Kerry Association in Dublin calls down from capital for annual trip

MORE than 80 people joined the ‘Kerry Association in Dublin’ on their annual trip this week, as the city-slickers swapped Ireland’s capital for a weekend of entertainment in Tralee and Listowel.

The association’s annual weekend ran from Friday to Sunday (October 6 to 8), and the getaway from the hustle and bustle of Dublin featured a Saturday in Listowel including a Gabriel Fitzmaurice-guided walk by the River Feale and through the Garden of Europe.

“Gabriel, along with Karen Trench and Eileen Cronin, regaled the group with poetry, songs and recitations from local writers,” Kerry Association in Dublin Chairperson Keelin Kissane told The Kerryman. “Then, in the afternoon, master of ceremonies Billy Keane, along with Mickey McConnell, Gabriel Fitzmaurice and Kevin Barry, enthralled us all during an afternoon of pub theatre at John B Keane’s.

“It was a hugely enjoyable weekend, and we saw Kerry hospitality at its best in both Tralee and Listowel”, she added.

The association also revealed that the 2018 weekend away, which will be the association’s 25th, will be held in Ennis.

The committee is also planning its flagship annual event, Oíche Chiarraí, which will take place on March 2 next in the Ballsbridge Hotel, Dublin. The recipients of the Kerry Person of the Year award and Laochra Chiarraí, the top group award, will formally receive their trophies that night. Nominations for both prizes are now being accepted via info@kerryassociation.ie ahead of the November 30 closing date.