News
Massive sports gear donation to help Sanctuary Runners
DONATIONS: Pictured left to right are Graham Clifford, founder of the Sanctuary Runners, and Oliver Kirwan, founder Elite Event Management with some of the running gear donated recently.
More than one thousand pieces of running gear were donated to those living in Direct Provision – by people from all over Kerry and beyond.
Organisers staged the collection of running gear at the recent Run Killarney event, to help encourage more people living in Direct Provision centres to get out running. The initiative was a partnership with the Sanctuary Runners, set up by Graham Clifford last year to enable local runners to run alongside, and in solidarity with, those in Direct Provision thereby fostering friendship, positivity and respect while bringing greater awareness to the system in which asylum seekers live.
Running shoes, tops, leggings, shorts, socks and other gear filled numerous boxes after the event. This gear will now be distributed to Sanctuary Runner groups around the country to help encourage more people living in Direct Provision have the opportunity to try out running with members of their local community.
This year’s Run Killarney saw 10 runners who live in Direct Provision compete alongside Sanctuary Runners from all over Ireland. More than three thousand runners in total took part in the 10k and half marathon through Killarney National Park on Saturday, July 20.
“It’s fantastic to receive this gear on behalf of the Sanctuary Runners,” Graham said. “People who live in Direct Provision wouldn’t find it easy to come by this kind of clothing or gear, and therefore it will make a great difference to many of them who would like to try out running and take the opportunity to engage more with the local runners in their area. We would like to thank the Run Killarney organisers for their support on this. We absolutely loved the event again this year and we’ll be back again next year with even more Sanctuary Runners we hope!”
For more information or to join the Sanctuary Runners group, contact local coordinator Mike Riordan at sanctuaryrunnerskillarney@gmail.com. The group will take part in the weekly Parkruns in the grounds of Killarney House and Gardens in the town centre and you don’t have to be a runner to get involved. If you’re on Twitter you can follow their progress @Kerrysancrun. Plans are also in place for the Sanctuary Runners to spread to the towns of Tralee and Kenmare in the coming months.
Run Killarney takes place on Saturday July 18, 2020 and registration is now open with an Early Bird offer in place until November 30, 2019.
For more information please contact annette@eliteevents.ie or 087 6024621.
ANAM Centre launches packed summer cultural programme for locals and visitors
Kerry County Council’s Arts Service, in association with the Killarney Arts Working Group, has officially launched the 2026 ANAM Summer Arts Programme (ASAP).
The dedicated arts and cultural space on East Avenue Road is set to host a vibrant mix of live music, theatre, film, and youth competitions designed to appeal to both local residents and tourists throughout the peak holiday season.
The summer lineup aims to provide artists with critical platforms to showcase their work while giving audiences accessible opportunities to experience live art. Councillor Martin O’Grady noted that the programme includes a multitude of performances, offering an important platform for all ages to enjoy the arts. Mary Murphy of the Killarney Arts Working Group added that utilizing the ANAM space successfully draws new audiences to the Killarney arts scene.
Featured events include “Bog Jazz,” an innovative project by musicians Eoin ‘Stan’ O’Sullivan and Shane Murphy that reworks traditional Sliabh Luachra fiddle music using electric guitar and drums. Additionally, Sliabh Luachra Musician in Residence Aidan Connolly will lead a two-night concert series in late July alongside Bryan O’Leary, Colm Guilfoyle, and Charlie O’Brien, exploring the unique history, songs, and folklore of the region.
The programme also features “The Anam Sessions,” a series of five free bi-weekly evening concerts directed by Tim O’Shea. These sessions will showcase emerging local talent across Irish folk, singer-songwriter, and Afro-Irish genres. For younger musicians, the popular “Battle of the Bands” competition returns in August. Organised in partnership with Music Generation Kerry, it will feature separate junior and senior categories to highlight local youth talent.
The summer performance series is fully sponsored by the Kerry Arts Service. For further queries, the public can contact arts@kerrycoco.ie or call 066 7183541.
ANAM Summer Arts Event Calendar
Traditional and Folk Music (The Anam Sessions with Tim O’Shea) Dates: ; Wednesday, July 15; Wednesday, July 29; Wednesday, August 12; Wednesday, August 26 Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Sliabh Luachra Traditional Music Concert Series (Aidan Connolly and Guests) Dates: Wednesday, July 29; Thursday, July 30 Time: 8:00pm – 10:00pm
Battle of the Bands (Senior Competition) Dates: Friday, August 7; Friday, August 14; Friday, August 21; Friday, August 28 Time: 6:00pm – 10:00pm
Battle of the Bands (Junior Competition) Dates: Sunday, August 9; Sunday, August 16; Sunday, August 23; Sunday, August 30 Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Bog Jazz Performance (Eoin O’Sullivan & Shane Murphy) Date: Thursday, August 20 Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
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