.Kerry FC players visited University Hospital Kerry on Wednesday. Photo by Adam Kowalczyk
KERRY FC made a visit to the paediatric ward at University Hospital Kerry this afternoon.
First Team players Sean McGrath, Ronan Teahan, Samuel Aladesanusi, Sean O’Connell and Graham O’Reilly, Sporting Director Billy Dennehy, First Team Coach James Sugrue and Media Officer Ivan Hurley were all on hand to pay a special visit to patients in the ward ahead of the festive period.
Various Kerry FC gifts were given to the children by the players who were the top attraction on Wednesday afternoon.
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The annual Christmas visit to UHK follows a very successful food appeal held by the club, with all donations going directly to those who need it most this Christmas in the county.
Speaking after the visit, Kerry FC Media Officer Ivan Hurley said “It would take you back a step or two when you walk into the children’s ward and meet the boys and girls as well as their parents within the hospital environment.”
“We heard multiple stories from parents who are trying to keep their spirits high despite the situations they find themselves in so close to Christmas. We hope that the chance to meet the players first-hand today will give children some added magic when they need it most this Christmas.”
A STATUS Yellow wind warning has been issued for Kerry for most of Thursday.
Met Éireann issued the warning earlier this morning and are advising that northwest winds will be very strong at times. High waves are also expected.
Potential Impacts are wave overtopping, bebris, loose objects displaced and difficult driving and cycling conditions. Thursday will also be a showery day. The warning is valid from midnight tonight to 8pm on Thursday.
.Pictured at the awards in Kilkenny were Petrina Comerford, Leah O’Sullivan, Bernadette Fitzgerald, Hazel Byrne, Emma Cruise, Sigrid Crean from Kerry Sports Academy.
KERRY Sports Academy has been awarded the National Quality Standard (NQS) at a special ceremony held at the Lyrath Estate Hotel Kilkenny.
The NQS is the most sought-after accolade in the leisure and fitness industry and it’s awarded to facilities that meet the operational standards for leisure and fitness facilities.
It’s designed to encourage continuous improvement within the sector and recognises facilities for their high standards standards. The NQS is the only industry specific award for the leisure, health and fitness sector in Ireland and is awarded by Ireland Active.
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Commenting on the award Hazel Byrne, Manager of Kerry Sports Academy, said; “Kerry Sports Academy, serving the Tralee and wider Kerry Community, is now only the third leisure facility in County Kerry to achieve this prestigious award. This recognition underscores the facility’s commitment to delivering high standards of services, including the popular Hydrotherapy pool, and marks a significant milestone for the team.”
Commenting on the award, John Holly, Operations Supervisor at KSA, said; “All the team at Kerry Sports Academy are thrilled with the award of the NQS. This reflects the high standards we strive for in the KSA, as well as the exceptional quality and the services we provide here. We view this as a fitting reward for all the work that has gone in by the entire team here and look forward to living up to the NQS standard in 2024 and beyond.
THE annual ‘Light To Remember’ fundraiser for Kerry Hospice is now in its sixth year and the Hospice is hoping people will log on to leave a tribute to a loved one.
The Kerry Hospice Foundation virtual Light To Remember Christmas tree is a lovely way to remember so many of our loved ones who are no longer with us and to let someone special know you are thinking of them at this time of year.
All the while you will be supporting such valuable services here in Kerry. The Kerry Hospice Foundation Virtual Tree will be live right up to and during Christmas.
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People can click on the link https://lighttoremember.com/ and from there they can leave a public message for a loved one which can be seen in the live book or just sponsor a light on the tree without a name.
All donations will again go to fund the Inpatient Unit, the Day Unit and the Home Care services.
KERRY County Council along with Kerry School of Music are delighted to announce that Kerry County Council’s Steinway Model D Concert County Piano has been fully serviced recently.
The service which entailed an assessment of the instrument, cleaning out of the interior, full action and tonal regulation of the keyboard: shaping the hammers, the dampers were checked and adjusted, the pedal mechanism was cleaned and regulated and tuned to A440 Hz.
It is available for recitals/masterclasses etc. by professional artists, subject to receiving appropriate applications and they have public liability insurance.
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Its permanent base is the Kerry School of Music and is available to hire however an application must be completed first and once approved it must be transferred by Jeffers of Bandon only.
