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2021 was busiest year ever for Kerry Mountain Rescue

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Kerry Mountain Rescue Team dealt with 68 callouts in 2021, which was the busiest year since the team’s establishment in 1966.

It follows a quiet year in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic casting a shadow over both years; strict lockdowns meaning fewer numbers of people taking to the hills last year, and the reverse trend in 2021 with huge numbers of people out and about, particularly over the summer months.

The large increase in visitors to the mountains of the South West this year inevitably resulted in a higher rate of callouts with the majority of incidents occurring in the McGillycuddy’s Reeks and a number of others occurring on the Dingle and Beara peninsulas.
Slips, falls and lost parties accounted for the vast majority of incidents with a high percentage of serious injuries.

“Though accidents can and do happen to even the most experienced mountaineers, the main trend in incidents during the year involved a significant number of poorly prepared and ill-equipped parties on the hills,” said a Kerry Mountain Rescue Team spokesperson.

“While it is fantastic to see the increase in popularity of mountain sports in recent years, we would strongly advise people new to the mountains to ensure they research their chosen activity well in advance and employ the services of a guide or join a club to learn the skills required for a safe and enjoyable adventure.”

The team continued to train regularly throughout the year, ensuring that essential core skills such as first aid, casualty care and evacuation, technical ropework, navigation, 4x4 and radio communications were refreshed with newer skills and techniques well-practiced in all conditions.

“Once again, we would like to extend a sincere thanks to all those who have donated funds to the team over the year. The team relies heavily on donations to meet our annual running costs and we very much appreciate the effort that donors and fundraisers make in this regard,” added the spokesperson.

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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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