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Tralee’s gain is Killarney’s loss for proposed GAA museum

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By Sean Moriarty

 

Tralee could be after stealing a march on Killarney after a local councillor proposed to build a GAA stadium in the county town.

Back in 2012 the Kerry Gaelic Culture Museum GAA in Killarney was given the green light.

It should have been opened by 2014 - but it never got off the ground due to the economic crash at the time.

Three years later an application was made to extend the duration of the planning permission for the museum which was proposed to be built on the grounds of Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney.

The idea disappeared until Tralee councillor Jim Finucane asked a bi-monthly meeting of Tralee Municipal Council if Kerry County Council could draw up a plan to house a GAA museum in Tralee Court House.

A new court house is set to be built in the town as part of the Island of Geese regeneration programme in the town.

Killarney councillor and former Kerry footballer Michael Gleeson was a member of the previous museum committee.

The group included Kerry Airport secretary Liam Chute, Killarney publican Patrick O’Sullivan who was Kerry County Board Chair at the time and the Killarney Advertiser’s sports journalist Eamon Fitzgerald.

They even met with senior Board Fáilte officials but it was stopped dead in its tracks when the tourism body did not follow up on further meetings just prior to the economic crash.

The Killarney committee had made a lot progress in their attempt to build the museum including high-end meetings with Government ministers and promise of a potential bridging loan from the GAA.

Tralee Municipal District are well-entitled to make such a proposal and there is no animosity towards them on that,” Mr Gleeson told the Killarney Advertiser. “We had a design, planning permission everything ready to go. We had costed it at around €4 million, which is not an unmanageable amount of money. Fáilte Ireland met us, they told us, as we were in the height of the so-called Celtic Tiger, that our project was not big enough to be considered iconic, but they promised they would meet us to follow up and we have heard nothing since.”

Mr Gleeson remained hopeful that Killarney would not be overlooked in the future. "Killarney has the [tourism] footfall to make this project financially viable," he added. "It could serve as a hub, and introduce visitors to the sporting and culture aspects of Kerry and they would radiate from here to all corners of the county and beyond."

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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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