What happened in Kerry this week
Since he was diagnosed four years ago, Kenmare father of three, Mathew O’Sullivan, said he wakes up every day hoping they’ve found a cure for Motor Neurone Disease.
Listowel runner Willie Guiney was ‘over the moon’ to have achieved an extraordinary milestone when he completed his 100th marathon at the Galway City Marathon last weekend.
A husband and wife who have spent nearly 30 years running the landmark Kerry pub once owned by Antarctic explorer Tom Crean have spoken of their bitter disappointment that their offer to buy the premises has not been accepted.
After 21 years of delivering a service with a smile at Rock Street Post Office in Tralee, Mary Ryle said an emotional goodbye as she looks forward to her retirement.
Hannah O’Sullivan, who is living with cerebral palsy, is currently having to travel over 320km to a Cork support centre to avail of services that have had a transformative effect on her life.
Well-known Tralee woman Joan O’Regan has been nominated for the ‘Woman’s Way Mum of the Year Awards’ for her trojan work as a volunteer with Brighter Communities Worldwide, an NGO that helps communities in Africa.
Milltown professional boxer Kevin Cronin celebrated in style last weekend when he became the first Kerry boxer to win an Irish professional title – and says the world is now his oyster.
Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.
Tralee man tackles Arctic Circle Challenge
Tralee man Mike Teahan is preparing for an extraordinary challenge –next March, he will join a select team of 14 adventurers in the Arctic Circle Challenge, a week-long expedition that will take them 400 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle.
Now living in Castleisland, Mike and the team will trek, ski and sled across some of the harshest terrain on the planet. Their goal is to raise funds and awareness for the Irish Heart Foundation and its mission to combat cardiovascular disease in Ireland.
The journey will take the team through endless snowfields, frozen forests, and icy lakes, finishing close to the Three Borders Point where Norway, Sweden, and Finland meet. Each participant on the challenge will carry their own sled packed with food, tents, and essential supplies while skiing for hours each day and camping in temperatures that can drop to minus 30 degrees, the challenge is designed to test endurance, resilience, and teamwork.
Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.
‘We’re gutted’
A HUSBAND and wife who have spent nearly 30 years running the landmark Kerry pub once owned by Antarctic explorer Tom Crean have spoken of their bitter disappointment that their offer to buy the premises has not been accepted.
Gary and Jane Percival have run the South Pole in Annascaul as a successful bar and restaurant and also developed a museum at the premises dedicated to the late Antarctic explorer, which welcomed over 200 tour buses every year.
Now they say they are going to remove all the items they brought to the collection as well as a replica of the James Caird lifeboat that was used by Tom Crean during his voyage to South Georgia, which was on display at the pub, and put them in storage when they vacate the premises at the end of the month.
Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.
Last post for Rock Street favourite Mary
After 21 years of delivering a service with a smile at Rock Street Post Office in Tralee, Mary Ryle said an emotional goodbye as she looks forward to her retirement.
Mary, who retired on her favourite day of the week, last Friday, said she was so surprised when her husband Michael, her son Eamonn and his wife Shari, and her three adored grandchildren Caoilfhoinn (11), Jack (9) and Kerrie (7), all arrived at the close of day to mark her final hour in Rock Street Post Office, where she has worked for the past 21 years.
The Tralee mother of two, whose other son Michael has lived in Australia for the past 11 years, said she got a bit emotional when she saw her family.
Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.
Hannah’s 320km commute for life-changing services
Hannah O’Sullivan, who is living with cerebral palsy, writes that she is currently having to travel over 320km to a Cork support centre to avail of services that have had a transformative effect on her life. Hannah and her family are one of 50 Kerry families currently using the centre, and the 22-year-old from Portmagee says a similar facility in Kerry would have a hugely positive, life-changing impact on families living with neurophysical disabilities.
As a 22-year-old full-time wheelchair user living with cerebral palsy, the Crann Centre in Cork is somewhere that gives me a sense of belonging. Like when you go into a place and you see people who have similar needs left, right and centre, you know you belong.
The centre, which opened its doors in 2018, currently supports over 750 families with neurophysical disabilities across Munster - including over 50 families from Kerry. It accommodates people with a range of congenital, acquired and progressive conditions and incorporates a holistic family-centred approach to all of its services.
Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.
Hero’s welcome for Kerry’s first pro champion
Milltown professional boxer Kevin Cronin celebrated in style last weekend when he became the first Kerry boxer to win an Irish professional title –and says the world is now his oyster.
History was made in the National Stadium in Dublin last Friday night when the‘Kingdom Warrior’ – a firefighter based in Tralee turned professional boxer –clinched the Boxing Union of Ireland (BUI) light heavyweight title in the ring up against Cork boxer Cathal Crowley.
The 29-year-old professional was still savouring victory when he returned home to the Kingdom on Saturday to a hero's welcome with his belt around his waist after what the new champion of Ireland described as the ‘best night of his life’.
Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.
Tralee expo crafts inspiration in sustainability
Changemakers Voice Exhibition – an exhibition that highlights Inspired Tralee’s mission to create opportunities for adults with intellectual disabilities – launches this week with a powerful message of inclusion and creativity.
Inspired is a community project helping young adults with learning disabilities in the areas of education, employment and social participation. The new exhibition aims to help members to express themselves artistically while raising awareness of environmental issues.
Through projects such as these, participants develop creative skills and also play a role in promoting sustainability and inclusion across the wider community.
Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.
