.Launching Christmas In Tralee earlier this month in The Square were Santa Claus with Mayor Of Tralee Johnnie Wall and Isabelle Lynch of John Dough’s. At back is Niamh Hanley of Effigy with Brendan Culloty and Jean Foley of Tralee Municipal District with David Scott of Tralee Chamber. Photo by Dermot Crean
DON’T forget that tomorrow (Saturday) will see a fantastic afternoon of family entertainment in The Square, culminating in the switching on of the Christmas lights.
Everyone is invited to come and enjoy the Christmas experience in Tralee. The Square will be transformed into a mini North Pole, with its giant Christmas tree and magical lights from 12pm throughout the afternoon right up until 6pm.
Hollywood style snow machines will be blowing snow across the street. MC Brian Hurley will be there chatting and giving away some fantastic prizes sponsored by local businesses.
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Entertainment will be provided by some of Tralee’s outstanding local buskers along with carolling from local choirs.
There will be festive drinks, nibbles and treats and a few surprise guests ahead of turning on the lights by the Mayor of Tralee, Cllr. Johnnie Wall at 5pm.
The public is reminded however, that Government COVID-19 guidelines should be abided by and the safety of residents, businesses and visitors is paramount.
Measures will be in place to ensure everyone can access and enjoy the afternoon in a safe manner, including sanitizing stations, while mark-wearing and social distancing is encouraged.
.Fiona Kirby accepts a framed Austin Stacks jersey from Chairman of Austin Stacks, Billy Ryle at Kirbys Brogue Inn on Friday to mark two years since they began their time as main sponsor. From left; Mikey Collins of Austin Stacks seniors coaching staff, Brian Morgan and Fiona Kirby of the Brogue, Stacks player Shane O’Callaghan, Chairman of Austin Stacks Billy Ryle and Vice-Chairman Eamonn O’Reilly. Photo by Dermot Crean
IT’S a good time to be involved with Austin Stacks in any way, but especially if you’re their main sponsor.
Kirbys Brogue Inn came on board around this time two years ago and to mark this, on Friday they were presented with a framed jersey in advance of Sunday week’s Garvey’s Kerry SFC Final.
Chairman of the club, Billy Ryle, thanked Fiona and Kevin Cotter for their wonderful support over the past couple of years and said he hoped they were enjoying the club’s success.
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Fiona said the seniors reaching the county final — where they will play great rivals Kerins O’Rahillys — is fantastic for the club and they’re glad to be associated with it.
“We’re delighted, it’s all you could ask for really. We’ve a great association with Austin Stacks from my father and mother’s time, to William and now the next generation of the family playing with them. We’re hugely honoured and humbled to be part of it,” she said.
Billy Ryle said the club was grateful that Kirbys Brogue Inn would continue their sponsorship of the club for another year.
.Fiona Kirby of the Brogue Inn with Lorna O’Sullivan, Laura Hayes, Eoin O’Sullivan, Liz Maher and Margaret Kissane at the Inspired Book Launch/Celebrity Chef event in Kirby’s Brogue Inn on Wednesday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
THE Inspired Group launched their cookbooks entitled ‘Cook, Snap N Taste’ and ‘Bake, Snap N Taste’ at Kirby’s Brogue Inn on Wednesday with an event inspired by ‘The Restaurant’ format with celebrity chefs.
On the night, patrons were treated to a complimentary drinks’ reception at 6.30pm provided by Garvey’s Supervalu, followed by a two-course meal prepared by Celebrity chefs Fergal O’Sullivan, Clodagh Moore, Breeda Hurley and Aaron Calixte.
Master of ceremonies Margaret Kissane, Connect Publication engaged with the diners throughout the evening allowing some speculation on who the celebrities could be.
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The event was presided over by three judges Elaine Kinsella (Radio Kerry), Paddy Clancy (Inspired) and Deirdre Enright (KETB) who scored the chefs on their endeavours and awarded their 5-star review to Team A, Fergal O’Sullivan and Clodagh Moore.
Delighted with their win, Fergal and Clodagh spoke about their enjoyment in taking part in the event and wishing the participants the best luck with their books.
The first book features breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes while the second book, brings together 10 home baking and treat recipes from participants family members.
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.David Malone, Liam Purcell, Sarah Fitzmartin and Labhaoise O’Connor at the Inspired Book Launch/Celebrity Chef event in Kirby’s Brogue Inn on Wednesday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
Fiona McCarthy, participant representative of the Board of Management said; “We are thrilled to launch these books at long last.”
