Kerry was greatly saddened this Friday morning when new broke of the sad passing of photographer Joe Hanley, a great character and a familiar face at social, community and sporting events throughout the county and, particularly, in his home town of Tralee.
Although he had battled with ill health for some time, the affable Joe, from St Brendan’s Park, was determined just to get on with life and he certainly made the most of every day as he set about his chores, always with a smile, a kind word and a familiar grin.
A dapper dresser, Joe loved life and made the most of every opportunity that came his way. His work as a photographer, be it press work or private assignments, brought him in contact with so many people and he had an uncanny knack of putting everybody he encountered in good form so it was no surprise that he soon became known as The Happy Snapper.
Before embarking on a career as a photographer, Joe spent many years in the army and he served on a number of tours of duty in the Lebanon.
If Joe was a familiar sight on the streets of Tralee then so was his beloved collie, appropriately named Snapper.
Anywhere Joe went, Snapper wasn’t far behind and he devoted so much of his life to his beloved canine companion who lived a charming life in Joe’s company.
Joe celebrated his 70th birthday last August and he said at the time that he hoped to live for 70 more years but, sadly, he passed away in University Hospital Kerry in the early hours of this Friday morning.
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