Local stars sweep honours at Kerry Sports Awards

Muckross rally co-driver Noel O’Sullivan was named the Supreme Sports Star for 2025 as the Kerry Sports Awards made a major return to the social calendar last Saturday night.

Over 250 winners and guests attended the gala event at the Rose Hotel in Tralee, marking the end of a six-year hiatus for the ceremony.
Established by Ken O’Day in 2013, the awards recognise excellence across a wide range of disciplines, from elite international competition to local club volunteerism.
O’Sullivan was a popular recipient of the overall top prize following his success in the Iirsh Tarmac Rally Championship and his record run of four Rally of the Lakes wins in a row.
He led a strong contingent of Killarney winners, including Olympic hopeful Sarah Leahy, who took the athletics award after a season that saw her set a new Irish indoor record. Young boxing star Pa Casey and ‘Kingdom Warrior’ Kevin Cronin were also among those celebrated for their recent achievements in the ring.
GAA and multi-sport success
David Clifford was again named the top footballer, while Siofra O’Shea received the Ladies’ Football award. O’Shea, a prominent basketballer with Utility Trust St Paul’s, was the only Kerry player to make the 2025 TG4 All-Star team.
Damien Fleming of Deerpark accepted the pitch and putt award following his national championship wins and his role in Ireland’s European Team Championship victory. Dale McCarthy was honoured for his success in darts, while world-class jockey Oisín Murphy took the horse racing accolade.
Club and community recognition
The local impact of Killarney clubs was a recurring theme throughout the evening. Fossa and Kilcummin were both finalists for the Club Team of the Year award following their respective All-Ireland titles.
The night concluded with a standing ovation for Gneeveguilla’s Paddy O’Donoghue, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame. The honour recognised his decades of service as an athletics administrator and promoter in the Sliabh Luachra area.

A pair of impatient pets in Killarney have become the world’s most famous motorists this week after a video of their High Street antics surpassed 20 million views across social media platforms.

The footage, which captured one dog repeatedly honking the car horn while the other looked on like a concerned passenger, has charmed audiences from Kerry to Kentucky.
The clip was even picked up by CBS Evening News, which has 2.9 million followers on its Facebook page alone.
The global phenomenon was captured from two different angles by local residents. John Galvin, from Glenflesk, and Killarney-based Natalia Eismont both filmed the scene separately, unaware that their videography would soon be broadcast on major US television networks.
For Natalia the success of the video is about more than just a light-hearted moment.
She is a Ukrainian migrant living in Killarney and works as an advocate for her community.
“You write about serious things, and then you randomly film two dogs honking for their owner,” Natalia said. “Next thing you know, it’s going viral all over the world. Honestly, this might be the cutest thing I’ve ever posted. Sometimes we all just need something light and good.”