Issue 83. Kenmare Municipal District Council, Series 1, Epidode 5

GREENWAY, WILL, OPEN, BEFORE CHRISTMAS!

November 28, 2025

Good Afternoon and Welcome,

To issue No.83. This week, there’s another council meeting. I have an agenda, but no meeting link…

South Kerry by the numbers

  • 778: Is the current (as of 2024) number of approved applicants on the housing list who wish to be housed in the Kenmare MD.

  • 157: Were added in 2024.

  • 419: Of these are looking for 1 bedroom dwellings.

First, a word from this week’s sponsor

So very empty…

Best Pint in South Kerry 2025  

Votes flying in. Let’s remind ourselves of the final leaderboard from last year:

You’ve seen the numbers so far, don’t agree? You can be the difference

Vote Now:

Council Meeting Ft Greenway update!!!

10:20 Having badgered everyone I’ve ever emailed at the council, we are now in.

10:30 I’ve missed a good bit of the deputation from Caherdaniel residents. Cllr Norma Moriarty has given a decent summary, they are looking for a community hub & extending the footpath from O’Carroll’s Cove to Caherdaniel village. She’s also asking the council to be creative & innovative and take the obvious building in the centre of the village.

10:32 Norma suggests we can ‘eat this elephant one bite at a time’ which for me means no matter how long this meeting continues for, it was worth tuning in.

10:34 Cllr Johnny Healy-Rae reminds the meeting that the lack of footpath is an accident waiting to happen & also reminds us that there needs to be more parking.

10:37 Cllr’s Foley, Cahill, O’Sullivan-Casey, McCarthy thank the deputation. Cllr Dan McCarthy is suggesting an initiative for residents to start a community shop. He’s very keen on residents having shares in the shop.

10:44 The Council engineer has responded to say the footpath extension would be a Transport Infrastructure Ireland job & there are 4 existing projects on the Ring of Kerry road that should be in progress, but have not been sent to tender yet as the funding isn’t there. He goes on to namedrop a load of other organisations that might fund the community hub.

10.52 The acting MD for the Municipal District has revealed that one of the above projects is a footpath out of Waterville village, towards the Smugglers it sounds like, that’ll be nice won’t it?

10.54 Cllr Norma Moriarty again thanks the deputation, reminding the room that the deputees are parents of GAA royalty in Anna Galvin & Siofra O’Shea. Another lovely moment.

11.00 We’re onto the agenda proper, currently discussing the lack of water in Kenmare. Cllr Healy-Rae feels Irish Water’s current approach is ‘like a Harry Potter thing’.

11.04 Cllr Healy-Rae puts forward his motion that the council do everything in their power to ensure Skelligs Chocolates remains open for business. Making the salient points that the 25 jobs would be the equivalent of 250 jobs in a city, he doesn’t know anyone who doesn’t like chocolate & it’s unusual for it to be there in the first place (it is) so would be a great shame to lose it.

11.31 After a hosuing & climate report were back to the motions.

11.32 Cllr Norma Moriarty is not happy with the council’s response to her motion that cell study funding be applied for coastal protection in Ballinskelligs Bay. She was told there are at least two projects ahead of her, the Cllr sees no reason why this prevents the council applying for the funding, the council have said they will be discussing it. The Cllr asks for confirmation that means the council will be applying for that funding? The council does not confirm.

11.40 We’re still in a lengthy discussion about Portmagee's Kilkeveragh Pier, which needs remedial work, but the council have 33 slipways & piers to look after already & they don’t own this one, nor do they have the resources to investigate who owns it. It might be owned by Trinity College Dublin or the Land Commission, but they need records from either organisation to confirm it.

11.45 On the subject of piers, Cllr Tommy Cahill is looking for an update on Reenard Pier redevelopment work. The council have arranged a meeting with the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, that’s progress. Isn’t it?

11.50 Cllr Healy-Rae wants to know if the council will blow the bridge on Mountain Stage to smithereens in order to allow HGV access. The council says there should be a contractor appointed by late 2026.

