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Kilcummin dumping puts water network at risk

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ENVIRONMENTAL RISK: Cllr Marie Moloney with some of the light bulbs found in a secluded area of Kilcummin this week.

 

EXCLUSIVE

By Sean Moriarty

 

Illegal dumping in the Kilcummin area has reached a new level of irresponsibility after hundreds of florescent lighting tubes were found discarded in a secluded area this week.

Dumping has been an on-going issue for the people of Kilcummin for many years but the latest discovery could cause serious environmental damage as the tubes contain mercury and would have a devastating effect on the water supply network.

The tubes were discovered by local Councillor Marie Moloney in Knocklebede, a back road between Kilcummin and Scartaglin, in an area known locally as ‘The Leaps’.

She said she was going to do everything possible to identify the perpetrators.

“This is someone with local knowledge, very few people use this road, or need to use this road,” she said. “The lights have a Stock Keeping Unit number, so the brand, the supplier and place of sale will be identifiable. Household dumping is bad enough but this is a new low – and there is a big ‘No Dumping’ sign within feet of where it was dumped. It is, obviously, from a large scale renovation of a building and the people who dumped this knew what they were dealing with and the risks involved.”

Mercury is extremely toxic and must be handled with care. In cases of spills involving mercury from fluorescent light bulbs, specific cleaning procedures are used to avoid exposure and to contain the spill.

Broken light bulbs emit a mercury dust adding to the environmental risk caused by such dumping and Kerry County Council will need to dispatch a specialised cleaning unit to the site to remove the tubes and contain the possible spread of mercury into the eco-system.

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New Streetscapes murals launched at College Square

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A colourful collaboration between the Kerry Local Creative Youth Partnership (LCYP) and the Architecture Kerry Festival at Kerry County Council launched yesterday evening at College Square.

Titled Streetscapes, the open-air public art installation officially opened at 5pm on Thursday, accompanied by a performance from the Killarney Youth Drumming Band THUMP! under the guidance of Urs Wenk from Drum Dance Ireland.


The public art project features a series of wall murals depicting Killarney through the eyes of local children, exploring freedom, play, and potential future evolutions of the townscape.

The artworks reimagine Killarney’s iconic landmarks and streets, blending youthful imagination and curiosity.


Supported under the Creative Ireland Programme, the installation is mounted on the gable wall of Reen’s Life Pharmacy in College Square, where it will remain on public display until March 2027.


Speaking at the launch, Daniel O’Shea, Youth Development Officer at Kerry ETB, stated: “Streetscapes is a wonderful celebration of how children see things. Their creativity brings new perspectives to the townscape, and we are proud to support their ideas and their art through this public artwork.”


Deirdre Enright, Co-Ordinator of the Local Creative Youth Partnership at Kerry ETB, acknowledged the community support behind the initiative: “We are very grateful to Reen’s Life Pharmacy who have shared their built space with us. Huge credit is due to the artistic team from Me+The Moon whose dedication to creativity and to children’s art shine through in this work.”


The project forms part of the annual Architecture Kerry Festival and receives funding through Creative Ireland and the Department of Education and Youth via Kerry ETB and Kerry County Council.


Victoria McCarthy, Festival Organiser and Architectural Conservation Officer at Kerry County Council, welcomed the continued inter-agency project: “It’s always a great event for Architecture Kerry and we are so pleased with this collaboration between public sector organisations. It remains a key feature of the Architecture Kerry programme.”
See next week’s Killarney Advertiser for full photographic coverage of the event.

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Dr Crokes stalwarts enjoy lake cruise

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Dr Crokes stalwarts enjoy lake cruise

Dr Crokes stalwarts enjoy lake cruise

Dr Crokes GAA Club hosted a special day out for its senior members on Monday, this week, taking a group aged between 70 and 90 on a cruise across the Lakes of Killarney.

Organised by the Dr Crokes Healthy Club committee under its Crokes Cruisers initiative, the event was held to recognise the lifetime contribution made by long-standing members who continue to support club activities behind the scenes.
The group travelled on two vessels, including An Cathal, an open boat operated by local brothers Tony and Mike Fleming. Built to preserve the traditional Killarney lake boat style, it is the only purpose-built, fully accessible boat on the lakes, allowing members with mobility issues and wheelchair users to safely join the two-hour trip.
Following the lake tour, the party gathered on shore for coffee and refreshments provided by Derric McMahon and Harry Clifton of the Ross Castle Garden Cafe.
The initiative forms part of the club’s ongoing community work as a Gold Award winner in the GAA Healthy Club programme.

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