Articles

Records of KCC Inaction:
In 2011:  The KCC advised that the climate at Glaunsharoon was ‘too chilly’ for Tourists. The Roads Dept agreed that the site provided great views but said there is no money for development and, anyway, it's too chilly for tourists to stop there. "Tourists only park for a brief visit as the weather is seldom warm even in summertime," the council said.
In 2015: The county council, meanwhile, said the depot had been there for decades, “strategically positioned” for salt storage for winter-road maintenance, and surface-dressing chip storage. The depot has reinforced, concrete storage bays, security fencing and security lighting. “To relocate this depot would require land acquisition and the construction of a new compound,” a written report to councillors stated.

Kerry County Council owns Land Folios close by the Glounsharoon Materials Yard site, UNUSED and IDLE land that would be ideally suitable as an alternate site to relocate the Council Materials Yard from Glounsharoon. 

In 2017: We were on ‘the cusp’ of a major investment. Nothing transpired.
In 2019: The sum advised was €100,000 and funding was sought as well but the application was refused.
‘’Funding was applied for to upgrade this location under the town and Village Renewal grant scheme in 2019, however the application was unsuccessful.’’
In 2020: A paltry 50k in funding was promised by the CASTLEISLAND-CORCA DHUIBHNE MD Management who confirmed as per Meeting Minutes Jul 15th, 2020: YES ‘’there would be an application made for funding for the Glounsharoon Viewing Area later in 2020, which was welcomed by Cllr. J. Healy-Rae.’’ 2020 expired and the KCC FAILED TO MAKE AN APPLICATION FOR FUNDING AS PROMISED! More Broken Promises from KCC
In 2021: STILL the KCC have not as-yet applied for that paltry €50,000 sum. May 20th 2021: KCC now have a ‘’ view to preparing an application for funding over the coming months’’ On May 20th 2021, KCC advise ''I wish to advise that extensive work has taken place on proposals for Gleansharoon.  Design Drawings and cost estimates have been prepared and the Castleisland Corca Dhuibhne Municipal District Team have had several consultations on the proposal with NEWKD and Castleisland Chamber Alliance with a view to preparing an application for funding over the coming months.  The Members of the Municipal District have been notified of developments in this regard also.''
2022: At last some action - Urgently needed and basic remedial works have been initiated at Glounsharoon. Thanks to MJK Chamber Alliance Castleisland who organised the required financing of circa €80,000.00. Refer below.

The KCC need to answer basic questions regarding Glounsharoon?
1) Why is The Kerry Scenic Platform at Glounsharoon at the Gateway to Kerry, allowed time and time again to fall into a state of utter disrepair and KCC neglect? Will it be maintained properly going forward?
2) Why is there an eye sore KCC Council Yard (A Dump) at the same site as a Majestic Scenic Platform at Glounsharoon, at the Gateway to Kerry, Kerry’s Front Door,  where 2 Mio visitors pass each year.?
This is the first impression to visitors to Kerry, The Kerry Hello – A KCC Council Materials Yard, A DUMP!
3) Why not promote Tourism, move the KCC Council Yard and integrate that site to create a world class Scenic Platform Resource at Glounsharoon? All the works required are Bread & Butter work for the Council.

Transparency International Ireland (TII), the Irish Chapter of the worldwide movement against corruption scored Kerry and Westmeath joint last. The chief executive of Kerry County Council has defended the council’s compliance with “all statutory requirements” after a report found Kerry was joint-worst among all local authorities in key transparency indicators.
MON, 16 DEC, 2019 - ANNE LUCEY   CLICK Here: 