“We’ve always enjoyed our cooking classes with Yvonne our culinary tutor and when she suggested that we create our very own series of cookbooks, we jumped at the opportunity. It was good putting both books together, but I’ll let you in on a little secret, the tasting was the best part.”
Paddy Clancy said; “What sets our book apart from others is that it is a visual cookbook. We took all the pictures for the books ourselves with the help of photographer Tara O’Donoghue. The pictures are a great visual aid and make it easy to follow the recipes, so we can try them out at home ourselves”.
Fiona added that Liz Maher, Inspired manager, sourced funding from Kerry Education and Training Board, which allowed us to produce both books. Deirdre Enright from KETB was a great supporter of the book and championed our unique idea.
Liam Purcell added, with a smile; “All the recipes included in the books were our ideas. My Oreo cheesecake is a very popular dessert choice in the baking book because it is so delicious and it’s my mother’s recipe and she is delighted to share it.”
Stephen Buckley said; “It was a great experience being part of the book. I’m very proud of my achievements. I helped with the cooking and photography and gained new skills. Working with local chef from Chopins, owner Monkia Mikolajczuk was brilliant. We got to know Monkia really well when we were doing all the cooking and she was a great help to us.”
Fiona also stated that all the participants wanted to extend their sincere thanks to Liz, Tricia, Yvonne, Dierdre, Monika, Tara and all the staff of Inspired for their help and support in the making of these books.
The books available in the following locations: Yummy’s, Chopin, Daily Grid (Tralee), The Pantry (Ardfert), Lizzie’s Kitchen (Listowel). Suggested Donation: €15 for 2 books. Books are also available at Inspired. Contact: 066 7117315 or go to their facebook page by clicking hereScroll down for photos…
Patricia O’Connor, Kay McCarthy, Kate Malone, Fran Malone and Maree O’Connor at the Inspired Book Launch/Celebrity Chef event in Kirby’s Brogue Inn on Wednesday night. Photo by Dermot Crean.Tara Donoghue, Monika Mikolajczuk, Yvonne O’Brien, Deirdre Enright and Joe Burkett at the Inspired Book Launch/Celebrity Chef event in Kirby’s Brogue Inn on Wednesday night. Photo by Dermot CreanNoreen O’Mahony and Kathleen Hoey at the Inspired Book Launch/Celebrity Chef event in Kirby’s Brogue Inn on Wednesday night. Photo by Dermot Crean.Kathy Hayes, Hilda Fitzmartin, Maeve Fitzmartin and Alison Fitzmartin at the Inspired Book Launch/Celebrity Chef event in Kirby’s Brogue Inn on Wednesday night. Photo by Dermot CreanGuest Judges Deirdre Enright, Paddy Clancy and Elaine Kinsella at the Inspired Book Launch/Celebrity Chef event in Kirby’s Brogue Inn on Wednesday night. Photo by Dermot Crean.Guest chefs Breeda Hurley and Clodagh Moore at the Inspired Book Launch/Celebrity Chef event in Kirby’s Brogue Inn on Wednesday night. Photo by Dermot Crean.
SCOTTISH singer Eddi Reader is celebrating her 40th year on stage next year with with a ’40 Years Live’ concert tour which is set to tour across Ireland in February 2022, including a date in Tralee.
The concert in Siamsa Tire will take place on February 19 and is a sort of homecoming for Eddi because her grandmother, Margaret Nammock, came from Tralee and emigrated to Scotland in the 1920s.
Eddi, who is perhaps best-know for singing Fairground Attraction’s No.1 hit ‘Perfect’ back in the late 80s, is a frequent visitor to Tralee over the years and still has relatives here.
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From her earliest years playing the folk clubs of western Scotland and learning how to street sing across Europe (like her hero Edith Piaf) Eddi Reader’s path soon lead her to a professional career in music as a backing singer for Eurythmics and Gang of Four.
Her band Fairground Attraction had huge international success and number one hits with ‘Perfect’ and debut album ‘First of a Million Kisses’ which stormed the charts in the late 1980s.
She has won Brit Awards, been awarded four honorary degrees, an MBE, sung to millions on some of the world’s greatest concert and festival stages and collaborated with a host of stars across a myriad of genres including Folk, Jazz, Pop, World, Punk and even Classical work with various orchestras.
In 2019 Eddi Reader was invited to be a special guest with Jools Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra for an extensive tour, she released her ‘Starlight’ EP, played sold out headline shows, recorded a programme for BBC Radio’s Classic Scottish Album series about her Robert Burns recordings and appeared on BBC Television’s ‘Songs of Praise’ and as part of Billy Connolly’s ‘Made In Scotland’ series.
