- South Kerry Oracle Newsletter
- Posts
- Issue 79. In Layman's Terms, 18 Months!!
Issue 79. In Layman's Terms, 18 Months!!
AGNES, ALYSSA, TIM, FIRE
Good Morning and Welcome,
To issue No.79. Imagine there are some of you out there who’ve read this, every Friday, for a year and a half. Definitively, you’re very good. We’ve elected Councillors, T’D’s & even a President in that time, yet we still don’t know if the Greenway will ever open, if the project on Reenroe will go ahead, or even if Waterville prom will ever get its dog fouling bin. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose (don’t be afraid of looking that up, I did).
South Kerry by the numbers
1962: Was the year seismic activity recording began in Valentia Observatory, making it Ireland’s oldest seismic recording station.
10: Minutes was all it took for acoustic waves to be recorded from an earthquake in Guadeloupe on Monday.
6,300: Km is the distance between Valentia Observatory & Guadeloupe.
First, a word from this week’s sponsor
Alyssa’s Takes On AI
We are fortunate enough this week to be joined once again by our youth correspondent, Alyssa, 13, of Cahersiveen.
Issues with AI
So AI (artificial intelligence) can be really useful for many things. Such as helping with answering emails, correcting and writing assignments, homework etc. But it has a few downsides. One that many people don't realise is that it has a really bad effect on the environment. For example, it uses a significant amount of water to cool it down.
AI also uses a lot of energy, which leads to increased greenhouse gas emissions. It's also estimated that if AI continues to use this amount of energy, it could be responsible for 14% of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
AI is also particularly difficult to avoid, recently considering that even a quick Google search will give you an answer from Gemini ( Google's AI model). AI also often gets used to create images, and it's becoming more and more common to see advertisements, ‘art’ pieces and social media content generated by AI.
It can also help spread misinformation, and by how advanced it’s getting, it's becoming harder to tell a real image or video from one that's AI generated.
I personally don't go out of my way to use AI, but I do see it A LOT. I see it the most on social media. Mainly, I see people use it for creating images like memes, etc. But i also see it being used to create songs and art, which i honestly hate. It's really soulless and boring. I hate to see art that humans create and creative roles kind of replaced by a computer.
I understand that it's useful for students in the sense that it can explain problems and questions, and it can go into more detail than if you Google it. But I really dislike it being used just to straight up do work for them, when people don't use their brain at all. Like what happened to actually learning and thinking? Because it doesn’t make you think it’s accessible to everyone, everyone uses it, and it's easy. You don't have to be creative; you don't have to think about something, it's perfect.
I would say teachers and older adults use it a lot less than a student or just a younger person, but it really depends on the person. And when they do, I mainly see it being used just to ask simple questions, not much more, but again, it depends.
That’s all :)
Brilliant. Isn’t she? Thanks Alyssa. A real talent in our midst.
It’s The Signs of South Kerry 🎺🎺🎺
A bit different again this week, 4 signs, I’ll take any one of them (pointing left) as a right answer. Also, why was there a fire? (for double points)

Congratulations to last week’s winners
David fitz
Lyndsay Lawless
Eugene O'Sullivan
Orla Ryan
Patricia O'Connell
J O'Sullivan
No Name x 2
Well done once to each and every one of you! Is that the most winners we’ve ever had? I think it might be. It was of course, the new sign on top of da block. Well done to herself for making me get out of the car in the rain to take it. Well done to Gerard Nugent for this week’s piece of photojournalism. Well done.
Auntie Agnes’ Angle

Dear Readers
I am back after a much needed break.
This weekend is an important one in our cultural calendar, Oiche Samhain. The night when the veil between the living and the dead becomes translucent. The crossover into another world is more possible this evening!
It is always portrayed as terrifying and fatal.
But what if we were to change our perspective? If we saw it as an opportunity to shed the old, dead ways that no longer serve us? If we took the time to rest while releasing the old, making way for a renewal in the spring, like the rest of the natural world!
Indeed, this is how I am going to view it this year; it makes me feel steadier and more hopeful. It allows me to think that this dark, bare season has a lot to offer me.
So let’s truly celebrate this evening… dress up and get involved! Eat, dance and howl at the moon 🌙 … if you can see it
The Oracle’s 41st Cartoon
This week, Tim brings us…

Is there a better cartoonist in the known universe? Is there? Thanks, Tim!
Everything Else
Click above, or here to register.
Fright Night tonight in Franks Bar Cahersiveen.
Fancy Dress tonight, The Villa, Waterville with DJ Chris.
Sneem Storytelling festival kicks off next weekend, including on Saturday at 4pm The South Kerry Rosen Choir will bring iconic film music to life in St.Michael’s Church. Musical Director Brad Dicks.
Ever felt like supervising rural social schemes? Well, nows your chance
Alternatively, if you are thinking about apprenticeships, you’ll want to head to this next week
Niamh Regan & David Kitt bring their delightfulness to Tech Amergin next thursday, tickets here
sea Synergy are cleaning beaches again in Waterville, Tuesday, 10am.
TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE!!
You wouldn’t want to miss it would you?
Thanks
Late enough again…
Thanks for reading. Massive thanks to all contributors.
To those who have been patiently waiting for magnets, they are in envelopes at least. You’ll have them this week.
A year and a half!
Good luck, be well
Dave

