Latest Kerry News

There are to be seven more redundancies at Denny's in Tralee. Its parent company Kerry Group says they're part of the restructuring plan announced last November to discontinue its bacon operation, due to a decline in the traditional bacon sector, and to concentrate on its curing operation. These latest redundancies will bring the number of people employed at Denny's to twenty-seven.
Fifty staff were laid off at the end of January, however a redundancy package wasn't agreed on by the time they finished at the plant, so it was brought to the Labour Court in March. This same package will apply to the latest seven redundancies. Staff have up until May 23rd to decide if they're to go voluntarily. If the required numbers don't agree to it, they'll become compulsory, with a last in, first out policy in place. Forty people were made redundant at the company last year, twenty in February, and twenty in June.

Tralee Chamber says it's not worried about the opening of Marks and Spencer in Killarney this week, and the fact that Bus Eireann has a current advertising campaign promoting its routes to Killarney for shopping. President of Tralee Chamber of Commerce James Clifford says there'll be a novelty factor when the Marks and Spencer store opens, but he believes Tralee businesses are resilient and this won't affect them. Bus Eireann is also rejecting claims that its campaign will take business away from Tralee; it's launching a similar one next week encouraging people from Killarney and other areas around the county to shop in Tralee. The opening of Marks and Spencer in Killarney comes more than a year after it was first refused permission by Tralee Town Council to open at Manor West Retail Park. James Clifford says this advertising campaign will work as well for Tralee as it will for Killarney.

A suspected drink driver who killed a Caherciveen couple when they were struck by his car has blamed the couple's 'lack of caution' and road conditions for their deaths. John and Mary O'Connell were killed instantly when they were hit by a Peugeot 206 at an accident black spot on the Costa Blanca on Monday night. The 35-year -old has been remanded in custody and could face manslaughter charges, he was arrested at the scene after allegedly failing a breath test. He is said to be considering suing the local authorities because of the poor condition of the road where the tragedy occured. In a statement to an investigating judge at a closed hearing on Tuesday, the driver said the area was badly lit and badly signposted.

Members of the Polish community in Ireland are being encouraged to monitor the recruitment process for the new Austin Stack Park Development in Tralee. The decision to grant planning permission for the 250-million euro project has made front page headlines in the Polski newspaper. Hundreds of jobs could be created when the development gets underway. It comes at a time when builders from Ireland and abroad are being laid-off due to the downturn in the construction sector.

The Jeanie Johnston replica famine ship is to feature in Canadian TV documentary on the famine. The focus will be the famine refugees who went to Toronto and is coinciding with an archaeological dig in old immigrant sites in the city. Entitled, 'Summer of Sorrow' the two-part programme is a joint production betwen History Television Canada and RTE - with support from Telefilm Canada and the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland. It is based on the summer of 1847 when Toronto - with a population of 20,000 - received 38,000 famine refugees from Ireland. Some of the filming will take place in Cork.

There has been a call for more parking facilities in Kenmare, before the tourist season gets into full swing. Mayor of Kerry, Michael Healy Rae has raised the issue. He wants Kerry County Council to reopen the car park in front of the old boy's national school.

Last year saw record sales for the Killorglin based Prize Bonds Company, a joint venture between FEXCO and An Post. Sales of prize bonds amounted to 143.2 million euro; repayments to existing holders totalled 102.9 million, resulting in net sales of 40.9 million. A new sales structure of buying prize bonds on the internet boosted the company's sales in the last three months of the year.

The company paid out 15.9 million of tax free prizes, that's a rise of 15% on the previous year.The value of prize bonds also rose 7% to 631.1 million; prize bonds now cost 6.25 each, there's a minimum purchase of four, and all are entered into a weekly cash draw.