Kennelly quits AFL to return to Kerry

Tadhg Kennelly has decided to call time on his AFL career, as he bids to follow in his father’s footsteps by winning an All-Ireland with Kerry. Explaining his decision, Kennelly told his team-mates ‘I want to go back home, to be with my family and to be fit enough to still play back at home.

‘It has been on my mind and making this decision is on par with me coming out here in the first place… it is a risk. It has been a great ten years at the Sydney Swans and I want to thank everyone who has been involved in my career out here.

‘But I am hanging up the AFL boots and going back to be with my family.’

via RTÉ Sport GAA Championship.

€10 million for Castleisland Bypass as other Kerry road projects get go ahead

€10 million in funding has been granted for work to start this year on the long-awaited Castleisland Bypass. The Minister for Transport has announced the news as part of the Government’s €1.44 billion allocation for this year’s national roads programme.

But it’s not just good news for Castleisland:
Some €30 million euro has been announced for Kerry roads in total.

• €1.3 million has been given for the Barraduff Bridge.
• €700,000 has been granted for the Tralee Bypass,
• Almost €500,000 is to be given for the Lissivigeen Junction outside Killarney.
• The Listowel Bypass is to get €100,000
• The Gortanahaneboy to Rathmore Road will receive €400,000 and
• Blackwater Bridge to Tahilla will get €550,000 – both for pavement and minor works.

The news has been welcomed by Ceann Comhairle John O’Donoghue, Senator Mark Daly and Deputy Jackie Healy-Rae.

via RADIO KERRY – NEWS.

Adams store in Tralee to close

The Admas store in Tralee is to close, following a decision by the administrators. See the report by the BBC: BBC – Further 36 Adams stores to close.

Ballybeggan racecourse planning decision delayed

An Bord Pleanala has deferred a decision due today on Ballybeggan race course for at another 4 to 6 weeks. Kerry County Council gave the go ahead to part of an application for the redevelopment of Ballybeggan Park last August. However several objections to the proposed redevelopment were lodged with An Bord Pleanala.

Approval was granted for plans for the development of a GAA studium, a neighbourhood centre, town park and 27 two bedroom apartments at Ballybeggan Race Course. However plans for further residential dwellings, a business park and retail warehousing were rejected by the Council.

Aidan O’Mahony escapes suspension

Aidan O’Mahony will be reprimanded but will not serve any suspension after the anti-doping committee ruled that his use of the drug salbutamol was for medical purposes only and there was no effort on his part to enhance his performance.

In the first case of its kind for the GAA, the Kerry footballer failed a drugs test after the All Ireland Final in September 2008 between Kerry and Tyrone. He was found to have high levels of salbutamol which is used by asthmatics. O’Mahony’s asthmatic condition had previously been made known to both the GAA authorities and testers.

The Gaelic Players Association GPA have welcomed the fact that this matter has now been brought to a close and that the findings of the committee state clearly that use of the substance was not intended to enhance the player’s sporting performance or mask the use of a performance enhancing substance.

Killarney Cineplex

Cinema listings for Kilalrney Cineplex this week:

VALKYRIE (12A) (121mins) 6:15 8:50
BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA (G) (91mins) 6:30
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (15A) (120mins) 6:30 8:55 11:20
DEFIANCE (15A) (136mins) 8:30 11:15
ROLE MODELS (16) (98mins) 6:40 9:00 11:15
BRIDE WARS (PG) (88mins) 6:40 9:00 11:20

Getting the message across in Kerry South

CEANN COMHAIRLE John O’Donoghue has supplied his constituents with “hard evidence” of his work for them since being elected to the position of chairman of the Dáil. The glossy four-page newsletter posted to voters in Kerry South this week is being seen in part as gearing up for the local elections and also as a rebuttal of any notion that he is restricted in his constituency because of his role as Ceann Comhairle.

It is fronted with pictures of Mr O’Donoghue and his brother Paul, along with other Killorglin area Fianna Fáil councillors on the controversial Gaddagh Bridge, which had been swept away in a flood. Independent TD Jackie Healy- Rae, Mr O’Donoghue and Fianna Fáil councillors have claimed responsibility for the reconstruction of the bridge, on the foothill of Carrauntoohil, and there have been angry exchanges on the matter.

The Ceann Comhairle by tradition precludes himself from active participation in politics but remains free to make representations on behalf of constituents. He is automatically re-elected. Along with sports facilities, health, water treatment plants, creches and school extensions, Mr O’Donoghue is claiming the retention of the Valentia Coast Guard station as “hard evidence” of his work. The proposal to downgrade Valentia was seen as particularly embarrassing for Mr O’Donoghue as the station is on his doorstep

via Getting the message across in Kerry South – The Irish Times.

Castleisland bypass update

There’s hope that work may start this year on the Castleisland Bypass – despite the project being put on hold in the budget. Five contractors have put in tenders to build the five kilometre road. The National Roads Authority – which finances such projects – officially opened the tenders last week which are now being assessed. It is understood that the five bids are all well under the projected cost of the bypass, which, last year, was estimated at an overall cost of 27 million euro. And it’s hoped this means that work will start on the bypass this year despite it being shelved in last October’s budget when the Minister for Transport said it would not go ahead until at least 2010. Deputies Jackie Healy-Rae and Tom Sheahan have welcomed the news and said they would continue to lobby the Government for funding.

via RADIO KERRY – NEWS.

Trial Date set for Killarney Mayor

The trial of the Mayor of Killarney on charges of allegedly breaching ethics legislation is to take place in March. Fianna Fáil Cllr Patrick O’Donoghue is facing charges of breaching the Standards in Public Office legalisation, in relation to attempts to rezone land near his family owned Gleneagle Hotel.

The case was before Tralee Circuit Court today, where Judge Carroll Moran set March 24th as the date for his case to go ahead. The trial is expected to take four days due to a large number of witnesses.

Snow in Killarney

Killarney awoke to a blanket of snow this morning. Well it was about an inch at best, but in true Irish style the roads ground to a halt. Some drivers were far too cautious, some threw caution to the wind. Unfortunately there was a traffic accident on the Killarney-Tralee road, just at the top of the hill, on the Tralee side of the new bridge. Miraculously there was hardly any snow in comparison for the rest of the journey into Tralee and it went without incident.