Latest Kerry News

There were eight reported cases of MRSA at Kerry General Hospital in 2009.
This represents almost a 40 per cent drop on the previous year when there were 13 recorded cases.
The provisional figures, for the whole of 2009, come from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre.
It says while the number of cases of the bloodstream infection are falling in Ireland, it is still relatively high compared to some other European countries.

Tralee taxi drivers have this afternoon staged a drive-slow through the town in solidarity with hunger striking colleagues in Dublin.
Two drivers are staging a sit-in at the Taxi Regulator's Office in central Dublin, and over a hundred are protesting outside the office.
Drivers across the country are also stepping up action and are withdrawing services, including at Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports; O'Connell Street in Dublin is also closed.

Services were not affected in Killarney, the town's taxi association is to meet in the coming days to decide their plan of action.
However the Tralee Taxi Association had a drive-slow from the Mile Height in through Tralee town this afternoon.
Tom Bermingham of Tralee Taxi Association says they don't have enough say in the industry, which is being crippled by new measures introduced by the Regulator.

A priest has called on the HSE to state its policy on religious statues. It follows the removal of statues and religious artefacts from two Killarney hospitals. The HSE says a religious statue on the façade of Killarney Community Hospital was removed on health and safety grounds and will be relocated.

The Executive says its policy to accommodate and show respect for all religious beliefs. In a statement earlier, Bishop of Kerry Bill Murphy said he was saddened by the removals and asked if cribs may be banned or if patients will be deprived of Mass. Killarney curate, Fr Kevin McNamara, says the Bishop's statement is not an overreaction:

Six fire units were deployed to battle a gorse fire in the Glenbeigh and Rossbeigh areas yesterday evening. It's believed up to 70 acres were burned in the fire which started shortly after 5 o clock. Gardai in Caherciveen are investigating the gorse fire which occurred outside of the legal gorse burning season which ended on March 1st and remains until the end of August. Fire units from Tralee, Killarney, Caherciveen and Killorglin battled the blaze until after 2 o clock this morning. Cllr Michael Cahill was at the scene, he said a number of properties were in grave danger.

A Killarney taxi driver is among over a hundred who are protesting outside the Taxi Regulator's Office in Dublin. Brian McCarthy is Secretary of the Killarney Taxi Association and Vice President of the Irish Taxi Council. He was among a number of his profession who gathered for a meeting yesterday with the Taxi Regulator, which they were unhappy about it.

Two drivers are staging a sit in at the Taxi Regulator's Office in central Dublin, and over a hundred are protesting outside. Drivers across the country are stepping up the action and are withdrawing services. Taxi drivers in Tralee are staging a one hour stoppage from half three to half four - they'll gather at the Mile Height outside the town. It's not clear yet if Killarney taxi drivers are planning a similar protest. Brian McCarthy says taxi drivers feel they don't have enough say in the industry.

The Chairman of Shannon Development hopes the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism will remain in its current form. Some concerns have been raised regarding the Government department, following the announcement that Minister Martin Cullen is to retire due to a chronic back condition. The McCarthy report also suggested that the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism should be subsumed into other departments. Cllr John Brassil said Minister Cullen spoke out against this.

Gardai have renewed their appeal for help in tracing the whereabouts of a missing Kerry man. Seamus Flahive, a 26 year old teacher from Annascaul, was last seen in Gorey, County Wexford on March 2nd. Mr Flahive is described as being 6 foot 1 in height, of medium build, with brown hair and eyes and with a slight beard. When last seen he was wearing dark blue jeans, a white zip up top and white runners. Members of the civil defence and coastguard searched the River Barrow in New Ross over the weekend and it is continues today.

A bid to reach the North Pole by Beaufort-based adventurer Pat Falvey has been abandoned. The three person team, which also included Dr Clare O'Leary and John Dowd from Waterville, had to be called off due to extreme weather conditions of -40 degrees. Mr Dowd had also developed frost bite in two fingers. The team are being evacuated by emergency flight to Canda. The 784 kilometre trek was due to take 60 days to complete.

The HSE is holding swine flu clinics in Kerry over the coming weeks. They'll be held in St Columbanus Home, Killarney tomorrow, and on March 24th and 31st between 10am to 4pm. The HSE is continuing to offer the free swine flu vaccine up until March 31st. They say it's important people are vaccinated because it's likely that swine flu will circulate again in the coming autumn and winter. To make an appointment for the free swine flu vaccine, call 021 492 16 14.

Bishop Bill Murphy is asking the HSE if it intends banning Christmas cribs and Mass from hospitals following the removal of statues and religious artefacts from two hospitals in Killarney.
The Bishop of Kerry says he believes this is a retrograde step and one that will not benefit patients or staff.
Bishop Murphy says he was saddened to learn that the HSE decided to remove statues and other Catholic symbols from St Columbanus’ Home and the statue of the Sacred Heart over the entrance to the District Hospital.
He says the patients in both hospitals are elderly and such symbols of their faith are a source of comfort and consolation to them.
In a statement, Bishop Murphy goes on to ask the HSE if Christmas cribs will be banned in hospitals and if patients will be deprived of the celebration of Mass.
The HSE says it is its intention to find a more suitable location on the site of the community hospital for the Sacred Heart to ensure that the health and safety risk will no longer be of concern.
The HSE's says its policy is to accommodate and show respect for all religious beliefs of their patients and staff in as far as possible, and this will continue to be reflected in the environment of their facilities across the county.

An ambitious project by a sports club has been shot down by Kerry County Council.
The council has refused Killarney Rugby Club planning permission to establish a new base in Kilcummin.
Killarney Rugby Club's plans for the site at Inchycullane, Kilcummin included building a sports hall as well as developing three pitches - one of which was to be all weather - as well as flood lighting and parking.
However, the local authority refused permission because of concerns over percolation, the development's nearness to an area of archaeological interest and issues over sight lines.
Sightlines relate to road safety - they are the lines of vision available from a proposed or existing entrance onto a public road
Chairman of Killarney Rugby Club, Liam McGuire says they are looking at several options, including the possibility of appealing to An Bord Pleanála.
Since 1993, the club has been leasing land from the HSE and by agreement with the health authority; it must leave the grounds in Ballydribeen by August.