Tickets for Eddi Reader’s Tralee concert are on sale now from www.siamsatire.com
.Kerry LCYP at Kerry ETB has announced two grant schemes to support communities in 2022. Photo: Manuela Dei Grande
KERRY Local Creative Youth Partnership (Kerry LCYP) at Kerry Education and Training Board has announced two strands of funding available to community based organisations, youth service providers, early years’ settings, youth groups and creative practitioners who wish to develop creativity projects for children and/or young people in their communities.
Applications are being sought under the Creative Youth Grant Scheme and the Youth Theatre Grant Scheme for projects that are child and youth led, that are highly creative in nature, and can be realised in 2022.
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Ann O’Dwyer, Director of Schools, Youth & Music at Kerry ETB stated, “We had such a positive year in 2021, providing over €86,000 worth of funding to assist creative projects in twenty-three community settings across Kerry.
“We hope to build on that next year and ensure that our funding reaches communities that need access the most”. While the fund is competitive in nature, project concepts that reflect the voices and ideas of young participants are welcome and especially if they represent more marginalised, and vulnerable young people in our community.
Organisations and groups who prioritise work with more marginalised groups and who want to prioritise creativity in their local area, should look to this fund as an opportunity for support.”
Deirdre Enright, Co-Ordinator of the LCYP Programme stated: “The fund is also of benefit to creative professionals and facilitators from across the creative industries who wish to offer uniquely creative opportunities for children and young people in Kerry”. Collaborations between organisations and service providers are welcome, but applying organisations must capture the views of potential participants in their applications.
To support communities in finding creative professionals who can work with young people, the LCYP has developed a listing online on the ETB website.
A public session about the grants process has been organised online for Friday 7th January at 11.00am.
Anyone who requires more information about the application process is welcome to join the meeting but prior registration is necessary by emailing denright@kerryetb.ie
Projects in 2021 focussed on children and young people experiencing homelessness and direct provision, on new communities and more marginalised groups, on groups experiencing isolation and bias, on issue based activity that affects the lives of young people and on the creativity of more vulnerable young people. Improving the creative skills and know-how of young people is also supported, and in the form of three new youth theatre projects in the county.
Applications will be accepted from community based organisations, including Family Resource Centres, preschool and early years’ providers, youth groups and youth service providers as well as local creative or cultural organisations.
Public sector bodies can also apply, as can charities and not-for-profit companies, private sector providers of creative services and projects including STEM and tech professionals, artists, and creatives from across the cultural and creative industries.
Application forms can be downloaded from www.kerryetb.ie/creativity-grants Irish language versions are available on www.kerryetb.ie/deontais
Completed application forms must be submitted by email by the closing date to Deirdre Enright, the Creative Youth Co-Ordinator at Kerry ETB. Only official application forms can be accepted.
The closing date for receipt of applications to the Youth Theatre Grant Scheme is Friday 21st January, while the closing date for applications to the Creative Youth Grant Scheme is Friday 28th January 2022.
.Some of the equipment in the Kerry Sports Academy.
WE may be entering the season of excess, but think ahead to January when it’ll be time to work off the turkey and ham and get back to a healthier lifestyle.
Well to this end, the good folks at Kerry Sports Academy have an amazing offer for this Black Friday Weekend that will appeal to gym bunnies and novices alike.
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Get 12 months membership for an incredible €325, six months for a paltry €175 and three months for a mere €99!
And what facilities can you avail of with the membership?
Well the gym – over 700m2 square foot area – contains 30 pieces of Matrix state of the art cardio equipment including:
• Upright bikes
• Recumbent bikes
• Treadmills
• Climb Mills
• Cross Trainers
• Arc Trainers
• Rowing Machines
• Watt Bikes
• Assault Bikes
• SkiErgs
• Self Propelled Treadmills
• Invictus Active Trainers
• 12 Single and Multi station
• IFI certified accessible weight machines
• Free weights ranging from 1 – 50kg along with Kettlebells, Slamballs & Benches
• 6 Lifting platforms with squat racks with an additional 4 platforms for Olympic lifting
• Free area for body weight exercises, stretching & mobility work
• Male & Female changing areas, showers and lockers
• Fully qualified fitness instructors on duty while the gym is open
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You won’t find a bigger, better gym than this and with these Black Friday prices you’d be mad to miss out.
Call to the Kerry Sports Academy on the weekend of Nov 26th-28th to grab your bargain, call 0667144200, or check out their website for further details. Also check out their Facebook page herefor more details.
