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Irish Independent
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
From the Kerry archives, June 2, 2000: Healy-Rae defiant, Tralee musician's success & Aqua Golf opens
Healy-Rae defiant in his stance on refugees Independent Deputy Jackie Healy-Rae remained defiant this week on his public utterances on asylum seekers. His assertion follows a weekend homily by Bishop Bill Murphy warning public figures and leaders generally that they had a 'profound responsibility' in this regard. Asked if he had heard the Bishop's homily, Deputy Healy-Rae, who 'has been strongly criticised over comments that there would be 'civil rumpus' because of the asylum seeker issue, said he had been too busy. "Attitudes of discrimination toward another person because of their race, ethnic background, colour or medical condition are inherently unchristian and to be trenchantly condemned," Bishop Murphy said. "There should be no public comments or statements in this sensitive and difficult debate that in any way contribute to such racist beliefs and prejudices." When the above paragraph was read to him over the telephone in his Dáil office and he was asked if he would be following it, Deputy Healy-Rae denied there was anything racist in his case and said: "I'm not contributing to any racist beliefs. I wasn't sent up here to keep my mouth shut. I'm not a dummy. Regardless of what any person will say to me that's what I'm going to do. The Kilgarvan deputy said he was not going to welcome people jumping off the backs of lorries in Rosslare or driving 'broken down useless cars' without tax or insurance. In the light of his outspoken views on the issue of asylum seekers, it was revealed last week through a Freedom of Information Request made by Radio Kerry that Deputy Healy-Rae had made representations in March on behalf of a Killarney woman who had applied for 'the Asylum Seekers Project'. "I would be very grateful if you could arrange the inspection at your very earliest convenience," he wrote, adding. "She is anxious to be offered a contract for two to three years." Asked if there was a conflict between his public statements and this approach, Deputy Healy-Rae said if the same thing happened tomorrow he would do the same thing. He said he had been approached by someone who said he was buying a big house and getting a mortgage and needed some guarantee of income. He said the person was considering taking in four or five asylum seekers in the house with the family over a three-year period. Asked how he would have responded if the person wanted to accommodate 40 asylum seekers, he said he couldn't condone that under any circumstances because since then, Killarney was accommodating more asylum seekers than it 'wants or requires'. "There's absolutely nothing racist in my case," he said. "My position is as follows. I'm totally disgusted with the way they are coming in illegally." He said between 80 per cent and 85 per cent of asylum seekers were illegal. Asked how he knew that, he replied "Amn't I giving you that figure?" He also said it was printed in his head. Pressed further as to where he got the figure, he said, "I'm not going to tell you that." Asked if it was his view or a proven fact, he said: "It's the information I have received.' Tralee man makes it big in Germany Tralee man Raymond Garvey looks set to take the world of pop music by storm, — he has just signed a lucrative record deal with Virgin Music, and this week saw his group's latest single 'Supergirl' enter the German charts at number six. Talented Raymond, who is the son of Supt Fred Garvey and his wife Anne of The Kerries, Tralee, is the front man with a rock group called 'Reamonn', which includes four other musicians, all of whom are German. The band has been going from strength to strength since signing the deal with Virgin—their first single has already shifted over 150,000 copies. Raymond's sister Colette Garvey O'Doherty said the band's German management company was totally astounded by the sales figures and by the band's meteoric rise in this week's German singles charts. Raymond Garvey started his musical career at the age of ten with the purchase of his first guitar. After finishing school, he enrolled in the Dublin Institute of Technology where he studied Marketing by day and toured the Dublin music circuit by night. But it was in Germany that his career really took off. He met up with the four other band members; christened the band after the Irish version of his first name, signed the record deal and hasn't looked back since. Since the release of the single Supergirl, Raymond and the band are following a hectic schedule, playing up to four gigs a day and doing radio and television appearances. He hopes to return to Tralee during the forthcoming Rose of Tralee festival to play a gig on August 22. "I'm looking forward to playing on home ground and to coming home and spending some time with my family. It will be the first time the other members of the band will have been in Ireland and they are really looking forward to it," he said. Aqua Dome unveils £840k golf facility The Aqua Dome in Tralee unveiled its latest crowd puller at a special reception on Tuesday night — an 18 hole miniature golf course known as Aqua Golf. The course has taken the castle theme from inside the dome and recreated it outside, with castle towers, drawbridges, moats and battlements dominating the scenery. In between these are enough roughs and bunkers to keep any serious golfer entertained, while a huge 40 foot fountain and cave have been added to make things even more interesting Also included are remote control boats and trucks which can prove to be frustratingly tricky to handle. The boats are located in a pond, which also contains a light house and a water volcano which have targets positioned on them. Anyone who hits the target sets off all manner of special effects that celebrate their score. For the official opening, the Aqua Dome closed their doors from 5pm and invited 300 guests to celebrate the new venture with a food and drinks reception. Chairman of the Aqua Dome, Denis Reen acted as MC for the night, while chairperson of Tralee UDO, Norma Foley performed the official opening. Norma Foley told the crowd that the toughest thing about being a success was staying a success and for this reason she was delighted to see the Aqua Dome adding new features to their facility. The new facilities were built at a cost of £840,000 by Denis Moriarty construction and designed by Liam Waldron of O'Sullivan Campbell Architects. The entire facility took seven months to build and was completed with the scheduled time. Kieran Ruttledge (Aqua Dome) said that although the course was designed for fun, it was in no way a walkover for experienced golfers. "We are very different from other courses in that we have included roughs and bunkers and our holes vary in difficulty from par two to par three and even par four," he said. "It is great to see parents showing their children how to play and then watching the child proceed to beat them. It also offers a few chances for golfers to get that elusive hole in one!" Mr Ruttledge told the crowd that the staff at the Aqua Dome were delighted at the reaction from their initial customers and were now looking forward to an excellent summer period.
