Fógra - Beidh cruinniú san Ionad Teangan ar an Meall sa Daingean ar an Mháirt seo chughainn,16 Meitheamh, ag 8.00 i.n. maidir le
a) An togra Corca Dhuibhne ag Caint agus b) Coiste Ghlór na nGael an Daingin a athbhunú.
Fáilte roimh chách!
The Dingle News Archive 2007-2009. For live news updates & events on Ireland's Dingle Peninsula visit www.DingleNews.com or follow us on Twitter @dinglenews

The Irish Slalom Series Round 3 takes kicks off in Castlegregory this weekend, hosted by Jamie Knox Water-sport this Saturday and Sunday. In the context of water skiing, slalom means to use only one ski. Slalom skiing is considerably difficult and so one usually learns on two skis before switching to one. Once one is comfortable on two skis, learning to slalom ski is accomplished by setting the binding loose on one ski so that it may be dropped. Once the skier is out of the water, he or she will step out of the loose ski and slip the foot into the toe plate binding in the slalom ski. Slalom skiing dramatically increases the speed and agility of the water skier. Once the proper technique for edging across a wake and into the turn is learned, slalom skiing becomes quite high speed and thrilling and this weekend's event promises to be a dramatic and exciting event well worth witnessing! For more info visit the event's page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=82271383718 or contact 066-7139411.
If sweet things tickle your fancy then Dingle is the place to be this Friday morning as a special fundraising Cupcakes and Coffee morning is taking place at Fenton's Restaurant, Green Street, Dingle this Friday (June 12th) in aid of SPECIAL OLYMPICS IRELAND. All are welcome to attend and the following Dingle based shops will be participate in a little fashion show: Tigmaya, Woollen Store, La Boheme, Strand House, Lisabeth Mulcahy, Milliner Kathleen McAuliffe, McKennas, Finn Mccools, Garveys Sports and the Mountain Man. 
Labour Senator Alan Kelly (pictured left) held off a late challenge from sitting Independent MEP, Kathy Sinnott to take the final seat in the Ireland South constituency on the eighth and final count. Mr Kelly from North Tipperay had looked to be set for a close contest for the last seat with Tralee's Toireasa Ferris of Sinn Fein who outpolled him on the first count by 12.98 per cent to 12.88 per cent remaining in contention right to the seventh count when she was dramatically overtaken by Ms Sinnott. This came following the distribution of Fine Gael’s Sean Kelly’s (pictured right) surplus of over 10,000 votes courtesy of running mate Colm Burke’s elimination. But although Ms Sinnott overtook Ms Ferris, she remained some 8,753 behind Alan Kelly and in the end it proved too big a gap to close. Alan Kelly received a total of 21,676 transfers from Ms Ferris to reach a final tally of 105,597 while Ms Sinnott received some 19,966 transfers from Ms Ferris to reach a final figure of 95,134, leaving Mr Kelly to take the final seat on the eighth count without reaching the quota. Former GAA President, Kerryman Sean Kelly of Fine Gael polled an impressive 92,579 or 18.58 per cent on the first count and was duly elected on the sixth count when he benefitted from a massive transfer of 36,318 from party colleague and sitting MEP, Colm Burke to carry him over the quota of 124,532. Afterwards, Sean Kelly said that he was both “humbled and delighted” by his success as he was shouldered high by supporters. Alan Kelly and Sean Kelly now join sitting MEP Brian Crowley (FF) as the three Ireland South MEPs.
Lispole native Joe Higgins has taken the third European seat in the Dublin Constituency. It is a monumental achievement for the Corca Dhuibhne man, making him the first person from Kerry to be elected to the European Parliament. The three seats in the Dublin Constituency have been taken by Fine Gael's Gay Mitchell, Labour's Proinsías De Rossa and the Socialist Party's Joe Higgins. Mr Higgins was elected to the Dublin Constituency on the seventh count at around 5.15am this morning. He received 22,201 votes from eliminated Sein Féin candidate Mary Lou McDonald, leaving him with 82,366. Joe Higgins said that he would serve the needs of ordinary people in the EU; he said his appointment was bad news for corporate Europe and the big business culture. His mother Ellen said she was proud of her son who she said was 'very good'.
