Josh Hartnett's Dingle roots

Hollywood star discloses Dingle Peninsula roots

Josh Hartnett's family tie with West Kerry

One of Hollywood's hottest young actors, Josh Hartnett, disclosed a close tie with West Kerry as this week as he revealed that his stepmother's family originally hail from the Dingle Peninsula.
The 29-year old American actor, who has starred in Hollywood blockbusters Pearl Harbour, Black Hawk Down and Sin City revealed his Kerry lineage in an interview in Dublin last week while promoting his new movie, 30 Days of Night currently playing in Cinemas throughout the country.
"My father is half-Irish and my stepmother is fully Irish, and I've spent quite a bit of time in Ireland" he said.
"I've been on the southwest coast a few times, because that's where my family is from originally."
"My mom's family is from the Dingle Peninsula" he said.
Josh Hartnett, who spent some time in Ireland earlier this year at the Oxygen Festival in Punchestown during the summer, was born in 1978 in Minnesota .
He was raised by his stepmother Molly, an artist, whose family hail from the Dingle Peninsula and his father Daniel, who also claims Irish Ancestry.
He is currently starring in the Vampire movie 30 Days of Night, currently on release in Cinemas throughout Kerry.

His most successful movies include WW II epic Pearl Harbour starring alongside Ben Affleck and Kate Beckinsale,The Black Dahlia starring alongside Scarlett Johanssen and Sin City with Bruce Willis and Jessica Alba.

Cairdeas Idirnaisiúnta Chorca Dhuibhne, a Dingle based group dedicated to establishing links with the Dingle Peninsula and the USA have expressed excitement at the news and have extended an invitation to the actor.

"If Mr. Hartnett would like to explore his ancestry on the Dingle Peninsula, we would accommodate him in any way we could" said Cairdeas spokesperson, Dingle Restaurateur John Moriarty

"It just goes to show the far-reaching influence people from Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula have had across the world."

"The late Gregory Peck also had connections with the Dingle Peninsula, he he spent a lot of time here over the years and we've always been keen to welcome people to come back and search their roots" said Mr. Moriarty.

Dingle & USA celebrate decade of prosperity

Home and Away

Dingle and US celebrate a decade of prosperity

International relations were at an all time high in Dingle this week as local business and cultural group Cairdeas Idirnaisiúnta Corca Dhuibhne celebrated ten years of trans-Atlantic co-operation between West Kerry and the United States at their AGM in Benners Hotel last Thursday night.
Cairdeas also hosted a group from Santa Barbara, Dingle's twin city that included renowned Hollywood director Bob Lally, well known for his work on hit TV sitcoms Silver Spoons and his role in producing the Academy Awards, also known as The Oscars.
Cairdeas Idirnaisiúnta Corca Dhuibhne (CICD) hosted the group at a Civic Reception in Lord Bakers in advance of the AGM where renowned musicians Tony Small and Eoin Duignan performed.
"Its wonderful to celebrate a decade of Cairdeas this year" said Dingle jeweller Brian De Staic.
Cairdeas was founded by Dingle auctioneer Pádraig Lynch, restaurateur John Moriarty and Mícheál De Mordha of Ionad an Bhlaoscaoad in 1997 in the hope of promoting intercultural links between West Kerry and the USA.
A very successful economic link was subsequently established between Springfield, Massachusetts and West Kerry through The Big E, a large trade show which takes place each year in Springfield, and a number of traders from Kerry now take part every year.

As more links were established throughout the years, Dingle twinned with Santa Barbara in California and since then, both areas have enjoyed an open business and economic exchange with groups travelling back and forth each year.

There are many benefits to joining " explained Brian, who established a branch of his jewellery franchise, Brian De Staic, in Ventura, California last year.

"We are keeping a cultural connection alive with the US, where so many from West Kerry have emigrated to over the years, as well as opening new trade and cultural opportunities."

"We welcome people from all walks of life on the Dingle Peninsula and the USA to get involved, it has been an exceptionally fruitful and enjoyable experience over the years, the more people involved, the merrier!" he added.

More information is available from Brian at 00 353 (0) 66-915 1298.

New Community Hospital for Dingle

New community hospital for Dingle

Following ten years of negotiations and planning an end is finally in sight for the completion of Dingle's new Community Hospital, as construction began at its new location last Monday.
Corca Dhuibhne breathed a collective sigh of relief this week as construction began on new 72-bed hospital at a site donated by the O'Connor family at Farran, Dingle early last Monday morning.
According to the Health Service Executive an estimated construction period of 18 months is envisaged.
Plans for the hospital include a mental health day care centre, a day care centre for senior citizens and an ambulance base. Many stumbling blocks had stalled progress on the project since the HSE's original decision to build a new hospital in 1997. Original plans were for a 60 bed hospital, which upon review in 2000 was amended to include 72 beds.
Due to this increase, new staffing negotiations had to take place.
In 2005 Minister for Health Mary Harney instructed that tenders be sought with a view to the commencement of building at the site.
However, Kerry County Council's plans to construct a link road as part of the Dingle Development Plan conflicted with the project.
Further negotiations took place and a new planning application was submitted, which was granted in 2006.
This is a great development for the town and surrounding area" said local councillor Seamus Cosaí Fitzgerald at the site last Monday.

The Polish Connection

The Polish Connection

Almost 2% of Kerry's population is now Polish-born

1.64% of Kerry's population is now Polish according to figures released by the Central Statistics Office this week.

With Kerry's population standing at 134, 782, the number of officially registered Poles living here, according to the 2006 census report, is 2,201.
This is a modest figure however, as it only accounts for those immigrant Polish workers who are offically registered.
The number may be greater as many take up seasonal and casual working positions throughout the county during the summer months, returning to Poland once the summer is over.
According to CSO figures there are 420,000 foreign nationals living in Ireland. This reflects a startling increase of almost 100% in just under four years as the number stood at 224,000 in 2002. There is a population of 63,000 Polish nationals alone living in Ireland, the largest migrant group.
"Kerry is a nice place to live" said Dana Misiewicz, a Polish national now living in Ballyferriter in West Kerry.
"The people are very friendly and the countryside and culture is very beautiful, we are very happy here."
The Polish effect is evident countywide with many local shops and supermarkets now stocking extensive lines of Polish grocery products.

In addition many Parishes throughout the county now have regular Polish Masses on a weekly basis.

"Polish people have a great sense of spiritually" said former Maynooth Professor and Monsignor Pádraig Ó'Fiannachta of Dingle.

They are keen to exercise their faith here and are a welcome addition to our congregations."