coffees and sandwiches after travelling from Clare.
This year the charity cycle aims to raise €250,000 for DSI, with funds going towards providing vital services and facilities for people with Down Syndrome across Munster. Scroll down for photos…
MANOR West Shopping Centre and Retail Park will welcome over 100 cyclists from the 18th Annual ‘Tour de Munster’ charity cycle to Tralee on Friday, August 10 from 2pm-6pm.
The four day cycle takes place from Thursday 9th to Sunday 12th August and will see cycling legend Sean Kelly and over 100 amateur cyclists cycle over 600km around the six counties of Munster, raising funds for Down Syndrome Ireland (DSI) and individual beneficiaries.
This will be the second year the tour has used Manor West as its stop off point in Tralee, and Manor West and the DSI Kerry branch have planned a range of fun activities for the afternoon including samba drummers, zumba dancing, face painting, balloon modelling and much more.
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Speaking about celebrations at Manor West, Derek Rusk, Centre Manager, said, “We are proud to be supporting the Tour de Munster for the second year in a row. It’s a phenomenal event which fundraises for fantastic charities, including DSI, and we are looking forward to giving the cyclists a big Kerry welcome on the 10th. It’s going to be a great family day out so we’re encouraging everyone in Tralee to come along and support the tour and join in the fun!”
The Tour de Munster was established in 2001 by Paul Sheridan who is very much looking forward to another fantastic event, “Each year we are blown away with the dedication of everyone involved in the cycle and so proud of how far the event has come. We are thrilled that Manor West are supporting us once again and we’re so impressed with the fantastic welcome Derek and DSI Kerry have planned for the cyclists on the 10th.”
This year the charity cycle aims to raise €250,000 for DSI, with funds going towards providing vital services and facilities for people with Down syndrome across Munster.
Madeline Rose Doyle from the DSI Kerry branch said, “We are very grateful to Paul and the Tour de Munster for selecting DSI as their chosen charity because fundraising events like these make a real difference to the lives of people with Down syndrome, as well as their friends and family. We are so thankful for the support from Derek and Manor West for adding to the already fantastic event with an afternoon of family fun and celebrations along the way in Tralee.”
For more information on Tour de Munster and DSI please visit www.tourdemunster.com and www.downsyndrome.ie.
WHILE the CH Christmas parade and the switching on of the lights drew big crowds to the town centre on Saturday, Manor West was also buzzing with families enjoying the Food and Craft Fair.
Artisan food producers and the finest craftspeople the Kingdom has to offer, were present and with Santa and the Kingdom Party Pals in attendance. it created a great festive atmosphere.
Their next Food and Craft Fair takes place on Saturday and Sunday, December 9-10, from 11am to 5pm. Again, guests can look forward to everything from handmade jewellery, beautiful pottery and paintings, to delicious cheeses, cakes and much more. Scroll down for photos…
MANOR West is truly in the Christmas swing these days and the weekends are packed with events coming up.
The first of three Food & Craft Fairs this festive season takes place this Saturday November 2 from 11am – 5pm. The food fair will host numerous local artisan food producers and craftspeople offering fantastic handmade products from the heart of Kerry.
Of course Santa and his friends are also there on Saturday and there will also be facepainting and balloon modelling to keep the younger visitors happy and occupied.
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Radio Kerry and Francis Jones will broadcast live from 11-2pm and there will be a chance to win some fantastic spot prizes.
Derek Rusk, Shopping Centre Manager stated, “The Christmas season is a special time for us at Manor West and we are delighted that our Food & Craft Fair gives local craftspeople and producers a stage to sell their fantastic products. We have three fair days during the festive season and we hope that everybody comes along and enjoys them, they really create such a cheerful atmosphere on the shopping mall. There is always a fabulous range of products and great gift ideas for that special someone.”
The additional Food & Craft Fairs will take place on Saturday December 9th and Sunday December 10th, making Manor West your one stop for shopping this Christmas. Children will be able to visit Santa and his friends for free every Saturday and Sunday from 12-6pm, right up to Saturday, December 23rd.
