It really has been the most amazing start to the greyhound year. First we had the freeze-up and no racing at Shelbourne Park and other venues for a full month. Now we have the situation that because of many of our leading dogs lack full fitness, a prestigious event such as the Joe Dunne Memorial Puppy Stake has had to be put back a week in order to attract sufficient entries.

GRIND schools expect a significant fall-off in students for the upcoming Leaving Cert year due to the economic crisis.

AN anticipated near doubling of vehicles in top tourist town Dingle has raised strong fears about traffic management.

A SENIOR Kerry garda has said he would support a reduction in the late night opening hours of fast food shops as well as pubs in the county town.

ILLEGAL dumpers in Kerry have become so “cute” that it is virtually impossible to catch them, it was revealed yesterday.

BUNDORAN councillor Sean McEniff takes great umbrage at the description of his beloved town as “one of Ireland’s tackiest holiday resorts” and he believes the author who wrote about Bundoran never actually visited the town.

PROPER ring roads to ease congestion in Tralee is a priority of the town’s new mayor, Miriam McGillycuddy.

PROBLEMS with illegal camping and the driving of motorised vehicles onto the beaches in Kerry are to be tackled during the summer.

A NATIVE of Kerry has been installed as its county manager.

A LOCAL voluntary group, which has raised over €2 million for good causes, has been accorded a civic reception by Kerry county mayor Ted Fitzgerald.

UPWARDS of 200 nurses yesterday staged what they described as a ‘silent and dignified protest’ when Health Minister Mary Harney came to Tralee to open a new unit at Kerry General Hospital.

CONCERN continues to grow about Kerry’s appalling road safety record.

A delegation of US Congressmen jet in to Ireland today to get an insight into Irish politics.

MEMBERS of Kerry County Council are expected to do a U-turn on a controversial rezoning decision in one of Killarney’s prime tourism areas.

BERTIE AHERN yesterday set a new speed record for entering and leaving a pub.

A RETAIL park for Tralee has been turned down by Kerry County Council.

FIANNA FÁIL chiefs in Kerry yesterday strongly denied a claim the party had attempted to remove names of people that vote for Independent TD Jackie Healy-Rae from the register of electors in Healy-Rae’s native Kilgarvan.

JOHN DUGGAN hasn’t looked back since re-joining the training ranks last summer and he landed a notable success at Curraheen Park on Saturday night when Flying Supremo took the final of the Beamish Stout 525 Stakes in a career best 28.97.

A MAJOR development plan for Tralee and Killarney projects the population to grow from 35,000 to 45,000 between now and 2020, leading to a demand for 4,700 extra houses.

UP to 80 primary schools in Kerry are outside the protection of the county’s 50 to 60 km/h speed limit zones, it was disclosed yesterday.

MORE than 25,000 football fans turned out in the Kingdom last night to give a jubilant welcome home to the Kerry team which easily defeated Mayo in Sunday’s All-Ireland final.

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern yesterday said his party was closely monitoring the controversy surrounding a Dublin Fianna Fáil councillor who has rejected allegations he was caught snorting cocaine.

A HIGH-LEVEL deputation from Kerry will meet the National Roads Authority (NRA) in Dublin today, amid concerns about delays in carrying out major roadworks in the county, at an estimated cost of at least €180 million.

ILLEGAL dumping in Kerry has gone up by almost 60% this year and is threatening to undermine the area’s multi-million tourist industry, it has been warned.

DESPITE reservations by residents of the select Ballyard area of Tralee, the town council is to proceed with plans to build 85 social houses there.

KERRY County Council has been urged to publish a name and shame list of compensation claimants in an effort to reduce its spiralling insurance costs.

THE opening of the salmon fishing season in Killarney, Co Kerry, yesterday was marked by protests by local anglers which followed similar protests recently in other parts of the country.

YOUGHAL rounded off 2004 with an inaugural award ceremony at the track recently.

OWNERS of derelict sites in Kerry who fail to maintain them will have to pay substantial levies, the county council has warned.

‘HITLER’ taunts were shouted at county councillors yesterday who refused to give Dana Rosemary Scanlon a nomination to contest the Presidential election.

A SENIOR policing official has warned that Justice Minister Michael McDowell’s planned Joint Policing Committees will be ineffective unless they are give proper powers and a defined role.

COUNCILLORS in Tralee have called on Circuit Court Judge Brian Curtin to resign from his position.

NO ROOM at the inn is the message to Kerry councillors looking for a home for Jesus.

KERRY County Council could be forced to sell some of its assets to offset the running costs of some of the town’s leading tourist attractions.