Application forms are available on the Kerry County Council website. https://arts.kerrycoco.ie/arts-forms-funding/ For additional information and support contact the Arts Office on 066 7183541 or email arts@kerrycoco.ie
The fortnightly club lotto draw took place on Monday, December 11th at the club grounds. There was no jackpot winner on this occasion. The numbers drawn were 8, 19, 24 and the bonus ball was 32.
Congratulations to our match 3 winner (€200): Gerard Mulligan, Castlegregory
Our next club lotto draw, which will be the Christmas Special, is scheduled to take place on Thursday, December 21st at 19:30pm in the Clubhouse where the jackpot will be €13,000. Get your draw tickets or renew your yearly tickets online on Clubforce or get your tickets for the next draw from all the usual local outlets. Mile búiochas do gach duine for playing Milltown/Castlemaine Clubs Fortnightly Fundraiser, the money raised is vital to the day to day running of our club and your support is sincerely appreciated.
Milltown/Castlemaine Video Race Night 2023
A video race night will be held in Griffins Bar & Restaurant Castlemaine on Friday, December 29th. Finger food will be served and tote betting will be available on the night.
The club is seeking sponsors for the individual races as well as owners for the horses.
This is always a great post-festive season night out so we look forward to as many members from our community joining us again this year.
It is the end of another successful year for our club, both on and off the field. However, we need your support to continue to provide excellent facilities to our members, especially our children. Running costs exceed €50k per annum , which we need to fund within our club, as no funding comes from the County Board or Croke Park. Membership is part of our income but the other main source, like a lot of clubs, is our Club Lotto. This year to promote the lotto again, we have a promotion in conjunction with our race night
Our aim is to have all families who enjoy the club facilities to have a lotto ticket. We urge all members to please support this fundraiser and help keep our club going in the right direction. We have 30+ volunteers calling to their lists of people but it will be impossible to call to all. A great social night is guaranteed at our Race Night with fantastic prizes on 29th December in Griffins BAr, Castlemaine. We hope to see as many as possible on the night, to watch their horses in action.
Please see details below of how you can sign up to support your club. ️
Christmas Greetings:
Milltown/Castlemaine GAA would like to wish all our club members a very Merry Christmas and every good for the New Year! Our club is indebted to the many volunteers who give so selflessly of their time to oversee the running of the club on an annual basis. Trojan work goes on behind the scenes in every community organisation and this dedication is paramount to the success of our club on and off the field. 2023 has now almost reached its conclusion and we would like to sincerely thank everyone who has contributed in any small way to the success of the club over the past year.
We have so many coaches, stewards, lotto ticket sellers, executive members, shop assistants, medical personnel, sponsors, kit organisers, caretakers, and everything in-between that allow all our teams to perform to the very best of their ability. Your support makes all the difference. We look forward to keeping the momentum going into the New Year and beyond. Míle Buíochas.
Nollaig Shona agus Bliain Nua mhaith daoibh go léir!
U9 Boys:
Well Done to the Milltown/Castlemaine U9 boys team and management who finished up for their Christmas break in the past week. The team have been working hard in recent weeks indoors at the Nagle Rice Community Hall. They are all looking forward to getting back out onto the field in 2024 which is just around the corner.
Milltown Tidy Towns: Volunteers Needed
Join Milltown Tidy Towns – We need your help. Meeting every Thursday at 6.30pm at The Old Milltown Community Hall. This is an opportunity for local businesses, families and anyone with an interest in creating “a sense of place” in Milltown. All welcome, no experience required. Please call Therese on 089-4767279 for further information or log onto Milltown Tidy Towns Facebook page.
Our clothing recycling collection is now happening so we urge you to clean out your wardrobes of all unwanted clothes, sheets, blankets, towels, curtains, shoes etc and drop them to the Paddy Burke Memorial Park in Milltown.
This is a wonderful way of doing your bit for the environment and raising much needed funds for our club at the same time.
Club Merchandise:
Milltown/Castlemaine GAA club gear and merchandise is now available to buy online from both the Club Shop.