MON, 14 DEC, 2015 - ANNE LUCEY
Dooneen, in Gleansharoon, at the entrance to Kerry, on the N21, is the valley of the secrets. From the valley underneath, Glean Seathrúin gives out no inkling of its sweeping views. High over the entrance to Castleisland, it allows the eye to extend across Kerry to Tralee Bay, to the west, and the MacGillicuddy’s Reeks and the Gap of Dunloe. However, “a monstrosity” of a county council depot has been placed at the beauty spot. Two separate motions came before a meeting of Killarney Area Municipal, which incorporates Gleansharoon and Castleisland. “It is grossly irresponsible of a local authority to locate a council yard at this panoramic location,” said Cllr Bobby O’Connell (FG), mayor of Killarney. “To add insult to injury, the depot serves the Tralee area, not Killarney. We pride ourselves as a tourist county. There is plenty of bog and forestry where this depot can be located,” he said. He said if an individual applied for planning at the area, they would “be laughed out of it. I’m not calling, I’m insisting this be removed,” he said. Cllr Michael Gleeson, South Kerry Independent Alliance, had placed a similar motion on the agenda, seeking “the tourism potential of the viewing area be maximised”. The Killarney councillor said the view had been undermined. “But it’s spectacular, and the council should open its eyes to it and remove the unsightly brick-and-sand depot,” Mr Gleeson said. The county council, meanwhile, said the depot had been there for decades, “strategically positioned” for salt storage for winter-road maintenance, and surface-dressing chip storage. The depot has reinforced, concrete storage bays, security fencing and security lighting. “To relocate this depot would require land acquisition and the construction of a new compound,” a written report to councillors stated.
CLICK Here For this Great Article by Anne Lucey. WELL DONE ANNE LUCEY!

Article Extract:
''High over the entrance to Castleisland, it allows the eye to extend across Kerry to Tralee Bay, to the west, and the MacGillicuddy’s Reeks and the Gap of Dunloe.
However, “a monstrosity” of a county council depot has been placed at the beauty spot. Two separate motions came before a meeting of Killarney Area Municipal, which incorporates Gleansharoon and Castleisland. “It is grossly irresponsible of a local authority to locate a council yard at this panoramic location,” said Cllr Bobby O’Connell (FG), mayor of Killarney. “To add insult to injury, the depot serves the Tralee area, not Killarney. We pride ourselves as a tourist county. There is plenty of bog and forestry where this depot can be located,” he said.
He said if an individual applied for planning at the area, they would “be laughed out of it. I’m not calling, I’m insisting this be removed,” he said.

In different Articles, the Council use every conceivable 'refutable' differing excuse as it suits. The KCC OWNS LAND Close by, so land acquisition is not required. Most of the fabric of this compound is transferable. The KCC ignore the absolute enormous TOURISM POTENTIAL at this site and seem and act as if totally oblivious (When it suits) to the damage that the KCC are doing to to our Environment and to the Tourism Product. The Kerry Scenic Platform is in a filthy, run-down, deplorable and dilapidated state and the KCC action and inaction has ramifications. Right beside this KCC Materials Yard (Dump), the litter problem on the Glounsharoon road to Cragg is constant. Its a lead by KCC example scenario. The KCC have destroyed the Glounsharoon Scenic Platform site so as the KCC set the terrible example, others feel that they can do likewise, so they discard litter at will along the road beside Glounsharoon. It is SHAMEFUL and CRIMINAL WHAT IS HAPPENING AT GLOUNSHAROON and the KCC should be brought to task over their disgusting behaviour.

