Full details of the assessor/panel result will be sent to the Tralee Purple Flag Committee in October and the formal presentation of the Purple Flag accreditation will take place at an award ceremony in Norwich, England in November.

The aim of the Purple Flag is to increase footfall into town centres, lower crime and improve the night time experience.

In a team approach, the Garda, Kerry County Council, vintners and other representatives of the hospitality sector were involved in a comprehensive application process which was led by Tralee Chamber Alliance.

The Chief Executive of Tralee Chamber Alliance, Kieran Ruttledge, said: “Purple Flag destinations distinguish themselves by being vibrant and well-managed and this achievement will give Tralee a much needed boost. We were very happy with how Tralee was presented during the judges’ visit. They were particularly impressed by the facilities that the town has to offer families and the great range of drinking and dining options. Our Purple Flag coordinator, David Scott, and his team deserve much credit for their tireless efforts over the past number of months to prepare the application and the Judges’ tour of Tralee. Their hard work has paid-off and now the onus is on everyone in Tralee to ensure that we retain the Purple Flag into the future.”

The Mayor of Tralee, Cllr Norma Foley, said: “A vibrant Evening and Night Time Economy (ENTE) will further enhance the town centre of Tralee, helping to create a stimulating destination providing a safe, secure environment, with a broad choice and rich mix of entertainment and other activities. The pulling power will change throughout the evening, appealing to a range of age groups, including families, and will be accessible to all, whilst protecting the quality of life for locals and the interests of other businesses.”

Two judges visited Tralee in July and throughout a weekend assessment, the judges toured the area within a circuit from The Rose Hotel to Tralee Bay Wetlands to North Circular Road and back to Fels Point, covering pubs, hotels and restaurants, Siamsa Tíre Theatre, KDYS and Tralee Town Park.

Tralee is Ireland’s Best Large Tourism Town, a Gold Medal Winner in the European Entente Florale Competition and a six-time Gold Medal Winner in the Tidy Towns Competition.

There are a number of Blue Flag Beaches within 10 minutes of the town centre and now the Purple Flag accreditation to Tralee will strengthen the town’s as Ireland’s premier town in which to live, work and visit.

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The event, which returns for a third outing, will feature a longer Taste Trail and Craft Beer Trail, Artisan Food Market, Cookery Demonstrations and a variety of menus at some of Tralee’s top food and beverage haunts including hotels, restaurants, bars and cafés.

The CEO of Tralee Chamber Alliance, Kieran Ruttledge, said: “The Tralee Food Festival continues to provide a platform from where the wider public may experience the wonderful taste of what Tralee has to offer. Having the Atlantic to the west and with some of the best pasture in Europe on our doorstep, Tralee can justly claim to produce the highest-quality, natural ingredients that others can only dream of. Our chefs and restaurants make the most of our produce and they are earning a world-wide reputation for their creativity and skill.”

The Chairman of Taste Kerry, John Harty, said: “Food Festivals in Kerry are growing in popularity and it’s essential for the capital town of our county to host a well-supported event. Food festivals provide an opportunity for restaurants and producers to meet their customer-base face-to-face. The event provides a chance for them to interact, swap ideas and suggestions, and show off to a broader spectrum of client than they would normally encounter. Marketing, innovation, product launches are all part of food festivals, but perhaps the most important benefit is the chance to let your hair down and have fun.”

Tralee Bay Wetlands will host the opening event of this year’s Tralee Food Festival on Friday 22^nd September at 6pm with seafood taster plates from Spa Seafoods (only €5) and Oyster Demonstrations.

On Saturday 23^rd September, the Tralee Food Festival Taste Trail will include 15 locations, an increase on last year, where delicious bites will be available for the public to eat for only €2 each from 10am until late.

The Cookery Demonstrations with the Culinary Gangsters from Croí Restaurant, and top chefs from The Rose Hotel and The Ashe Hotel will tantalise the taste buds of foodies in the Square from 12pm until 3pm on Satuday.

The Artisan Food Market and Transition Kerry Tent will open at 10am on Saturday in The Square, while Tralee Farmers Market will open for business as usual beside the Brandon Car Park on Saturday.

