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No damage done to defib phone box

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NO DAMAGE: Killarney Cardiac Response Unit volunteers Carole Moran and Bridget Delaney say there was no damage done to the defibrillator on Main St at the weekend. Photo: Grigoriy Geniyevskiy

 

By Sean Moriarty

The Main St defibrillator phone box, which houses an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), a device crucial in the early intervention of heart attack victims was not damaged after a young man was filmed dancing on its roof while a crowd gathered beneath to cheer him on last weekend.

The video posted on social media was subsequently viewed over 300,000 times while RTÉ carried it on its main evening news bulletin on Sunday night.

The incident happened around midnight on Saturday night and received widespread condemnation as the crowd breached several social distancing rules.

However, Killarney Cardiac Response Unit (KCRU) said the incident helped highlight the work of its members as it reminded people that the traditional style phone box is not a tourist attraction but a defibrillator hut and that it put their efforts on the national news.

The Main St telephone kiosk was the first such unit to be converted into an AED house. It was officially opened in November 2016 by a volunteer group called Heart of Killarney.

“It is the most famous phone box in the country this week,” PRO Carole Moran told the Killarney Advertiser. “This highlighted what we do, the work of our volunteers and many people would not know it is home to an AED.”

Her only concern was the incident caused damage to the unit or the phone box itself.

“We had a team of maintenance volunteers on site at 8am Sunday morning and we are happy to report that no damage has been done,” she added.

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Contactless payments launched on Local Link services

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Passengers using TFI Local Link Kerry services in Killarney and across the county can now pay for their journeys using contactless card payments.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) confirmed the rollout this week, allowing commuters to simply tap their debit card, credit card, or mobile devices, such as Apple Pay and Google Pa, when boarding.

The move is designed to offer more convenience for those using high-frequency rural and regional routes.

In Killarney, the new payment option will be available on the TFI Anseo town services, which have seen a significant increase in passenger numbers since their introduction.

The contactless system is currently available for single journey fares, while those using daily or weekly passes can continue to use the Leap website or the TFI Leap Top Up App.
Alan O’Connell, General Manager of TFI Local Link Kerry, welcomed the modernisation of the fleet.

“The introduction of contactless payments is another welcome step forward for public transport in Kerry,” he said. “It complements other major projects in the county, including the expansion of TFI Local Link services and the delivery of TFI Anseo in Killarney, which is proving to be another great initiative.”

While the new technology offers a modern alternative, traditional payment methods are not being phased out. Cash payments, TFI Leap cards, and Free Travel Cards all remains fully valid across the network.

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How will our Kerry TDs vote tomorrow?

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Tomorrow, Sinn Féin will be tabling a motion of no confidence against the Government after the protests that took place nationwide during the week.

Earlier today we asked our readers how would they vote in a no confidence motion against the Government?

Most of our readers said they would vote no confidence, while some said, yes they do have confidence in the Government.

One reader said: “Vote confidence. The only proper leadership over the last few days came from government. Courage came when needed despite how unpopular it looked in the moment. By contrast, opposition politicians wanted the country to burn to suit themselves”.

Another reader stated: “No confidence. Shambolic and heavy handed handling of protests this past week”.

However, some people didn’t have any confidence in either side with a reader saying: “No confidence in the no confidence! Different wings of the same bird! We need a complete overhaul of the political system”.

We asked the question to our 5 Kerry TDs before lunch-time today, asking them what their vote will be tomorrow.

We received one reply from Sinn Féin’s Kerry TD Pa Daly.

He will be voting no confidence in the Government tomorrow along with his party.

Other media outlets are reporting that Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae is undecided at the moment.

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