Killarney Municipal Area Mayor Bobby O’Connell pictured amid the Kerry County Council created rubble dump at Glounsharoon. ©Photograph: John Reidy.
Con Houlihan loved it and it showed in the way he wrote about it; Bertie Ahern looked forward to seeing it and spoke accordingly of it; Now Mayor Bobby O’Connell is ranting about it and wants it cleaned up and given its due respect. Click HERE or on the images to see the full article.
Mayor O’Connell is on a crusade to have the ‘viewing park’ at Glounsharoon cleaned up and developed. He’s channelling his ire and placing the blame and responsibility on Kerry County Council – the very body to which he has been elected continuously since 1991. We’re biased here of course but we all think that the view from Glounsharoon is the best it the world. And it is in so many ways and it certainly is to us. We know we’re home once we hit the brow of that hill. From there we can roll on down into our little valley. Chicago born, Castleisland reared, Mayor O’Connell is taking Kerry County Council’s abuse of the scenic area as a personal insult to him and his office. It is, after all, the first real glimpse of the beauty of Kerry. People will point out that there are finer and more scenic views elsewhere in the county – and there probably are – but not if you’re an Islander. “With the way things have changed in recent years and the way the electoral boundaries are now, that stuff you see dumped there is probably from Tralee or Killarney,” said Mayor O’Connell. “You wouldn’t see the likes of that in Aghadoe or anywhere in Tralee and yet it all seems OK for them to come out and dump the leftover road material here beside one of the first and finest views of a county so dependent on tourism,” said Mayor O’Connell. Cllr. O’Connell was speaking on Glounsharoon on Friday as a heavy cloud covered the valley and the view. “On a fine day here you’d often see a dozen cars or more pulled in and people out taking photographs of the view here. To see the place treated like this is all wrong and I’m not going to let it go any further. The place has great potential for the whole county and it’s a shame to see it treated like this,” said Mayor O’Connell. In fairness to him, Cllr Mick Gleeson also proposed, during the summer of 2012, that the area be taken in hand and developed. He too spoke about its importance and relevance to the whole county and its Gateway to Kerry status.

Cllr.Bobby O’Connell pictured amid the Kerry County Council created rubble dumped at Gleansharoon and inset: the view from the area on a more obliging day. ©Photographs: John Reidy.

The long running saga of the soon-to-be called Gleannsharoon Viewing Park got another airing at this week’s meeting of Kerry County Council. Only this time the air was warm with positivity and promise. A motion by Cllr. Bobby O’Connell urged: That Kerry County Council give immediate priority to the viewing area at Dooneen, Gleannsharoon, Castleisland as it is of vital importance to Kerry. Reply: Plans are currently being finalised for the viewing area at Dooneen, Gleannsharoon, Castleisland with a view to carrying out the works towards the end of February. These plans involve the upgrade and enhancement of the viewing area with hard and soft landscaping. Kerry county Council intend to carry out these works towards the end of February.   Con Houlihan loved it and it showed in the way he wrote about it; Bertie Ahern looked forward to seeing it and spoke accordingly of it. After a public utterance on the beauty of the vista by Bertie on a visit to Kerry, Con Houlihan quipped: “It isn’t near as pleasing to him as seeing Fine Gael on the opposition benches in Dáil Éireann,’ Cllr. Bobby O’Connell is a self confessed ranter about it’s charms – in any kind of weather – and campaigned to have it cleaned up and given its due respect. He places the movement of the project and the due praise at the door of Angela McAllen – Kerry County Council’s Head of Finance. Now, Cllr. O’Connell is on the cusp of having the ‘viewing park’ at Gleansharoon cleaned up and developed. He has channelled his ire on Kerry County Council over the years – on the very body to which he has been elected continuously since 1991. We’re biased here of course but we all think that the view from Gleannsharoon is the best it the world. And it is in so many ways and it certainly is to us. We know we’re home once we hit the brow of that hill. From there we can roll on down into our little valley. Chicago born, Castleisland reared, Cllr. O’Connell took Kerry County Council’s abuse of the scenic area as a personal insult to him and his constituents. It is, after all, the first real glimpse of the beauty of Kerry. People will point out that there are finer and more scenic views elsewhere in the county – and there probably are – but not if you’re an Islander. Click HERE or on the images to see the full article. Menu of Insults: Apart from anything else on the menu of insults on the population of the area, the park overlooks the nearby land from which his paternal ancestors emerged.
“With the way things have changed in recent years and the way the electoral boundaries are now, that stuff you see dumped there is probably from Tralee or Killarney,” said Mayor O’Connell.
“You wouldn’t see the likes of that in Aghadoe or anywhere in Tralee and yet it all seems OK for them to come out and dump the leftover road material here beside one of the first and finest views of a county so dependent on tourism,” said Mayor O’Connell. Great Potential:  “On a fine day here you’d often see a dozen cars or more pulled in and people out taking photographs of the view from here. To see the place treated like this is all wrong and I’m glad that it’s not going to go any further. The place has great potential for the whole county and it’s a shame to see it treated like this,” said O’Connell.
To be fair to all the eyes of all the beholders: Cllr Mick Gleeson also proposed, during the summer of 2012, that the area be taken in hand and developed. He too spoke about its importance and relevance to the whole county and its Gateway to Kerry status. Click HERE or on the images to see the full article.