Irish Independent
29-05-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Declan Lynch on radio: The Kerryman who massacred a tribe
Much of human progress is achieved by people being better than they need to be. There's Jerry O'Sullivan of Radio Kerry, presenter of the station's main current affairs show Kerry Today, a demanding job that he does very well – all the more demanding given the number and frequency of the Healy-Raes encountered by him, as a matter of routine.
Irish Independent
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
See photos as Kerry's Tarbert Comprehensive held their annual awards night
Former student and All Ireland Winning Gaelic Football Captain Niamh Carmody together with Andrew Morrissey of Radio Kerry, were the special guests in attendance on a night which began with Ms Leila Moloney, Deputy Principal welcoming everyone to Tarbert Comprehensive, especially the Leaving Certificate students of 2025 and the special guests for the evening. There were over 30 categories on the night with students recognised for their achievements including sport, cultural activities, academic achievements and musical talent with the highlight of the night being the announcement of sportspersons and students of the year in addition to the presentation of medals to each member of the 1st Year Regional South West Girls Basketball winning team, the U17 Joe O' Connor Gaelic Football winning team as well as U19 Moynihan Cup Gaelic Football winning team In addition to this, Mr Barry O'Sullivan from Kirby Engineering was also in attendance to present two new awards, sponsored by Kirby Engineering, for both a junior and a senior cycle student who have excelled in STEM subjects with a particular emphasis on engineering. Former student Niamh Carmody told all present of how delighted she was to be back in her alma mater and how it was definitely a place that helped shape her into the person she is today. She encouraged students to find something that they are passionate about and reiterated what Andrew Morrissey had said about the importance of hard work. She also reminded students to support each other and how she would not have won an All-Ireland title had the Kerry Ladies Gaelic Football team not stuck together and supported each other after their two All-Ireland final losses. She, like Andrew also wished the Leaving Certificate students the very best of luck in their exams. Ms Leila Moloney (Deputy Principal) thanked the very important sponsors whose support and contribution is vital. Thanks was also extended to the many staff who facilitate extracurricular activities in the school and for the opportunities given to students to grow, lead & shine. Tarbert Comprehensive Richard Prendiville spoke about how proud he is of Tarbert Comprehensive and equally how proud he is of the school's students before announcing the Female and Male Students of the Year, Mikala Mulvihill and Stephen Kearney.
Extra.ie
03-05-2025
- Extra.ie
Missing farmer Michael Gaine investigation intensifying as Gardai trawl phone records
Investigations are intensifying in the case of missing Kerry farmer Michael Gaine as Gardai have now shifted focus to trawling through phone records in a bid to solve the mystery which has gripped the small town of Kenmare. As tourists began to swarm the picturesque town for the May Bank Holiday, locals were still in shock about the ongoing mystery of a well-known member of their tight-knit community. With Gardai now focusing their primary efforts on solving the case on communications devices, including laptops and phones, Mr Gaine's farm was eerily quiet. A view of Mike Gaine's farm near Kenmare in Co Kerry. Pic: Niamh Walsh Gardaí have officially upgraded Mr Gaine's disappearance to homicide after two months of searches resulted in no leads. In an interview on Radio Kerry, gardai gave an update on the ongoing disappearance. Items, such as laptops and mobile phones, and designated areas are now subject to forensic examination. Michael Gaine Pic: An Garda Síochána Missing Persons Up until this week, the disappearance had been treated as a missing persons case, but the Gardai escalated it on Tuesday by upgrading it to a homicide investigation. This now gives Gardai extra powers in terms of what they can do and the records they can access. During the past six weeks, Gardai, with assistance from the army and helicopters and drones, searched the 1000 acres of Carrig East which is on the road between Kenmare and Molls Gap and runs all the way down to the famous lakes of Killarney. A view of Mike Gaine's farm near Kenmare in Co Kerry. Pic: Niamh Walsh All of the land has been searched over the last number of weeks, and a huge amount of resources expended, but yielded no results. The army had been involved, as had the sub-Aqua team, search and rescue dogs, and drone mapping of the area. The investigation team has also trawled through a huge amount of CCTV, hours of footage, and dash cam footage, and they've taken statements.