The results are in with Micheal O'Shea of Fianna Fail, Seamus Cosai Fitzgerald and Brendan Griffin of Fine Gael taking the three council seats in the Dingle Electoral Area. Both Milltown's Micheal O'Shea (pictured left) and Dingle's Seamus Cosai Fitzgerald (pictured far left) reached their quota polling 2517 and 2442 respectively. Brendan Griffin of Keel (pictured right) took the third remaining seat polling an impressive 2317. It signals the loss of the Fianna Fail seat previously held by Breandan MacGearailt and the party will be disappointed to lose a seat in an area which previously considered a Fianna Fail stronghold. Brendan Griffin ran a dynamic campaign and his supporters will be delighted with his strong showing. Micheal O'Shea also had a good showing consolidating the strong support he has cultivated in the past five years. Despite whispers that he may have faced an uphill struggle, with several candidates running the the Dingle/Gaeltacht area, Seamus Cosai Fitzgerald finished strongly proving that the work he has undertaken in Corca Dhuibhne during his tenure as a councillor has not gone unnoticed. Fianna Fail will have to re-assess their position in the Dingle area; their position will not have been helped by their reluctance to support the movement to reinstate the Dingle name on signposts after 93% of people voted in support of the bilingual names of Dingle/Daingean Ui Chuis. Further blows to the fishing, farming and tourism industry and soaring unemployment also seems to have weighed heavily on the minds of the local electorate, reflecting the national swing against Fianna Fail. Winning two seats in the Dingle area is a major coup for the Fine Gael party as they add to the growing number of seats they have managed to clinch around the country.However the loss of Breandan MacGearailt's seat, as Breandan Fitzgerald did not replicate his forerunners success, is disappointing for the West Kerry area as two seats now reside to the east of the constituency. Brendan Griffin is sure to bring a fresh approach to the fray as a young and enthusiastic individual who has been involved in many local community initiatives for many years.
Breandan MacGearailt's west Kerry council seat is heading east according to tally predictions for Dingle Electoral Area. The latest tallies indicate that the three seats will most likely go to Keel's Brendan Griffin (Fine Gael) pictured left, Micheal O'Shea of Milltown (Fianna Fail) pictured right and potentially Seamus Cosai Fitzgerald of Dingle (Fine Gael). The tallies indicate the following standings: Brendan Griffin (Fine Gael)-2,012, Michael O'Shea (Fianna Fail)-2,006, Seamus Cosai Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)-1,569, Bridget O'Connor (Ind.)-1,168, Breandan Fitzgerald (Fianna Fail)-1,046, Patrick Hanafin (Labour)-809, Teresa Moriarty (Sinn Fein)-249, Darach O Murchu (Greens)-212, Breandan O Beaglaoi (Ind.)-147.
While counting in the European Elections is not to take place until tomorrow, an RTE Exit Poll is predicting that Brian Crowley (Fianna Fail) and Kerryman Seán Kelly (Fine Gael) are to take seats in Ireland South. For more details on this development visit http://www.rte.ie/news/elections/
Follow all the action in the local election count today on http://elections.kerrycoco.ie/. Developed by Kerry County Council the website will include updated information and the results as they come in. A live broadcast from the Count Centres will take place today (Saturday 6th June) and the results of the count will updated continuously. After the count statistical analysis of the voting, elected representative details and further information will be made available on the website.
