Kerry climate action groups nominated for prestigious community awards’ special evening

By Alastair Tibbs, The Kerryman

It’s that time of year again as Kerry local community volunteers get set for this year’s Kerry Community Awards’ annual gala night in The Rose Hotel this Thursday, October 1.

Founded by Kerry County Council, The Kerryman and Southern Marketing Design Media - and now in their 19th year - this year’s awards feature seven categories and the three shortlisted groups in the Climate Action category are featured below.

The Fenit Coast Conservation (FCC) group promotes, protects and restores the Fenit Island Tombolo through community engagement, practical conservation and habitat restoration.

To promote the tombolo, FCC engages the local community through fundraising events, volunteering opportunities and awareness campaigns, combining art, community and education.

This year, government funding enabled the purchase of approximately 1080 timber posts and approximately 375 metres of chestnut fencing to create sand-trapping barriers that reduce erosion and strengthen the dune system.

FCC also continued its restoration programme by harvesting and replanting marram grass to stabilise the dunes and encourage natural recovery.

By preserving the tombolo, FCC is helping protect seagrass beds for carbon sequestration and feeding grounds for Brent Geese, all while acting as custodians for a designated Special Area of Conservation.

They have also reduced the flood risk for Fenit Island, Barrow and other nearby settlements by maintaining the tombolo.

FCC’s committee currently consists of 7 voluntary members and relies on over 70 additional volunteers to support their work. Due to funding constraints, they had to point each timber post for their baffle by hand, requiring a combined 60-70 volunteer hours in May and June of this year.

Dingle Hub is a non-profit community enterprise connecting innovative, forward-thinking people and organisations – local and national – to develop cooperative approaches to the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.

They formed the Corca Dhuibhne Tourism and Hospitality Sustainable Energy Community in 2023 to better understand the tourism sector’s energy use on the Dingle Peninsula.

By working collaboratively, businesses were able to move faster, share knowledge, and achieve greater impact at a peninsula-wide scale.

A key outcome of this work was the development of a practical sustainability roadmap tailored specifically

for small and family-run tourism businesses. Recognising the pressures these businesses face, the roadmap prioritises low- and no-cost actions as the first steps, making sustainability accessible and achievable for all.

The project is rooted in the belief that sustainability should be inclusive, supportive, and locally driven. By creating a trusted network, the initiative empowers businesses to take action at their own pace, while contributing to a shared vision for a more sustainable Corca Dhuibhne.

Fossa Climate Action Group raises awareness and encourages action within our local community on the themes of sustainable energy, restoring biodiversity and reducing waste.

They organise a schedule of events throughout the year including nature walks, workshops and an annual sustainability fair.

As a parish group they aim to ensure their parish grounds meet the minimum 30pc rewilding target set by the Irish Bishops and have removed Leylandii Cypress and Sitka Spruce which contribute little to biodiversity.

Each winter they host their sustainability fair in Fossa Community Hall with eighteen to twenty exhibitors in attendance across the themes of energy saving, reducing waste, restoring biodiversity and well-being through nature.

The groups walks and workshops have attendance of fifteen to forty people, while the Sustainability Fair has up to 200 in attendance. Their activities allow people to have one-to-one conversations with key experts – bringing the information to a community level.