To celebrate the continued growth of Craft Beers as the beverage of choice for many pub-goers, the Tralee Food Festival has extended the Craft Beer Trail to incorporate five local hostelries in town.

Such was the success of last year’s Sunday Brunch, another late morning/early afternoon offering will be served at selected restaurants on the 24^th September with the Ashe Hotel hosting a Yoga Brunch priced at €25 pp on Sunday afternoon from 11am to 1.30pm.

Festival Menus are now available from selected restaurants for the duration of the Festival and they can be seen or downloaded from the Tralee Food Festival Facebook Page.

Kieran Ruttledge thanked everyone who has played a role in developing the first ever Tralee Food Festival, in particular – The Artisan Food Market vendors, the weekly Tralee Farmers Market vendors, Transition Kerry, Garvey’s Supervalu, Noel Keane, Culinary Arts Department of the Institute of Technology Tralee, Rural Food Skillnet, Kerry County Council, Kingdom Party Pals and the members of Tralee Chamber Alliance.

Full details of the Tralee Food Festival are available from Tralee.ie, Facebook.com/TraleeFoodFestival and Tralee Chamber Alliance on +353 66 7121472.

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The event, which is held annually at the end of August and has been part of the Club’s history for generations, attracted a huge number of Club members of all ages to participate in a weekend of various activities both on and off the water where there are a variety of cups and trophies up for grabs.

CEO of Mater Private Cork, Donna Roche, said: “The Royal Cork Yacht Club is the oldest yacht club in the world and been in existence since 1720. We are delighted to announce that Mater Private Cork will proudly sponsor the At Home Regatta again this year. Both Mater Private Cork and Royal Cork have much in common with unparalleled and continually expanding facilities. This year’s At Home Regatta was another exciting occasion for all involved and Mater Private Cork congratulated all the participants on their success.”

Over the past 12 months, Mater Private Cork has doubled its capacity, opened a new ward and Emergency Department leading to an increase in staffing levels in a number of medical and administrative areas, while expansion plans are at an advanced stage.

It was successful year for Mater Private Cork after the hospital was shortlisted for three National Healthcare Centre Awards which celebrate best practice in the country’s healthcare sector. Mater Private Cork was also shortlisted in the Large Company Category at the Cork Chamber ‘Company of the Year Awards’.

Mater Private Cork is a JCI Accredited Hospital, the highest quality care standard in healthcare, with with free parking for patients and visitors and a restaurant for visitors on-site.

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RTÉ’s Dáithí Ó Sé announced the result in front of nearly one million television viewers and an audience of 2000 people in the Festival Dome last night.

Jennifer (24) was presented with her sash and tiara by 2016 Rose of Tralee Maggie McEldowney and Robbie Scanlan, Managing Director of Tipperary Crystal, lead sponsors of the Festival.

Top Irish country singer, Derek Ryan serenaded Jennifer in the Dome and again on Denny Street in the heart of Tralee where thousands of people turned out for the Midnight Madness Parade and fireworks display.

Speaking straight after the announcement, Jennifer Byrne said: “I think my heart is about to jump out of my chest but I’m really, really excited but I genuinely can’t believe it, it’s fantastic. My first thought was ‘did Dáithí actually just say my name, I wasn’t really expected it at all’. I thought ‘this is going to be incredible’. Maggie McEldowney is an unbelievable representative for the Rose of Tralee and I’ll be asking her for a few tips because I have got big boots to fill now.”

A sports enthusiast, Jennifer has played soccer and Gaelic football from a very early age, and has represented Ireland in soccer at U17 and U19 level and in the World University Games.

64 Roses took part in the 2017 Rose of Tralee International Festival and already, Jennifer Byrne has encouraged Irish women everywhere in the world to consider entering the 2018 Rose of Tralee: “It has been absolutely fantastic. Even meeting up in Kildare we had a great time getting to know the girls, the very first night we got into our county jerseys and comfortable clothes and we really bonded as a group from there. From Kildare we came to Tralee and the Festival has been incredible, the parade was definitely the most fantastic experience of my life – well up until now anyway. I have enjoyed every minute of it and I have made such good friends with the girls and they are all incredible women”

Next year’s Rose of Tralee International Festival will take place from 15-21August and online Rose applications are now being accepted at www.roseoftralee.ie.