Credit to Cllr. Jackie Healy-Rae Jnr. and Cllr. Fionnán Fitzgerald for highlighted obvious - the urgent need for the viewing site at Gleansharoon, in Castleisland to be improved.
Click HERE or on the image to see the full article.  

Work needs to be carried out to enhance the appearance of the gateway to Kerry.
That’s the view of Kerry County Councillors in the Castleisland Corca Dhuibhne MD. Both Independent councillor Jackie Healy-Rae and Fianna Fáil councillor Fionnán Fitzgerald highlighted the need for the viewing site at Gleansharoon, in Castleisland to be improved. Councillor Jackie Healy-Rae says this site offers the first glimpse of Kerry and shows the spectacular views of the county. He says the area is not in a good state, adding he believes it’s not going to cost a lot to improve – to cut the grass, place benches and bins at the site and for maps to be put up showing the history and highlighting the local amenities. Fianna Fáil councillor Fionnán Fitzgerald says there is an opportunity to use Gleansharoon in a positive way to show visitors that their next stop should be Castleisland and the surrounding areas. This issue has been previously raised by Fine Gael councillor Michael John O’Connell, who says it is of immense importance as there is a need for tourism in the area. All councillors agreed the viewing point needed to be improved and utilised. KCC says the enhancement of the site has been included in a funding application submitted to under the Town and Village Renewal Programme for €100,000. It is currently awaiting a decision on this application.
That failed too!

2019 and Cllr. Jackie Healy Rae Jnr. has takes up the Glounsharoon Baton. Other councillors have given up the ghost and have become exasperated at the KCC total lack of support for making improvements at Glounsharoon. Promises are cheap. Unlike Killarney, Tralee and Kenmare: Castleisland is not receiving at the alter when it comes to Funding Support for Obvious and Critical Projects like the Glounsharoon Scenic Platform. For the last 20 years, it has been like 'Groundhog Glounsharoon' - always seem to arrive back at 'Nought'. Hopefully Cllr. Jackie Healy Rae Jnr. has a better outcome soon. Click HERE or on the images to see the full article. Hope JHR Junior does not lose the enthusiasm for this! What the KCC continue to perpetrate upon Glounsharoon is an Abomination and a National Scandal.

Cllr. JHR jnr.

''THERE was a heated exchange at the recent Castleisland-Corca Dhuibhne Municipal District Meeting between MD Manager and Independent Councillor Jackie Healy-Rae, who proposed that some of the €315,000 from the municipal allocation be used for the enhancement of Gleansharoon Viewing Area, Castleisland. An unsuccessful funding application for €100,000 was made under the Town and Village Renewal Programme. KCC said the council was committed to reviewing the application, seeing where it could be improved, and looking into what funding options could be available. Cllr Healy-Rae said he could not stress enough the importance of the project, suggesting it was such a priority that Municipal Allocation funds should be used. “If we can’t [get a grant] we should press ahead and use our own funds,” he said. “I understand the €315,000 is there at the discretion of the members…Why can’t we use that if that’s the will of the members?” KCC said it would be inappropriate to use €100,000, almost a third of the Municipal Allocation, on one project. He repeated that the funding application would be reviewed at the end of quarter one. “You still haven’t explained what you’re using the €315,000 for,” Cllr Healy-Rae said. “You’re talking about footpaths, roads, drainage,” KCC said. “I can’t see any value in spending one third of your entire MD allocation on one project. “I’d argue I could see great value in it,” Cllr Healy-Rae interjected. KCC added that the €315,000 was for match funding. “The position is outlined in the budget that this is a strategic fund used in terms of match funding, an increasing requirement for any application,” KCC said. When told again that the application would be reviewed, Cllr Healy-Rae interrupted: “That’s not what I asked, you’d be a better politician than myself… If we want to allocate funding from the €315,000 [to Gleansharoon] can we do that, yes or no?” “You can do that,” KCC said. “My understanding was that we had an allocation in our overall budget of half a million,” Cllr Healy-Rae said. “Broken down into that was €50,000 set aside for match funding to gain a yield of nearly €200,000 in grants, and that the €315,000 was totally discretionary. I refute, unless I’m proven wrong, that I’m looking to rob Peter to pay Paul. I understand we’ve already set aside money that we want to use for match funding for any potential grants.” KCC reiterated that the council is committed to looking at securing funding for the viewing point and will review it to see what options are available for the project.''

