News
Busy week with Minister’s visit and Yellow Flag award
By Michelle Crean
It was a busy week for one school last week as not only were they awarded the Yellow Flag for their work in promoting diversity, inclusion and equality - but they also welcomed in the Education Minister and a Kerry TD.
YELLOW FLAG AWARD: Education Minister Norma Foley with the Yellow Flag committee: Shauna Myers and Elizabeth O'Shea pictured at the front and Mehek Asghar Jasmine Shehabali Myassar Saleh and Daria Pokojska.
YELLOW FLAG AWARD: Education Minister Norma Foley with the Yellow Flag committee: Shauna Myers and Elizabeth O'Shea pictured at the front and Mehek Asghar Jasmine Shehabali Myassar Saleh and Daria Pokojska.
St Brigid's Presentation Killarney gave a warm welcome to Minister Norma Foley and TD Danny Healy-Rae on Friday morning last. There they met with members of the Student Council and members of the Yellow Flag committee.
The school is only one of five schools nationally to attain the Yellow Flag for their work in promoting diversity, inclusion and equality for all in St Brigid's.
Minister Foley chatted with many students and staff, visited the ASD class where Zoomer the school's therapy dog was delighted to meet with the Minister. Minister Foley's final stop on her visit was the green field site where St Brigid's future new school will be located.
"It is great to see an alumni of a Pres and CEIST school currently in the role of Minister for Education. We are delighted she was able to visit and chat with the students," school PRO, Sheree Murphy, said.
YELLOW FLAG AWARD
The ‘Yellow Flag Programme’ - made up of all kinds of people, those with different hopes, dreams, languages, cultures, beliefs and ways of life - was established in St Brigid's in 2020.
Some of the initiatives carried out by the active Yellow Flag committee include a Culture Day promoting the many cultures and ethnicities.
"We also ran a school wide diversity code competition where we asked our students to lend us their voices to design a diversity code for us to live by," teacher Cliona Hallissy said.
"There was a huge response with students displaying their creative talents through exceptional pieces of artwork and eloquent pieces of writing. We were thrilled when the Irish Traveller Movement informed us that the school had received a Yellow Flag in recognition of the work carried out to promote diversity and inclusion."
A virtual ceremony took place on Thursday last which was hosted via Zoom by RTÉ presenter Emer O’Neill. All 20 members of the Yellow Flag committee attended and enjoyed a wonderful celebration of their work.
Sixth Year Daria Pokojska gave a student perspective on what the programme meant to her and Miss Hallissy spoke from a teacher’s perspective about the importance of the ‘Yellow Flag Programme’ to the school community.
On Friday Minister Foley celebrated the students’ achievement. The national co-ordinator of the Yellow Flag Programme, Molly Brady-Martin, was also in attendance."The enthusiastic committee all received certificates recognising their participation. Students received a letter from the President Michael D. Higgins congratulating them on their commitment to a truly inclusive education."
KWD Recycling shortlisted for national environmental awards
Killarney-based KWD Recycling has been announced as a finalist in the 2026 Repak Resource Awards, securing a spot on the national shortlist for environmental achievement.
The local waste management company has been nominated in the Best Recovery Operator Innovation category, sponsored by DNV, for its state-of-the-art residual waste recovery system.
The Killarney facility utilizes optical sorting, screening, and mechanical processing to extract recyclable plastics and organic material from municipal waste. In its first year of operation, the technology recovered more than 10 per cent of plastic packaging from residual waste for recycling and diverted almost 50 per cent of organic material toward composting.
KWD Recycling will compete alongside Dublin operators Panda and Thorntons Recycling for the category title.
Repak CEO Zoe Kavanagh commended the Kerry firm for demonstrating environmental leadership and bringing local ambition to the national awards.
Category winners will be announced at a black-tie ceremony at the Mansion House in Dublin on Friday, October 23, where each winner will also compete for the Overall Repak Resource Award.
Local businesses have a strong track record at the national event, with Killarney town venue The Killarney Park and The Ross previously taking home the overall title in 2023.
Drivers warned as deer rutting season begins
Motorists in Killarney are being urged to exercise extreme caution as the annual deer rutting season gets underway, causing animals to stray far beyond their usual habitats inside Killarney National Park.
The autumn mating season sees deer becoming highly active and unpredictable, leading to increased sightings and collisions on local roads outside traditional park boundaries.
Two separate incidents highlighted the growing hazard on local routes this week. A reader contacted the Killarney Advertiser to warn drivers after spotting a deer roaming near Tiernaboul towards the school on Sunday afternoon around 7.30pm.
Later that same night, in the early hours of Monday morning, a local driver collided with a deer near Kerry Airport around 1am while returning home from an event.
Despite attempting evasive action, the motorist struck the animal, which died at the scene and temporarily blocked the road before local Gardaí were alerted to clear the obstruction.
The driver sustained substantial vehicle damage, requiring repairs to the bumper, headlamp, and internal components, leaving her facing significant garage costs and time off the road.
Gardaí and road safety advocates advise motorists travelLing during early morning and late evening and remain vigilant along tree-lined routes.
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