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Trump could learn from Healy-Raes

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US REPUBLICAN presidential hopeful Donald Trump has been urged to take a leaf out of the Healy-Rae book.

The fame of the Kerry political dynasty has spread to America where the Irish Voice newspaper, read widely by the diaspora, has devoted column inches and website space on IrishCentral.com to the Healy-Rae phenomenon.

Writer Cormac MacConnell, who has been penning a popular column in the New York-published paper for 25 years, says Trump could learn a lot from the Healy-Rae style of politics.

Devoting a recent column to Donal Hickey’s new book, The Healy-Raes – A Twenty-four Seven Political Legacy, he tells Irish-American readers they might think they have a very colourful and flamboyant character in Trump, but he doesn’t match the late Jackie Healy-Rae.

"Jackie Healy-Rae, born in poverty in hard times on a tiny Kerry mountain farm, beats Donald Trump into a cocked hat on every point of the scale," writes MacConnell.

"If Donald Trump wants some tips on how to captivate the grass roots of your states he should lay hands as quickly as possible on Donal Hickey's highly entertaining history of the dynasty.

"Trump will pick up a lot of folklore and you will get a good belly laugh as you turn every richly rascally page."

Recounting Jackie’s 38-year political career, his days on Kerry County Council and Dáil Éireann, he says Trump "is only trotting after him".

And Trump might also do well to shun the suits and spin doctors in Washington, notes author Donal Hickey.

"MacConnell says Jackie Healy-Rae’s rural sayings and style were the stuff of amusement for many of the slickly-suited young politicians of the era (when he was in the Dáil), but the reality was he achieved far more for his local people than any of them," he added.

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Centenary exhibition to chart early years of Fianna Fáil in Kerry

. The exhibition, which runs from March 10 to March 31, explores the foundational years of the political party within the county between 1926 and 1933. The exhibition details how […]

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The exhibition, which runs from March 10 to March 31, explores the foundational years of the political party within the county between 1926 and 1933.

The exhibition details how the party established itself in a county where Civil War divisions were particularly deep-seated. It covers the transition of local figures from revolutionary activities to parliamentary politics and the intense election battles of the late 1920s. Visitors will be able to view documents and archives that illustrate how the party built its organisation across South Kerry in its first decade.

As part of the event, local historian and author Dr. Owen O’Shea will give a public lecture at the library on Thursday, March 26, at 7:00 p.m. His talk will focus on the foundation of the party and the “bullets to ballots” transition in Kerry politics. The exhibition is free to attend and will be open during the library’s scheduled operating hours throughout the month of March.
The project is the result of extensive research funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. The grant was awarded under the Commemorations Bursary Scheme for 2025-2026 and managed by the Royal Irish Academy. This scheme supports local research that helps the public better understand the political and social evolution of Ireland following the Civil War.

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St Brendan’s College travel to London

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5th year students from St Brendan’s College went to London on their English school trip.

They enjoyed a production of ‘The Book of Mormon’ at the Prince of Wales theatre.

The following morning was spent touring Tate Modern before attending a tour and a brilliant interactive workshop in Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre focusing on their Leaving Certificate single text “Othello”.

The focus of the workshop centred on the performative elements of the play in relation to themes and character development. 

All students performed with great theatrical verve. 

A brilliant experience for all before attending an acclaimed production of the play in the Theatre Royal.

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