It seems clear that the KCC has little intention of progressing Glounsharoon and the mantra above is very revealing – No answers to simple questions.
It does demonstrate though how entrenched the KCC are in endeavouring NOT to progress GLOUNSHAROON and how hard KCC try to justify taking no action there and prefer instead preserving the status quo and a Council Yard/DUMP there.

Let’s just take a look at the high-infants, highfalutin, obfuscating language used by the KCC above.
-council was committed to ……….
-seeing where it could be improved……….
-and looking into ……….
-what could be available……..
-a strategic fund used in terms of match funding………..
-an increasing requirement for any application……..
-application would be reviewed AGAIN……..
-set aside for match funding to gain a yield of nearly …..
-reiterated that the council is committed to looking at securing funding for the viewing point and will review it to see what options are available for the project……

Questions will be asked before the next Election as to why elected members kowtow & tolerate such 'UNCHECKED' KCC inaction regarding Glounsharoon. It is now time to ask questions too regarding organisational and project delivery deficiencies at the KCC and address those? Perhaps we should have elected members in critical posts within the KCC and make them accountable? There is no accountability as is. What is happening at Glounsharoon is a National Scandal.

Click Here: Full Article

Enlarge - Click On Image

Extract: An ugly Kerry County Council ‘materials site’ obstructing the stunningly beautiful East and South Kerry vista near Castleisland must be removed to encourage tourism, according to local campaigners. In 2019, almost 2.5m tourists visited Kerry, the majority of whom drove right past the spectacular panoramic views at Glounsharoon on their way to attractions such as Dingle, Killarney and the majestic Ring of Kerry. Now, locals in the Ahaneboy Community Group are demanding that Kerry County Council do more to develop ‘the gateway to Kerry’ which they say is currently a ‘dumpstered wasteland’.

Council has an aversion to progressing improvements at the site and will not entertain discussing relocating the Council Materials Dump. Similar reasons put forward yet again:
1) The Council Dump is strategically Located and would require funding to move it. (Same excuse as in 2011)
2) Improvements must be considered in the context of the road safety advice from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).
3) Is this a discrete 'Yellow-Card, Warning-Shot' to locals - ''TII, which has responsibility for the design, construction and maintenance of the national road network, have expressed a desire to reduce the number of access points on the national road at this location to 'improve safety'.''

New Traffic Lane - Vast Space

Road safety dangers persist at Glounsharoon presently. The Council has been clearly advised of those on various occasions and are well aware of those issues now. The Community Group has presented various Road Safety Proposals to the Council on many occasions:
1) A traffic island would resolve the danger issue of south-side  RH turn access into the site in combination with
2) To accommodate the traffic island, an additional new traffic lane added north side where the Council already owns that vast stretch of waste land (See Image Attached, Click on image to enlarge. Space for many new lanes if required there on the North Side of the N21 - right opposite The Scenic site).
3) Apply single lane traffic and
4) A reduced traffic speed limit 80 km ph. The TII allude that this would hamper the progress of traffic and there is no precedent for sub 100 km ph on the N21. However, on a long stretch of the N21 at Croagh south of Adare, the N21 contains a single lane with a 60 kmph limit restriction.

