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Ploughing champion returns to Killarney 65 years after winning title

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6 years ago

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PLOUGHING: Hugh and Kathleen Barr. Hugh was 28 when he won his first World Ploughing title in Killarney.

By Sean Moriarty

 

The man who won the second ever World Ploughing Championships held in Killarney in 1954 will return to the town today (Saturday) for the unveiling of a special peace cairn to commemorate the event.

 

Hugh Barr won the world titles in Killarney in 1954, Sweden in 1955, and England in 1956. Rules at the time decreed that a three-time winner was no longer eligible for the competition.

 

Canada hosted the first world event in 1953. A peace cairn is always erected by the host nation at the time of each competition, but for various reasons this was overlooked at the time by the Killarney organisers.

 

A group of local enthusiasts, with help from both the national and world ploughing federations, will correct that oversight by unveiling a peace cairn on Mission Road today at 4pm, and Hugh Barr will be there to witness it.

 

“There is no cairn in Killarney, there is one every other place and I am glad to see it happen now,” Mr Barr told the Killarney Advertiser. “I am 93 years of age. I don’t take up too many invitations but I am going to this. I went down some years ago with my wife and one of my daughters and we could not find any of the fields I ploughed in 1954.”

 

The managing director of the National Ploughing Association, Anna May McHugh, was appointed as an honorary board member of the World Ploughing Organisation last September.

 

The 84-year-old will also be in Killarney this weekend.

 

“I remember meeting Anna May in 1954,” added Barr. “She was introduced to ploughing at that event I won in 1954. She is still running a big business now and she is a wonderful person. I looking forward to seeing her too.”

 

 

 

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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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14 hours ago

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17 October 2025

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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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18 hours ago

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17 October 2025

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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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