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Kerry Londoners uncertain following new UK restrictions

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UNCERTAINTY: Noel O'Sullivan, pictured with Pearse O'Reilly of Irish TV at the London GAA headquarters in Ruislip, says he has no idea when he will make it home for a visit to Killarney.

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By Sean Moriarty

 

Killarney people living in London say that they do not know when they will be able to get home to see family again - due to the new UK COVID restrictions.

The British Government announced a range of new and tighter restrictions this week in an effort to curb growing COVID-19 cases in the country.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that if Tuesday’s new restrictions were not successful the country could he heading for a second full lockdown.

Restrictions imposed on businesses and people to stop the spread of COVID-19 could be in place for six months without major progress in areas such as vaccine and treatment development, he said.

The news was a bitter blow to many Kerry people living in the UK capital.

Noel O’Sullivan, who is originally from Ballaugh just outside town, has been living and working in London for the last 48 years but, thanks to Ryanair and Kerry Airport, he was able to get home a few times a year.

His last visit was Christmas - and this has been the longest period he has not been back home in nearly 50 years.

“It is hard to imagine that we were reading about this virus in China in January and how it has completely changed the way we live,” he told the Killarney Advertiser.

A life-long GAA fan, he has been involved with St Kiernan’s Club in Hendon, north London for years.

The London County Championship only got underway two weeks ago and already new restrictions could prevent the planned ban on spectators being lifted early next month.

“It is very hard on the elderly who may not be savvy with mobile phones and the Internet,” he added. “Going out to the games was their only way of meeting people and getting the news from home.”

Mr O’Sullivan is well-known in Irish community organisations in London. He is a former London GAA County Board chairman, a long-serving committee member of the London Rose of Tralee Centre, the Kerry Association London, and The Killarney Reunion.

His work for all of these organisations, as well as family occasions, meant he was a frequent visitor over the years.

“I had planned to come for a month in August and that fell through,” he said. “As a family we had booked a week in October but that is cancelled now. When is it all going to end.”

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Five local postmen retire with 185 years service

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Five local postmen retire with 185 years service

RETIREMENT NIGHT: Pictured at the retirement party held at Killarney Racecourse on Saturday, October 3, celebrating a combined 185 years of service with An Post, are Connie Brady, James Foley, Terry Potts, Pat Cronin, and D.J. Cahill.


Five well-known local postmen celebrated their retirement at a special function held at Killarney Racecourse on Saturday night, October 3.


The event brought together current and former An Post colleagues to mark the combined total of 185 years of service delivered across Killarney and surrounding areas.
Delivery Services Manager Terry Potts retired after 43 years with An Post. He began his career in Dublin, where he worked for 10 years, before moving to Killarney in 1993 for a further 33 years.
Pat Cronin completed an impressive 51 years of service between Killarney and Farranfore, spending 44 of those years delivering post on the Farranfore route.
James Foley served 35 years with An Post, delivering on routes across Killorglin throughout his entire career.
D.J. Cahill marked 32 years of service based out of Killarney post office, delivering mail across Killarney town, Killorglin, Kilcummin, and Headford.
Connie Brady retired following 24 years with the postal service, spending 17 years in Killarney town before completing his service in Killorglin.
The celebration offered local postal staff an opportunity to gather and catch up ahead of the busy Christmas rush.

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New Streetscapes murals launched at College Square

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A colourful collaboration between the Kerry Local Creative Youth Partnership (LCYP) and the Architecture Kerry Festival at Kerry County Council launched yesterday evening at College Square.

Titled Streetscapes, the open-air public art installation officially opened at 5pm on Thursday, accompanied by a performance from the Killarney Youth Drumming Band THUMP! under the guidance of Urs Wenk from Drum Dance Ireland.


The public art project features a series of wall murals depicting Killarney through the eyes of local children, exploring freedom, play, and potential future evolutions of the townscape.

The artworks reimagine Killarney’s iconic landmarks and streets, blending youthful imagination and curiosity.


Supported under the Creative Ireland Programme, the installation is mounted on the gable wall of Reen’s Life Pharmacy in College Square, where it will remain on public display until March 2027.


Speaking at the launch, Daniel O’Shea, Youth Development Officer at Kerry ETB, stated: “Streetscapes is a wonderful celebration of how children see things. Their creativity brings new perspectives to the townscape, and we are proud to support their ideas and their art through this public artwork.”


Deirdre Enright, Co-Ordinator of the Local Creative Youth Partnership at Kerry ETB, acknowledged the community support behind the initiative: “We are very grateful to Reen’s Life Pharmacy who have shared their built space with us. Huge credit is due to the artistic team from Me+The Moon whose dedication to creativity and to children’s art shine through in this work.”


The project forms part of the annual Architecture Kerry Festival and receives funding through Creative Ireland and the Department of Education and Youth via Kerry ETB and Kerry County Council.


Victoria McCarthy, Festival Organiser and Architectural Conservation Officer at Kerry County Council, welcomed the continued inter-agency project: “It’s always a great event for Architecture Kerry and we are so pleased with this collaboration between public sector organisations. It remains a key feature of the Architecture Kerry programme.”
See next week’s Killarney Advertiser for full photographic coverage of the event.

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