The 14th annual County Clean Up is set to take place on April 11 with registration officially opening this coming Monday.

Since the initiative began in 2012, volunteers across Kerry have collected and disposed of over 650 tonnes of waste, filling almost 75,000 bags of litter to date.

The event, supported by KWD Recycling and Kerry County Council, has become a staple of the local community calendar.

Kerry GAA legend Colm ‘The Gooch’ Cooper returns as the County Clean Up Ambassador for 2026, helping to lead the call for individuals, schools, sporting groups, and businesses to get involved.

Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council, Cllr Michael Foley, highlighted the unique scale of the project. He urged residents’ associations and voluntary groups to gather litter along both major routes and local country roads to ensure the county is kept “spick and span.”

Noel O’Reilly from KWD Recycling noted that the day is a vital part of the fight against illegal dumping. He stressed the importance of groups signing up early to obtain their clean-up packs and to coordinate exactly where collected litter should be left for disposal.

Local country music singer Paudie Coffey has expressed his gratitude to the “Kerry Gang” following his appearance in the Grand Final of TG4’s Glór Tíre on Tuesday night.

The 26-year-old Beaufort man was met with a wave of support from fans who travelled to the live broadcast wearing Kerry GAA jerseys and carrying homemade banners featuring his face.

“The Kerry Gang will be one of my favourite memories from all this,” Paudie said following the result. “It was great to see them here, because it just helped me take the final as a normal gig, because these are the people who are normally at my gigs every weekend. When I see them, it basically calms my nerves, and that’s a good thing. I’m very lucky to have them.”

During the live final, Paudie delivered performances of the Kenny Rogers classic ‘The Gambler’ and Isla Grant’s ‘We’ll Meet Again My Friends’.

While the title of Glór Tíre Champion ultimately went to County Down singer Jordan McPolin, the experience has significantly boosted Paudie’s profile on a national level.

Despite the result, the Beaufort singer is confident that his career is only moving forward. “This certainly won’t be the end of the road,” he stated. “With Glór Tíre, I’ve gained huge experience. What we’re trying to build up and what we’re trying to get now are the big gigs.”