Spills and thrills on the Ocean waves
The West Kerry Gaeltacht could lose a County Council seat after the June 5th elections according to a prominent figure in local politics in the area.The seasoned campaigner, who wishes to remain anonymous as he is involved in one of the candidates campaigns, claims that with nine candidates contesting three seats, and six of those concentrated in the same West Kerry Gaeltacht area, the region is in grave danger of losing representation in Kerry County Council. “With six running together in a small concentrated area, based on the feedback we are getting on the ground, there is a strong possibility that they may cancel each other out on June 5th” said the source. The possibility that the West Kerry Gaeltacht will lose one of its Councillors is further enhanced by the fact that the recent election boundary revision has seen an additional 600 votes come into the eastern quadrant of the Dingle Electoral Area in Milltown which will no doubt favour candidates in that district. The West Kerry Gaeltacht previously had two sitting councillors: Cllr. Breandán MacGearailt and Cllr. Seamus Cosai Fitzgerald. Cllr. MacGearailt is not re-contesting his seat, however Cllr. Cosai Fitzgerald is seeking re-election. Joining Cllr. Cosai Fitzgerald in the fray in the West Kerry Gaeltacht electoral district are: Breandán Fitzgerald (Fianna Fáil), Patrick Hanafin (Labour), Breannainn Ó Beaglaoi (Independent), Theresa Raftery-Moriarty (Sinn Féin) and Darach Ó Murchú (Green Party). These join candidates seeking election to the east of the Dingle Electoral Area, sitting Milltown-based Cllr. Micheál O’Shea (FF), Keel's Brendan Griffin (FG) and Camp’s Bridget O’Connor (Independent). “The feedback we’ve been getting from door to door is very mixed; if the Dingle and West Kerry Gaeltacht area goes from having two councillors to one at all it will be a major blow to the area which is already suffering with countless lay-offs and a lack of sustainable employment” the source added. "Hopefully this will not be the case but there is a real possibility that this situation could arise." 
Mairneálaigh, an exciting new exhibition by Dingle artist Deirdre McKenna (pictured above) will be unveiled this Saturday at the Dingle Marina Centre at 8pm. This exhibit is an exclusive preview of a selection of oil paintings that will be on show later this summer in Belfast’s Waterfront Hall from one of Kerry’s most exciting young artists who has exhibited across Ireland, Europe and the USA. The Belfast exhibition is set to coincide with the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge and it is considered a major honour for any artist to be selected to show at this international event. According to Deirdre, these paintings look at a tradition of maritime activities, drawing on personal experiences at sea. The often life-size oil paintings represent contemporary scenes of centuries’ old sea-faring traditions, borne from Deirdre’s own personal relationship and fascination with all things maritime. “Growing up in Dingle, the sea has always been an inspiration to me” she said, “In 2007 I was one of the thirty pilgrims to sail from Dingle to Santiago De Compestela in Spain on the Jeanie Johnston, the trip remains a constant source of inspiration." This exhibition combines Deirdre’s love of the sea and her career as an artist . Mairnéalaigh will be launched this Saturday, May 30th, at 8pm. The exhibition will run from May 30th – June 1st at the Dingle Marina Centre from 11am-5pm and all are welcome to attend. More information on Deirdre McKenna is available at http://www.waterfront.co.uk/ or http://www.deirdremckenna.com/. Locals may known Deirdre as the daughter of Pádraig and Siobhán McKenna, Cuilín.
The Dingle Way Challenge, which takes place tomorrow, Saturday May 30th, will see walkers from all over Ireland and beyond converge on Corca Dhuibhne to walk amid the stunning scenery of West Kerry in aid of The Stuart Mangan Appeal. Stuart Mangan (25) from Cork (pictured right and far right) suffered a devastating spinal injury in 2008, while playing rugby with his club Hammersmith and Fulham RFC in London. He had just completed five years of university studies, graduating with a Law Degree from UCC and a Masters in European Business from ESC Paris, before he was hired on the trading floor of BNP Paribas in London. Sadly this sporting accident has left Stuart totally paralyzed from the neck down and will require 24-hour care for the rest of his life. The Dingle Way Challenge event promises to be an exceptional day in the mountains taking in the surroundings and the history of West Kerry. This trek is 55 km in length and is broken into 4 stages: Tralee to Camp, Camp to Annascaul, Annascaul to Lispole, Lispole to Dingle. All participants are asked to register at 4am in Blennerville Windmill Car Park on the morning of Saturday 30th May 2009. More information on The Dingle Way Challenge and the Stuart Managn Appeal can be accessed at http://www.stuartmangan.org/.