Manor West will also have manned car parking areas over the festive period as well as extra parking opened daily behind Debenhams during peak traffic times. All the parking as always is free of charge, so one less drain on the pocket.
For more information on Manor West Shopping Centre and Retail Park and upcoming events please visit www.manorwest.ie or find them on Facebook and Twitter.
THE Manor West “Taste of Tralee” Food Fair will return next weekend.
Taking place in the Manor West Shopping Centre and Retail Park on Saturday and Sunday, December 10/11, the food fair will once again host numerous local artisan food producers offering fantastic handmade products from the heart of Kerry.
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Derek Rusk, Shopping Centre Manager stated, “The food fair always goes down really well and it’s a chance for us to provide a different offering to our customers, as well as adding even more Christmas cheer to the centre! The atmosphere it creates is magnificent and we love seeing everyone enjoying themselves plus Santa will be here to add to the festive fun!”
The Food Fair is organised in conjunction with Taste Kerry and is a fantastic opportunity for many of the local artisan food producers to display their products and interact with a wider pool of customers.
For more information on Manor West Shopping Centre and Retail Park and upcoming events please visit www.manorwest.ie or find them on Facebook and Twitter.
MANOR West is getting ready to welcome the ‘Taste of Tralee Food Fair’ to the shopping centre on Saturday and Sunday, November 26-27 from 12-6pm.
The food fair will host numerous local artisan food producers offering fantastic handmade products from the heart of Kerry.
As well as Santa and his friends, Kingdom Party Pals will be there over the weekend with some fun characters such as Anna and Elsa.
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Derek Rusk, Shopping Centre Manager stated; “There is always such a fabulous range of products on show and something to suit everybody’s tastes.”
The event, which is organised in conjunction with Taste Kerry is a fantastic opportunity for many of our local artisan food producers to display their products and interact with a wider pool of customers.
AS part of an initiative to bring the global brand “Dress for Success” to Kerry, Manor West Shopping Centre and Retail Park will act as a drop off point for the international movement.
Dress For Success supports and promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women, by providing professional attire as well as coaching and career advice to help women thrive in work and life.
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Dress for Success has been a phenomenal success already in Munster and Carmel O’Keeffe, founder of ‘Dress For Success – Cork’ is looking to extend the services of the initiative to Limerick and Kerry.
In Cork in the past three years, over 600 women have been supported by the initiative with over 60% of these women successfully returning to the workforce.
She hopes that the clothing drive will create awareness of the great work the ‘Dress for Success’ initiative does and will demonstrate to the women of Kerry that there is support for them to make the steps towards a better future.
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Speaking on the clothing drive, Carmel said; “We already have a number of Kerry clients who travel to Cork to avail of our services, which are completely free of charge. I hope that this initiative will pave the way for Dress For Success to be established in Kerry. The aim is to help those looking to take the next steps in going back to work and to show that there are support networks available to women who may need some help and encouragement, returning to work.”
The ‘Dress For Success’ drop off point will be located in Manor West Shopping Centre at the Customer Service Desk. The initiative is asking the public to donate new or nearly-new suits and other business-appropriate apparel as well as shoes, accessories such as handbags or jewellery and unused cosmetics.
Manor West Shopping Centre Manager, Derek Rusk spoke of the centre’s support for the initiative; “Manor West is delighted to be part of the Dress For Success movement. We hope that the clothing drive will connect the women of Kerry and help in the plans to set up Dress For Success Kerry”.
Already Kerry businesses have come on board to show their support for the initiative, including Sam McCauley who will provide Cosmetic Makeovers for any of the Kerry clients who are preparing for interviews through the Dress For Success programme.
One of the first business people to show her support is Caroline McEnery founder of HR Suite, the Tralee based business which provides HR Services to businesses throughout Ireland.
