Sneem


Sneem is a village situated on the Iveragh Peninsula, in County Kerry, in the southwest of Ireland. It lies on the estuary of the River Sneem. National route N70 runs through the town.

Origin of the place name

The Irish village name An tSnaidhm means "The Knot" in English. Several explanations of the name have been offered:
A book, Sneem, The Knot in the Ring, recounts the area's history. In 2000, a time capsule was buried in the centre of the town, to be opened in 2100.

Politics

The village is in the South and West Kerry electoral area of Kerry County Council, and the Dáil Éireann constituency of Kerry.

People

In March 1978, the state funeral of former President Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh took place in Sneem; he had lived nearby before his death.
The Casey brothers, Steve, Tom, and Jim. Famed athletes in Ireland, in the 1930s, they competed in single scull rowing at the Charles River in Boston.
Steve Casey emigrated to America in 1936. He was both NWA and AWA heavyweight wrestling champion of the world five times between 1938 and 1947. In 1982 he received the Irish Hall of Fame Award, presented by Olympic gold medallist Ronnie Delany. There is a statue commemorating him in the village.
William Melville, the first head of the British Secret Service, was born at nearby Direenaclaurig Cross.
The Gaelic footballer Ronan Hussey, who was a member of the Kerry senior football panel, is a native of Sneem and still plays with Sneem GAA.