What the Council or TII do not mention is that if the Council were to relocate the Dump, then the traffic would decrease immediately as Council Lorries, JCB’s, Tractors, Various Machinery and Staff Vehicles attending at the Dump would cease to use the route. Thus, alleviating some of the traffic issues there immediately.
Those combined additional measures above would significantly address the other TII concerns – but the Council/TII refuse to entertain those.

Click HERE To Red Full Article. Kerry's Eye Article by Michael Ahern. 

No Funding Success in 2019 and a failed promise to apply for funding in 2020.
No Progress YET AGAIN at Glounsharoon in 2020.

Extract - Minutes Municipal District of CASTLEISLAND-CORCA DHUIBHNE Meeting 15th July 2020
‘’Funding was applied for to upgrade this location under the town and Village Renewal grant scheme in 2019, however the application was unsuccessful.’’
2020 expired and the KCC DID NOT MAKE AN APPLICATION FOR FUNDING AS PROMISED! More Broken Promises from KCC. 
CASTLEISLAND-CORCA DHUIBHNE KCC ‘’confirmed there would be an application made for funding for the Glounsharoon Viewing Area later in 2020, which was welcomed by Cllr. J. Healy-Rae.’’

So after 40 years - we are back at 'NOUGHT' once again with nothing to show, nothing achieved at this fantastic Scenic Resource at Glounsharoon.
Nothing to show for all those 'Meetings' 'Manhours' 'Applications' 'Plans/Planning' 'Promises' 'Reports'
Why is that?
How much Taxpayers Money has been spent/wasted in the last 20 years on Council Applications and Planning, Manhour-Allocations, Meetings and Reports etc with NOUHT resulting for all of that time. THAT's BOT VERY SMART?.

CLICK Here: INDEX MINUTES CASTLEISLAND-CORCA DHUIBHNE Municipal District MEETINGS

No progress at Glounsharoon in 2021. Shameful.
Councillor Charlie Farrelly doing great Community Work and raising the issue of Glounsharoon at the KCC Council meeting recently.
The response is extremely disappointing. NO 'HOME-WORK' DONE AT THE KCC to progress Glounsharoon in 2021 either.
Back to Ground-HOG & Ground Zero again - KCC Seeking Funding from NEWKD and how long will that take?
It is time Minister For Tourism became involved. Evident that KCC is incapable of planning & progressing Glounsharoon.
12th April 2021 Minutes from KCC Council Meeting below...

2021 passes and KCC has STILL FAILED to make an application for a reduced amount of €50,000 funding as promised by KCC.
KCC advise ''I wish to advise that extensive work has taken place on proposals for Gleansharoon.  Design Drawings and cost estimates have been prepared and the Castleisland Corca Dhuibhne Municipal District Team have had several consultations on the proposal with NEWKD and Castleisland Chamber Alliance with a view to preparing an application for funding over the coming months.  The Members of the Municipal District have been notified of developments in this regard also.''     

MAY 2021 AND NO APPLICATION HAS BEEN SUBMITTED FOR FUNDING BY THE KCC WHO STATE THAT THE KCC HAVE ''A VIEW TO PREPARING AN APPLICATION FOR FUNDING OVER THE COMING MONTHS'' 

With all the high-powered highfalutin language, one would think works at Glounsharoon were in preparation for a Grand Central overhaul.
Simply Manyana language of empty promises again and no progress and no action, YET AGAIN. And all of this EXTENSIVE hyperbole when what is actually being prepared are basic remedial, emergency works at Glounsharoon. Basic resurfacing, a coat of tarmacadam, seating and perhaps one info sign. THATS ABOUT IT!

