News
‘Killarney Wears Masks’ campaign launched by Rotary Club
WEAR A MASK: Killarney Rotary have launched a mask-awareness initiative. Pictured were: Anne Alcock, Paul Sherry, Ciara Irwin Foley, Rayle Tadjimatova, Angela O’Connor, Mike Stack, Grace O’Neill, Barry Murphy, Edward Schmidt-zorner. Photo: Grigoriy Geniyevskiy
By Michelle Crean
One local proactive group is this week appealing to the public to 'mask up' when out and about in town and have even erected mask-aware signage on two approach roads as well as window posters in retail outlets.
Killarney Rotary Club launched their new 'Killarney Wears Masks' awareness initiative on Wednesday afternoon.
The importance of wearing masks has been highlighted recently by the Government and the HSE as a significant measure in reducing the spread of COVID-19 Coronavirus. It is compulsory now to wear face masks or coverings in all retail premises and indoor shopping malls.
Newly elected President of the Killarney branch, Anne Alcock says they're respectfully asking people to be conscious of putting the mask on when going about their business.
“While we are respectfully aware that there are situations where not everyone can 'mask-up' we think it is important that as many who can, do," Anne said.
"We welcome a lot of visitors to our town, and our club is united in wishing to protect visitors’ safety and well-being as well as that of our local community. Thus we are hoping to raise awareness of the appropriateness of wearing masks to help protect the spread of infection.”
Killarney Chamber of Tourism & Commerce President and long time Killarney Rotary Club member Paul Sherry praised Killarney Rotary Club for coming up with and implementing the campaign.
Any initiative that helps to prevent the spread of the virus ties in nicely with Kerry County Council's campaign to promote Killarney and the wider county as a 'Safe Destination' to visit, live and work, she added.
News
Developing St Finan’s “cost prohibitive” – Council
Converting the idle St Finan’s hospital into social housing is cost-prohibitive according to Kerry County council officials. The historic building has been lying idle since it closed in September 2012. […]
Converting the idle St Finan’s hospital into social housing is cost-prohibitive according to Kerry County council officials.
The historic building has been lying idle since it closed in September 2012.
The hospital and adjoining lands are up for sale by the Health Service Executive (HSE) since then.
So far no realistic offer has been made on the site despite suggestions that it could be used for social housing, a catering college and a hotel.
Each year the building, which was built in the 1850s, falls into further disrepair.
There were fresh calls again this week as local councillors called for some sort of action to redevelop the site that is fast becoming an eyesore.
At last Friday’s Killarney Municipal District meeting councillors called for action at the site .
Mayor Brendan Cronin wants the building’s protected status to be removed or at least reduced to speed up potential development work which ties in with Cllr Marie Moloney’s idea that the old hospital could be converted into apartments or flats.
Cllr John O’Donoghue wants the HSE to find a way to hand over the property to Kerry County Council either by way of reduced payment or an intra-government agency ownership change.
A Kerry County Council official told the meeting that any works to potentially convert the old hospital into social housing “would be cost prohibitive.”
News
Eight month wait for a driving test in Killarney
A Killarney councillor is calling for action in an effort to reduce the driving test wait list in Killarney The current wait list for a test in Killarney sits at […]
A Killarney councillor is calling for action in an effort to reduce the driving test wait list in Killarney
The current wait list for a test in Killarney sits at eight months.
Cllr John O’Donoghue raised the issue at Monday’s full meeting of Kerry County Council.
He proposed that driving instructors should be employed to carry out the final test to reduce the current backlog.
At Monday’s meeting he asked that hat Kerry County Council would write to the Minister for Transport to ask him to consider giving driving instructors temporary powers to issue a temporary Driving Licence/Certificate of Competence to those on the waiting list for tests.
“The wait is currently far too long and the system is in danger of becoming completely overwhelmed,” he said.
“The huge waiting list for young drivers is well documented at this stage. In a case I am familiar with, a young person passed their theory test in January 2022 and he immediately applied for his mandatory 12 driving lessons. When these were completed, he applied for his driving test on the 2nd of December 2022. Some weeks ago, he still had not received an application to apply for his driving test. This wait is placing him and his family under considerable extra cost and stress which is completely unacceptable.”
In the course of his research into the matter Cllr O’Donoghue discovered that the next available date for a driving test in Killarney is May 25, 2024, while Tralee is June 3 2024.
“Bear in mind, these are only the dates on which you receive an invitation to book your test, the test itself will then be an estimated three to five weeks later.
“This is an appalling situation and one which needs to be rectified as a matter of urgency. I am proposing that driving instructors, which presumably are fully trained up on the rules of the road, be granted temporary powers to be allowed to issue temporary driving licences to young people. When the waiting list time has been reduced, I would still propose that these people sit the test as usual, but the current pressure needs to be alleviated as soon as possible. There is precedent as I believe that in the 1970s, a cohort in this country were issued driving licences without having sat a test as the wait time for the test was too long.”
Developing St Finan’s “cost prohibitive” – Council
Converting the idle St Finan’s hospital into social housing is cost-prohibitive according to Kerry County council officials. The historic building...
Eight month wait for a driving test in Killarney
A Killarney councillor is calling for action in an effort to reduce the driving test wait list in Killarney The...
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The Big Interview: Darragh Long explains how the Kerry ladies are shifting our perceptions of women in sport
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