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Harry’s game wins the day as Kenmare musician’s talent earns him top Rotary prize

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AN INCREDIBLY talented young Kenmare violinist struck a chord with classical music fans in Killarney at the weekend as Harry O’Connor was crowned Killarney Rotary Club Young Musician of the Year.

The 17th annual competition unfolded over two days in the Kerry Diocesan Youth Service centre at Fairhill on Friday and Saturday and an extraordinarily entertaining concert in the INEC Acoustic Club proved a fitting finale.

The MC on the night was Ailish Walsh and the adjudicators were Pat O’Keeffe and Mary Hegarty. “Patrons and guests were treated to an amazing display of talent, with voice, violin, cello and harp fighting it out in a classical music version of Battle of The Bands,” said Killarney Rotary president Angela O’Connor.

Of course, there had to be a winner and Harry O'Connor’s virtuoso performance of Mozart’s Violin Sonata No 21 held the judges and audience spellbound. Laura Hynes, a fourth-year student at Gaelcholáiste Chiarrai, won second prize, with harpist Emily Sullivan, Lauragh, being presented with the award for third place.

The runners-up were Katarina Roberts from Castlegregory on the cello, Eva Buckley from Muckross, Killarney, on the piano and Alan McLoughlin, voice, from Tralee.

The winner of the James Gleeson Memorial Award, which was presented on the night by Killarney Rotarian Barry Murphy, on behalf of Grace and Eoin Gleeson, was Orlaith O'Sullivan, daughter of Mary and Diarmuid O'Sullivan from Killorglin. Last year’s winner, Edel Crowley, also gave a performance on the night.

Killarney Rotary president Angela welcomed Killarney Advertiser as media partner and sponsor again this year. "If we in Killarney Rotary Club through our Young Musician competition foster in our young competitors a love of music then as far as we are concerned the competition will have been a success. I would like to thank our members Barry Murphy and Sean Treacy for their foresight in setting up this competition 17 years ago."
 


 
Above: At the Killarney Rotary Club Young Musician of the year final at The Inec Acoustic Club, Killarney, on Saturday night were Eva Buckley, Harry O'Connor (overall winner), Katarina Roberts, Laura Hynes, Alan McLoughlin and Emily Sullivan with Barry Murphy, Sean Treacy, MC, and Angela O'Connor, Killarney Rotary Club President. PICTURE: EAMONN KEOGH

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Milltown plan to preserve history in community project 

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The Milltown History and Heritage Society has announced plans for an oral history archive for the community.

It is hoped that the collection and preservation of stories and folklore will be a valuable resource for future generations.

Oral history expert and historian Dr Tomás Mac Conmara will speak in Milltown in support of the launch.

Dr Mac Conmara, who is an award-winning oral historian, lecturer and author, will speak at the Muintir na Tíre Hall in Milltown at 8pm on Friday, October 24 and will introduce the fundamentals for the collection of oral history.

The presentation is free of charge and is supported by funding from the Creative Communities Grant Scheme 2025.

Attendees will be introduced to the practical skills required in interviewing, recording and documenting local heritage.

Stewart Stephans of the Milltown History and Heritage Society said they are excited to have Tomás to set them on the right path towards the development of the archive.

He said: “The collection and retention of oral history needs to be approached properly, drawing on the right advice and maintaining high standards, so we are pleased to be getting the input of such a renowned expert.” The event is open to anyone who would like to attend.

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Network Ireland Kerry discuss sustainable success

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Network Ireland Kerry held their third annual collaboration event last Wednesday at the Rose Hotel, Tralee. The theme was: “The Journey to Sustainable Success” which brought three industry experts together to talk about their own journey to sustainable successful.

Business professionals, entrepreneurs, and financial leaders came together for this highly anticipated event to learn about the journey from becoming a start-up, to a small-to-medium enterprise (SME), and a large SME.

The event was opened by AIB Branch Liaison for Network Ireland Kerry and AIB Castleisland Branch Manager, Colleen Shannon. It was MC’d by AIB Tralee Branch Manager, Stephen Stack.

Sarah Farrar of AINMHÌ, Garrett Dillon of Mr. Binman and Dillon Waste Ltd. and Susan Quirke-Crowley of Mounthawk Montessori School Group were among the speakers at the event.

These leaders spoke about their challenges, milestones, and breakthroughs they encountered, from launching an idea to scaling operations nationally.

Tara Elzingre of Tara Elzingre Consultancy, Zaneta Labuz-Czerwein of Rustic Boowa and Sharon Hartnett of U Coaching promoted their businesses for ‘Minute on the Mic’

Emily Reen, Network Ireland Kerry President, described the event as a testament to the power of partnership. She said: “The event underscored a powerful message: sustainable business success is not a solo journey. With the right partnerships, teams and financial tools, businesses of all sizes can grow with purpose, resilience, and long-term impact.”

Network Ireland Kerry will host their next monthly event on November 12 in Killarney and in collaboration with the Kerry Local Enterprise Office, titled: “Gain Competitive Advantage in Your Business”. This event will be MC’d by Karen Ronan, 2025 National Vice President of Network Ireland and CEO of Galway Chamber. This event is open to non-members and members, and everyone is welcome from 6 pm for networking and refreshments, with the event taking place from 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm.

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