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READERS have been swift to contact us with suggestions for locals deserving of recognition after we ran a story that asked the public if they thought an award scheme should be set up for Killarney’s unsung heroes.

Opinion had been divided following the awarding of the Order of Innisfallen to former Taoiseach Enda Kenny.
The Cairde Chill Arne Order of Innisfallen awards scheme is a joint initiative between Killarney Chamber of Tourism & Commerce and Kerry County Council. It was established in 2005 to recognise outstanding contributions of people to the economic development of the town and its tourism industry.

But there seems to be a feeling that the general public has not been represented. As one disgruntled reader said: “Do we have anybody worthy of this in the county of Kerry?”

Prior to the Oder of Innisfallen, the Knights of Innisfallen was set up as a separate tradition to acknowledge local people who contribute to Killarney.

On the night it was set up a group of locals in the back of Courtney’s pub decided that this award wasn’t in the spirit of Killarney – being far too lofty – and vowed to set up a rival award, the Serfs of O’Donoghue’s Rock – an award/honour for a local by the locals.

Is there scope for an award representing locals and those who contribute to Killarney on a daily basis, from people involved in tourism, sport and other ventures?

Why not consider the likes of broadcaster Weeshie Fogarty or Michael Leane, historian and longest-serving member of the Knights of Malta, or those like Con O’Leary of The Laurels who has been meeting and greeting tourists for decades, leading ladies of our local hotel industry or Theresa Irwin, National President of Soroptimists Ireland this year, or Eileen Switzer? Eileen has a lifetime’s involvement in sporting organisations. While she has received the national Women in Sport award, she has never been acknowledged locally.

Posthumous awards could be given to honour people like hotelier Maurice O’Donoghue, or our very own Danny Casey, who founded Killarney Advertiser. The list is endless.

What do you think?
 

 
The recent Order of Innisfallen award ceremony. Pic: Don MacMonagle