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Killarney’s Pretty Polly factory among a number of sites to be progressed this year

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THE former Pretty Polly site in Killarney is one of a number of buildings and facilities earmarked to be progressed further in 2017, Kerry County Council CEO Moira Murrell has confirmed.

Strong growth in the county last year gives reason for optimism in 2017, according to a stakeholder group in Kerry, which added that cross-agency collaboration is key to winning investment in the county.

The group is united in its view of 2016 as an extremely progressive year for the county in terms of growth and investment and says that building on that success in 2017 can yield further substantial progress. The group, comprising representatives from Kerry County Council, IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, IT Tralee and Kerry Local Enterprise Office (LEO), said a number of successful initiatives during 2016 have combined to give reason for optimism around investment for 2017.

The chief executive of Kerry County Council, Moira Murrell, agrees that 2016 has seen major progress on economic development in the county including, in the council’s case, supports and investments such as a €60m investment in capital projects, a €30m upgrade of the county’s largest water supply scheme, the establishment of enterprise hubs in many rural towns and quality of life improvements through investment in leisure facilities and amenities.

“The former Denny factory site and the former Pretty Polly site in Killarney will be progressed further in 2017 and millions of euro will be invested in rural areas through the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and Clár funding,” said Ms Murrell.

This year will also see the Kerry Technology Park coming into full Kerry ownership, she added. “As a centre for education, innovation and incubation, it is key to our economic expansion as a county,” said the council CEO.

Ms Murrell added: “Tourism continues to grow and our new Tourism Strategy will drive that growth across Kerry. In Killarney, for example, through working with groups like the Kerry Convention Bureau, the aim in 2017 is to continue that growth and bring more visitors to the county.”

Many companies in Kerry are expanding which is indicative of confidence in the local economy, according to Ms Murrell. “The council now has a dedicated Economic Development Unit and a newly appointed Economic Development Officer and this will drive the implementation of the new jobs and enterprise plan for the county,” she added.

IDA Ireland’s Regional Business and Development Manager for the South-West, Ray O’Connor, said employment across the base of IDA companies in Kerry continues to rise with positive employment growth each year over the past five years. Supporting established companies to develop and grow is a key focus for IDA and he’s optimistic that 2017 will see project expansions.

“We have 13 client companies in Kerry, employing 2,083 employees. These are great companies, include some of the longest-established companies in Ireland and they are representative of all of our target sectors: engineering, pharmaceuticals, medical technologies, international financial services, technology and business services,” he said. “New investment in the last year came from Starwood Hotels & Resorts who opened a new Customer Services Centre in Sneem/Kenmare with 14 hired to date, JRI America who expanded into larger offices at Kerry Technology Park in Tralee and VT iDirect who announced 30 jobs in Killarney as part of a new Engineering & Innovation Centre.

“Our new Advance Technology Building, due to be completed by mid year 2017 is proof of IDA’s commitment to Kerry, creating a state-of-the-art 25,000sq ft turn-key property solution to attract new investment and IDA is committed to supporting additional IDA client companies investments in 2017 and beyond.”

Tomás Hayes, Head of Local Enterprise with Kerry LEO reports that 24 projects were approved for grant assistance in 2016 with the potential to generate 87 full-time and 19 part-time positions.

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A Celebration of Culture, Community and Talent at St Brigid’s Presentation

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St Brigid’s Presentation Secondary School was alive with music, song and celebration at their recent Trad Night 2026, a wonderful evening that showcased the rich cultural talent within their school and wider community.This special event was a joint fundraiser organised by their Gaelbhratach committee, promoting the Irish language and culture; their Yellow Flag committee, celebrating diversity and inclusion; and their dedicated Music Department. The night reflected the spirit of unity in the school, bringing together students from all year groups in a vibrant celebration of heritage through music, storytelling and dance. The programme featured an impressive lineup of performances including the brush dance, junior and senior set dancers representing local clubs such as Kilcummin and Spa, and a spectacular performance from Irish dancing World Champion Caoimhe O’Halloran. Thri junior and senior traditional groups performed beautifully, alongside the hugely talented Glenflesk Ballad Group, multiple All-Ireland award winners, who brought the audience to their feet. The evening was made all the more special with the generous sponsorship of tea and traditional brack from O’Sullivan’s Bakery, which was warmly enjoyed by all in attendance. The night concluded with a memorable performance from Deputy Principal, Liam McGill, who entertained the audience on guitar and vocals, accompanied by well-known local music teacher Rosie Healy and Aine McCann. St Brigid’s are immensely proud of all students who performed and contributed to making the night such a resounding success. Trad Night 2026 highlighted the extraordinary talent within the school and the strong sense of community that defines St Brigid’s Presentation.

