What happened in Kerry this week
Classical style, black and white stripes, big hats and designer shoes were among the fashion highlights as Listowel wrapped up its seven-day Harvest Racing Festival on Saturday. The 168th annual festival brought racing, fashion, music and entertainment to the North Kerry capital from September 20th to 26th, with racegoers turning out in style throughout the week.
The Kerry Hospice Coffee Morning is part of the larger, nationwide ‘Together for Hospice - Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning’ campaign, with several gatherings for a cuppa and a chat taking place across the Kingdom.
A colourful new map of Kerry is inviting children and families to get outdoors, with 570 primary school children helping to fill it with their favourite places.
The Great Places, Great Spaces (GPGS) Wellbeing Map was created by children from 23 primary schools across the county, with each child choosing a place that was special to them, drawing it and explaining why they enjoyed it and how being there made them feel.
Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.
'Rock star' Jack inspires proud aunt
An amazing auntie has raised more than €15,000 for Down SyndromeCentre in Cork after being inspired by her two-year-old nephew Jack Mitchell, who underwent open-heart surgery at just 12 months old.
Ellen Cronin began fundraising for the centre after seeing the support it has provided to Jack, who was born on Christmas Day two years ago.
“He’s a rock star,” Ellen said.
“He’s had open heart surgery. My brother has raised thousands for Down Syndrome Kerry, but this centre is specific to the early years, so lots of occupational therapy, speech and language, very geared into those early years,” said Ellen.
The centre provides services to families from Cork, Kerry and parts of Waterford. It provides specialist early intervention services including speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy.
Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.
Ferris drama to take centre stage
Playwright Mike O’Halloran is facing an unusual situation when his new play opens in November - its subject and members of his family are likely to be in the audience.
The Ballyduff dramatist has turned his attention to former Kerry North Sinn Féin TD and IRA volunteer for ‘Ferris: The Martin Ferris Story’, which opens at Abbeydorney Parish Community Hall in November.
“The play is about Martin Ferris and it tells his story through other people,” O’Halloran explains.
“The first scene features his mother and father talking about Martin and his brother Brian and how their social conscience started to develop.
“They talk about their worries that Martin might get involved in the struggle in the North and their hopes that his massive interest in football would keep him away from all of that,” he said.
Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.
Ciarán’s story get silver screen treatment
A Tralee man who found confidence and independence through the Gaisce programme is now using his own experience to encourage other young people to find their voice.
Ciarán Sears is the focus of a new film, ‘Ciarán – A Pal’s Voice’, which was premiered at Inspired’s headquarters on Basin Road, Tralee last week.
Having progressed through the Bronze, Silver and Gold stages of Gaisce – The President’s Award, Ciarán has gone on to become a President’s Award Leader (PAL), supporting other young people as they begin their own Gaisce journeys.
The film explores what the national youth award has meant to Ciarán and the difference it can make to young people through participation, personal development and new experiences.
Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.
‘Lifeline’ charity support transforms Jack’s life
A Killarney mother has urged parents with kids of additional needs to ‘accept the help’ that is provided by the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation, describing them as a ‘lifeline’.
Before moving to Kerry from Dublin four years ago, Rhona Flynn and her husband Gene were not aware of the life-changing supports available for their four-year-old son, Jack.
The lives of Jack, Rhona, and the family have been completely transformed, and with help from the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation, the Flynns can now access up to 50 hours of in-home nursing care and respite each month.
Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.
New edition of classic Blaskets book
A SPECIAL collector’s edition of Robin Flower’s ‘The Western Island’ has been published by Mercier Press - on the 80th anniversary of the publication of the original in 1946.
The English poet and Celtic scholar first visited An Blaoscaod Mór in 1910 to learn Irish and was taught by the famous islander and storyteller Tomás Ó Criomhthain.
The islanders gave him the nickname ‘Bláithín’ (Little Flower) which he wore as a badge of honour.
Over the next three decades he and his family became frequent visitors to the Great Blasket which he immortalised in his 1944 memoir and it’s most tender portrait, ‘The Western Island’.
He had such a deep love of the island and the community that he requested his ashes be scattered there after his death in 1946.
Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.
Milestone moment for Mercy Mounthawk
Retired colleagues joined present staff of Mercy Mounthawk last Thursday to mark the Tralee secondary’s milestone silver jubilee.
25 years ago, Mercy Mounthawk Secondary School first opened its doors as an amalgamation of St John’s Secondary School, Balloonagh and St Mary’s Secondary School, Moyderwell.
And to mark its first quarter century in education, 40 former colleagues joined present staff at the school last week to recognise those who built the institution from the ground up.
From the school’s foundation, the first task at hand was combining the different cultures of both former schools and from that point building a brand new culture and identity.
Principal Pat Fleming said that creating a unique school culture is a significant success in itself for Mercy Mounthawk.
Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.
