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Killarney motorcycle racer gets advice from world’s best

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MEETING A HERO: Road racing legend Michael Dunlop offers advice to Killarney motorcycle racer Kevin Coyne at a test in Spain last week.

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By Sean Moriarty

A young Killarney motorcycle racer has been getting tips from some of the best riders in the world ahead of the start of the 2020 Irish season.

Kevin Coyne is preparing for the Dunlop Masters Superbike Championship which gets underway in Mondello Park in County Kildare in two weeks’ time.

Last week the 17-year-old took part in a three-day test at El Circuito de Velocidad de Cartagena in Spain.

It was his first time riding the new Kawasaki he will use in Ireland and selected rounds of the British Superbike Championship this year.

Professional motorcycle racers like Ryan Farquhar and Michael Dunlop were there too as part of a bigger test and when they spotted the young Killarney rider were able of offer help and advice.

Kevin’s aim was to complete a lap of the famous Spanish track in under two minutes.

On the opening day of the test he set a best time of 2 mins 07 seconds in windy conditions.

In the early part of day-two he was still unable to break the two-minute barrier, despite an improvement in weather conditions until Farquhar, a multiple Irish Road Racing champion and former factory BMW and Kawasaki rider offered to help - and the times came tumbling down.

“With the help of Ryan Farquhar and his knowledge of Kawasaki he set the bike for Kevin and by the end of the day he was going around in 1.58min consistently,” his father Mark told the Killarney Advertiser. “Kevin started to feel really confident and felt he could get down to 1 min 56 seconds.”

On the third day Kevin was lapping consistently in 1 min 55 seconds, but the best was yet to come.

With just half a day left, road racing royalty Michael Dunlop spotted the Killarney youngster and came over for a chat. The advice worked as Kevin managed a week-long best of 1 min 54 seconds after speaking to the Isle of Man TT legend who was in Spain for his first run on the PBM Ducati he will race this year.

Coyne’s season gets underway this weekend with the official Irish test in Mondello Park ahead of the season-opener at the same venue at the end of March.

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Irish feature film set for Killarney cinema debut

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A new feature film, created by Irish writer and director Liam O Mochain, is set for release in Killarney next Friday, November 7.

Mr O Mochain said he is delighted to bring ABODE to a Killarney audience following its sold out world premiere at the Galway Film Fleadh and a screening at the recent IndieCork film festival.

ABODE is a feature film with five stories connected by the theme of home and what it means to the different characters in the film.

It shows that home has an importance and a different meaning for everyone.

In ABODE, everyone wants to belong somewhere. The film was shot over a three-year period and finished in early 2025.

O Mochain says that the stories are a mix of drama and comedy, inspired by true stories, events or incidents.

It is set on the theme of home which is very relevant today.

Ryan Lincoln, Sophie Vavessuer, and Liam O Mochain are among the cast.

ABODE is O Mochain’s fourth feature film. His 2017 feature film ‘Lost & Found’ screened at festivals around the world from the Galway Film Fleadh to the Austin Film Festival

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Local pharmacies restock Lions ‘Message in a Bottle’

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Killarney pharmacies are restocked with ‘Message in a Bottle’, an initiative by Killarney Lions Club.

It is a small plastic container, available free of charge, with an information form which people can fill out with their basic medical details for use by Paramedics, Gardaí, Fire-fighters and first responders in an emergency.

Once the information form is complete, the bottle should be placed in the fridge.

Self-adhesive green cross labels should be put on the front door of the home and on the fridge so that first responders know its there.

Bottles are available at the following pharmacies: Allcare (New St.), Boots (Deerpark), CarePlus+ (Park Rd.), Kennelly’s (Reeks and New St.), Reens Life (Plunkett St.), O’Sullivan’s (New St.), Sewell’s (New St.), Sheahan’s (Main St.), Trants (Park Rd.) and Aherns Farranfore.

Jason Higgins, President of Killarney Lions Club, said that the initiative has been very well received to date as hundreds of people are already using the bottles.

He said: “We just want to make sure everyone who wants a bottle can get one, so the support from the pharmacies is fantastic and if it helps even just one person to get the help they need more quickly and effectively, it is well worth it.”

More information about the Message in a Bottle initiative can be found on the Lions Ireland website: https://lionsclubs.ie/service/message-in-a-bottle/

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