Issue 51. What Lies Beneath

Holes, Eggs, Cheese, Smells

April 18, 2025

Good Afternoon and Welcome,

To issue No.51: This week, there’s a fair bit, I won’t keep you

South Kerry by the numbers:

  • 187,844.16: € is the annual wage bill for our Kenmare municipal district councillors (not including expenses).

  • 15,654: € is what that equates to every month

  • 120.41: € per councillor p/day (not including expenses) is the cost of our local political representation.

First, a word from this week’s sponsor

Calling all South Kerry girls aged 8-14, complement your existing sports or find something new with Iveragh Eagles Give It A Try programme. The majority of girls who joined our first year won a Munster final last weekend! #eaglesabu #smallyetmighty. So sign up to learn some new skills without any boys annoying you

Best Beach in South Kerry?

Votes still flying in, Derrynane the clear leader & there are still more swimmers than doing anything elsers on our beaches. Suspicious. We have 12 beaches nominated for a load of different things, for the day thats in it? What’s the best beach to walk on in the rain?

What Lies Beneath?

What’s this? Well, in my uneducated opinion, it’s a hole in the road. In Quay Street, Cahersiveen, specifically. According to a trusted source of the Oracle, a local councillor described this, in much more official parlance, as a small sinkhole that will be fixed this week. I mean, sinkhole sounds a good bit more ominous, doesn’t it? Will we have a look inside?

Whilst that might not be the easiest watch, you’d have to agree that as holes in the road go, it’s fairly deep. I can’t be the only one here thinking that it would be an impressive display on the part of the council to have this fixed in a day, can I? You’d imagine it’s the kind of display our councillors would be shouting about wouldn’t you? Donning the High Vis to take credit for, well, you’d imagine wrong…

Here are five of our councillors, high vis’ donned, congratulating themselves over the Bray Head redevelopment work that has begun this week (post sinkhole arrival). Now, the more arithmetically minded of you might be thinking that’s €602.05 of councillors’ wages in that photo. Those with memories of a photographic persuasion might be thinking why are they congratulating themselves now, when the Oracle reported on the 7/3 work was due to start on it nearly 6 weeks ago?

I myself am just wondering about the hole. A cast iron opportunity for councillors, all in the area, to produce undeniable evidence that they ‘fixed the road’, yet none of them took it. What’s wrong with the hole? All it needs is some care and attention and cement apparently.

Just look at him there, the poor crater…

All terrible puns aside, do keep a look out when passing by Quay Street, as far as this publication is aware, the hole is still at large.

It’s The Signs of South Kerry 🎺🎺🎺

Another one for the purists this week, one from the archives, the very first one we ever had.

Congratulations to last week’s winners

  • Lisa O'Driscoll 

  • Maureen 

Well done both of you! It was of course, Cahersiveen’s shiny & new Rewild Yoga Studio.

We will start a directory

It’s coming, It is, honestly. If you want your business to be top of the list, click that button below

Auntie Agnes Answers

Heartfelt thanks to the reader who got in touch this week. Finally we again tap South Kerry’s greatest source of soul nourishment.

This week, a reader asks;

Dear Agnes

I have many dandelions in my garden. Indeed my garden is a carefully tended sea of dandelions. We are always told by the powers that be (ha ha) that they are good for bees (ha ha again). However, I have never ever seen one single bee land on a dandelion, not once. Is there something wrong with my carefully nourished and thriving dandelions or is there something more mysterious going on?

From an old has been

Agnes Answers:

Dear Old has been,

Thank you for your observation and question. I must agree that despite being encouraged to keep dandelions as a lifeline to the endangered bee, it’s true, I have never seen one hover around a dandelion either!! 

I would encourage you not to blame the quality of your dandelions, dear reader but maybe consider spreading some other wild flower seeds to create a more attractive garden for our bee friends. 

Although Dandelions don’t have amazing pollen qualities, they do produce some epic nectar and if other wildflowers surround them, producing epic pollen, the bees may be more likely to call round your place more often. 

Thank you for caring about the bees 🐝 

Keep it up!

Don’t you feel better after Agnes? Keep asking to keep her answering

The Oracle’s 27th Cartoon

Technical difficulties have interrupted this week. Tim will return, no doubt with gusto, next week.

Everything Else

  • Sea Synergy’s Easter Beach Clean is on at Ballinskelligs Pier & Boolakeel Beach tomorrow from 11am

  • If looking for post beach clean refuel, head to Cafe Cois Tra where the hunter & chef will be feeding you (& my love of puns) Brie, by the Sea. Excellent.

  • Tuesday sees a world premiere at Tech Amgergin Waterville, Ireland & it’s Aromatic Heritage is one not to miss, tickets here

  • Staigue Fort have a session tomorrow evening

  • Good luck to the brave souls in the Valentia Half Marathon tomorrow

  • There’s a trad session in the Bridge Bar, Portmagee from 9.30pm Sunday

  • There’s egg hunting to be had on Sunday, Derrynane for 12, Waterville 12.30, can you do both?

  • An Easter Market on Sunday, Waterville Community Centre, 11-4pm

Looking for a car??? Anyone? It’s just got cheaper still

Fiat 500. 2010. 1.2L Petrol. 89000km. NCT.   Good Condition. €3499 Ono. 

Contact 087 2255676 or drop over a message 

Thanks

Apologies to all the Easter walks I’d meant to mention but all have started before I’d finished.

If you have any ideas, events, suggestions, feedback, stories, characters, or dramas that you think should be in this email, just hit reply.

Thanks to Tony, who’s the brains behind your chance to name your price in supporting the Oracle, just add your amount in the other amount field here

Good luck, be well, Happy Easter.

Dave