Irish Examiner
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Clare's Peter Keane may never have a better chance for revenge over Kerry
Sunday is personal for Peter Keane. How could it be anything but? When in 1997 another South Kerry man faced his own for the first time since his departure as manager, it ran deep. It didn't matter that Mick O'Dwyer had finished up with Kerry eight years previous; he wanted to make a point that in those last couple of seasons of a most stunning career he felt unloved. It's four years since Keane failed to receive a second term and his feelings about his excommunication remain undoubtedly raw. In a Radio Kerry interview after the county's All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Armagh last year, he was asked for his opinion on the result. 'Look, you take this team. I'm gone three years ago. It's still the team I built from the time I went in, in late '18.' He also mentioned: 'Look, having been there and not that long departed, I have been very conscious over the last three years not to be commenting. That wouldn't say I wouldn't have an opinion on it but I just have been conscious not to do commentary on it. Equally, when I took over, (Keane's predecessor) Éamonn Fitzmaurice hadn't been commenting either and that's probably a very good thing.' That comment could be construed as a thinly-veiled reference to Jack O'Connor's remarks on the Irish Examiner football podcast the day after Keane's side lost an All-Ireland semi-final to Tyrone. Critical if constructively of Kerry's season, O'Connor, it was felt, was also putting himself in the shop window despite being in charge of Kildare at the time. 2021: Then Kerry manager Peter Keane before the All-Ireland SFC semi-final match between Kerry and Tyrone. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile Asked by Paul Rouse if he would like to return to the position, he responded: 'Of course, there is an allure there. Who doesn't want to coach Man United? There is that allure because of the tradition.' If you are to believe the Keane camp, that declaration put in train what was to unfold. Stephen Stack had also put together an impressive management ticket but the fact after three seasons, Keane had to reapply for the role was considered a form of constructive dismissal. On September 6, a week after his podcast appearance, O'Connor stepped down as Kildare manager citing the eight-hour return journey from St Finian's Bay to Newbridge and Hawkfield. By September 24, he was being recommended for a third spin in Kerry. He was ratified in a tense online county board meeting on October 4 at which Keane had strong support from a number of delegates. Three days before that, Keane had released a statement claiming the players were on his side and they relayed that message to the selection committee. 'It's most disappointing that their wishes do not appear to have been considered in the decision-making process.' The extent of the squad's backing for Keane has been disputed by officials – for instance, there was no public endorsement for him as there had been for Páidí Ó Sé when he was let go in 2003 to later be replaced by O'Connor. Irrespective of experiencing two 'very unusual GAA seasons' because of the pandemic, the fact is no Kerry manager has survived three seasons without retaining the Sam Maguire Cup. Not Mickey Ned O'Sullivan. Not Denis 'Ogie' Moran. Yet there is no doubt Keane was unfortunate. The Covid outbreak in the Tyrone camp, which put their All-Ireland semi-final back twice, greatly hampered his and his team's preparations. Had the result gone the other way against Cork earlier this month, he could be forgiven for wondering what the fall-out for O'Connor might have been for fielding Graham O'Sullivan as a wing-forward after he was skewered for doing the same with Brian Ó Beaglaoich in 2020 when Mark Keane ended Kerry's season. As county chairman, Tim Murphy didn't enjoy an All-Ireland senior success but overseeing the end of Keane's term and the decision to hand O'Connor the keys to the kingdom once more ultimately proved fruitful. Presenting the cup in Killarney on Sunday, Murphy's involvement most certainly adds to the pot Keane is brewing with Clare. Had this game been in Ennis, his revenge mission would be more certain of itself yet Kerry have rarely been as depleted going into a Munster final. Was the chance to meet them again part of the reason why he has returned to inter-county management? Clare sources say it was he who signalled his availability to the county board. A deal was almost done with Tipperary two years ago. If he's not so much front of house in his SuperValu store in Killorglin, it's understandable. Kerry remains home and his time in charge of his own is still very much his reference point. After Clare beat Offaly in their final Division 3 game last month to complete a 100% record at home, he said: 'The focus here today was try and win your home games… when I was in Kerry for the three years, I think we lost one home game.' As if Keane needed to be corrected. In 12 fixtures between Killarney and Tralee (nine Division 1 games and three in championship), Mayo in Austin Stack Park in March 2019 was the only blot in his homework. In 1997, O'Dwyer had to lose one to Kerry before he made his point to his own the following year that he was still relevant. Keane will aim to strike now. He may never have a better chance.
