Status Yellow Wind Warning Issued For Kerry

Posted in Kerry News, Tralee, Weather by Fergus Writes Things

Met Eireann have issued a wind warning for Kerry.

IN news that you’d certainly not want to hear in these (last few shopping) days leading up to Christmas, Met Eireann have issued a ‘Status Yellow Wind Warning’ for Kerry for Wednesday, December 23rd.

The warning will be in place from 1pm tomorrow until approximately midnight on Wednesday.

The statement on their website reads that:

“Southerly winds of mean speeds of 60 to 65km/h gusting 100 to 110km/h are expected Wednesday evening and early Wednesday night.”

This warning has been issued to a number of areas including Leinster, Cavan, Monaghan, Leitrim, Roscommon, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford.

15Dec2015

Tralee’s Alanna Will Be Back On Our Screens This Thursday Night

Posted in Kerry News, National, Tralee by Fergus Writes Things

Alanna Diggin will be talking about how the show impacted her life this week. Photo by Fergus Dennehy.

TRALEE’s Alanna Diggin is set to grace our television screens again this coming week when the follow up show to her acclaimed fly-on the-wall reality show ‘Connected’ airs this Thursday, December 17th.

Alanna was a mainstay in our living rooms in October and November of last year when she starred, along with five other women, in the reality show in which she filmed her life on a daily basis for over nine months.

It was at times a hard and tough watch, with the then 21-year old talking in detail about the sadness that she has suffered so far in her life.

Tears, along with moments of complete honesty and vulnerability were shared for the entire country to see.

The follow up show, aptly titled ‘Re-Connected’ will catch up with Alanna and the rest of the women in the show as they reflect on the shows impact on their lives.

It [my life] has changed in a big way. I grew a lot more confident in myself and my abilities. I would never have gone out filming myself in public a few years back, I had to with this. Being on camera isn’t so intimidating to me and it was something I always wanted to try. I grew as a person as I got to watch myself back and see what I did/didn’t like, got to see what I was like through the same way viewers saw me so I learned more about myself in that sense,” Alanna said, talking to this writer earlier on.

“It has made me want to work in the media, I’m not sure what section yet, but I have continued doing videos for YouTube in my spare time and I am currently part taking in a yearlong radio course,” she finished.

Re-Connected will air at 10pm on Thursday, December 17th on RTÉ 2.

8Dec2015

Kerry To Receive Special Screening Of New Stars Wars Film

Posted in Kerry News, Something Cool by Fergus Writes Things

Star Wars will screen in Killarney next week.

THE PEOPLE of Kerry are set to receive an early Christmas present this year after it was announced that Killarney Cineplex will receive a special screening of the new ‘The Force Awakens’ film next week.

The Star Wars team are keen to thank the people of Kerry for their support while they shot parts of the new film on Skellig Michael and will be showing the film at lunchtime on Thursday December 17th in the Killarney cinema.

It will the first screening of the film in the area and is sure to draw a large crowd who will be eager to be amongst the first to see the highly anticipated seventh installment in the series.

“On behalf of Lucasfilm and Disney, we are delighted to gift the first screening of this movie in the area, as a thank you for all the help and cooperation received during the making of Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” Trish Long, Vice President and General Manager of Walt Disney Studios, Ireland said on RTE Ten’s website earlier today.

Also quoted in the RTE Ten article was The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys who said:

“The enchanting and mystical beauty of South Kerry caught the attention of the filmmakers, but it was the hospitality of the local people which helped to make the film shoot a success.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens will help to showcase the unique natural and built heritage of Sceilg Mhichíl and it will bring images of this beautiful region of South Kerry to an unrivalled global audience. The success of the shoot also helps to reaffirm Ireland’s capacity to support high-end film production,” she finished.

Check out the trailer for the film below.

5Dec2015

Tralee’s Randall Wharton Needs Your Votes In Prestigious Blog Award

Posted in Kerry News, Sport, Tralee by Fergus Writes Things

The man himself in action.

A PROLIFIC TRALEE runner and writer has recently seen his two talents combine after it was announced that his ‘RandRuns’ blog had made it through to the finals of the prestigious RunUltra Blogger Awards.

Randall Wharton has fast become something of a household name in the wider running community and he will now join some of the biggest names in the sport as they battle to secure the title of the ‘2016 RunUltra Best Blogger Award’ when it is announced in London next year.

