Teens survive without phones!
Their first reaction was ‘how will we survive’ – but students at Kerry’s largest secondary are already embracing the idea of phone-free school hours, and concentrating on their work instead of waiting and responding to text alerts.
Mercy Secondary School in Mounthawk, Tralee, which has over 1,300 pupils, is the latest to embrace the 'Yondr' pouch system that puts phones out of commission during classes - following in the footsteps of Pobalscoil Corca Dhuibhne and St Michael's College in Listowel.
After many months of consideration about the best way to take phones out of use, the system has now been up and running for the last two weeks, with an almost 100 per cent compliance from students.
Read the full story in tomorrow’s Kerry’s Eye
Now we can sea what it's like underwater!
A POD of Humpback whales is coming to Dingle - and visitors can get ‘eyeball to eyeball’ with them without having to get as much as their feet wet, via a new immersive digital experience at OceanWorld.
‘Into the Deep’ gives visitors an immersive digital experience of being in the ocean - and promises close encounters with the marine life that inhabits the Atlantic waters off the Kerry coast.
The hi-tech new feature at OceanWorld will be unveiled for the first time to some of the world's leading animation executives at Animation Dingle on Saturday.
Read the full story in tomorrow’s Kerry’s Eye
Kerry hopefuls building bids for LEGO All-Ireland
Two Kerry entries are building their way, brick by brick, to a place at the FIRST LEGO League All-Ireland Final this Saturday.
Mercy Mounthawk Secondary School in Tralee and Foróige West Iveragh Youth Service ‘UBU’ in Cahersiveen are amongst the 24 teams competing to be the LEGO League All-Ireland winners, when the final takes place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry, County Dublin.
The LEGO League competition challenges schools and youth groups across the country to come up with innovative solutions to a number of tasks by engaging with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects while constructing with LEGO, of course.
Read the full story in tomorrow’s Kerry’s Eye
How family tragedies inspired Mags
THE RESILIENCE, vision and love for others of a remarkable Dingle woman will be showcased on national television this Thursday night, in a major documentary that explores how family tragedy has inspired her charity work for over two decades.
'In the Name of the Son' tells the story of Mags Riordan's labour of love to help others by setting up a health clinic in Malawi that she's now determined to turn into a fully-fledged hospital.
Her groundbreaking work in what is the seventh poorest country in the world was inspired by a visit she made to the Cape Maclear area in 2000 - a year after her son Billy was tragically drowned while on a short holiday there.
Read the full story in tomorrow’s Kerry’s Eye
Major increase in female apprentices
Women are switching on to careers as electricians, mechanics, chefs, stonemasons and wind turbine engineers, as Kerry College welcomes a record number of female apprentices this year.
Women are signing on to apprenticeship courses in record numbers - 14 females in Kerry College are now choosing career paths that were once predominately dominated by men.
According to Ioseph Nestor, Assistant Manager of Kerry College Monavalley Campus, a new initiative launched by SOLAS and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is all about encouraging women to really look at apprenticeships as an option.
Read the full story in tomorrow’s Kerry’s Eye
Ballybunion Dippers ‘Freezin for a Reason’
From parading St Patrick’s style to taking the big plunge, the Ballybunion Dippers were ‘Freezin for a Reason’ last weekend as they donned green and braved the bitter cold Atlantic to raise funds for the Ballybunion Sea and Cliff Rescue Service.
The Ballybunion Dippers swimming club originally formed due to the growing popularity of sea swimming in recent years and today comprises of more than 100 members – male and female swimmers who brave the waves of Ballybunion for their daily swims and fundraising events.
Since their formation, the Dippers are getting quite accustomed to swimming for charity – last October they held their second charity swim for Breast Cancer Ireland – and have already raised thousands of euro with their efforts.
Read the full story in tomorrow’s Kerry’s Eye
Scartaglen GAA launch ticket draw
How would you fancy a chance to share in a €25,000 cash prize or be in with a chance to win a two-night stay in the luxurious Europe Hotel in Killarney – well, Scartaglen GAA have got you covered with their brand new competition ‘25K May Day’ – a fundraiser to update the club grounds for their young and senior players.
The Scartaglen Field Development Fundraiser is live now and you can buy a ticket for €50 to possibly share in a number of big cash prizes.
The first prize is €10,000; second prize is €5,000; third prize is €2,500; fourth prize is €1,500 while six more lucky winners will get €1,000 each. The cash prize draw will be made on May 1, but there is an early bird draw that will see two lucky winners win a two-night stay in the Europe Hotel in Killarney and win themselves a signed Kerry GAA jersey.
Read the full story in tomorrow’s Kerry’s Eye
Students get Sliabh notes on Kerry trad
Presentation Secondary School in Castleisland welcomed musician Eoin O’Sullivan back to school for the ‘Big Schools Music Session’ with pupils from numerous schools taking part in the traditional music event.
Eoin is the Kerry County Council Musician-in-Residence for Sliabh Luachra and this is his second event, which is being run in conjunction with Pres Castleisland.
Youngsters in Kerry with an interest in traditional music are lucky to have such a talent overseeing the event, which was expertly put together by music teachers Ailish O’Connor and Deirdre O’Brien.
Read the full story in tomorrow’s Kerry’s Eye
Tralee Marathon now back on track
THE WEATHER smiled for runners on Saturday as they took to the roads around the county town for the annual Tralee Marathon that celebrated its ten-year anniversary.
150 took part in this year's event, with organisers expressing the hope that it can be a springboard for increased numbers in future events - starting with a 50km race that is being organised in just two months time.
"It was a great day and one that really sets us up for the 50km we have organised around Tralee on May 20th," said marathon organiser Jim McNeice. "The idea behind that race is to entice people who have completed the 42km marathon to try go a little bit further.
Read the full story in tomorrow’s Kerry’s Eye
Green tide sweeps Kerry
From Tralee to Killarney, Listowel to Dingle the whole of Kerry turned green for St Patrick's Day festivities last weekend.
The busy committees of towns and villages across the county did themselves proud with the colour and craic that was on display last Friday, with much of the celebrations spilling over into the following days.
Eye catching floats, and a kaleidoscope of colour could be seen as parades set off over the course of the day.
Read the full story in tomorrow’s Kerry’s Eye