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Medal magic for Killarney cyclists

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PEDAL POWER propelled talented Killarney cyclists onto the winners’ podium on Friday. Killarney Cycling Club hosted a medal presentation in The Dromhall Hotel to honour its underage cyclists who competed in the Irish National Youth Cycling Championships in Carlow in August.

All members of Killarney Cycling Club Youth Academy, they performed incredibly across all categories in the event, hosted by Carlow Cycling Club, and brought back a haul of 22 medals to Killarney.

These included four individual and eighteen team medals. Shane Galvin, under-12, won two gold medals and became double national champion when he won both the time trial and the criterium. His brother Patrick Galvin took bronze in both of these events also. The under-14 boys swept the board taking best overall team in the time trial, road race and criterium.

This was followed by the under-15/under-16 girls taking best for overall team in the time trial, road race and criterium also.

The club’s youth officer, Pauline Russell Kissane, travelled to Carlow for the weekend along with parents and supporters.

Sixteen members of Killarney Cycling Club distinguished themselves in the national youth road championships, with the age categories spanning from under-11 to under-16.

The under-11s were Shayna Daly, Calum Steadman Murphy and Bryan Hannifin, while the under-12s were Shane Galvin, Killian Caulfield Dreier and Louis Steadman Murphy.

Representing the under-14s were Patrick Galvin, Stephan Caulfield Dreier, Ethan Slattery, Lorcan Daly and Adam Neary, while Almha Russell Kissane and Tara Russell Kissane and Tadgh O’Shea and Jaden Leane competed at under-15 level and Sarah McGrath in the under-16 category.

“This completes the road race season for 2017 a season that saw Killarney Cycling Club youth academy has had great success at county, provincial, national and international levels,” said club secretary Paul Morgan.

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Concerns over future of St Mary of the Angels

Two Kerry TDs have voiced concerns over the future of St Mary of the Angels and St Francis Special School in Beaufort, highlighting the urgent need for respite services for […]

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Two Kerry TDs have voiced concerns over the future of St Mary of the Angels and St Francis Special School in Beaufort, highlighting the urgent need for respite services for children and adults with profound disabilities and special needs.

The campus, set on lands generously donated by the Doyle family, offers 30 acres of grounds, existing buildings, and services, making it a valuable asset for the provision of respite care in Kerry. TD Michael Cahill emphasized that the Doyle family’s wishes should be respected, and that the grounds should be made accessible immediately.
“The special needs community in Kerry has a major respite crisis and families don’t have time to wait. Families need help — they are not asking for full-time residential care but respite care, a break, a helping hand,” Deputy Cahill said.
He added that a bespoke approach is needed to meet the individual needs of children attending St Francis Special School. “Many of the children in the county with profound needs need a safe haven where they can roam the grounds freely, and St Mary of the Angels offers this.”
Deputy Cahill has accompanied several Ministers to the Beaufort campus to highlight its value to Disability Health Service providers. A working group has been formed including St John of Gods, the HSE, representatives of residents at St Mary of the Angels, and St Francis Special School, to explore options for maintaining and expanding respite services.
“Parents are worn out and at the end of their tether. This needs to be dealt with expeditiously, in an environment of cooperation between the relevant Government Departments of Health, Disability, and Education. We need to get this across the line urgently and put it permanently in place,” he said.
Deputy Cahill pointed to the current shortfall of respite services in Kerry. “As of now, Cunamh Iveragh respite in Cahersiveen is only open Friday to Sunday, running at half capacity — two adults per night instead of four. The issue is staffing, and the HSE will not release funding to open full-time. The Beaufort campus is available and should be utilised as parents are crying out for overnight respite. Cooperation and compassion could see this done quickly.”
TD Danny Healy Rae echoed these concerns during a Dáil speech this week. “We are still short of respite beds on the southern side of the constituency. Families caring for people with disabilities just want a break, but there is nowhere available locally. Places are being offered only in Tipperary or Meath for those needing new residential care. It makes no sense. St Mary of the Angels in Beaufort has 40 or 50 acres of grounds that could be expanded, with facilities already in place such as swimming pools. It could be developed as a model for the rest of the country.”
Both TDs are urging the Government and the HSE to take immediate action to utilise the Beaufort campus for respite care, in line with the intentions of the Doyle family and the needs of Kerry families.

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Cardiac Response Unit’s ‘Restart a Heart’ training event

Killarney Cardiac Response Unit (KCRU) is set to run a range of events as part of the global initiative Restart A Heart, which aims to increase awareness and actual rates […]

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Killarney Cardiac Response Unit (KCRU) is set to run a range of events as part of the global initiative Restart A Heart, which aims to increase awareness and actual rates of bystander CPR worldwide.

The main event, titled RAH 2025, invites the public to learn life-saving skills and the basic steps in the chain of survival. This will take place on Saturday, October 18, at the Killarney Outlet Centre.
Members of the public are encouraged to join KCRU at the centre between 10:00 am and 5pm.
Key feature of the day will be the CPR Competition, offering “fantastic prizes to be won.”
For further information, visit www.killarneycru.ie/rah25

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