What happened in Kerry this week
The Kerry Person of the Year for 2024 is Tralee native and founder of Tír na nÓg Children's Foundation, Louise Quill.
Tralee woman Miriam Moriarty Owens is not only a survivor she’s an inspiration for many – and now she’s being recognised for the work she has done to help others.
The Rumble in Listowel for baby Axel Horgan in the newly restored Listowel Community Centre this Saturday night is completely sold out – but you can still catch all the action live from Fulltime Productions Pay Per View.
As if playing rugby for your province isn’t a challenging enough task, Tarbert’s Muirne Wall, who has just been named as Munster Rugby Senior Women’s supporters’ player of the year, is balancing the demands of being a nurse in University Hospital Kerry with travelling up and down to Limerick to train and play for UL Bohs and Munster.
It almost resulted in missing his flight back to France, but Killarney mountain runner Sean Clifford couldn’t be prouder of his world record time of scaling all 275 of Ireland’s mountains over 600 metres in height in just over three weeks – the equivalent of summiting Everest from base camp 20 times.
Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.
Now Brendan's got all his ducks in a row!
A SHEEPDOG who ‘ducked’ his way out of farm work in Killorglin has mastered the art of assembling his wildfowl friends – and on Saturday became the star of the show as 80 spectators watched him and his master Brendan Ferris in action.
Sheep farmer Brendan invited upwards of 80 people down to his idyllic farm in Gortnascarrig for a relaxing evening of song and storytelling by the fireside, helping to raise up to €4,000 for Kerry Mountain Rescue in the process.
And after everyone had settled for the food and drink provided by friends John Fleming and Mike McDonnell, Brendan decided to put on a real show for his guests, putting his Border Collie named Sweep to work doing what he loves best.
Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.
Dippers grin and bare it for charities
As the sun rose last Saturday morning, 175 brave women let their guard down to take part in this year’s Dip in the Nip - to celebrate and share in a special event that is so much more than fundraising.
Organised by Wild Water Adventures, Michaela Edwards welcomed the women to the secret beach location where only females were allowed for the event.
Over the past number of years, the event raises funds for Recovery Haven and Kerry Cancer Support Group, and many of the women who took part have either used those services themselves or have had a family member who has.
Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.
Killorglin rowers ready for World Championships
Genoa is calling –a whopping seven athletes from Killorglin Rowing Club are gearing up for their final adventure of the rowing season as they head to sunny North Italy this weekend to compete in the prestigious World Coastal Rowing Championships.
A total of four crews will be taking to the water this Friday to represent the Mid Kerry club and their county.
Competing in the men’s double scull will be Kieran McHughand Joe Horan, while Tokyo Olympian Monika Dukarska will be looking to defend her title in the women’s solo race.
Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.
A new life in Killarney for Anna and her kids
Ukrainian woman Anna Nikulcha fled from the ruins of an Odessa hospital with her two small children after Russia’s first bombarding of the city just over two years ago –but coming to Kerry has given her a new life and a fresh new start with her dressmaking and alterations business in Killarney.
Anna describes her adopted home as beautiful and filled with the kindest people. She’s now happy and settled –but the scars from the war, and the people she left behind are never far from her mind.
The city Anna called home, Odessa, has been a frequent Russian target since the conflict began in February 2022. She said she remembers so vividly the day that she and her children were sheltering in the basement of the hospital, there because her little boy had appendicitis. She described the terror they felt as the building above rumbled from the strikes from Russian warships and cruise missiles.
Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.
Monica made up to represent Ireland
The biggest achievement of her life is how one Tralee-based beauty expert described representing Ireland in the Permanent Make Up World Championships in Indonesia last month.
Monica Banach, who uses her beauty skills with permanent make-up to help cancer patients and people who have alopecia, was selected to represent Ireland at the event, which was held in Indonesia at the end of last month.
It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for the Polish native, who moved to Ireland over 20 years ago before settling in Kerry and today she welcomes clients to her new salon, based off High Street in Tralee.
Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.
Liam helps rescue Oscar tipped movie
A NEW film about the 1972 Munich massacre at the Olympic Games - tipped to be nominated for an Oscar next year - would never have been made without a Kerry man who supplied all the equipment to recreate the historic TV studio where most of the action takes place.
‘September 5’, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival last week, tells the story of an American sports crew broadcasting the 1972 Olympics that finds themselves covering a terrorist attack in which eleven members of Israel's squad were killed. Director Tim Fehlbaum had all but given up on the movie - because he couldn't source the equipment that would have been used by broadcaster ABC to broadcast the games fromMunich.
But Liam Ó hAinnín from Beale, who’s been collecting TV and radio equipment since he was a child, came to the rescue - not only did he have the equipment the filmmakers needed, he even had a plan of the original ABC studio for the Munich Olympics.
Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.
