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National Park gets a makeover ahead of Royal visit

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Although the trip itself is yet to be officially confirmed (a statement is expected from Buckingham Palace early next week), Killarney is gearing up for the visit of Prince Charles and his wife Camilla with renovations already under way around the National Park.

Unconfirmed reports have suggested that the National Parks and Wildlife Service are spending upwards of €10,000 on the makeover, as efforts are well under way to ensure the royals are suitably impressed with their brief visit to our town. It has been suggested that Charles and Camilla will spend four hours in Killarney on Friday, June 15 before moving on their next port of call.

Any improvements to our park are, of course, always welcome and fair play for the powers that be for forking out the money to spruce it up a little, but there’s something a bit disconcerting about their reasoning.

Why does it take a royal visit for such an investment? Over half a million non-royals visit Muckross House annually during their stay in Killarney. Why are we making such a fuss over these two particular individuals, especially when they’re only here for a few hours? It seems a bit archaic to be honest.

I suppose the argument could be made that Prince Charles and Camilla’s visit will lead to an increase in British tourists coming to Killarney. But is that slightly overestimating the esteem in which the royal family are held in this day and age, even in their own country? Maybe not. Hopefully it does prove to be a great boon to our economy.

Either way, I suppose we should be grateful that our National Park got a nice little touch-up. Thanks Charles!

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Contactless payments launched on Local Link services

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Passengers using TFI Local Link Kerry services in Killarney and across the county can now pay for their journeys using contactless card payments.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) confirmed the rollout this week, allowing commuters to simply tap their debit card, credit card, or mobile devices, such as Apple Pay and Google Pa, when boarding.

The move is designed to offer more convenience for those using high-frequency rural and regional routes.

In Killarney, the new payment option will be available on the TFI Anseo town services, which have seen a significant increase in passenger numbers since their introduction.

The contactless system is currently available for single journey fares, while those using daily or weekly passes can continue to use the Leap website or the TFI Leap Top Up App.
Alan O’Connell, General Manager of TFI Local Link Kerry, welcomed the modernisation of the fleet.

“The introduction of contactless payments is another welcome step forward for public transport in Kerry,” he said. “It complements other major projects in the county, including the expansion of TFI Local Link services and the delivery of TFI Anseo in Killarney, which is proving to be another great initiative.”

While the new technology offers a modern alternative, traditional payment methods are not being phased out. Cash payments, TFI Leap cards, and Free Travel Cards all remains fully valid across the network.

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How will our Kerry TDs vote tomorrow?

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Tomorrow, Sinn Féin will be tabling a motion of no confidence against the Government after the protests that took place nationwide during the week.

Earlier today we asked our readers how would they vote in a no confidence motion against the Government?

Most of our readers said they would vote no confidence, while some said, yes they do have confidence in the Government.

One reader said: “Vote confidence. The only proper leadership over the last few days came from government. Courage came when needed despite how unpopular it looked in the moment. By contrast, opposition politicians wanted the country to burn to suit themselves”.

Another reader stated: “No confidence. Shambolic and heavy handed handling of protests this past week”.

However, some people didn’t have any confidence in either side with a reader saying: “No confidence in the no confidence! Different wings of the same bird! We need a complete overhaul of the political system”.

We asked the question to our 5 Kerry TDs before lunch-time today, asking them what their vote will be tomorrow.

We received one reply from Sinn Féin’s Kerry TD Pa Daly.

He will be voting no confidence in the Government tomorrow along with his party.

Other media outlets are reporting that Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae is undecided at the moment.

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