12 Kerry blue flag beaches launched

Kerry’s twelve blue flag beaches were launched today in Fenit. It was the first task of Kerry’s newly elected Mayor, Fine Gael’s Bobby O’Connell. The blue flags which indicate beaches of the highest standard were awarded to:

• Baile an Sceilg
• Ballybunion North
• Ballybunion South
• Ballyheigue
• Banna
• Derrynane
• Fenit
• Inch
• Kells
• Rossbeigh
• Ceann Trá and
• White Strand, Caherciveen.

Earlier this year, the blue flag at Magherabeg beach was lost as it failed to meet water quality standards. Kerry has just one blue flag less than leading county, Mayo who held onto its 13 flags following EPA inspections.

via RADIO KERRY – NEWS.

Kerry County Council fines political parties over posters

Fine Gael had the highest number of candidates who failed to take down election posters within the legal time limit. Kerry County Council has issued 18 fines – totalling €2,700 – to parties and candidates who didn’t remove local and European election posters. Under law, candidates were required to have all their election posters removed within seven days of the polling day on June fifth.

Fine Gael has 3 candidates who were fined – MEP Sean Kelly who has been billed €750 for failing to remove five election posters around Kerry and county councillors Jim Finucane and Pat McCarthy who received one fine each. Two other European candidates, Alexander Stafford and Kathy Sinnott, received three fines while the Green’s European challenger, Dan Boyle has received two fines. Labour Party Headquarters received a fine of €300 for two posters of leader Eamon Gilmore. Sinn Fein’s Toireasa Ferris has been billed for one fine, costing €150.

Former Mayor gets off lightly

The former Mayor of Killarney has been fined 5000 euro at Tralee Circuit Court. Patrick O Donoghue had pleaded guilty to seeking to influence the decision of Killarney Town Council in relation to the rezoning of land near his family owned Gleneagle Hotel.

In passing sentence Judge Carol Moran said that it was not appropriate to give Mr O Donoghue a prison sentence or even a suspended prison sentence. Judge Moran said the fact that Mr O Donoghue now has a criminal record and has publically resigned from Bord Fáilte and political life was punishment enough.

The former Fianna Fáil Cllr has one month to pay the 5000 euro fine.

Killarney medical centre appealed to An Board Pleanala

Killarney GPs behind a Primary Care Centre, refused planning permission by Killarney Town Council have referred the decision to An Bord Pleanala. The appeal calls for the planning authority to clarify if the dispensary is exempted development. Four years ago a number of Killarney GPs formed a consortium with a view to developing the primary care centre on the grounds of St Finian’s Hospital. Killarney Town Council however refused permission to allow the inclusion of a dispensary as part of the overall project.

The Killarney Primary Care Development Group now want An Bord Pleanala to decide whether the dispensary is in fact an exempted development. It was estimated that the development would have generated 40 million euro for the local economy during the building phase, which was expected to take 18 months and employ 150 people. It was also estimated that the centre would employ 200 people.

A decision by An Bord Pleanala is expected in mid October.

Full line up for Killarney Summerfest concert

Pussycat Dolls, McFly, Industry and Ruth Anne completes the full line up for the Killarney Summerfest concert in Fitzgerald Stadium on July 18th.

Ruth Anne announced as support for Pussycat Dolls

Ruth Anne (Ruth Anne Cunningham http://www.myspace.com/ruthannemusic ) has been announced as a support act for the Pussycat Dolls Killarney Summerfest concert on July 18th.

202 Beru workers remain in limbo

Workers at the Beru factory in Tralee remain in limbo this evening as they continue to wait on announcement on the plant’s future. Earlier, the staff in the Monavalley Industrial Estate factory were called into a meeting where they were told no decision has yet been made by the company.

At three o’clock yesterday afternoon manager of the Beru factory in Tralee, Paddy Lange, called workers into a meeting which had been scheduled since last week. It followed a cost evaluation of the companies operations in Tralee and at its Ludwigsburgh plant in Germany. The company, which makes blow-plugs for leading car manufacturers, employs 202 people, has been in Tralee since 1986.

In April 20 voluntary redunadancies were sought by the company and this was agreed to in recent weeks at the Labour Relations Commission. However, Mr Lange said a decision either way on the future of Beru in Tralee has not yet been decided upon by company management adding that another meeting may be called in the coming days.

Leaving the plant earlier, these workers were understandably on tenderhooks:

So the wait continues for the 202 staff at the Beru plant in Tralee.

via RADIO KERRY – NEWS.

HSE confirms plans to centralise acute care in the southern region

The HSE has confirmed plans to centralise all acute care for the southern region at one hospital in Cork city. It’s published a plan to remove specialised care from five hospitals in Cork and Kerry to a site at Cork University Hospital.

The changes will be made over the next five to six years. However the HSE insists that no hospital will be shut down – it says the emergency department, intensive care and acute surgery at Kerry General will remain open.

The report also says that basic acute care will continue in Bantry and Mallow, with more specialised services moved to CUH.

via RADIO KERRY – NEWS.

Reminder: 064 Area number changes

Just a reminder, the 064 area number changes will be complete on June 19th. From that date onwards, calls to the old 5 digit numbers will be routed to a recorded announcement.

Here is how your number will change in the Killarney area:
064 + 2XXXX => 064 + 662XXXX
064 + 3XXXX => 064 + 663XXXX
064 + 4XXXX => 064 + 664XXXX
064 + 7XXXX => 064 + 667XXXX
064 + 8XXXX => 064 + 668XXXX
064 + 9XXXX => 064 + 669XXXX

Here s how your number will change in the Rathmore area:
064 + 5XXXX => 064 + 775XXXX
064 + 6XXXX => 064 + 776XXXX

Irish Seniors Open in Ballybunion

Arts, Sports and Tourism Minister, Martin Cullen, is in Kerry this morning to launch the Irish Seniors Open golf tournament. It’s taking place in Ballybunnion golf course this weekend, and is expected to provide a welcome boost to tourism in north Kerry.

The competition is part of the European Seniors tours, and will attract two former Ryder Cup captains, Sam Torrance and Ian Woosnam.