Kerry Today

Have you received your Leaving Cert results and you’re not sure what to do next? Or maybe you want to change career or simply upskill? There are many part-time  and full-time courses available at Kerry College. There’s also  the journalism, podcasting and radio course at Kerry College run in conjunction with Radio Kerry.

This is due to start in November.  There is an open day on Friday, October 9th at Radio Kerry’s studio in Maine Street, Tralee from 2 to 4pm. For more, email [email protected]

Jerry spoke to Phena Mulligan, access and pathways information officer at Kerry College,

In July 2025 – on the day of the All-Ireland Football Final - Diamant Linen in Farranfore Q4 business park, went up in flames resulting in the destruction of machinery and equipment. Jerry visited the business and met director Conor Hennigan, and commercial manager Eileen O’Leary to see how things are more than a year on.

Jerry spoke to James Tangney, chair of Kerry Co-op, about its AGM, followed by an EGM (extraordinary general meeting) which are taking place at The Gleneagle, Killarney tomorrow, Thursday, September 3rd at noon.

A medieval manuscript synonymous with Killarney has been returned to Ireland for the first time in over 40 years. The Annals of Inisfallen have been housed at Oxford for more than 250 years. The Annals of Inisfallen are available for public view in the Glucksman building on the UCC campus until 1st November. The last time they were shown in Ireland was in 1983 to mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of Killarney National Park. Jerry spoke to Professor Pádraig Ó Macháin, Professor of Modern Irish at UCC.

Jerry spoke to Niall Shanahan of Fórsa which is the country’s largest public sector trade union. Fórsa members’ vote yesterday came a day after SIPTU members voted for industrial.

Mary Donovan from Tralee is nine months on from a 51-day hunger strike that left her in a dangerously unhealthy state. She along with three others undertook the hunger strike in an effort to secure improved state supports for survivors of industrial and reformatory schools. She is organising a meeting on 3rd September in Limerick for survivors in the midwest region, to give them information on the supports available.

Mary, now living in Tipperary, spoke to Radio Kerry's Mark Lynch about her life in the Pembroke Alms Industrial School in Tralee from the age of 14 months, her continuing health struggles due to that hunger strike last year, and about the twin siblings she only found out about in 2020, who she believes are buried at Bessborough in Cork, where her mother was brought as a young woman.

If you’re affected by any of the issues raised: https://www.samaritans.org/ireland/samaritans-ireland/about/governance-and-structure/contact-us/ and https://sageadvocacy.ie/services/information-support-and-advocacy-services-for-survivors-of-institutional-abuse/

The Government has extended fuel support for another two months following a vote in the Dáil on Friday. Independent deputy Michael Healy Rae voted with the Government, while Sinn Féin TD Pa Daly voted against.

Dr Maya Sharma is the consultant psychiatrist who exposed the South Kerry CAMHS scandal. Dr Sharma revealed the over-medication and negligent treatment of patients. Subsequent investigations vindicated her and found that hundreds of children were harmed or put at risk of harm.

Dr Sharma has now opened a private practice in Killarney. She gave Jerry a tour of her new practice.

Cllr Charlie Farrelly spoke to Jerry about the vandalism and removal of signs on a junction leading onto the main Kerry-Limerick road.