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Big day out for Muireann and Michael
T
The groom's club mates from Spa GAA give Dr Muireann Quane and Michael O'Donoghue a guard of honour. PICTURES: PADRAIG HEALY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
THE Spa GAA Club flag flew high in Ballybunion recently as newlyweds Dr Muireann Quane and Michael O’Donoghue emerged from St John’s Church in the town as newlyweds.
Among over 300 guests wishing the bride and groom well on their big day were Michael’s club and teammates. Michael, from Gortdromakerrie, Muckross, popped the question to Muireann in Nice, France, in June 2015 and just over a year later, the couple exchanged vows in the bride’s hometown of Ballybunion.
Fr Kieran O’Brien, Killarney parish administrator, led the wedding Mass. Fr Kieran had previously officiated at the wedding ceremonies for both Michael’s brother Hugh and sister Mary. “Fr Kieran was also the chaplain attached to Coláiste Ide while I attended,” said Muireann.
Muireann, the daughter of Nóra and Pat Joe Quane, and Michael, the son of Margaret O’Donoghue and the late Hugh Anthony O'Donoghue, first met in their final year at University College Cork.
Guests travelled from across Ireland as well as from Canada, Dubai and Australia, for the wedding, with the reception taking place in the Listowel Arms Hotel. “The dance floor was busy all night thanks to the entertainment provided by Limerick-based band Acoutra and DJ Niall ‘Botty’ O'Callaghan,” said Muireann.
Killarney photographer Padraig Healy captured the wedding on camera, including a photo-shoot on the Castle Green in Ballybunion, adjacent to the cliffs. Lucas Machowski and his team from LM Wedding Videography also committed the event to film. “They got some wonderful drone footage of Ballybunion on what was a beautiful day weather-wise,” added the bride.
Muireann’s four sisters Seána, Ciara, Nonie and Niamh, were her bridesmaids while Michael’s brother John was best man with two friends and teammates from
Spa GAA Club, Niall O’Mahony and Andrew Garnett, as groomsmen.
Michael, a solicitor, works with Pat F O’Connor & Co in Killarney and Muireann is a doctor based in University Hospital Kerry in Tralee. The newlyweds honeymooned in Rome.
Hugh O’Donoghue, Niamh Quane, Andrew Garnet, Seána Quane, Michael O’Donoghue, Muireann Quane, Ciara Quane, John O’Donoghue, Niall O’Mahony, Nonie Quane.
PICTURE: PADRAIG HEALY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
News
Developing St Finan’s “cost prohibitive” – Council
Converting the idle St Finan’s hospital into social housing is cost-prohibitive according to Kerry County council officials. The historic building has been lying idle since it closed in September 2012. […]
Converting the idle St Finan’s hospital into social housing is cost-prohibitive according to Kerry County council officials.
The historic building has been lying idle since it closed in September 2012.
The hospital and adjoining lands are up for sale by the Health Service Executive (HSE) since then.
So far no realistic offer has been made on the site despite suggestions that it could be used for social housing, a catering college and a hotel.
Each year the building, which was built in the 1850s, falls into further disrepair.
There were fresh calls again this week as local councillors called for some sort of action to redevelop the site that is fast becoming an eyesore.
At last Friday’s Killarney Municipal District meeting councillors called for action at the site .
Mayor Brendan Cronin wants the building’s protected status to be removed or at least reduced to speed up potential development work which ties in with Cllr Marie Moloney’s idea that the old hospital could be converted into apartments or flats.
Cllr John O’Donoghue wants the HSE to find a way to hand over the property to Kerry County Council either by way of reduced payment or an intra-government agency ownership change.
A Kerry County Council official told the meeting that any works to potentially convert the old hospital into social housing “would be cost prohibitive.”
News
Eight month wait for a driving test in Killarney
A Killarney councillor is calling for action in an effort to reduce the driving test wait list in Killarney The current wait list for a test in Killarney sits at […]
A Killarney councillor is calling for action in an effort to reduce the driving test wait list in Killarney
The current wait list for a test in Killarney sits at eight months.
Cllr John O’Donoghue raised the issue at Monday’s full meeting of Kerry County Council.
He proposed that driving instructors should be employed to carry out the final test to reduce the current backlog.
At Monday’s meeting he asked that hat Kerry County Council would write to the Minister for Transport to ask him to consider giving driving instructors temporary powers to issue a temporary Driving Licence/Certificate of Competence to those on the waiting list for tests.
“The wait is currently far too long and the system is in danger of becoming completely overwhelmed,” he said.
“The huge waiting list for young drivers is well documented at this stage. In a case I am familiar with, a young person passed their theory test in January 2022 and he immediately applied for his mandatory 12 driving lessons. When these were completed, he applied for his driving test on the 2nd of December 2022. Some weeks ago, he still had not received an application to apply for his driving test. This wait is placing him and his family under considerable extra cost and stress which is completely unacceptable.”
In the course of his research into the matter Cllr O’Donoghue discovered that the next available date for a driving test in Killarney is May 25, 2024, while Tralee is June 3 2024.
“Bear in mind, these are only the dates on which you receive an invitation to book your test, the test itself will then be an estimated three to five weeks later.
“This is an appalling situation and one which needs to be rectified as a matter of urgency. I am proposing that driving instructors, which presumably are fully trained up on the rules of the road, be granted temporary powers to be allowed to issue temporary driving licences to young people. When the waiting list time has been reduced, I would still propose that these people sit the test as usual, but the current pressure needs to be alleviated as soon as possible. There is precedent as I believe that in the 1970s, a cohort in this country were issued driving licences without having sat a test as the wait time for the test was too long.”
Developing St Finan’s “cost prohibitive” – Council
Converting the idle St Finan’s hospital into social housing is cost-prohibitive according to Kerry County council officials. The historic building...
Eight month wait for a driving test in Killarney
A Killarney councillor is calling for action in an effort to reduce the driving test wait list in Killarney The...
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