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Bórd Pleanála ‘postpones’ Adare bypass plans

The proposed Adare Bypass is a particularly significant project for the county of Kerry, as it is one of the main entry/exit points for the Kingdom, according to the Deputy Mayor of Kerry County Council and Cathaoirleach of Kenmare Municipal District, Councillor Michael Cahill.
“The transit of people and goods in and out of Kerry, is much restricted and delayed by poor traffic conditions at Adare and the proposed bypass would be a godsend. However, An Bórd Pleanála have once again postponed announcing their decision within the planning process” stated the Fianna Fáil man.
“The question must be asked if An Bórd Pleanála is equipped for this task? Is it properly resourced, is it sufficiently staffed? From the number of postponements experienced during the decision on The South Kerry Greenway, and subsequent legal challenges to it, some still pending, is the correct type of professional expertise available to An Bórd Pleanála,” saidCouncillor Cahill.
“The likes of the Adare Bypass and the South Kerry Greenway are major public infrastructure projects being progressed on behalf of our people. Taking ten and twenty years to complete them because of red tape and slow moving bureaucracy is absolutely unforgivable” stated the Rossbeigh based Councillor.
“It appears to me that An Bórd Pleanála is overdue a total shakeup in personnel and procedures and that legislation in this area requires to be brought up to date and streamlined. Personnel rights and Environmental concerns need to be built in to a robust system which allows depositions from interested parties affected in the locality. All objections must be taken on board and dealt with in a speedy and considerate manner and the decision made should then be final. We have been strung along for far too long with two of the biggest projects ever for our county, the South Kerry Greenway and the Adare Bypass and the time for progress is now. These two massive projects are essential to the economic recovery of County Kerry” added Councillor Cahill.
News
Killarney and District Motor Club members honoured by Motorsport Ireland
By Cormac Casey Several members of Killarney and District Motor Club were honoured at the Motorsport Ireland awards lunch in Dublin on Wednesday. The highlight of the event is the […]

By Cormac Casey
Several members of Killarney and District Motor Club were honoured at the Motorsport Ireland awards lunch in Dublin on Wednesday.
The highlight of the event is the announcement of the sport’s top awards.
Kilkenny’s Jack Brennan (19) was named Young Rally Driver of the Year, while Wexford native Jack Byrne was named Young Racing Driver of the Year and the International Driver of the Year award went to recently crowned FIA Junior World Rally Champion, William Creighton.
Muckross-based co-driver Noel O’Sullivan was presented with his Irish Tarmac Rally Championship winning trophy.
This year saw the introduction of the Motorsport Ireland President’s Awards which celebrate the achievements of clubs and organisations.
Killarney and District Motor Club won in the innovation category for their work with their KDMC 2 initiative thanks to the efforts of the club’s vice chairman Mike O’Shea.
Rally Rescue teams were also recognised and the club’s Mike Cleary picked up an award for his role he played in what was a difficult year for rescue crew operators.
Tom O’Riordan, who looks after ambulance procurement on the club’s events, was presented with an FIA Volunteer Pin by Motorsport Ireland President Aiden Harper.
Killarney Advertiser Journalist Sean Moriarty was presented with an award for best use of of PR and media in 2023.
News
Kerry Mental Health and Wellbeing Fest ‘thank you’ event at Brehon
Participation in the 2023 Kerry Mental Health and Wellbeing Fest has grown by more than 100% since 2020 with 98% of those who gave feedback saying they would attend similar […]

Participation in the 2023 Kerry Mental Health and Wellbeing Fest has grown by more than 100% since 2020 with 98% of those who gave feedback saying they would attend similar events again in 2024.
Feedback from more than 100 people who attended this year’s Fest events from 7th to 14th October was positive with 91% stating they were satisfied.
The Kerry Mental Health and Wellbeing Fest is held annually over the course of a week to highlight World Mental Health Day on October 10.
It aims to raise awareness of the available supports and services in Kerry as well as empower people to engage with the ‘Five Ways to Wellbeing’ through offering a dynamic and interactive programme of events.
99% percent of respondents, most of whom identified as female, said they would recommend the Fest to friends next year. Some key notes for improvement included a request for more events with wider variety throughout the county.
The Chair of the Interagency Steering Group, John Drummey from Kerry Mental Health Association, said: “We wish to extend a heartfelt thanks to event organisers, community groups, businesses, funders and partners that facilitated the Fest’s dynamic and interactive programme of events in 2023. We are encouraged to see such growth in numbers attending the Fest events with a 50% increase from 2022. We are already making plans for the Fest from 5 to 12t October 2024 and we are looking forward to building on this year’s successes. That said, there is always room for improvement and we would welcome suggestions for new events and activities.”
Many of the event organisers attended a ‘thank-you’ event at the Brehon Hotel, Killarney, courtesy of the Kerry Volunteer Centre to coincide with the annual International Volunteer Day, December 5.
The Kerry Mental Health and Wellbeing Fest was organised by an interagency steering group made up of local agencies that support wellbeing in our community.
The organising committee is a collaboration between Connecting for Life Kerry, Healthy Kerry, Kerry County Council, Kerry Recreation & Sports Partnership, the HSE, NEWKD, SKDP, Kerry Mental Health Association, Jigsaw Kerry, Munster Technological University/Kerry, KDYS, Kerry Volunteer Centre and Family Resource Centres throughout the county.