2021, June 8th. Lovely article by John Reidy in The Maine Valley Post.
The Enchanting Lady, Glounsharoon has had enough and cries out at the injustices and neglect that has been set upon her Majestic Scenic Platform at the Gateway to the Kingdom of Kerry where 2 million visitors to Kerry pass annually. Adored far and wide and shunned and stunted at home. The Majestic Lady has had enough and cries out for HELP! The real insult, a KCC Council Materials Yard (A DUMP) beside her Majestic Scenic Resource. A National Scandal. Towns like Castleisland are on their knees and Kerry County Council seem oblivious to this, and have no shame regarding what they are doing at Glounsharoon.
CLICK HERE: To Read John Reidy's Fabulous Article ''After Years of Abuse, Glounsharoon Opens Her Heart to The World''

It is welcome reading that critical funding appears secure for emergency remedial work at Glounsharoon to proceed. Well done. Experience, calibre, vision of MJK Chamber Alliance to the fore. Extremely fortunate & highly unlikely without his leadership to secure funding and manage all parties thus far. 'Horse is before Cart' again. Funding appears secure. Over many years, a multitude of previous KCC announcements of promise for Glounsharoon were unstructured, aspirational, amateurish and without any proper funding in place. Again, experience and calibre of MJK Chamber Alliance the difference here.
We have this Incredible Resource at our Front Door. Glounsharoon now needs a clear strategic outlook from here. A CLEAR & LIVING PLAN 2021++, a Medium to Long Term Strategic Plan to harness the as-yet untapped unique and enormous potential. Glounsharoon Scenic Platform no place to cohabit a Council Yard/DUMP in today’s world. Good to see Council Elected Representatives in unison. Way forward & well done. Need our elected representatives to now capture the vision and real potential and push forward to develop Glounsharoon properly and open this fantastic resource to the world.
Excellent work: John Reidy MVP and Michael Ahern Kerry's Eye .
Also Bertie Ahern, WP Bill O'Leary , Jacki Lyden, NZ Peter O'Connor et all who quietly in the background, do their bit & continue to promote and advance Glounsharoon to a wider audience.
A bit done, LOADS to do! Maine Valley Post Article Read it Click HERE or on Images

There are considerable and positive straws in the wind that the neglect of the scenic area in Glounsharoon may be close to an end and that our most remarked on local area is about to be taken into care. Sums of €54,831.46 and €18,277.16 have been forged into a figure of €73,108.62 from Transitional Leader Funding and Castleisland Chamber Alliance respectively. There’s a menu of  refurbishment going with the funding announcement that makes the most uplifting piece of reading.

Elected Councillors at Glounsharoon 2021

In Praise of the Views Not since Con Houlihan and Bertie Ahern and Brendan Graham and many more wrote in praise of the views, over the valley and beyond from the height, has there been such positivity associated with the place. Under an ‘Upgrading of the Scenic Area at Glounsharoon’ heading, the plans include: a tarmacadam finish with lined car parking spaces; seating and benches; a geographical information board and a programme of planting with biodiversity and grass management at its core.

Elected Councillors at Glounsharoon 2021

A Joint Announcement The four elected members of the Castleisland / Corca Dhuibhne Municipal District: Cllr. Charlie Farrelly, Independent; Cllr. Fionnán Fitzgerald, Fianna Fail; Cllr. Bobby O’Connell, Fine Gael and Cllr. Jackie Healy Rae, Independent gathered for a joint announcement on Glounsharoon this evening. There was a unanimous welcome for the move on the project and for the funding allocated.

Praise for Chamber Alliance The councillors thanked Michael John Kearney & The Castleisland Chamber Alliance for its considerable part in attracting the funding and for getting the project this far. They also thanked Kerry County County Executive Engineer, Breda Mulryan and District Engineer, Brendan Mulhern and Castleisland / Corca Dhuibhne Municipal District Manager John Breen for their roles in the proposed development works on Glounsharoon.

Glounsharoon Saga: Act 1 Scene 1 - Lights, Camera, ACTION at last.
Experience, calibre, vision of MJK Chamber Alliance to the fore once more. Would not be here except for the commitment and work input from MJK. Great Skills!

Proposed Layout

Excellent work: John Reidy MVP and Michael Ahern Kerry's Eye .
Also Bertie Ahern, WP Bill O'Leary , Jacki Lyden, NZ Peter O'Connor et all who quietly in the background, do their bit & continue to promote and advance Glounsharoon to a wider audience.

