Local controversy over Tralee charter resolved
The original document — which allowed Tralee to become an official borough in the 1600s — is to be publicly displayed and acknowledged but not celebrated in the north Kerry town.
The 400th anniversary of the granting of the charter to the new English in the time of the Plantation of Munster, occurred on September 26 last.
The original charter had allowed Tralee to become a borough, like Kilkenny, with a mayor andburgesses.
But the event passed unmarked, last week, in Tralee.
A proposal for a celebration had met with furious objections by Sinn Féin who pointed out the Fitzgeralds had been thrown out of Tralee Castle by the Dennys who had “slaughtered left, right and centre in west Kerry and celebrating it,” the party had stated, “would be akin to the American Indians celebrating the arrival of Columbus”.
A compromise, put forward by officials, was that Tralee would —in 2013 —mark the arrival of the Geraldine Fitzgeralds 800 years ago.
Fine Gael’s Cllr Mairead Fernane moved two motions at Tralee Town Council, firstly, to acknowledge the charter and, furthermore, put it on permanent display “in an ultra light and weather controlled exhibition case”.
It was remarkable itself, she said, the original document still existed.
The document and seal had been handed over to the county library in September 1972 and it had been missing from Tralee for 130 years. A local newspaper report, 40 years ago, suggested it had been found among the papers of Clonskeagh Castle.
The motion to allow the charter to go on display was supported by the two Sinn Féin councillors.
Cathal Foley (SF) said he supported it in so far as the document was important to the history of Tralee.
Tommy O’Connor, county librarian, yesterday said the document could not be displayed permanently because of fears the light would affect the ink.
However, he said afacsimile of the document would be displayed in a number of locations locally, including the library and the county museum.