Ionad an Bhlascaoid in Dún Chaoin will play host to two of the most accomplished singers in the Gaelic tradition, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh from Dún Chaoin in West Kerry and Julie Fowlis from North Uist in the Scottish Hebrides, in a special concert at the centre on June 6th. It will be the final concert of their nationwide promotion tour of their new collaboration 'Dual', an album on which the two singers work alongside Éamon Doorley and Ross Martin. The album is a collection of songs and music from Ireland and Scotland which have been given an interesting twist. For example, on one of the tracks Muireann sings some verses of the famous Irish song 'An Chóisir' while Julie mixes in verses of the Scottish song 'Chuirinn mo ghiollan a dh'iomann nan caorach' Also included on the album are beautiful renditions of songs like 'Beauty Deas an Oileáin' and 'Alasdair Mhic Giolla Ghasda'. The collaboration has earned good reviews around the globe. Robin Deneslow from The Guardian says 'Fowlis is Scottish, while Nic Amhlaoibh is Irish, and this delicate, finely performed set explores the musical links and traditions of the two Gaelic communities... one of the most intriguing folk albums of the year', and Amanda Darling of The Stornoway Gazette calls it 'A marriage of two like minded souls, this album 'Dual', meaning to 'interlace, twine or braid' or 'one's inheritance', truly showcases the girls prodigious talents.' The two have won numerous awards recently. Muireann toured and performed with various musicians and groups before joining the group Danú in 2003. In 2004 they won the BBC 2 Folk Award for "Best Group". At the same awards, the song "The County Down" by Tommy Sands that Danú had recently recorded, won "Best Song". Muireann herself won "Best Singer" at the liveireland.com Awards in 2005. Now a regular contributor to television and radio programmes at home and abroad, she featured prominently in the recent "Highland Sessions" BBC television series, celebrating the best of Irish and Scottish traditional music and song. Julie was awarded Folk Singer Of The Year at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Music Awards 2008, and she won Album Of The Year and Gaelic Singer Of The Year at the Scots Trad Music Awards 2008. This concert is being held with the assistance of Ealaín na Gaeltachta. Tickets are available at €15 from The Blasket Centre. Further Information: Dáithí de Mórdha, Ionad an Bhlascaoid: (066) 9156444 or 0879778871. Visit http://www.muireann.ie/ and http://www.juliefowlis.com/ for more info.
The second Rugbaí Corca Dhuibhne Beach Tag Rugby Festival will take place on Saturday June 27th at Muríoch Beach this summer. Rugby in West Kerry is undergoing massive growth at the minute with local teams excelling at many levels. A spin off from this has been the success of Beach Tag Rugby and Rugbaí Corca Dhuibhne, Europe’s most westerly club, are delighted to host the tag rugby festival in Kerry this year. The event will see teams arrive from all over Ireland along with supporters where a warm welcome awaits them. Mick Galwey’s Legends teams will compete again this year as well as a special team headed by All-Ireland winning Kerry GAA star and Sunday Game pundit, Dara Ó Cinnéide. One of the GAA’s main breeding grounds for Gaelic football stars, “An Gaeltacht” at Gallarus (located right beside the beach) have made their facilities available for the event to ensure that the festival runs successfully. With the help of the various accommodation centres, restaurants and pubs the organising committee hope that all teams and spectators have an enjoyable weekend. For further information contact Adrian on 087-2976569 or Damien on 086-8187810 or visit www.irishrugby.ie/tag to register your team for this event.

Mark and Sam make it to Japan!
Fans of real music will be delighted to hear that Mick Flannery is set to play two gigs in MacCarthy's this July 23rd and 24th. His gigs at the same venue earlier this year were an amazing success and complete sell-outs, so fans are advised to get their dibs in early-on as this is an amazing opportunity to see one of Ireland's most exciting new artists in the intimate setting of MacCarthy's Pub on Upper Main Street/Goat's Street in Dingle. Contact MacCarthy's Pub at 066-9151206 for more infomation.
