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Busy festive season ahead for Scotts Lakers

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IT WILL be a busy festive season for Scotts Lakers St Paul's with another home game in Killarney Sports Centre along with Castleisland Christmas blitz action plus a big National Cup semi-final to look forward to.

Scotts Lakers will face Sligo All Stars in a national league division one game on Saturday, December 30, at 3pm in Killarney Sports Centre. This match has been rescheduled to this date after Sligo were unable to travel due to bad weather on December 10.

Prior to the Sligo match, the Lakers will compete in the premier men category of the annual Castleisland Christmas blitz on Thursday, December 28. The Killarney side have three games that day against Fr Mathews at 2.10pm and Ballincollig at 4.35pm before facing the high-flying Tralee Warriors at 6.55pm. The top two teams in this competition will contest the Premier Men final that night at 8.45pm.

Scotts Lakers will get 2018 off to a start with a very important President’s Cup semi-final against Ballincollig on Saturday, January 6, in the Neptune Stadium, Cork, at 8pm. The other semi-final featuring Neptune against Keane’s SuperValu Killorglin will go ahead on Friday, January 5, at 8.30pm.

The return to national league action after a nine year absence has been an enjoyable learning experience for the St Paul's club and the Scotts Lakers team that has tremendous potential and have enjoyed a season of mixed fortunes so far. The Lakers got off to a great start with early wins over Dublin Lions and Limerick Celtics.

The visit of league favourites Killorglin to Killarney Sports Centre attracted an estimated crowd of 950, probably the biggest crowd ever to attend a national league basketball game in Killarney. Lakers had chances to win this game but Killorglin's foreign players proved to be the difference in the end. The huge crowds that have been attending the home games just shows the appetite and goodwill towards national league basketball in Killarney and the club will be hoping to build on this huge support for the remainder of the season and in the future. Other highs of the season so far include the dramatic overtime win over Ulster Elks in November and the big cup quarterfinal win away to Fr Mathews on December 3.

Team coach Cormac O'Donoghue has a squad that is capable of challenging any team in the league when playing to full potential. Americans Antuan Bootle and Justin Tuason have been prominent while Mark Greene and Padraig Lucey are two of the best Irish players in the league. Team captain Philip O'Connor along with veteran players Andrew Fitzgerald, Dan Griffin and Shane Horgan and promising young players Cian Clernon, Mark O'Shea and Paul Clarke offer Coach O'Donoghue plenty of options.

Scotts Lakers will be without Mihail Kapitanov, who has taken up a job offer in Italy, but the good news is the addition of Dalian Mason, a shooting guard, who will hopefully increase the scoring threat of the Lakers for the rest of the season. Following the busy festive season, Scotts Lakers will have a home game in the national league against Limerick Celtics on Saturday, January 13, at 7.30pm in Killarney Sports Centre.
 


 
Above: Maurice O'Donoghue of Scotts Hotel, Killarney, sponsor of Scott Lakers St Paul's basketball team, pictured with team members Mark Greene, Andrew Fitzgerald, Antuan Bootle and Philip O'Connor. Pic: Eamonn Keogh

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Noel O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship

Noel O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship

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O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship

Muckross co-driver Noel O’Sullivan is set for a busy season as he returns to the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) while also preparing for a record-breaking attempt on home soil.

O’Sullivan and driver Callum Devine have signed with the Swedish team JC Raceteknik for a full campaign focused on asphalt events. Their season begins this week at the Andalusia Rally – Sierra Morena in Spain. O’Sullivan remains the only Killarney-based co-driver competing at this level for a full season.
He brings significant international experience to the team, having previously worked with WRC driver Jon Armstrong during his early European outings. O’Sullivan and Devine recently proved their pace against top European crews with a fifth-place finish at the 2024 Rali Ceredigion in Wales.
Devine said:
“I’m really looking forward to coming back to the ERC. It’s always great for a driver to compete against Europe’s best on some iconic events. We’ve had great success back home in Ireland over the past few seasons, winning two Irish Tarmac Rally Championships, and we feel now is the right time to come back and take on some ERC events. Starting with Rally Sierra Morena, I’m delighted to be joining JC Raceteknik. I know they are a very professional team with a wealth of experience, and I’m looking forward to working closely with them.”
The European schedule will not interfere with O’Sullivan’s local plans. Following the rally in Spain, the pair will return to Kerry for the Rally of the Lakes over the May Bank Holiday weekend. They are aiming for a fifth consecutive victory in Killarney as they look to move back into the lead of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.
The move to the European stage follows a successful week for O’Sullivan, who was recently named the International Motorsport winner at the Kerry Sports Star Awards.

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Classic Tour set to celebrate heritage roads in June

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Classic Tour set to celebrate heritage roads in June


A new heritage motoring event, the Killarney Classic Tour, has been confirmed for June 26–27, 2026. The two-day tour is designed to celebrate the iconic rally stages of Kerry and the Beara Peninsula.


Headquartered at the Gleneagle Hotel, the event is non-competitive and open to a wide range of vintage and historic cars. Organisers are placing a particular focus on period-correct rally cars and recreations that reflect the history of the Circuit of Ireland, the Circuit of Munster, and the early years of the Rally of the Lakes.
The tour is the work of two well-known figures in Irish rallying, Mike Marshall and Micheal O’Mahoney. Marshall, a founding member of the Rally of the Lakes and Clerk of the Course for over 20 years, has designed a route that allows drivers to experience famous stages like Moll’s Gap at a relaxed pace. O’Mahoney, a long-term supporter of the sport through Rentokil and a historic car owner himself, joins Marshall in the venture.

Co-Founder O’Mahoney said:
“This event is about bringing people back together – the cars, the stories, and the friendships that have always been part of rallying. It’s a chance to step away from competition and simply enjoy these roads.”



The Saturday itinerary includes a lunch stop in Castletownbere before the field returns to Killarney for a gala dinner at the Gleneagle Hotel. The evening will feature guest speakers and a focus on the shared history of the sport.
“This event is about bringing people back together — the cars, the stories, and the friendships,” added Micheal O’Mahoney.
Registrations are now open at www.KillarneyClassicTour.ie.

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