.Sharon Mulhall and daughter Siún with Principal of Presentation Primary School John Hickey in front of the ‘Tree Of Knowledge’ mural at the school. Photo by Dermot Crean
PRESENTATION Primary School has added to their collection of beautiful murals inspired by native and international folk art.
This time, the school has been adorned with a beautiful ‘Tree of Knowledge’ in the style of the Celtic Tree of Life, complete with beautiful Celtic knot-work incorporated into the design.
Principal John Hickey said; “We were discussing the new Indian Rangoli murals we had painted and how it would be great to add a mural representing our Celtic Irish heritage. We decided that the mural would be the tree of knowledge, with Celtic knot-work in the style of the Dara Knot (Dara means oak as Gaeilge).”
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“It was important that the mural was visually beautiful, and that the children could share in the creativity. This was achieved through students, as well as some parents, helping Sharon Mulhall to paint the mural before the summer. I did the coffee run, and lifted the ladder a few times myself!” he added.
The ‘Tree Of Knowledge’ mural at the school. Photo by Dermot Crean
“Going forward the plan is that each sixth class will paint a metre of tree along the yard wall so that this mural will grow and grow each year, as each class leaves their mark and representing the growth of knowledge. Given that the wall is over 30 metres long, this will be one serious legacy project.”
Sharon Mulhall, a Pres girl herself, is the artist who created the mural. She is mother to Siún, who attends Presentation Primary.
“We went with a modern style to the design, using vibrant colours and textured patterns. It was a lot of work but I am delighted with the finished mural,” she said.
Mr. Hickey said that the school community are thrilled with their new mural, and very grateful to Sharon for all her work: “Sharon is a very talented lady, and we are very lucky she volunteered to paint this beautiful mural for us. Hopefully her children’s children will be here adding to the mural in years to come!”
THE number of new COVID-19 cases has risen again in the Tralee Local Electoral Area in the 14 day period up to Monday, November 122.
There were 413 new confirmed cases in that period compared to the 375 in the fortnight up to Monday, November 15, according to figures available on the Government’s COVID-19 data hub.
Tralee LEA has a 14-day incidence rate of 1,250 (up from 1135) per 100,000 of the population, but it’s still below the national incidence of 1,268.4 per 100,000 as of last Monday.
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In all, there were 1,777 new cases recorded in Kerry during the fortnight period, up from the 1,645 cases recorded in the fortnight up to November 15.
The LEA with the highest incidence in the county — and the only one of the six in Kerry above the national average — is the Killarney Electoral Area, which saw 500 new cases, a current 14-day incidence rate of 1688 per 100k of the population.
The Castleisland LEA saw 201 new cases and a rate of 1172 per 100,000. Kenmare LEA with 273 new cases, a rate of 1089 per 100,000.
Listowel saw 258 new cases and a rate of 899.8 per 100,000. The Corca Dhuibhne Local Electoral Area saw 123 new cases and a rate of 867.4 per 100,000.
There have been 13,674 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Kerry, since the pandemic began according to the latest data.
RADIO Kerry and Fexco will once again honour the heroes of Kerry.
Some individuals and groups have shown outstanding community spirit, courage, vision and leadership throughout 2021 and deserve some recognition.
Radio Kerry is inviting listeners to let them know who they consider to be the Kerry Heroes of 2021.
Each of eight award recipients will receive a specially created 2021 award, crafted and sponsored by Louis Mulcahy Pottery/Potadóireacht na Caolóige, Clogher, Ballyferriter.
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It can be a frontline worker, someone in your community or just someone you think deserves to honoured and thanked.
Once all the entries have been received, a panel comprising of Radio Kerry and Fexco representatives will decide on the 2021 recipients.
On Wednesday, December 22, Jerry O’Sullivan will name and honour them on a special Kerry Today programme.
Radio Kerry welcomes nominations for Kerry Heroes of all ages. Let them know, in no more than 500 words, who you wish to nominate, along with a photograph if possible by email hero@radiokerry.ie or by post to Kerry Heroes, Kerry Today, Radio Kerry, Maine Street, Tralee, Co Kerry.
Closing date for receipt of nominations is midday on Thursday, December 16th 2021.
Entertainment will be provided by some of Tralee’s outstanding local buskers along with carolling from local choirs.
THE number of new COVID-19 cases has risen again in the Tralee Local Electoral Area in the 14 day period up to Monday, November 122.
RADIO Kerry and Fexco will once again honour the heroes of Kerry.