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A ball hasn’t been kicked but eyes already on Dublin

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Kerry play their first championship match of the 2018 campaign today but, for supporters at least, all eyes are already on Dublin. Mapping out your team’s route to the final is always good craic, especially this year with the new Super 8 format, and it all looks so straightforward for Kerry on paper.

Beat Clare. Beat Cork in the Munster Final. Beat the Connacht champions (probably Galway) in the first game of the group phase. Beat the other two teams. Beat the second place team from the other group in the semis. And then, another crack at the Dubs. Easy.

Assuming Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s new-look team do run the gauntlet, what are their chances of stopping the Dubs’ quest for four-in-a-row? If you just look at the forwards he has at his disposal, you’d have to say Kerry have a shot.

James O’Donoghue, Paul Geaney, David Clifford, Seán O’Shea, Micheál Burns, Daithí Casey, Kevin McCarthy, Kieran Donaghy, Darran O’Sullivan, Donnchadh Walsh, Stephen O’Brien, Barry John Keane… When you think about it, all of them would start for the vast majority of the 33 teams in this year’s championship but six of them won’t start for Kerry. And those are just the first 12 who come to mind. There are others.

There are rumours that Fitzmaurice could opt for a full forward line of Geaney, O’Donoghue and Clifford. Good luck to any full back line tasked with keeping that trio quiet for 70 minutes.

There are some question marks over Kerry’s inexperienced defenders, especially considering how devastating Dublin are in attack, but by the time September comes around they will hopefully have six championship games under their belts. As good as Dublin are, they might not look quite as daunting to the new players by then.

But first things first. Clare today in Killarney. The Banner have only defeated Kerry in the championship once in the last 68 years (1992). They’re a lot better at the moment than that statistic might suggest but Kerry’s first step in the 2018 championship should be fairly straightforward.

Prediction: Kerry by nine.

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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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