A Celebration of Culture, Community and Talent at St Brigid’s Presentation

St Brigid’s Presentation Secondary School was alive with music, song and celebration at their recent Trad Night 2026, a wonderful evening that showcased the rich cultural talent within their school and wider community.This special event was a joint fundraiser organised by their Gaelbhratach committee, promoting the Irish language and culture; their Yellow Flag committee, celebrating diversity and inclusion; and their dedicated Music Department. The night reflected the spirit of unity in the school, bringing together students from all year groups in a vibrant celebration of heritage through music, storytelling and dance. The programme featured an impressive lineup of performances including the brush dance, junior and senior set dancers representing local clubs such as Kilcummin and Spa, and a spectacular performance from Irish dancing World Champion Caoimhe O’Halloran. Thri junior and senior traditional groups performed beautifully, alongside the hugely talented Glenflesk Ballad Group, multiple All-Ireland award winners, who brought the audience to their feet. The evening was made all the more special with the generous sponsorship of tea and traditional brack from O’Sullivan’s Bakery, which was warmly enjoyed by all in attendance. The night concluded with a memorable performance from Deputy Principal, Liam McGill, who entertained the audience on guitar and vocals, accompanied by well-known local music teacher Rosie Healy and Aine McCann. St Brigid’s are immensely proud of all students who performed and contributed to making the night such a resounding success. Trad Night 2026 highlighted the extraordinary talent within the school and the strong sense of community that defines St Brigid’s Presentation.

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European title for Killarney handball star

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By Con Dennehy

Killarney handball star Owen Brosnan answered Ireland’s call at the weekend with a breathtaking display at the European One Wall Tour in London.

Currow native and Spa Killarney Handballer, Brosnan took on the best players in England, Wales, Ireland, Holland, Belgium, France and Israel and thanks to a superb display returned back to Kerry with a European gold medal following his phenomenal success in the Men’s C Plate competition.
Played at the Westway Sports Complex in London, more than 150 players took part in the competition on six indoor courts with Brosnan and his Killarney team colleague Tim Cronin playing 15 games over the two days. Following earlier round victories, Brosnan was paired with Tim Cronin in a Kerry dominated semifinal clash. This was an exciting high-octane game with both players producing a classic display of handball. Aces were hard fought with just one point separating both players at the end of a pulsating game. Brosnan advanced to the final on a 21-20 scoreline. “I was thrilled with my semifinal game. It was a hard-fought contest with all the training at the Spa GAA Hall helping me edge out a win. We train together and know each other strengths and weaknesses which added to the excitement of the occasion. We both teamed up in the Men’s B Plate Doubles competition reaching the semifinal where we were defeated by Matt Flapan and Gleb Spiridon, a USA/Israel combination,” said Owen.
Brosnan produced a superb display of fast paced handball in the Men’s C Plate final where his opponent was the highly fancied Josh Thomas from Wales. Using the court to his full advantage, the Killarney player produced a brilliant all-round performance to record a 21-18 victory and in the process his first major title.
“Naturally, I was delighted with the success. Both Tim and I started the sport by accident over 12 months ago when we attended an Open Family Day at Spa GAA Club. Brendan O’Donoghue, one of the founders of Spa Killarney Handball Club, was giving a demonstration of handball and invited us to try it out. We both enjoyed the experience and have been playing ever since. We are looking forward to the various domestic competitions over the coming months and really enjoy the training and fun element to the sport in the club.”

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