The ringmaster of one of the country's remaining family circuses has said they are determined that the coronavirus pandemic will not force the business to close.
Circus Vegas, which is run by the Courtney family, has been cocooning in Tralee for the past eight weeks.
Tralee was the last stop Circus Vegas made and the final performance took place in a car park on the outskirts of the town on 12 March.
Since then, the car park has been home to members of the Courtney family and the other performers who make up the circus.
The Courtney family has been associated with circus in Ireland for more than four decades. Before that, they toured with drama and variety.
Tommy Courtney says he was born into life on the road. When he was younger, he was a trapeze artist. For the past 25 years he has been ring master.
"I love the circus. Everyone here loves the circus," he says. "There is no better life than being on the road - it's just a fantastic way of life."
Tommy and the other performers find life in lockdown strange. Since it started, they have spent their days practising, waiting for the day when they will be able to perform again.
Tommy has no doubt that that day will come and, notwithstanding rules on social distancing introduced to curb the spread of coronavirus, he's convinced that there will be a place for the circus in post-pandemic life in this country.
"We are all in the same boat. We are all going to get out of this and we will be back entertaining you again very, very soon," Tommy says. "Circus has been around for hundreds of years, and it will be around for hundreds of years more. As long as there are people like the people we have and ourselves, we love doing what we do and we will always keep doing it, no matter what."
Kourtney Victoria is a hula hoop and trapeze artist. She's the third generation of the Courtney family to perform in the circus, and she has been performing since she was old enough to walk.
But, like the other performers in Circus Vegas, Kourtney's last show was in Tralee on 12 March and she has been cocooning ever since.
"Obviously, it has been harder on all of us because we are so used to working all the time," Kourtney says. "Of course there are some horrible things happening in the world, and my heart goes out to anyone who is going through it, but we do try and keep positive around here and try to look at the positive of everything."
Kourtney says the people of Kerry have been amazing in their generosity towards the circus.
Each afternoon, Circus Vegas performers have been gathering around the circus ring to practice and maintain their skills. No audience means no ticket sales and no income for the past two months, putting huge strain on the business.
Circus Vegas performers have vowed to put on a special performance to thank the people of Kerry for their support once restrictions are lifted because, they say, the show must go on.