His ‘RandRuns’ blog is where Randall has been busy documenting his running life on the blog for the past year or so, where he consistently reports on all the races and events that he attends and always in the most entertaining manner.

“I’m absolutely thrilled! Christopher McDougall, who wrote the ‘Born To Run’ book, is in the final as well and that book was one of the things that inspired me to run in the first place. I’m just amazed I made it!” said Randall speaking to Fergus Dennehy earlier this week.

Having made it onto a list of the top 50 running bloggers from all corners of the world is an achievement in itself, but Randall would certainly like to go one step further than this and is looking for the help of the public in securing the much needed votes.

Voting has now opened for the awards and anyone wishing to vote for ‘RandRuns’ can do so through the voting page HERE while you can read Randall’s posts beforehand on his blog site HERE.

2Dec2015

Famous Kerry Scenery Gets High Praise In New York Times Article

Posted in International, Kerry News, Scenery by Fergus Writes Things

The soon to be released ‘Star Wars’ film is expected to catapult Kerry tourism into new heights.

IN NEWS that will come as another huge boost for local tourism, Kerry has just received a wonderful new write up in one of the worlds most famous literary outlets, the New York Times.

For anyone that might not yet have heard, there is a certain film set to be released in just over two weeks that is set to feature one of Kerry’s most famous tourism sites.

That film is of course Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens and our very own Skellig Michael is set to play some sort of (hopefully) pivotal role in the film.

Hype for the film is at an all time high and one journalist from the New York Times took a trip out to Skellig Michael and its surrounding environs recently and this is what he had to say…

The appeal of Skellig

Skellig is without doubt one of the most breathtaking and unique places you could visit.

“Its remote location has kept the island, a Unesco site, under the radar — luring far fewer (and far more adventurous) souls than other Irish wonders with a high-wattage wow factor, such as the Cliffs of Moher.”

About Mark Hamill

Mark Hamill pulling a pint of the ‘good stuff’ in the Bridge Bar in Portmagee earlier this year.

“Like many in Portmagee, he (ferryman Declan O’Driscoll) had signed a nondisclosure agreement, giving up the right to dish details of the filming. But you’d sooner keep a Wookiee from roaring than an Irishman from regaling a willing audience, and soon Mr. O’Driscoll was dishing away. “A bunch of us boatmen were standing around, and Mark Hamill came over,” he recalled. “He said, ‘Any advice for climbing the stairs?’ We told him, ‘Just pace yourself, and don’t ever, ever look down,”

About the stunning scenery on offer

The scenery is something to behold.

“There was something mournful and beautiful about it all: the six beehive-shaped monastic cells huddled together, two boat-shaped oratories, as well as crude stone crosses, serving as grave markers, and the ruins of a medieval church. The views over the Atlantic were endless, and gulls and gannets soared and dived, their cries echoing with either anguished loneliness or triumphant salvation, possibly a bit of both,”

Check out the full New York Times article HERE.

30Nov2015

Tralee: Kindhearted Group Look For Donations In Christmas Collection

Posted in Charity, Kerry News, Tralee by Fergus Writes Things

Donations of clothes, toiletries and toys are welcome in this Christmas collection campaign

A GROUP of local kindhearted people are looking to help make this years Christmas a little easier and a little more special for those less fortunate among us by organising a donation campaign for clothes, toiletries and toys.

The ‘Caring For Christmas’ group is a collaborative effort by local people here in town and who are collecting the much needed items for three different local organisations:

Arlington Lodge Homeless Shelter
Baile Mhuire Daycare for the Elderly
Adapt Kerry Womens Refuge

They have so far organised a day of collection for this coming Wednesday December 2nd (9.30-5pm) at the Yummy Market Cafe and are in talks for another for this coming Friday December 4th, but this second day has yet to be confirmed.

Grainne Landers is one of the organisers behind the generously minded group and who is hoping that they might be be able to make some peoples Christmas just a little bit better through the collection.

“We just really wanted to do something that would help the most vulnerable, that they would have something for Christmas,” said Gráinne when speaking to Fergus Dennehy earlier today.

“We [Caring For Christmas] are just a group of individuals. Some of us knew each other, some of us didn’t and we just got together and thought about what we could do for Christmas for the more vulnerable organisations,” she continued.

“We just looked at the groups where we know the funding is very difficult for them and that they struggle all year round with that. Especially coming up to Christmas, some people mightn’t have families around them and that they might be very isolated,” she said.