Caroline stated; “Dress for Success provides such a fantastic resource for women returning to work and I hope other Kerry businesses will join in and show their support, which will be a fantastic way to get more women back into the workforce in Kerry.”
For more information on on Dress For Success, please visit www.cork.dressforsuccess.org
A COMMERCIAL centre in Manor West has gone on the market at a guide price of €4,500,000.
Manor West Neighbourhood Centre is comprised of seven retail units and a restaurant with tenants such as Topaz and Boyle Sports, Seamus O’Sullivan Butchers and more. It is located adjacent to Manor West Retail Park and McDonalds Restaurant.
Sherry Fitzgerald Stephenson Crean along with joint agents Cashman and Wakefield are handling the sale of the development. Interest is expected from both national and international buyers.
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The overall current rent roll is €482,234 a year with units boasting a 87% occupancy rate. The service station is let to Topaz for a 20 year lease which began in 2001.
Strong interest is expected in the investment. There is also the opportunity to increase the current rent received with the letting of the two former Xtra Vision units at the rear of the Topaz station. It is for sale by private treaty and tenants are unaffected by the sale.
AN update on the survival of the 11 Debenhams stores in Ireland, including the one in Manor West Retail Park, was put back to next month at the High Court yesterday.
In May, Debenhams Retail Ireland Limited (DRIL) applied for court protection after the Debenhams UK withdrew financial support.
In June the examiner extended the amount of time to produce a survival scheme to save the 11 Debenhams stores in Ireland which the company employs 1,400 staff in Ireland.
Yesterday, an application was made by the examiner Kieran Wallace to extend this time again until August 19 to allow for the finalisation of the report. All stores remain open at this time.
THERE was a huge crowd passing through all day at Manor West on Saturday, as Christmas officially kicked off at the busy retail centre.
At about noon, the man himself arrived, much to the delight of the many children who were already queuing up in the main hall in the centre.
Santa and his helpers made a lot of little ones happy, by chatting and giving a small token to each of the children who relayed what they wanted for Christmas.
It’s going to be a busy month for Santa!
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MOTHERCARE Ireland, who have a store in Tralee, have been placed into interim examinership by the High Court.
Ten staff are employed at in the Manor Retail Park, Kerry’s only Mothercare outlet.
The British retailer which specialises in products for expectant mothers and general merchandise for children have given assurances that “all employees have been paid to date and will be paid in full throughout the examinership period,” a statement from the company read.
“The company will continue to trade as normal during the examinership process and wants to assure all customers that it will continue to honour all gift cards and family card points,” the statement added.
Mothercare Ireland say that a restructuring through examinership is necessary to secure the long-term future of the company and to secure the jobs of as many of its 275 employees as possible.
Mothercare has traded in Ireland for the passed 23 years and has 18 stores nationwide.
AN incredible €2,531 was raised by Tesco workers in Manor West over the course of two days for Oxfam’s Nepal Earthquake appeal.
The workers decided to take their own initiative and place collection boxes out on the checkouts prompting shoppers in the store to take their lead and give generously.
“We’re blown away by the amount of money raised,” said Eileen Hanlon of Oxfam Tralee.
On April 25, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit Napal causing widespread devastation and a death toll estimated to be over 8,000.
Two weeks later, while Nepal was still recovering, there was a second earthquake causing more fatalities and widespread devastation.
The amount raised is a lot more than what Oxfam Tralee would regularly get in one lump sum.
“People are great to extend their hand of generosity for these appeal, be it with the Ebola Crisis, Nepal or the Philippines,” said Eileen.
The cheque has been lodged and will go to help people in Nepal who are in grave need of food and shelter.
“It will go to help sanitization of water and shelter which is incredibly vital at the moment because it is about to come into monsoon season,” she said.
For more information on Oxfam’s Nepal appeal, click HERE
THERE was great excitement on Saturday afternoon as the great man himself, Santa Claus arrived in Manor West to really kick off the festive season at the retail park.
