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Killarney fondly remembers the Memory Man

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IT IS hard to believe that he has gone to his eternal reward. He was so full of life which belied his 82 years. We thought he would go on forever. I first met Jimmy Magee in the Fitzgerald Stadium in the mid-80s, where recently retired Kerry players lined out against the Jimmy Magee All Stars.

These All Stars came from the world of show business. Such household names from the showband era as Brendan Bowyer, Dermot O’Brien, Butch Moore, Dickie Rock and Father Brian D’Arcy traded the stage for the football field and lined out for Jimmy Magee in venues all over Ireland. After the match they went to the local dance hall providing entertainment on their night off from the ballroom. In this way the match and the subsequent music raised a very considerable amount of money for charity where no one was paid any fee.

I met him many times in the intervening years and was always glad to meet him to enjoy his infectious good humour and that roguery with the twinkle in his eyes.

JOHN TREACY
His interest was sport in so many codes and he loved to have the freedom to capture those seminal points of so many great sporting occasions. His description of John Treacy coming down the last few hundred metres in the Los Angeles Olympics was and continues to be the icon that perpetuates that very special moment in world athletics. He was so delighted to praise the great Irish women in sport, Katie Taylor, Sonia O’Sullivan and Michelle Smith. Despite all the controversy involving Michelle Smith’s doping allegation he backed her to the hilt. He was an expert on such a wide variety of sport and his recall was legendary. Tony O’Donoghue, his colleague in RTÉ Sport, summed him up well: “In the days before Google and Wikipedia Jimmy Magee was the Internet.”

OUR LAST MEETING
Little did I think that the last time I met him in Croke Park that it would be our last meeting. He spanned six decades of sport and brought his own charm to the events he was covering and to think that the seeds were sown in Willie Lowe’s garden in County Louth. He told me that was where it all started for him. He was born in New York but moved to Ireland when he was very young. He recalled the soccer games he played with his friends in Willie Lowe’s back garden. Using the handle of a brush for a microphone he learned the rudiments of giving a live commentary. Then he pestered Radio Éireann with pleas to give him a job as a sports broadcaster. He had plenty refusals but he persisted and eventually they relented and gave him a job. He never looked back and spent 60 years broadcasting on boxing, his favourite sport, cycling and the annual Tour De France, world Cups and so many Olympic games,

PAUL, RIP
The premature death of his son Paul to Motor Neurone Disease hit him hard. He was a talented soccer player with several clubs including Shamrock Rovers and was also a broadcaster; He also told me he missed his wife Marie, who died in 1989. This caused a great void in his life. His resilience kept him going.
Like his hero the great Maradona, Jimmy was a different class, a class apart. It was an honour to have known him. Duine faoi leith ab ea Jimmy. Go gcutítear a shaothar leis.

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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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