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Dáithí Ó Sé announced the result live on RTÉ One television last night in the Festival Dome and presented him with a cheque for €1,000.

There are 64 Rose Escorts at this year’s Festival and Thomas was paired with the Kilkenny Rose, Tara Roche for the first three days of the Festival, followed by the Dubai Rose, Lisa O’Donohue for the remainder of the event in Tralee.

Thomas, who was sponsored by Grant Thornton, said: “It’s uplifting to see how the children and the town interact with the Roses and the joy that they are experiencing. When we pull out a Rose’s chair, when we hold their hands coming down off the bus and when you see them kind of giggle and look back at the other Rose and say, ‘Oh, I could get used to this…’, that kind of lifts our spirits. It means we are doing something right and we are making the week magical for them.”

Thomas is passionate about rugby, particularly tag rugby, and while he played basketball and tennis from a young age, he enjoyed trampolining in college before discovering the exciting world of rugby a few years later.

Daniel McLaughlin, a carpenter from Donegal sponsored by McLaughlin Taylor Dry-lining and Paul Fitzgerald, a radio presenter from Limerick, sponsored by Gretta Gibbs and Limerick’s Live 95fm were also shortlisted for the Rose Escort of the Year award.

Nearly 200 men aged between 21 and 30 applied to become Escorts at this year’s Rose of Tralee International Festival and following a detailed interview process, the final 64 were selected to take part in a Boot Camp weekend in Kerry to help them prepare for a busy week at the Festival.

Applications are now being accepted to become Rose Escorts in 2018 and full details are available from www.roseoftralee.ie.

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The aim of the Purple Flag is to increase footfall into town centres, lower crime and improve the night time experience.

The Purple Flag Committee in Tralee presented a strong case for the town throughout the assessment process by showing a commitment to ensuring that Tralee has a safe, vibrant and well-managed Night Time Economy.

The Chief Executive of Tralee Chamber Alliance, Kieran Ruttledge, said: “We are very happy with how Tralee was presented during the judges’ visit who were particularly impressed by the facilities that the town has to offer families. They said that we had a great range of drinking and dining options. Whilst we are hopeful that our submission is good enough to achieve Purple Flag statues, we now have a couple of anxious months to wait until we hear the final result. It was great to see the business community, Kerry County Council and An Garda Siochána work together to show that Tralee is a great place to live, work and visit.”

Throughout last weekend’s assessment, the judges toured the area within a circuit from The Rose Hotel to Tralee Bay Wetlands to North Circular Road and back to Fels Point, covering pubs, hotels and restaurants, Siamsa Tíre Theatre, KDYS and Tralee Town Park.

Kieran Ruttledge paid tribute to David Scott the Purple Flag coordinator and his team who worked tirelessly over the past number of months to prepare the application and the Judges’ tour of Tralee.

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Aidan, has run his own business, Kelly O’Shea Pensions & Financial Services Ltd in Edward Street, Tralee along with his business partner Gerry O’Shea, since 2006.

The outgoing President of Tralee Chamber Alliance, John Drummey, said: “Aidan is a successful businessman who has considerable experience of the local community development sector. He immerses himself locally in a number of projects, in particular Baile Mhuire Day Care Centre which provides Day Services to over 120 older people in Tralee each week. Aidan shares my desire, and that of the Tralee Chamber Alliance Board, to support local business, to work on their behalf and to lobby for the good of the town. I wish Aidan, every success into the future as Tralee Chamber Alliance works to ensure that we have a driven generation to participate in the future of our town and to be proud of Tralee.”

Aidan is a former President of Tralee Rotary Club, a Fellow of the Life Assurance Association since 2004 and an active volunteer with the Rose of Tralee International Festival.

He has recently completed a Degree Level course in “Leadership for Equality”, achieving a 2.1 from Maynooth in the process, and he hopes to bring this learning to his new role as President of Tralee Chamber Alliance.

