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Black Valley mobile phone service “not fit for purpose”

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By Sean Moriarty

Poor mobile phone coverage in the Black Valley area is putting lives at risk and hindering mountain rescue operations a Kerry County Council meeting has been told.

Killarney Municipal District councillor John O’Donoghue wants the Council to write to the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan to seek an upgrade to phone services in the area.

“This is particularly important in the Black Valley due to the incidence of people requiring the emergency services to rescue them on the nearby mountains,” he said at the meeting.

“The Black Valley was one of the last, if not the last place, on mainland Ireland to be electrified in 1976. That brought light to contradict its name, as well as a phone service, but unfortunately only a partial one. To think that in an area of such majestic natural beauty is without a proper phone service in unthinkable, when one considers an average of two fatalities per year unfortunately have been reported on the nearby MacGillycuddy’s Reeks each year since 2000,” he said.

“To have locals telling tales of having to drive further out of the Valley to make urgent phone calls is simply unacceptable in this day and age. Our emergency services do a wonderful and often thankless job in such areas, and I believe that situations such as this are creating unnecessary obstacles in their path," he added.

“I am aware that there are other areas in the county in a similar situation, and I would like us, as a Council, to contact the Minister and ask him to intervene immediately, even if it means subsidising a company to run a phone service into such areas, as the current service is not fit for purpose.”

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Killarney Cardiac Response Unit to host CPR Training

Killarney Cardiac Response Unit is hosting a public Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training event in the Gleneagle Hotel on Thursday, March 20. The event will take place in the Gleneagle Ballroom […]

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Killarney Cardiac Response Unit is hosting a public Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training event in the Gleneagle Hotel on Thursday, March 20.

The event will take place in the Gleneagle Ballroom from 4:00pm to 6:00pm.

“You can register online for our Hands for Life training course or just drop in where you can learn the simple steps to save a life,” said Kevin O’Leary.
The CPR training is free to attend.

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Expert to guide parents on navigating the Digital Age

Renowned family psychologist Dr Richard Hogan will address the challenges of parenting in the digital age at a talk in Killarney. Organised by the Gaelscoil Faithleann Parents Council, the event […]

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Renowned family psychologist Dr Richard Hogan will address the challenges of parenting in the digital age at a talk in Killarney.

Organised by the Gaelscoil Faithleann Parents Council, the event will take place at the Killarney Plaza Hotel on Thursday, March 20 at 7pm.
Dr Hogan will offer practical advice and insights on managing screen time, promoting healthy digital habits, and fostering strong communication with tech-savvy children. The talk is open to all parents of primary and secondary school children.
Dr Hogan said: “I am really looking forward to meeting everyone in Killarney and I will discuss how to develop a harmonious home with that tech savvy child. It’s the issue facing all parents and everything I look at is based on my own experience as a parent, and from my work in schools over 25 years. This event in Killarney will be very open and we can interact with each other and people can ask me any questions they wish.”
Mary Carroll, Chairperson of the Gaelscoil Faithleann Parents Council, said: “We were looking for a guest speaker who would really inform parents on the issues affecting them today and we are delighted that we could organise Dr Richard Hogan to come to Killarney. His work in the media is followed by many, and his advice is practical and relevant for parents today. He will provide practical tips for addressing the challenges of social media, gaming, and technology use in everyday family life.”
This event is open to all parents in all schools, and we welcome everyone to attend. Places are limited so make sure to book in advance on bit.ly/richardhogan to secure a seat.”
Mary Carroll added:, “The number one issue for all parents at the moment, is how to manage screentime in this new digital age, and this is an opportunity to hear from an expert and ask any questions that you have. We will provide the facility to ask questions anonymously by having a question box, which Dr Hogan will go through and answer during his presentation.”
Tickets are €10 and can be booked at bit.ly/richardhogan or paid for in cash at the door.

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