DUO CHAGALL
The Dingle Local Area Council Elections take place on June 5th and, with an extremely crowded marketplace this time around with no less than nine candidates contesting three seats, predicting an outcome is proving to be nigh-on impossible. Sitting councillors Micheal O'Shea (FF, Milltown) and Seamus Cosaí Fitzgerald (FG, Dingle) are seeking re-election with Brendan Griffin (Keel, FG) and Bridget O'Connor (Camp, Ind.) trying their luck for the second-time round. Several new candidates have entered the fray including Breandán Fitzgerald (FF, Dingle), Patrick Hanafin (Lab., Dingle), Theresa Raftery (SF, Lispole), Darach Ó Murchú (Greens) and Breannainn Ó Beaglaoi (Ind.). With so many candidates concentrated in the Dingle area and an increase in the register eligible to vote in the Milltown/Castlemaine area (following last years boundary revisions) this is a council election like no other. Will the additional votes in the Eastern part of the constituency, coupled with a high concentration of candidates in the Dingle area, upset the apple-cart? It could create a scenario where West loses out to East as the many candidates in Dingle could substantially diminish each others core support, while candidates due-east pick up the additional support with the extended boundary in their own area. Only time will tell but this election, especially with the current economic climate on the Dingle Peninsula, is one which may shake things up substantially. By taking part in The Dingle News Poll (on the left side of this web-page) we can all gain an insight into how the candidates currently stand and what the outcome is likely to be.PLEASE NOTE: This poll is facilitated and regulated by polldaddy.com. The Dingle News has no ability to alter or interfere with results and can only view the progress of the poll like other visitors to this page. Reproduction of the results of this poll is prohibited.
All the world's a stage...in Dingle! 
e admittedly The Dingle News is a news portal dedicated to the Dingle Peninsula, just 40 odd miles down
CRANNCHUR - CORCA DHUIBHNE AG CAINT
Bringing the past to life 
Minister indicates Dingle Ice Plant to remain open
Write up my street!
A new Udarás na Gaeltachta initative, Corca Dhuibhne ag Caint was launched in Dingle last week in an effort to encourage the use of the Irish language in business. According to Udarás na Gaeltachta the objective of this initiative is to promote and encourage the use of Irish in the Corca Dhuibhne area especially within the commercial sector. Twelve local companies and businesses have agreed to participate in the scheme which will see staff have the option of wearing specially designed badges indicating their level of spoken Irish. Currently there are three types of badges with three designations which employees can wear; Ag Foghlaim for learning those learning Irish, Cúpla Focal, for those competent in Irish and Seo Leat indicating fluency. Those advocating the scheme saythat this scheme is intended to make it easier for the customer to choose whether to do business in English or in Irish. "Up to now, there was no method of knowing which language to use in shops and businesses unless you knew members of staff personally" said Rachel Ní Riada of Udarás. "Participation is optional and the project will be presented in a fun way, making it easier for those who want to increase their use of Irish to do so."
An bhfuil ‘Ciorrú’ géarr ag teacht?
