Jimmy Deenihan honoured in inaugural lifetime achievement award
EVEN in political retirement, Jimmy Deenihan is still working hard to improve the economy of North Kerry as plans for a ‘food hub’ in Listowel he is steering reach a critical juncture.
For always going above and beyond the call of duty in supporting business, enterprise and industry as a political representative of his beloved county, The Kerryman was delighted to present the inaugural Business Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by the IT Tralee and the Tom Crean Centre, to the Finuge man.
This was the exact point made by Caroline McEnery as she announced Jimmy Deenihan’s receipt of the honour at the Ballygarry House Hotel on Friday to heartfelt applause testifying to the popularity of the choice.
Ms McEnery said that his commitment to facilitating and growing business in Kerry had always been a core part of his political mission. She paid tribute to everything from his role in helping establish the Kerry Technology Park, the Listowel Business Centre, in securing key infrastructure for the county like the Tralee Bypass, the establishment of numerous smaller projects now benefitting their locations in a myriad of ways and much else.
Most recently, he also secured the new gas line for the Kerry Ingredients plant in Listowel, supporting one of the county’s remaining vital industries in what is hoped will protect jobs there well into the future.
In the tourism capital of the county, Jimmy drove the renovation project at Killarney House that has restored the old manorial home to its majesterial glory in another hugely important attraction set to take the tourism product in the hotspot to greater heights.
Jimmy told The Kerryman that he was ‘ honoured’ by the award: “It’s a great honour and I consider it a privilege to get the inaugural Kerryman Business Lifetime Achievement award. It’s an honour and privilege on a personal level of course, but it is also an important endorsement from the point of view of a number of projects I’m currently working on.”
Among these is the new Food Hub for Listowel – set out as one of the main goals of the North Kerry Jobs Task Force Jimmy convened in response to the recession a number of years ago.
“Kerry lost its manufacturing base as global markets opened up to multinationals in Eastern Europe, China and elsewhere and it became apparent we could no longer compete. Business is always up against it in a county like Kerry too but there is so much we can do and the spirit of enterprise in the county is incredible, with so many people working tirelessly to create employment.
“The Kerry Ingredients plant is vital to North Kerry and I was delighted to have been able to facilitate the new gas pipeline there which is currently under construction and will hopefully drive down energy costs for the plant well into the future. But there are few new major sources of jobs coming on stream in North Kerry and to my knowledge the Food Hub, planned for the Clieveragh Industrial Estate, is the only one currently ready for planning at present.
“It’s essentially going to be comprised of a single structure with four separate manufacturing units and already we have more interest than there is space there with a number of smaller food-producing businesses in North Kerry keen to use the hub to expand. Those producing in the hub will be able to use the Listowel Business Centre in the same estate for office space.”
The committee behind the hub is to apply for funding of roughly €1 million in January, with a planning application to issue afterwards. “We need 60 per cent matching funding so are hoping Leader and Kerry County Council will come on board to help us realise something we’re counting on for the future of the region.”