What does it mean to be from the Kingdom of Kerry?
Kerry men talk about what it means to be from the county known as The Kingdom, their lifestyles and their hopes for the future.
People'e image of Kerry men is with the cap on sideways and wellingtons marching up and down with a herd of cows.
Aidan Power was born in Birmingham to Kerry parents but moved to Tralee in his teens. Despite having spent his formative years in Birmingham, Aidan very much sees himself as a Tralee man. Despite facing some challenges in terms of work in he has no intention of ever returning to Birmingham.
I feel myself that I'm just as much a Kerryman as anybody else.
The only time he feels in any way English is when people comment on his accent which he says he can not shed. He puts the tradition of Kerryman jokes down to jealousy.
Leo Finucane was born in Moyvane and lives in the village of Knockanure near Listowel. A farmer he left for England age eighteen where he lived for three or four years. Despite moving to a big city, he found his tribe there quickly amongst the Irish immigrants. Having worked hard and made enough money, he returned to Ireland and bought his own house.
I hated London and I hated England, I love Kerry.
He had always planned to return to Kerry, a place which he loves for its people who always have time for one another. Some Kerry traditions have now died away but Leo Finucane would love to turn back the clock. No longer a farmer he now has a business selling farm machinery. In his free time, Leo Finucane is a keen filmmaker and likes to capture the traditions of the region for posterity.
This episode of 'Access’ was broadcast on 28 February 1985. The reporter is Ciana Campbell.