Kerry's first friesian foal, bred from an approved stallion, has been born in Ballyferriter. Little black beauty Reinier was born on the farm of Cristina Belmonte-Scanlon in West Kerry on the 26th of April and his birth has caused quite the stir in Kerry's equine and equestrian circles. Reinier's sire is Tsjerk, one of the five Stallions in the world that have been approved and graded as preferent, the highest standard that can be obtained by this breed."Reinier was bred in Ballyferriter; his mother came to Ireland from Holland two years ago" breeder Cristina Belmonte-Scanlon explained. "Since then we have travelled and visited many stud farm speaking to breeders and trainers to enable us to choose the best stallion for our mare Jante fan Rewert and breed the best quality possible.We imported the semen from Holland and she did the rest!"Cristina and her husband T.J. are exicted about little's Reinier's future. "There is a bright future for this little foal as breeding stallion and as a sport horse" she added. Friesian horses are a rare breed from Friesland in Holland; the typical traits of these beautiful animals are their majestic manes, the feathering on the lower legs, their jet black colour and their powerful, elevated gaits. The build and the noble head of this creature, set on a lightly arched neck, complete the aristocratic and fiery appearance of this breed. The Friesian horse has increasingly developed itself as a sports horse over the past decades and now competes with other breeds at the highest levels of equestrian sports. Please forward all enquires to the: thebaroquehorse@gmail.com or contact Cristina Belmonte-Scanlon at The Baroque Horse, Lathieve Meanagh, Ballyferriter. Tel: 087-2950870. http://www.thebaroquehorse.com
The news isn't good at the moment on the jobs front in Dingle with 758 signing on during the month of April, approximately double the numbers recorded during the same period in 2008. To add insult to injury, the increase in figures comes along with the news that live register figures have actually DROPPED by 1% elsewhere in the county, the first decrease in numbers in eight months. 15,401 individuals signed on across the county last month representing a 1% decrease, however bear in mind that the figure is DOUBLE what it was this time last year. There was a drop of 5.9% in people signing on in Listowel, a drop of 2% in Killarney along with smaller drops in Killorglin, Kenmare and Cahersiveen. Only in Dingle and Tralee are the numbers continuing to rise (in Tralee the number of those signing on in April rose by 1.4%, which means 6,265 are on the dole there).
The Labour Candidate in the upcoming Dingle Local Area Elections has spoken out about the number of jobs which could have been created this year in West Kerry, but will not come to pass due to refused planning applications. Pat Hanafin claims that 200 jobs could have been created on the Dingle Peninsula this year had Kerry County Council given the go-ahead to two local projects. "Due to lack of planning permission from Kerry Councy Council and Board Pleanála, over 200 potential jobs have been lost on the Dingle Peninsula" said Patrick. "A hotel in Ventry refused will result in a loss of €2 million to the area, plus 25 jobs. "The refusal for planning for a 65-bed nursing home in Ballinaboula has also resulted in a loss of €8 million to the area and 40 full-time jobs. Sixteen retirement homes had also been indicated in conjunction with this plan." Pat, who also has a long association with the IRDA (Irish Rural Dwellers Association) has also spoken out about the continued refusal for one-off houses applied for by local people who wish to build on their own land in their own native area."Up to 30 houses have been refused in the recent past in West Kerry. One new house equals at least five people being employed for a period of eight months" said Pat, who has also been involved with the plant-hire business for many years. "From the person who draws up the plans, the person who digs the site, the block layer, the plasterer, the plumber, the electrician, the painter, the carpenter, the gardener, to the outlets and shops that supply the materials to all of these people, the positive knock-on effect of this activity is crucial to the survival of the local economy." Pat hosted a meeting with Labour leader Eamonn Gilmore who travelled to Dingle last Friday in light of the number of recent job-losses in the area.
What are the symptoms of swine influenza in people?
As fears of a global pandemic grow, it is important to be aware of the facts surrounding Swine Flu, the respiratory disease which has caused a number of deaths in Mexico. The HSE and the Department of Health and Children continue to closely monitor cases of Swine Influenza A/H1N1 and yesterday it was confirmed that a small number of people have come forward in Ireland with mild flu-like illness and a history of relevant travel. These cases are being examined however at the time of publication, no cases of this illness have been confirmed in Ireland. Swine, or Pig flu, is a respiratory disease, caused by Influenza Type A which had, up until now, not infected humans. The virus however has many variants which are constantly evolving and adapting. This outbreak of the virus contains genetic material that is typically found in strains of the virus that affect humans, birds and swine. It is believed that the virus can be spread from person to person, most likely through coughing and sneezing. There have been 103 deaths in Mexico, so far it has been confirmed 20 of these had the virus. There were also outbreaks in parts of the United States, Canada and Spain. The only treatment which currently exists are two anti-viral drugs, Tamiflu and Relenza. No vaccine against this form of flu has yet been developed.For further updates on the Irish and global situation visit www.hse.ie .

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