Addressing the AGM of Tralee Chamber Alliance at The Rose Hotel last night, Aidan Kelly said: “Tralee Chamber Alliance is the glue that binds local businesses together and a wonderful vehicle to introduce businesses to new customers. We all face challenges on a daily basis and Tralee Chamber Alliance is here to work with other like-minded people, potential customers, clients and business partners. I am looking forward to working with and supporting Kieran Ruttledge, the Board and staff at Tralee Chamber Alliance over the next two years.”

Aidan Kelly, a Tralee native, living in Mounthawk is married to Susan and they have two grown-up daughters Aislinn and Melanie.

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It was fitting that Aidan, one of Tralee’s Community Gardaí, should raise the curtain on a truly delightful community summer festival in the heart of Ireland’s best large tourism town.

Kerry County Council and Tralee Chamber Alliance have teamed up once again to organise this year’s event which is proudly sponsored by Kerry Group.

The Mayor of Tralee, Cllr Terry O’Brien, said: “Féile na mBláth has long been a popular event on the festivals calendar in Tralee. It was the centre piece of last year’s Tralee 800 Festival and we are looking forward to welcoming huge crowds back to enjoy another great festival. Féile na mBláth has all the ingredients for a magnificent mid-summer Park Festival in Tralee featuring something for everyone in the open air and under the marquees.”

Event coordinator, Bryan Carr has put together a full programme of entertainment which will feature Kerry Film Festival’s open-air cinema screening of Sing Street once it gets dark on Friday night 16^th June. This fictionalised version of John Carneys teen years in depressed mid-1980s Dublin is A rite-of-passage romance wrapped in a let’s-make-a-band scenario.

Over 40 Reenactors from Deise Medieval Waterford will live in the Town Park for the weekend and create a Living History Village with full close combat battles include “Kiddie Vike” fun battles for kids throughout the weekend AND it’s 100% FREE.

Family fun is the main focus of Féile na mBláth and there will be plenty of opportunities to meet our Mascot ‘Dandelion’ (Dan the Lion) and enjoy shows from Guido Fanzini and our Keystone Kop.

The Park will get a Festive dressing with over 30 Food & Craft Stalls, Emergency Services Displays, Archery, Dog Shows, Fun Races, Bouncy Castles, Pedal in the Park & the Tralee parkrun on Saturday 17^th and Junior parkrun on Sunday 18^th June.

The Flower competition is always a huge attraction and applications are still open from Tralee Chamber Alliance. Along with this the Community Garden has a weekend full of workshops, cook-outs, BBQs and family fun garden activity.

Kerry Group Marquee will play host to Music Recitals, Presentations, Go Kerry trade stands, Sunday morning Mass, Tea Dancing and much more throughout the weekend.

The President of Tralee Chamber Alliance, John Drummey, said: “The Town Park in Tralee is a magnificent attraction for people of all ages, especially when it’s the venue for a weekend of top quality family entertainment. An event of this scale could not happen firstly without the support of Kerry County Council, the generous sponsorship from Kerry Group or the input of the people of Tralee. We are encouraging the entire community to come to Féile na mBláth at The Park Festival Tralee.”

The Mayor of Tralee, Cllr Terry O’Brien will officially open Féile na mBláth at The Park at 7.30pm on Friday 16^th June and the Festival will continue from 9am to 6pm daily on Saturday 17^th and Sunday 18^th June.

Full details are available from www.Tralee.ie or find The Park Family Festival Tralee on Facebook.

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The lads, who already came through an interview process at the Glen Royal Hotel in Maynooth in April, were put through their paces over the Bank Holiday Weekend at the annual Boot Camp along the Wild Atlantic Way in Kerry.

They had to pass a number of endurance tests and team-building exercises before they could graduate as fully-fledged Rose Escorts.

Three emigrants – Niall O’Hara from Kerry who lives in the UK, Patrick Forsythe from Derry who lives in New Zealand and Rúairí Burke from Laois who lives in Canada, will return to Ireland in August to be part of the Rose of Tralee Festival experience.

