Issue 69. Bray Heed to the Council

Towers, Bedrooms, Horses, Wax

August 22, 2025

Good Morning and Welcome,

To issue No.69. It’s a packed one. So I won’t keep you

South Kerry by the numbers

  • 20,000: € Is the cheapest bedroom in South Kerry. I think they might be talking about bedrooms in the future. I couldn’t tell you where the three bathrooms are either, can you spot them?

  • 40,000: € will get you a bedroom here, and you can be much more confident that it exists.

  • 241,666.66: € will get you a bedroom here will we all chip in?

First, a word from this week’s sponsor

Friends of Waterville Cable Station are celebrating 25 years with 2 special free events for Heritage Week on Sat 23rd August!

Learn about the fascinating rags to riches story of the Irish-born man who took on the monopoly on transatlantic communication and brought the transatlantic cables to Waterville! Book Here

The second event is now fully booked.

A couple of points to note:

  1. 25 years. Literally keeping the history of the village alive. Incredible work that we should all be thankful for, so on behalf of us all, thanks very much!

  2. John W. Mackay was some man for one man, with a captivating story, matched only by his wife, Marie Louise Hungerford.

Have you seen this?

Huge thanks go to @_patsy_lynch, who you should all be following on Instagram, for the above footage of the ongoing redevelopment of the Bray Head Tower on Valentia. Regular readers will have noticed, this publication gets an awful lot of its content from the inaction of the Council & other state bodies, so for balance alone, let’s celebrate their actions too. The tower is set to be up and running by the start of next season, & by the looks of things, that will be some Ha-Ha.

In other good noises coming from the Council news, our newest Councillor Tommy Cahill, this week has suggested that the council look to purchase the beachfront site at Kells Bay . He’s concerned that “private developments on the site could threaten public access” & quite honestly, isn’t it refreshing to hear a councillor talk of something other than fixing the roads?

Best Broadband in South Kerry?

Here’s an interactive version of the broadband map so far. That map still needs updating. We now have 80 odd responses. Given the broadband rollout is actually available to many of us, we have a new question, is your broadband fixed or wireless? so go and fill it out again if you have already. Once we get to a hundred I’m going to combine this with costs, so we should be able to give a data-driven answer to this question(exciting eh!). Some highlights so far:

  • Starlink is the provider offering the best speeds on average.

  • Ivertec is the most popular provider, but its average speed currently sits outside the top 3

  • Eir has the fastest recorded speed at 423Mbps.

The more we have, the better it will be. Go here, click go, record the number below

It’s The Signs of South Kerry 🎺🎺🎺

So, last weeks was obviously much more tricky than I thought. Only two of you gave it a go, so I thought I’d give you a clue…

Congratulations to last weeks winners

I would if there were any.

We will start a directory

Won’t it be good to have some excitement in the off season? If you want your business to be top of the list, click that button below

Auntie Agnes Answers

Like buses;

This week a reader wants more

Not really an emotional problem but I do have a question.
We have the lovely Zen Hen with its Japanese inspired name, we have the not-so-lovely Japanese knotweed but why oh why is there no Japanese restaurant down in South Kerry?
We all have to traipse up to Killarney or Tralee for a bit of a change to the usual. I enjoy the great quality of produce and cooking in South Kerry restaurants but I find I’m really craving that Asian umami.
Maybe my question is how do we attract a Japanese cook or chef here? Or maybe someone would give us cooking lessons?
TIA
A fan 

Agnes Answers

Dear Fan 

Thank you for your observation. It’s so true . We have many special and unique attractions and venues here in beautiful South Kerry, but no Japanese restaurant.

The feedback from existing restaurants this summer is business is down. I read Killarney restaurateurs have felt a significant decrease in business this year! So the chances of a Japanese restaurant surviving that economic environment are slim to none.

However, we could, as a community, invite a Japanese chef to do a season here. He/She could stay with some welcoming local, do a night a week in an agreeable establishment.

In return, they would experience our culture and improve their English possibly a bit of Gaelige too.

If you fancy this option, I’d be happy to support 

Other than this, we will need to still make the trips to experience Japanese cuisine.

But maybe that’s part of the charm … 

And another

Every week I enter Where’s this sign and every week I get it wrong! It’s getting embarrassing now, is it a sure sign that I’ve been away too long and need to come back to roost for a while?

Agnes Answers

Dear Reader 

Thank you for your woe. I must be honest, I felt greatly relieved when I read your words. I’ve also failed every week to identify the weekly sign. Unlike you, I’ve not left the area!

It has got me thinking about the speed at which I’m living, I question if I’m dashing around and not noticing the small details of places, people and things that I am regularly experiencing.

We could go down a rabbit hole of our attention spans being reduced by our over use of technology, how our brains process things we see daily etc.

However, if there was one important take away I have learnt and wish to share, it’s slow down, examine things, smell the flowers, see the signs …. 

Go gently friend 

What needs healing? Just

The Oracle’s 35th Cartoon

This week, Tim’s back fighting the good fight.

Isn’t it wonderful to witness a master at work. Thanks Tim, you’re a genius.

Everything Else

  • This weekend is The Last Hoorah at Cafe Cois Tra, more here

  • An exhibition of traditional Ukrainian Art starts tomorrow More here

  • Are you a landowner in the uplands of Iveragh? Are you interested in a native woodland scheme? I hope so, and these good people do too

  • Tonight Lisa Lambe takes to the stage in South Kerry’s newest venue, the magical Portmagee Domes, more here

  • If you’re missing the rowing already, there’s an exhibition on Seine Boats at the same venue on Sunday, more here

  • For even more boats, you can join Derrynane Inshore rescue tomorrow as they celebrate their 30 year anniversary walk, swim & BBQ more here

  • The main man Jarlath Burns is in Con Keating Park next week, more here 

  • There’s a church fundraiser in Foilmore Community Centre tonight here

  • Like wax with your wine? Then you’ll love this tonight

  • If you like your biodiversity surveyed (who doesn’t), then Sea Synergy has you covered tomorrow from 10am

  • And finally, as if you need reminding, it’s the Cahersiveen races on Sunday. First race 1.30pm sharp.

Just Announced

Featuring the World’s greatest Cartoonist

Thanks

Thanks for reading & anything strange or wonderful, just hit reply.

Good luck, be well

Dave