The group are hoping that the generosity of the public will ring through and are looking for a number of specific, yet simple items.

“Toiletries would be a big thing [that we’re looking for] for all three organisations. The likes of shower gels, deodorants, razors, shaving creams and soap, all those kind of things,”

“The only clothing donations that we’re taking are hats, scarves, gloves and socks and finally we’ll be collecting toys for Adapt,” she continued.

“There’s a second entrance [to the Yummy Cafe] on the Bridge Street side and we’ll be collecting there. As we collect, people will come from our group and take the donated items as the day goes on and hopefully we’ll be able to hand them out to the three organisations on the Thursday and Friday,” she finished.

29Nov2015

KERRY: Annascaul To Celebrate New Year With Parade Through Village

Posted in Kerry News by Fergus Writes Things

The people of Annascaul are planning on celebrating the arrival of 2016 in style.

WHILE there’s still a few weeks to go yet, it might be wise to spend a little time thinking of how and where you’re going to be ringing in the new year celebrations.

If you’re someone that is open to suggestions, one idea might be to head out to the quaint and fantastic town/village that is Annascaul for the night.

The area has planned a celebratory march/walk/parade through the village on the coming 31st of December to celebrate the new year and are inviting as many people as possible to come down and attend.

The area is one that boasts a great number of pubs from where you can easily get into the celebratory mood, and an even better bunch of locals in which to celebrate with.

Close to midnight, all those gathered will follow the bell ringer and pipers on a walk up and down the village where they will give an enormous Annascaul welcome to 2016 and the new opportunities that it will bring.

Anyone wishing to take part is asked to assemble at the old bridge in the village at 11.45pm and to bring their country, county, parish or club flag along with them in a show of colour, welcome and unity.

It’d certainly be a very different way to ring in the new year, let’s just hope the weather holds up aswell.

25Nov2015

LOCAL: Tralee Named Ireland’s Top Tourism Town

Posted in Kerry News, Tralee by Fergus Writes Things

Tralee received one of the highest accolades at the Fáilte Ireland awards today.

IT’S A great day for the parish.

IN NEWS that is sure to delight residents of the town, Tralee has today been named as the best large tourism town in Ireland at the Fáilte Ireland Tourism Towns awards.

Through the help of local volunteer groups and work done by the various tourism organisations and businesses in the area, the town managed to beat off stiff competition in Cobh, Kilkenny and neighbours Killarney to claim the prestigious accolade.

Judges for the award were quick to make note in their comments of the beautiful and wonderfully colourful town centre and the the well maintained traditional shop fronts.

They were equally impressed with the wide array of parks and attractions on offer for tourists such as the Aqua Dome, Tennis courts, Museum’s, Siamsa Tire, the Kerry Camino, accommodation, cafes, pubs, and eateries, extensive shopping that are all a stones’ throw from each other.

On the back of the prestige garnered by winning, the town will now receive a certificate and a grant of €5,000 towards further development in the tourism sector.

“In Kerry, tourism is everybody’s business and in Tralee almost 1,000 people are now directly employed in tourism related enterprises,” said Kieran Ruttledge of Tralee Chamber Alliance and Tralee Tidy Towns, when accepting the award on the town’s behalf.

Check out the promotional video for Tralee below…

23Nov2015

TRALEE NEWS: Dynamos To Host Charity Game In Honour Of Joe

Posted in Charity, Kerry News, Local News, Tralee by Fergus Writes Things

Joe Flynn pictured with Ray D’Arcy and Joe’s two daughters Joanne and Bernie. Photo Credit: RTÉ

TRALEE Dynamos are getting set to host a very special match this coming Sunday November 29th in honour of their former player Joe Flynn, who is suffering from terminal oesophageal cancer and who has been given just a few months to live.

Joe is a well known and much loved character around the town whose profound strength and courage in the face of his illness have garnered him nationwide support (see article here).

His former club therefore have taken it upon themselves to host their very special ‘Kick it For Joe’ legends game at their pitch at noon on Sunday.

They are inviting players of all ages to come out and play in the game, with no limits on the number of players on each side and with the use of rolling substitutions, fitness should not be a concern for those who are worried.

Donations will be taken at the game with all money collected going straight towards the Kerry Cork Health Link Bus which is a free service that takes those that are suffering from cancer and who might not have any other way of getting to their treatment, up to Cork University Hospital (CUH) and back again.

Anyone wishing to help out on the day can contact Noel White on 083 1165199.