Issue 92. Kenmare Municipal District Council, Series 1, Episode 6

PRESIDENT, POKER, ELEPHANTS, PARTIES

January 30, 2026

Good Afternoon and Welcome,

To issue No.92. I’ve a confession to make, more on that later…

South Kerry by the numbers

  • 798: Approved applicants on the Kenmare MD housing list.

  • 861: Existing tenancies within the Kenmare MD

  • 2: New tenancies since the beginning of the year.

Is it any wonder it’s tricky to find a tradesman.

First, a word from this week’s sponsor

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Kenmare Municipal District Council, Series 1, Episode 6

10.30: Cllr Norma Moriarty is first up with a motion asking for progress on the social housing proposed for Spunkane in Waterville. The council have reported progress in an emphatically councilesque way, “Work on the production of documents for the procurement of the investigations has commenced”. Essentially, somebody is writing something to find someone who can look into the things. Progress! Cllr Moriarty responds that this is less like eating the elephant one bite at a time, more like wandering around the plains of Africa, still looking for a knife and fork.

OK. So, time for that confession. Due to circumstances well within my control, I did not sit through 3 hours of council meeting this morning. The councillor may well have responded as detailed above, equally, she may well not have. For the duration of this email, lets just imagine that she did. Also, as I have an agenda with replies, we may aswell imagine ourselves through the rest of the meeting.

10.45: The council responds to Cllr Moriarty’s second enquiry to advise the insulation works on the social housing in Bridge Street, Cahersiveen will be completed in Q2 of this year.

11.15 ish, probably: Cllr Tommy Cahill has two motions. Firstly, that both Glenbeigh & Cahersiveen are made ‘Greenway ready’ with public lighting, crossings, car parks etc. Secondly, that something is done about the roads in Cahersiveen. The council responds:

The 2026 TII allocations are due to be announced in the coming weeks.
The works required in Cahersiveen are being planned having regard to the availability of the necessary funding and resources. A phased improvement approach is required, and a
strategy is being formulated, in consultation with the TII, with a view to commencing the first phase of improvement in Cahersiveen in 2026. The elected members will be briefed on the phased improvements at an upcoming meeting.

To both. A copy and paste job with the only difference being one mentions Glenbeigh & they moved a comma. Cllr Tommy Cahill spots this and flies into a fit of rage, damning and blasting the council representatives, he effs and blinds his way out of the room advising the elected members that “he’ll be telling his father about this”.

Well, let’s face it, he probably didn’t. Might not even have spotted the copy & paste, but I’d say for sure he was respectfully unsatisfied with the response.

11.30: In response to Cllr O’Sullivan Casey’s motion as to whether there would be a dedicated maintenance crew for the South Kerry Greenway, the council says there isn’t & “it will have to be undertaken” by them.

At this stage, I have to say, fair play to our councillors as they do make this meeting agenda a good bit more entertaining. I’d imagine this was a long enough meeting. So a quick highlight reel of the rest:

  • In response to Cllr Healy-Rae’s question the council advises that the Carnegie Centre in Cahersiveen regeneration has construction tenders in and just waiting on approval to appoint a contractor. The design for the Fair Green is ongoing. Also a tender is due to be published in Q1 of this year for the ‘waterfront amenity’ with construction due to commence in Q2 2026, which is either a hallucination or a typo. They hope to start improving pavements at some juncture this year, funding permitting.

  • The Council shoots down Cllr Cahill’s question about widening the bridge over the water in Cahersiveen to allow for a footpath.

  • The footpath outside Rosie’s will be repaired in Q2.

  • The sculpture lights in Mick O’Dwyer park will be repaired in the next 2/3 weeks.

  • Initial repair works at Cuas Crom should be complete by the end of January, but more work likely needed thereafter.

It’s The Signs of South Kerry 🎺🎺🎺

Yet another reader submission this week. Where’s this?

Congratulations to last week’s winners

Although many of you identified the sign was ‘on a van’. None of you managed to name who’s van it was or where you’d normally spot it. Hard luck, I’m certain you’ll redeem yourselves this week.

Auntie Agnes’ Angle

Dear Reader 

I hope you are all going well. There is a teensy tiny stretch in the daylight this week, which is inviting me to stretch my body & mind a little.

I was reading an article this week about who the author was in conversation with most throughout the week. When I thought about this, I realised the person I am in conversation with most is actually myself! Despite how surrounded I am by other people.

I questioned whether I was talking and judging myself in the same way I would to someone else.

I realised that I am actually probably meaner and more judgmental to myself. This is not news to me. But when framed as conversation, it felt different. I am softening that inner meanness & pressure and invite you to do the same. Let’s be nicer to ourselves. 

Too much time on my hands you may say! 

Have a great bank holiday weekend, celebrate the Celtic New Year like a true Celt, sing, dance and laugh loudly 

Thanks Agnes.

The Oracle Cartoon

This week, Tim very much does his thing

Thanks, Tim.

Everything Else

  • President incoming. She’ll be in Caherdaniel this evening from 7.30pm to launch the Éigse na Brídeoige festival.

  • All roads lead to Waterville tomorrow evening as The Lobster celebrates 10 years in the Parish (rumour has it, there’s a free bar*)

  • Robbed. A new comedy play is at Foilmore Community Centre 1st Feb. More here

  • Come celebrate Valentine's Night with Eddie Lee at Foilmore Community Centre on Saturday,

  • 14th February. Doors open at 9.00. Dancing at 9.30. Admission €10. Raffle with great prizes. Everyone welcome. A fundraiser for Valentia Lifeboat.

  • Early bird tickets for the Dark Sky festival are now on sale, more here

  • Poker in the Anchor tonight.

  • There’s Ciarraí Art Nexus event marking St Brigid’s Day — an evening of site-responsive projections and performance, created especially for Cahersiveen. More here

  • Fun Day tomorrow from 10am in Valentia Island Community centre, more here

*There isn’t a free bar, well, not that I’m aware of.

Thanks

Late one, isn’t it?

Thanks again to Tim & Agnes.

Insert standard magnet apology here.

Good luck, be well.

Dave