12.03 Cllr Tommy Cahill has asked for a South Kerry Greenway update (fair play to him). The council confirm that the first section to be opened will be from Golden’s to Kells PO. Cllr Cahill presses for an Estimated Opening Date, the council engineer responds that in relation to this section specifically, ‘Christmas will come early’, the room laughs. Sadly, no one presses to find out what this means, but looks like we might have a bit of Greenway by Christmas! Christmas of what year I don’t know.

12.09 On the back of a motion from Cllr Healy-Rae, the council confirm that TII are intending to progress with interim works to improve the state of Cahersiveen’s roads.

12.11 Long one this, isn’t it.

12.17 We’ve got 5 more pages. Cllr Podge Foley has just put forward a question to see if we could put an overhead sign on the Laune bridge to promote the glorious flora & fauna of South Kerry. It’s not happening because you can only have an overhead sign on roads of more than three lanes. But all credit too him for a bit of out of the box thinking.

12.21 I missed a bit. Thanks to questions from Cllrs Moriarty & Cahill, the council confirms those in Valentia can look for LEADER funding for a feasability study into developing an outdoor swimming pool.

12.26 Cllr Moriarty is asking for extended opening hours for the conveniences at Ballinskelligs Beach. During the course of this discussion she also mentions development of similar facilities at Reenroe now that the proposed development looks to be off the table. Two scoops in one email! You lucky people.

It’s The Signs of South Kerry 🎺🎺🎺

Really easy. So easy. Where is it? & What’s written on it?

Congratulations to last week’s winners

  • David Fitz 

  • Maureen

    Well done both of you, obviously, it was the football field in Ballinskelligs.

What’s going on with Skelligs Chocolate?

The company behind the operating company this week moved to strike out the petition to wind it up by creditors of the landlord company. They explain the landlord company doesn’t have the right & the amount claimed is far in excess of what is owed. The judge has adjourned for two weeks.

Auntie Agnes’ Angle

Dear Readers,

I hope you are all keeping warm & well during this blustery week here in South Kerry. 

This week I have needed to lean into the things that keep me going during this time of the year .

So I allowed myself to sleep an hour later, got my walks in, reading by the fire and eating good hearty food. These things really help me. But I realised I was missing something, I am missing fun! Laughing out loud is good for our health. Meeting up with some good people for chats, games, cards, laughing is something that is happening less and less in our communities and it is a detrimental loss to us all. 

I was delighted to hear that there is a games night running in Frank’s Corner, I think on Mondays! That’s the spirit to have.

So this week, see if you can get a least a laugh a day - watch or listen to something funny, get out & meet friends, go to a games night - you won’t regret it 

Take care of each other out there 

The Oracle’s 41st Cartoon

This week, Tim brings us…

There he is! Thanks, Tim!

Everything Else

  • Comedy Festival? In Portmagee? More here

  • There’s an AI for beginners course in Tech Amergin tomorrow, more here

  • Beach clean with Sea Synergy on Waterville beach 2/12 10am

  • Have you any old Waterville photos? get them in the history book here

  • TIONAL the artists network are having a Christmas Gathering on Wednesday, more here

  • Waterville Tidy Towns need a new committee, join them on Wednesday, 7pm, Tech Amergin to be a part of it.

  • Join the blue dots of Iveragh tomorrow at 11am in Sneem for a sculpture unveiling & a short film & lunch too.

TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE!!

You wouldn’t want to miss it would you, would you?

For Sale

Willerby Bermuda 36×12ft 3 bedroom mobile home. Full winter pack, I can confirm first hand that this can survive a South Kerry winter. Offers acctepted, just get in touch

Thanks

I started to pay less and less attention as the meeting drew on, but Cllr Cahill ended by thanking the council for the news that the section of the greenway will be open by Christmas, so looks like that is a 100% solid gold FACT. We’ll have a bit of Greenway for Christmas.

Thanks for reading. Massive thanks to all contributors.

To those who have been patiently waiting for magnets, they are in still in envelopes at least. You’ll have them next week, I meant this coming next week. Honest. To last weeks new supporters, thanks very much, it really helps & I now offer you a treasured place amongst those still waiting for magnets. I can confirm that all magnets are now in envelopes awaiting posting. One day, I’ll take them with me when I leave the house.

Good luck, be well

Dave