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Kerry mayor opens major Frankfurt festival

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THE Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council, Cllr Michael O’Shea, joined the Mayor of Frankfurt Burgermeister, Peter Feldmann, in Frankfurt at the weekend to officially open the Frankfurt-Hoechst Castle Festival.

The visit coincided with the selection of County Kerry as the international festival partner for 2017. The festival, now in its 61st year, is one of Frankfurt’s largest annual cultural events and runs for almost three weeks.

There is a Kerry connection with the festival stretching back to 2009 when the first link was made between Hoechst and Tralee. In subsequent years the German Rose Selection has formed part of the festival programme and the two Mayors were on stage for the announcement of this year’s German Rose who is Áine Sullivan, from Dusseldorf, whose parents come from Dublin and Cork.

The festival is a great opportunity to promote Kerry Tourism and Kerry Airport in Germany, according to Kerry County Council Tourism Officer, John Griffin: “There is a Kerry Tourism promotional tent located at the festival venue, staffed by Kerry tourism groups and German volunteers, on each of the three weekends. Kerry dancers and musicians performed at the opening ceremony on June 24 and will return again on the final weekend, July 7 to 10.

“Germany is Ireland’s largest continental source market with 620,000 visiting in 2016 and Kerry is their most popular regional destination. In the first four months of 2017, the number of German visitors to Ireland grew by a further 4% according to Tourism Ireland.”

Kerry County Council and Destination Kerry, supported by Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, are focussing on further increases in this regard. Already this year the various bodies including the Council have participated at the CMT Travel Fair in Stuttgart and ITB in Berlin. Ryanair, in addition to its long running Frankfurt-Hahn to Kerry service, will operate new direct flights from Berlin to Kerry Airport from November, and the new Lufthansa Frankfurt-Shannon service will also increase the number of German visitors travelling to Kerry.

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Funding Imminent for Fitzgerald Stadium Development

The long-awaited development of Fitzgerald Stadium is set to take a major step forward, with an announcement on further funding expected imminently, according to Kerry Fianna Fáil TD Michael Cahill. […]

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The long-awaited development of Fitzgerald Stadium is set to take a major step forward, with an announcement on further funding expected imminently, according to Kerry Fianna Fáil TD Michael Cahill.

Deputy Cahill said the project must not be allowed to stall, urging that momentum be maintained as it moves into its next phase.
“The proposed development of Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney needs to be moved on now and not allowed to fall behind in its planned progression,” he stated, adding that he is confident of a positive funding decision soon.
Cahill has raised the Fitzgerald Stadium Development Plan in Dáil Éireann with several senior government figures, including An Taoiseach Micheál Martin and the Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan.
“They are well versed in the detail of it, and I feel that we are going to get a positive announcement shortly on further funding for this crucial project for Kerry,” he said.
The proposed upgrades to the iconic stadium are seen as a key development not only for Killarney, but for the entire county. The venue would be able to host major sporting events and large-scale entertainment such as concerts featuring world-renowned performers.
“Kerry as a whole will benefit from having such a facility in Killarney,” said Cahill. “Hospitality providers of all hues and in all parts of Kerry will gain additional business when the Fitzgerald Stadium Development is completed.”
He also praised the application submitted by the Kerry County Board, calling it “fantastic” and deserving of support. “This will be a massive boost for Killarney and the entire county, will significantly increase footfall and will be great for the local economy. I believe that Fitzgerald Stadium will secure major funding under the IIP scheme in the very near future,” he said.

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Fossa roadworks concerns realised

Predictions made by elected members of the Killarney Municipal District (KMD) regarding the Fossa roadworks have come to fruition this week. A video has surfaced showing a local farmer driving […]

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Predictions made by elected members of the Killarney Municipal District (KMD) regarding the Fossa roadworks have come to fruition this week.

A video has surfaced showing a local farmer driving a tractor with a hay turner encountering a French-registered camper van in the village.
The footage shows very little space for the two vehicles to pass each other.
Concerns have been raised that if a camper van, which is similar in size to an ambulance, struggled to pass, it could create significant issues for emergency vehicles needing to use the road.
The ongoing major roadworks in Fossa were previously the subject of heated discussion at a Killarney Municipal District Council meeting.
At that time, councillors were warned about potential gridlock and traffic problems due to the narrowed road width. It was highlighted that with the road being just six metres wide and large vehicles measuring up to 3.5 metres, encounters could lead to “complete gridlock and traffic mayhem.”
Despite these warnings, council officials had stated that the construction work was too far advanced to make changes. The recent video validates the earlier concerns raised by elected members.

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