Kerry Airport board dismisses call to rename transport hub after Daniel O'Connell
The board of Kerry Airport has rejected a call by Kerry County Council to rename the county's international gateway as 'The Daniel O'Connell Airport' to coincide with the 250th birthday of the Liberator.
However, Kerry's widest street could be in line for a name change. The call was made by Killarney councillor John O'Donoghue to mark O'Connell's birthday on August 6.
The airport, which is strongly associated with the global company and brand name Kerry, has resisted previous attempts to have the airport called after other key Kerry men including Tom Crean. A board member said the request was considered 'very seriously', but it was decided not to rename the airport.
Mr O'Donoghue said he has been contacted by a lot of people about the need to honour O'Connell and 'the suggestion that has repeatedly come up is the possibility of calling Kerry Airport after him'.
He said the Kerry brand is very important in itself and naming the airport after O'Connell would not be damaging to the brand or the county's global identity among tourists. Other airports were still widely referred to by their place names, despite being named after local people.
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'The airport would still, most likely, be called Kerry Airport in much the same way that Liverpool Airport is rarely called John Lennon Airport. People also say they are flying into Belfast Airport as opposed to George Best Airport,' he said.
Street name
Meanwhile in an update to Mr O'Donoghue, the council has said only Caherciveen so far is marking the famous Kerry man's anniversary. The largest street in Ireland is called after O'Connell, and there is an O'Connell Street in Limerick and Ennis but no street in Kerry bears his name, meetings have heard.
A heritage group in Castleisland is now considering renaming the widest street in Kerry - the main Street in Castleisland - after Daniel O'Connell, it has emerged. They are liaising with Mr O'Donoghue on the issue. A whole process would have to be initiated to effect the name change.
Born at Carhan, outside Caherciveen in 1775, O'Connell is regarded as one of of the greatest Europeans of all time, supporting catholic emancipation as well as the abolition of slavery. A lawyer by profession he practiced in the southern circuit and the main courthouse in Tralee contains his portrait.
Amid concern his anniversary in August will not be properly marked, John O'Donoghue has pursued separate three motions calling for proper recognition. In the most recent motion, the council said it was liaising with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media whose headquarters are based in Killarney - on marking his anniversary.
'Plans around the celebration of the 250th Anniversary of Daniel O'Connell's birth is well under way in Caherciveen,' the council said. The programme of events will include a special exhibition and funding for the annual Daniel O'Connell Summer School.
This article was funded by the Local Democracy Scheme
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