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Two new summer routes to Brittany

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Two new summer routes to Quimper and Brest in Brittany have been added to to Kerry Airport's summer schedule.

Commencing on July 1 the seasonal summer service by French Airline Chalair, will operate every Saturday with a flight time of less than 1 hour 40 minutes from Kerry to France on board a 70-seat ATR 72 aircraft.

Tickets will be available online from www.Chalair.fr or any travel agency while all fares will include a free baggage allowance and free on-board service.

“We are delighted to welcome Chalair to Kerry who will operate a weekly service to two destinations in Brittany, France from July 1," CEO of Kerry Airport Ireland, John Mulhern, said.

"The airline has been serving Brittany for many years and these new routes from Kerry will be the airline’s first in Ireland. They will be a welcome addition to the offerings for passengers from Kerry Airport seeking to explore and relax in a most beautiful region of France, while the French people will now have new routes into Ireland to enjoy all that Kerry and the region has to offer. Ultimately, this will boost the local economy during the peak tourism season and sow the seeds for the development of additional routes from France in the years to come.”

Chalair is an independent airline that has been operating scheduled flights in France since 1986. Its fleet of aircraft ranges from 19 to 70 seats and is currently the reference airline for such aircraft on the French market.

Chalair’s CEO, Alain Battisti, expressed his enthusiasm on launching this new service.

“Ireland, and specifically County Kerry, is a very popular destination for French tourists from the West of France, and no doubt that Britany is - and will be - a must-go destination for people from Munster and beyond. To take an up-to-date rugby analogy, I am sure this first ‘try’ will be ‘converted’, and Chalair will expand its offerings in the coming years.”

These new destinations from Kerry to Quimper and Brest in Brittany will bring to nine the number of routes that will be available to passengers for the summer months.

Kerry Airport already serves Alicante, Faro, Dublin, London (Luton & Stansted), Manchester and Frankfurt Hahn with Ryanair.

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Concerns over future of St Mary of the Angels

Two Kerry TDs have voiced concerns over the future of St Mary of the Angels and St Francis Special School in Beaufort, highlighting the urgent need for respite services for […]

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Two Kerry TDs have voiced concerns over the future of St Mary of the Angels and St Francis Special School in Beaufort, highlighting the urgent need for respite services for children and adults with profound disabilities and special needs.

The campus, set on lands generously donated by the Doyle family, offers 30 acres of grounds, existing buildings, and services, making it a valuable asset for the provision of respite care in Kerry. TD Michael Cahill emphasized that the Doyle family’s wishes should be respected, and that the grounds should be made accessible immediately.
“The special needs community in Kerry has a major respite crisis and families don’t have time to wait. Families need help — they are not asking for full-time residential care but respite care, a break, a helping hand,” Deputy Cahill said.
He added that a bespoke approach is needed to meet the individual needs of children attending St Francis Special School. “Many of the children in the county with profound needs need a safe haven where they can roam the grounds freely, and St Mary of the Angels offers this.”
Deputy Cahill has accompanied several Ministers to the Beaufort campus to highlight its value to Disability Health Service providers. A working group has been formed including St John of Gods, the HSE, representatives of residents at St Mary of the Angels, and St Francis Special School, to explore options for maintaining and expanding respite services.
“Parents are worn out and at the end of their tether. This needs to be dealt with expeditiously, in an environment of cooperation between the relevant Government Departments of Health, Disability, and Education. We need to get this across the line urgently and put it permanently in place,” he said.
Deputy Cahill pointed to the current shortfall of respite services in Kerry. “As of now, Cunamh Iveragh respite in Cahersiveen is only open Friday to Sunday, running at half capacity — two adults per night instead of four. The issue is staffing, and the HSE will not release funding to open full-time. The Beaufort campus is available and should be utilised as parents are crying out for overnight respite. Cooperation and compassion could see this done quickly.”
TD Danny Healy Rae echoed these concerns during a Dáil speech this week. “We are still short of respite beds on the southern side of the constituency. Families caring for people with disabilities just want a break, but there is nowhere available locally. Places are being offered only in Tipperary or Meath for those needing new residential care. It makes no sense. St Mary of the Angels in Beaufort has 40 or 50 acres of grounds that could be expanded, with facilities already in place such as swimming pools. It could be developed as a model for the rest of the country.”
Both TDs are urging the Government and the HSE to take immediate action to utilise the Beaufort campus for respite care, in line with the intentions of the Doyle family and the needs of Kerry families.

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Cardiac Response Unit’s ‘Restart a Heart’ training event

Killarney Cardiac Response Unit (KCRU) is set to run a range of events as part of the global initiative Restart A Heart, which aims to increase awareness and actual rates […]

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Killarney Cardiac Response Unit (KCRU) is set to run a range of events as part of the global initiative Restart A Heart, which aims to increase awareness and actual rates of bystander CPR worldwide.

The main event, titled RAH 2025, invites the public to learn life-saving skills and the basic steps in the chain of survival. This will take place on Saturday, October 18, at the Killarney Outlet Centre.
Members of the public are encouraged to join KCRU at the centre between 10:00 am and 5pm.
Key feature of the day will be the CPR Competition, offering “fantastic prizes to be won.”
For further information, visit www.killarneycru.ie/rah25

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