The MAN MJK, Daniel Canty & Seán Linnane, NEWKD

Great Start - Lots to do! Maine Valley Post Article Read it Click HERE or on Images

MVP Article: Contract Signing for Glounsharoon Scenic Platform
The straws in the wind which blew good news the way of the development of the viewing area at Glounsharoon were hardened up considerably on Friday evening at the River Island Hotel. There, three men sat at a table and signed a contract which cleared the way for work to commence at the greatly admired and much talked of viewing area on the Limerick Road outside Castleisland.

Contract Signing

Michael John Kearney, chairman of Castleisland Chamber Alliance; Daniel Canty of Canty Construction and Seán Linnane of North, East and West Kerry Development are the men involved in the historic signing. Sums of €54,831.46 and €18,277.16 were put together to make €73,108.62 from Transitional Leader Funding and Castleisland Chamber Alliance respectively.

Seating, Benches on Paved Areas

Plans for the area include: seating and benches on paved areas, a tourism information board, parking areas, tarmacadam surfacing and lining, a programme of wildflower, biodiversity and grass management planting and perimeter fencing. The work, which is due to commence within days, is expected to be largely completed by Christmas.

The Case for Glounsharoon

This is one of the most widely welcomed developments in the area for years and is, undoubtedly, a feather in the caps of Castleisland Chamber Alliance, NEKWD and Kerry County Council and the various politicians who followed the ‘Case for Glounsharoon’ down through the years. It’s over a decade ago now that Cllr. Mick Gleeson sent me a note for The Kerryman which aimed to promote Glounsharoon from its then and current state of neglect to what is coming its way over the next while. And then we’ll be looking forward to the growing season when the proposed planting begins to unveil its own beauty and contribution to the said biodiversity.

Now more than ever, we need our elected representatives to grasp the vision and real potential and push forward to develop Glounsharoon properly and open this fantastic resource to the world.

TripAdvisor

Glounsharoon features on TripAdvisor but does not feature on the KCC County Development Plan 2022/2028.

''Beautiful View:
After a long journey from DUBLIN with American cousins, we got our first panoramic view of Kerry''

''You have reached the " KINGDOM of KERRY "
We stopped here on our way to Castleisland. As it was a beautiful day we were especially lucky to see a fantastic panoramic view of the area . Worth a stop if you are passing''

Castleisland Chamber Alliance very fortunate to have calibre of Michael John Kearney (MJK) at the helm as it's Chairperson.
''It is widely acknowledged that Glounsharoon, offers the most expansive scenic views of the Kingdom on one of the busiest Routes into the county. Castleisland Chamber has been long advocating for the development of the site to its full potential as a iconic tourism visitor viewing point and as a precursor to stopping off in the town of Castleisland. We have recently been working with the local Municipal District executive and some of the local Councillors and the Local Community Group on developing plans that will see the location progressively being brought up to nearer the standards that a site of this quality deserves. We look forward to the works beginning and being ready in time for next years season.''
MJK, Chairperson, Castleisland Chamber Alliance.

Plan 2016/2022

Plan 2022/2028

Glounsharoon does not feature in the KCC 2022-2028 County Development Plan.

In the KCC County Kerry Tourism Strategy and Action Plan 2016-2022, the word 'Tourism' features 512 times. Glounsharoon features once on Pg80 1.15.8:
''Develop and improve the viewing area at Glounsharoon, Castleisland, in a sustainable manner''
Nothing came of that.

In the KCC Kerry County Development Plan 2022-2028 - Issues paper, on Pg8:
'The dominant economic sectors in Kerry are tourism .........''
Tourism is acknowledged as Kerry's dominant economic sector BUT Glounsharoon does not feature once.

Click HERE, Mile Failte 2014: Pg 2 ''Day three starts with the mystical Celtic trail called the Ring of Kerry progressing around the Iveragh Peninsula and Dingle in the heart of the Kerry Gaeltacht. Watch the sun set behind Castleisland from the stunning Glounsharoon as you return to your Killarney base''