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Meals on wheels service saved by the community

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ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Volunteer Tony O’Connor preparing for his Meals on Wheels run using the 'Social Spin' car made available by Faha Court Bar and Restaurant.

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By Sean Moriarty

A volunteer-run meals on wheels service faced been taken off the road until members of the local community stepped in to save the service.

Listry Community Council has been running the service for the last 10 years and each Monday, Wednesday and Friday they deliver meals to around 20 vulnerable households in the area.

The majority of the volunteer group falls into an older age group category and when Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced recently that everyone over 70 needs to cocoon to protect themselves from the virus, Listry Community Council found themselves facing a shortfall of drivers.

Council members put out a request in the local community and several people including members of the local GAA club and recently unemployed people volunteered their time and were able to keep the vital service going.

“The result is we now have a much younger driver group,” Listry Community Council Chairman Tony Darmody told the Killarney Advertiser.

“We now have 20 drivers on a three-week rota and because they come from a GAA coaching or other backgrounds like that, they were already Garda vetted.”

Meanwhile, the local Faha Court Hotel has donated its 'Social Spin' vehicle to the cause.

The bar was one of two Kerry pubs to offer the service where punters at the bar can be driven to and from the pub by a team of volunteer drivers on the rota.

With the bar currently closed as a result of COVID-19 restrictions, their Skoda Suberb was no longer in use so it was donated to Listry Community Council to use as a delivery vehicle for the duration of the crisis.

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New Streetscapes murals launched at College Square

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A colourful collaboration between the Kerry Local Creative Youth Partnership (LCYP) and the Architecture Kerry Festival at Kerry County Council launched yesterday evening at College Square.

Titled Streetscapes, the open-air public art installation officially opened at 5pm on Thursday, accompanied by a performance from the Killarney Youth Drumming Band THUMP! under the guidance of Urs Wenk from Drum Dance Ireland.


The public art project features a series of wall murals depicting Killarney through the eyes of local children, exploring freedom, play, and potential future evolutions of the townscape.

The artworks reimagine Killarney’s iconic landmarks and streets, blending youthful imagination and curiosity.


Supported under the Creative Ireland Programme, the installation is mounted on the gable wall of Reen’s Life Pharmacy in College Square, where it will remain on public display until March 2027.


Speaking at the launch, Daniel O’Shea, Youth Development Officer at Kerry ETB, stated: “Streetscapes is a wonderful celebration of how children see things. Their creativity brings new perspectives to the townscape, and we are proud to support their ideas and their art through this public artwork.”


Deirdre Enright, Co-Ordinator of the Local Creative Youth Partnership at Kerry ETB, acknowledged the community support behind the initiative: “We are very grateful to Reen’s Life Pharmacy who have shared their built space with us. Huge credit is due to the artistic team from Me+The Moon whose dedication to creativity and to children’s art shine through in this work.”


The project forms part of the annual Architecture Kerry Festival and receives funding through Creative Ireland and the Department of Education and Youth via Kerry ETB and Kerry County Council.


Victoria McCarthy, Festival Organiser and Architectural Conservation Officer at Kerry County Council, welcomed the continued inter-agency project: “It’s always a great event for Architecture Kerry and we are so pleased with this collaboration between public sector organisations. It remains a key feature of the Architecture Kerry programme.”
See next week’s Killarney Advertiser for full photographic coverage of the event.

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Dr Crokes stalwarts enjoy lake cruise

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Dr Crokes stalwarts enjoy lake cruise

Dr Crokes stalwarts enjoy lake cruise

Dr Crokes GAA Club hosted a special day out for its senior members on Monday, this week, taking a group aged between 70 and 90 on a cruise across the Lakes of Killarney.

Organised by the Dr Crokes Healthy Club committee under its Crokes Cruisers initiative, the event was held to recognise the lifetime contribution made by long-standing members who continue to support club activities behind the scenes.
The group travelled on two vessels, including An Cathal, an open boat operated by local brothers Tony and Mike Fleming. Built to preserve the traditional Killarney lake boat style, it is the only purpose-built, fully accessible boat on the lakes, allowing members with mobility issues and wheelchair users to safely join the two-hour trip.
Following the lake tour, the party gathered on shore for coffee and refreshments provided by Derric McMahon and Harry Clifton of the Ross Castle Garden Cafe.
The initiative forms part of the club’s ongoing community work as a Gold Award winner in the GAA Healthy Club programme.

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