The Rose of Tralee International Festival’s Communications Manager, John Drummey, said: “The Rose Escorts spent three days in Kerry where they undertook a number of gruelling, yet fun, tasks to prepare them for the festival in August. It was not because the ladies love Milk Tray but because the lads prefer Roses. Around 200 men aged between 21 and 30 applied to become Rose Escorts at this year’s Rose of Tralee International Festival and following a detailed interview process, the final 64, the most ever, were selected to take part in a Boot Camp weekend in the Kingdom to help them cope with the demands of a busy week in Tralee.”

The lads had to carry out a range activities including a hike over Mount Brandon – Ireland’s second highest mountain – cliff diving, water-skiing, cycling, turf-footing, abseiling, kayaking, surfing, ironing and sewing in order to prove they will have the stamina to be a Rose Escort.

This year’s Rose Escort Boot Camp activities were supported by Kerry County Council and Kerry Civil Defence, under Civil Defence Officer Tom Brosnan, who played a major role in the transport and logistics of the event.

Over the course of the weekend, the Rose Escorts experienced the visitor facilities in Castlegregory, Derrynane, Waterville, Valentia Island, Dingle, Kerry Head and Tralee.

Looking ahead to the year’s Rose of Tralee International Festival, one of the 64 lads will be selected as the Rose Escort of the Year live on RTÉ One on Monday 21^st August.

The 2016 Escort of the Year, John Slowey from Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, said: “Having been selected as the Escort of the Year was nothing short of a great honour. The opportunity to represent a fantastic group and to accompany our Rose of Tralee, Maggie McEldowney, at numerous events has been a brilliant experience. I’ve travelled extensively attending many charity events and Rose reunions while also working closely with a fantastic Rose of Tralee Team who couldn’t have done any more for me. I’ve made memories and friendships that will be cherished forever.”

The 2017 Rose of Tralee International Festival will take place from 16-22 August when a full line-up of FREE family-fun entertainment is planned for the streets of Tralee with Nathan Carter and the Ronan Collins Showband Cabarets Shows, Fashion Show, Rose Ball and televised selections presented by Dáithí Ó Sé, set to fill the Festival Dome.

Full details of this year’s Rose of Tralee International Festival are available from www.roseoftralee.ie, Facebook and Twitter @roseoftralee_.

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A Kerry native from Tralee, Dr Sarah Landers, graduated with an honours degree in medicine from University College Cork in 2004. She has completed dual specialist training in respiratory and internal medicine and was awarded CSCST by the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland in 2015. During her training, she has worked at St. James’s Hospital, St. Vincent’s University Hospital, Mercy University Hospital and St. Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny. She has two additional years of dedicated medical oncology experience at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and Beaumont Hospital.

The General Manager at Mater Private Cork, Donna Roche, said: “Dr Sarah Landers is a strong addition to our team at Mater Private Cork where we offer a complete range of tests and treatments for lung disease and other related illnesses. Dr Landers is particularly experienced in the advanced management of COPD, one of the most common respiratory diseases in Ireland, usually affecting people over 35 with rates become more prevalent in women. She has specialist expertise in diagnostic bronchoscopy, as well as endobronchial and pleural ultrasound and she will treat patients who suffer from asthma, lung cancer, smoking cessation, chronic lung infections and lung fibrosis.”

Conferred with an MD by thesis by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 2016 for translational research on genetic emphysema, Dr Sarah Landers has a passion for medical education and was appointed as a clinical lecturer in medicine by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland from 2014 to 2016.

Located at City Gate, Mahon, Mater Private Hospital Cork is equipped with the very latest technology, private en-suite rooms and free parking for patients and visitors.

Over the past 12 months, Mater Private Cork has doubled its capacity, opened a new ward and Emergency Department leading to an increase in staffing levels in a number of medical and administrative areas, while expansion plans are at an advanced stage.

Get better, get the best at Mater Private Cork which is a JCI Accredited Hospital, the highest quality care standard in healthcare.

Dr Sarah Landers, Consultant Respiratory Physician, is looking forward to treating patients at Mater Private Cork and for appointments, she can be contacted on 021 6013200 or by email Cork.Respiratory@materprivate.ie.

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