The President is congratulating Radio Kerry on its 30th birthday.
Michael D Higgins says over the past three decades the station has given a voice to the people of Kerry and provided an important platform for discussion.
President Higgins says the current pandemic shows the need for independent and high-quality journalism.
He says radio can transform lives by building bridges between people:
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has also congratulated Radio Kerry on its landmark birthday.
The Fianna Fáil leader pledged to support independent broadcasting saying that local radio can be an antidote to fake and distorted news on social media by providing information in an objective way.
Mr Martin also says local radio has been a powerful resource to deal with the global pandemic.
The Taoiseach believes local radio stations, such as Radio Kerry, make politicians more accountable to the public: