News
Killarney to become a 10 minute town with over €1m in funding

By Sean Moriarty
Steps to make Killarney a '10 Minute Town' took another move closer to reality this week after over €1m in funding was announced for various projects.
These include the construction of a network of cycleways in four different locations across the town.
Last October it was announced that Killarney was one of 35 approved ‘Pathfinder’ projects in 19 different counties across the country.
‘Pathfinder’ projects are designed to transform public transport, walking, and cycling, including the reallocation of road space from cars to cyclists and pedestrians.
The idea is that every necessary service in the town will be accessible within 10 minutes and that cycling and walking will take more precedence over driving in the future.
This ties in with the ambitious cycle infrastructure project unveiled by Kerry County Council in February 2021.
Under this plan, it was revealed that Kerry County Council is to build four new dedicated cycle lanes in the town.
The funding will go towards a cycleway to and from the Cleeney Roundabout along Rock Road, a cycleway linking Fitzgerald Stadium and Lewis Road with the town centre.
A similar project on Park Road will eventually link Killarney Sports Centre with the town via a cycleway in the Deerpark area close to the Gael Scoil (as per the map and not via Pinewood Estate as stated, in error, in our print edition).
These new projects will link with existing cycle lanes in the town, including Muckross Road, which is subject to a separate funding upgrade by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the already opened Flesk Way project.
FUNDS
This week the Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan TD, confirmed that the National Transport Authority (NTA) has allocated funds to Ireland’s local authorities with a view to spending €290m on walking and cycling infrastructure in 2023.
The Rock Road section has been allocated the largest amount of money and will get €783,000 under two separate strands of this funding.
The Park Road/Deerpark links will get €180,000 under three different allocations.
“I wish to welcome the announcement by Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan TD of €2,350,000 for 27 projects in Kerry under the Active Travel Scheme,” said local Fine Gael TD Brendan Griffin.
“This is very welcome funding which will help develop safer walking and cycling routes in Kerry.”
In addition to the cycleway projects, other traffic-related issues in the town and surrounding areas will be addressed under this funding scheme.
This includes €5,000 for Fossa and €15,000 for Ballydribbeen.
The Ballydribbeen funding ties in with a separate project aimed at both reducing traffic congestion from Madam’s Hill to Cleeney Roundabout and a footpath linking the same two areas to allow Aghadoe residents to walk into town.
News
Killarney to feature on TG4’s Country Music show
By Sean Moriarty A song about Killarney – once made famous by local Country Music hero Dermot Moriarty – will feature on TG4 tomorrow night (Tuesday). The second series of […]

By Sean Moriarty
A song about Killarney – once made famous by local Country Music hero Dermot Moriarty – will feature on TG4 tomorrow night (Tuesday).
The second series of the Irish channel’s County Music show ‘Viva Ceol Tire’, which highlights emerging Country Music talent in Ireland, airs every Tuesday night at 9.30pm.
The next programme will feature Donegal singer David James’ version of ‘Oh Killarney’.
The programme was filmed entirely on location in Killarney including Torc Waterfall, Ladies View Moll’s Gap and Kate Kearney’s Cottage.
“The song was written by Dennis Allen. However, it was a hit for Dermot Moriarty in the 1980s. The first time I heard it I loved it and I was thrilled with the reaction my version has got,” James, who is from the small village of Killean in Donegal, told the Killarney Advertiser.
“It’s pretty rural but I love it. I’ll be in Country Music 10 years this May. My first gig was in the local GAA hall for my aunt’s 50th birthday. I was 14 and I’ve been at it ever since.”
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News
Five questions to ask yourself before buying a stock
By Michael O’Connor, theislandinvestor.com When it comes to investing, nothing is certain. There are no perfect stocks to buy because there’s no way of predicting the future with 100% accuracy. […]

By Michael O’Connor, theislandinvestor.com
When it comes to investing, nothing is certain.
There are no perfect stocks to buy because there’s no way of predicting the future with 100% accuracy.
The truth is, investing is hard, and building a portfolio of top stocks that beat the market is something that even financial professionals have trouble doing consistently.
For most people, investing in index funds is the perfect hands-off approach, providing broad exposure to the stock market at a very low fee. Even my own personal portfolio is made up of roughly 70% ETFs despite the fact I invest in the market for a living.
But I believe some stock picking is a good strategy for many hands-on people.
Taking a small portion of your overall portfolio and diligently selecting a small number of companies to invest in gives you an opportunity to learn about the investing process and fully understand the businesses you are investing in, which helps to build conviction in your positions.
From a psychological standpoint “collector’s instinct” kicks in, enabling people to participate and invest more money over time.
Lastly, for Irish investors, there are tax benefits to consider. If you invest in individual stocks, you are taxed at the CGT rate of 33%, and the first €1,270 of your gains are exempt from CGT each year. When investing in index funds or ETFs, you are taxed at the exit tax rate of 41% with no annual exemption.
For those interested in picking individual stocks, here are five questions you should ask yourself before investing in any company.
Do I understand the business?
Too many people invest in businesses they don’t understand because it ‘sounds good’. If you have no idea how the company works, you won’t have the conviction needed to hold onto the stock when an inevitable downturn comes.
Can the balance sheet withstand severe, temporary adversity?
This seems obvious, but so many people invest in companies without understanding how much money a company holds and who they owe money to. Economic cycles are guaranteed. You must ensure that the company has enough cash-on-hand to avoid becoming obsolete when activity slows.
Will the company benefit from long-term trends?
Make sure the company will remain relevant into the future. If the stock is cheap now, it may be cheap for a reason.
Is the company enjoying profitable growth?
Not growth at all costs, but a combination of sustainable growth and value. All this information can be found online at sites like stratosphere.io.
What are the risk factors?
Is the company trying something new and untested? If yes, who are its competitors and how successful are they? If other players are more established, this company may have a tough time breaking into the market.
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