Killarney’s Sean Clifford has earned two prestigious nominations at the 2025 Outsider Awards following his record-breaking run of the Wild Atlantic Way last August.

Clifford has been shortlisted for both Outsider of the Year and Outdoor Adventure of the Year.

The nominations recognise his feat of covering approximately 2,700 kilometres in under 30 days. During the run from Donegal to Cork, he climbed an estimated 27,000 metres, which is equivalent to scaling Mount Everest three times.
While many seasoned ultra-runners doubted if the 2,700km coastal route could be completed in that timeframe, Clifford proved it was possible despite the brutal Atlantic weather and exposed roads.

This follows his 2024 nomination after he broke the record for climbing all 275 Irish mountains. Unlike elite athletes with major sponsorships, Clifford relies on a small support crew and local encouragement.

“These nominations aren’t just about me,” he said. “They’re about the people who ran a few kilometres beside me, the locals who opened their doors, the clubs that showed up day after day, and the belief that adventure doesn’t have to be exclusive or elite. It can be accessible to anyone willing to take the first step.”

A Milltown-based carpentry and furniture business has secured the most prestigious prize at Ireland’s international creative expo, Showcase 2026.

Michael G O’Donoghue Carpentry was named the winner of the Overall Best Product Award during the opening day of the event at the RDS in Dublin on Sunday.
The expo, which runs until Tuesday, is a major international trade fair featuring almost 400 exhibitors and attracting over 3,350 buyers from Europe, North America, and the Middle East. It is estimated that the three-day event will generate upwards of €32 million in sales for Irish designers and manufacturers.
Michael G Woodwork, operating out of Milltown, Killarney, specialises in high-quality heirloom furniture. The workshop focuses on traditional joinery techniques and hand-sculpted designs. The business was selected for the top honour by a panel of industry experts, beating out hundreds of other brands in categories ranging from fashion and jewellery to wellbeing.
The award was presented on stage by Mary Blanchfield, CEO of the Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI), and Mary Palmer, Chair of Showcase. Speaking at the event, Mary Palmer noted that the achievements of the winners highlight the “exceptional quality, creativity, and ambition” of this year’s exhibitors.
The success for Kerry businesses continued in the Wellbeing category, where Paper + Cloud, also based in the county, took home a Best Product Category Award.