There were huge crowds there for an afternoon of fun with free children’s entertainment including a puppeteer/magician and free balloons along with the Anna, Elsa and Olaf characters from ‘Frozen’ and Mickey and Minnie Mouse posing for photos with families.
There were big queues for Santa as children told them what they wanted under the tree in five weeks time.
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1. Celebrate Christie
There’s a fantastic festival going on today and tomorrow at the Fels Point Hotel celebrating one of our town’s most famous sons.
A Celebration Of Christie Hennessy and Songwriters kicks off tonight with the Troubadour Club featuring a range of artists from Tralee and further afield (including Victor McCullough of Stagalee fame) performing their own material.
Tickets are just €5 from Tralee Chamber Alliance and the ticket can be exchanged for a pint before 9pm.
Check out their Facebook page here for more information about the weekend.
2. Test Your Knowledge
The Blasket is hosting a table quiz tonight for Ballymac GAA club so if you’re from out that direction, or you just fancy yourself as a quiz expert, then this is the place to be at 8.30pm.
3. Havana good time
Roundy’s Bar’s Mojito Night is proving a popular addition to the Friday night social scene, as the barmen show their cocktail skills while punters shake to latin beats.
4. Santa’s here!
Manor West Retail Park will welcome the man in the red suit at 12 noon with lots more going on besides. If you have children, this is where you need to be.
5. Family time at the bank
Alternatively, stay in town and visit Ulster Bank where they are holding a family day with Sam Maguire and Kieran Donaghy as the main attractions.
6. C’mon Ireland!
Ireland are playing Australia at 4.30pm in a bid for a clean sweep of autumn internationals wins. Take a break from the shopping in town for a while and watch the game in comfort in The Brogue or The Abbey Inn.
7. Have a stylish lunch
There’s still time to get tickets for the Connect Christmas fashion and food lunch in aid of the Kerry Cancer Support Group Kerry Cork Link Bus out in the Ballyroe Heights Hotel.
There’ll be champagne reception at 12.30, lunch, fashion tips, food ideas from Mark Doe and much more.
Tickets are €50 and can be bought from Margaret Brick on 086-2408237, Hannons Fashions Castleisland and Winters Display Christmas Shop at the Horan Centre.
TRALEE will get a shot in the arm over Christmas and New Year as hundreds of card players from all over the country descend for the Tralee International Bridge Congress 2014.
The congress takes place from Tuesday, December 30 to Sunday, January 4 and will be held at the Manor West Hotel.
Card players from Ireland and abroad will be giving themselves a Christmas treat with a trip to Tralee for a International Bridge Congress.
Minister Jimmy Deenihan said that Tralee International Bridge Congress and similar events around the county have brought over 1500 bridge players from all over Ireland and abroad to Kerry during the shoulder periods in tourism and for over 50 years have boosted the local economy.
Mayor Cllr Jim Finucane congratulated the organisers on the growing success of the Tralee International Bridge Congress which is a major attraction and brings nearly 300 people to the town.
THE Xtra-vision store in Manor West will be re-branded as a predominantly HMV store.
It was announced by Hilco Capital (owners of Xtra-vision HMV) that an integrated store will officially open in Tralee in Manor West on Saturday, October 11.
What this means for customers is, the store will change its layout and signage to HMV, but still retain its Xtra-vision rentals sections. The store will also remain at its current premises in Manor West.
No new staff are expected to be taken on after the re-branding, which is said to be almost near completion.
“Integrating HMV with Xtra-vision is a very exciting way of bringing the HMV brand into towns all over Ireland, in many cases bringing the HMV experience to parts of the country that have never had a HMV store in close proximity,” said Larry Howard, CEO of Hilco Capital Ireland.
To celebrate the re-branding of the store, Xtra-vision HMV, will have a number of special offers on opening day, October 11.
ONE of Tralee’s fashion institutions, Shindig, have opened a store in Manor West Retail Park – but this doesn’t spell the end for the Shindig store on Russell Street where they have been for 25 years.
“We’ve opened a store in Manor because it’s more convenient,” said owner, Gary Brosnan. “Parking is a major issue. Quite a lot of people are turned off from shopping in the town because of parking and Manor West offer free parking,” he said.
“There’s no common sense with regards to parking, people are left constantly running back to their cars because their ticket has expired, it’s an issue that needs to be addressed, until then, people are going to have a problem with parking in town,” said Gary.
“Parking isn’t the sole reason we’ve opened a store in Manor, there is a lot of footfall up there and it suits us to be there, it’s good for retail because there is a lot of clothes shops in Manor as well,” said Gary.
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Along with the new store in Manor West, Shindig, have launched a website to offer customers the choice of clicking on which item they want online and collecting it in one of the stores or they’ll send them overseas for customers living abroad.
The Shindig store in Russell Street which first opened its doors 25 years ago in 1989 will remain open. Gary Brosnan also ran the men’s fashion store, Frontier, which was situated on Castle Street for a number of years.
“Part of the reason why we’ve started a website is we have customers who have moved away from Tralee, but still want to buy our clothes,” said Gary.
“An awful lot of young people have moved out of town and moved to cities, either in Ireland, Britain, Australia or in America,” said Gary.
“There’s a retail revolution happening on the Internet, but also a lot of our customers are emigrating so it makes sense for us to be online,” said Gary.
DURING Rose festival week you’ll be able to sample some of the unique food of the county as the ‘Taste of Kerry’ comes back to Manor West Retail Park.
The event will take place on Saturday/Sunday, August 16/17. The event will run from noon to 6pm on both days.
“There is always such a great atmosphere here when we host the Taste of Tralee Food Fair and we are delighted we can go that extra mile to give our customers the most enjoyable day possible,” said Derek Rusk, Manor West Centre Manager.
The ever popular event, in association with Taste Kerry is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the massive amount of talent and creativity of the Kingdom’s Artisan Producers.
Taking place in the main shopping mall, thousands of visitors will be given the opportunity to sample and purchase locally produced products while Radio Kerry broadcasts from outside with lots of giveaways and some high profile interviews on Saturday.
Not only that but there will be face painting and balloon modelling both days and some special guests such as Spongebob Squarepants and Mickey Mouse and more there to entertain the kids on Saturday.
“Having the opportunity to take part in these events in such a prime retail location is a fantastic boost for us. We really enjoy being in Manor West and getting the chance to introduce our products to new customers,” said John Harty of ‘Taste Kerry’.
For further information on Manor West visit www.manorwest.ie or follow Manor West on Facebook.
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A RED tide swept into Tralee yesterday afternoon as Munster players, Conor Murray, Keith Earls, Donnacha Ryan, Felix Jones and BJ Botha among others made appearances at Lifestyle Sports in Manor West and Tralee Rugby Club.
The players are visiting Kerry as part of ‘The Munster Race’. This is where the squad split up into six groups and tour the six counties of the province before ending up in Dingle.
The purpose is both a team building exercise and a chance for the players to meet fans who might not be able to make it to Thomand Park this year.
“I have great experiences of Tralee, I used to come down here to the Aqua Dome when I was younger, I think we’re going to pop back there later a few of us for a swim,” said Munster and Ireland international Keith Earls.
“The overall experience has been great. Every place we’ve been has been brilliant to us between the food and activities,” said Keith.
“We’re started off in Killaloe and went to the Killarney club yesterday. This morning we went to the top of Molls Gap on a helicopter so that was a good thrill,” said Munster’s Felix Jones.
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“It’s a great way for the guys to get out and meet the people who we’re playing for,” said Felix.
“I’ve been to Tralee a good bit, ever since I was a kid on the way down to Derrynane or Castlecove. It’s a great spot,” said Felix.
The Munster lads then went off to Dingle where they held a public training session at Corca Dhuibne club on Friday morning.