The Club Shop contains details of the large amount of branded Milltown-Castlemaine & Kerry stock we have available within the club, for immediate delivery, please use the link to check stock levels and sizes.
https://milltowncastlestore.sumupstore.com/
Items for the Club Notes
If you have any items for inclusion in the weekly notes, then please contact the club’s PRO Dara O’Connor on 086 268 8674 before 20:00 on Sundays.
Team Updates
Our underage club teams are finished for the 2023 season.
For anyone New to the Area, who would like to get involved with the club, please contact Ian Twiss on 087 252 1053.
Team Enquiries
If you want to join your local club, one of the fastest growing clubs in the county, please contact one of our members below:
For GAA-4-All 4 players; contact Gillian Twiss on 0877678108
For MC Mini players (U6); contact Colin McKenna on 087 068 7653.
For U7 to U11 players; contact Liam Doherty on 086 041 3593
For U-13 & Older players; contact Ian Twiss on 087 252 1053
For anyone New to the Area, who would like to get involved with the club, please contact Ian Twiss on 087 252 1053
General Enquiries
For any other queries, please send an email to our Secretary or Chairperson at the following addresses:
secretary.milltowncastlemaine.kerry@gaa.ie
or
chairperson.milltowncastlemaine.kerry@gaa.ie
For emergencies, please call 087 409 3530 (Club Mobile Phone).
.Ardal O’Hanlon sips a Vermouth on Valentia Island.
A THREE part TV show to be broadcast in January is to feature Valentia and the Blasket Islands.
In Inis na nIontas, actor and comedian Ardal O’Hanlon takes viewers on a fascinating journey, unearthing the history, observing the wildlife and meeting the islanders trying to live sustainably within their extraordinary environment.
Inis na nIontas is Ardal O’Hanlon’s first Irish-language show. His mother, Teresa, is a native Irish-speaker and, in this series, Ardal fulfils a longstanding ambition to practise and improve his Irish and promote its use to a wider public.
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The first episode will be broadcast on TG4 on 10th January at 9.30pm focussing on the north, beginning on Rathlin Island, Tory Island off Donegal, and then to Arranmore.
In the second episode, Ardal continues down the west coast to the Aran islands, before heading south, to the abandoned Great Blasket Island, former home to Irish author Peig Sayers, now home to a thriving seal colony and two young caretakers.
On nearby Valentia, Ardal is shown fossilised evidence of early life emerging from the sea. Along the island’s coast, Ireland’s only vermouth producers forage for ingredients, while in the surrounding waters oyster conservationists are hard at work.
The episode ends with a visit to spectacular Skellig Michael, a UNESCO world heritage site made internationally famous in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. With Luke Skywalker long gone, the island is home to numerous puffins and the world’s most dramatic ancient monastery.
In the final episode, Ardal is in the far south, where he discovers beautiful Garnish Island, before heading further south to Sherkin Island. A short hop takes Ardal to Cape Clear, Ireland’s southernmost island, where he’s taken on a tour in one of the island’s electric buses – the only in Ireland.
“It was remarkable for me to witness the extraordinary diversity of our islands and to meet such a range of astonishing people,” said Ardal. “As an Irishman, I’d obviously heard of a lot of these places, but I was quite taken aback by visiting and seeing for myself. I was genuinely moved. We have some of the most breathtaking scenery and wonderful nature.”
KERRY County Council has granted planning permission to Astellas Pharma for the new state-of-the-art facility at Kerry Technology Park, Tralee.
The €330 million facility will bring with it highly specialised engineering, science and technology employment to Tralee, Kerry, and the southwest region.
Plans approved are for a three-storey building, and total floor area of 17,000 square metres. The granting of planning permission has been warmly welcomed by Minister for Education, Norma Foley.
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“Astellas is already a significant and important employer in Kerry and this new development will enhance even more the employment potential in the county,” said Minister Foley.
“This is a positive and proactive step forward for development in Kerry. I wish to thank Astellas for its vision, ambition and confidence in Tralee and County Kerry and I look forward to the project developing at pace.”
A STATUS Yellow wind warning has been issued for Kerry for most of Thursday.
THE annual ‘Light To Remember’ fundraiser for Kerry Hospice is now in its sixth year and the Hospice is hoping people will log on to leave a tribute to a loved one.
KERRY County Council has granted planning permission to Astellas Pharma for the new state-of-the-art facility at Kerry Technology Park, Tralee.