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Weight to go Noel – as fundraiser helps raise funds for sick little girl

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CHARITY WEIGHT LOSS: Killarney's Noel O'Sullivan is currently losing one stone in weight to fundraise for a sick little girl. Photo: Michelle Crean

By Michelle Crean

One way to lose weight is to put yourself out there in the public eye - which is what one local man has done for the month of June.

However, Killarney's Noel O'Sullivan has an extra reason as he's raising funds for a young girl who recently had her leg amputated after being diagnosed with a rare life threatening Osteosarcoma tumour in her tibia. With a GoFundMe page set up, so far over €155k has been raised for the Galway family to help them access the prosthetics for young Saoirse Ruane and make adjustments to their home.

Noel and his wife know the family personally and as he wanted to come up with a unique fundraiser he decided, after clocking up some pounds during lockdown, to combine his weight loss with a fundraiser.

Noel, who is a Learning Support teacher in St Oliver's NS, has been greatly inspired for his plan to lose a stone in June after receiving positive comments online both publicly​​​​​​​ and privately in the last few weeks.

Currently he's down just under half a stone with good food and plenty of exercise and with a few weeks left hopes to achieve the full 14 pound weight loss target.

"My wife became friends with Saoirse's mom Rosanna and my daughter Cora is around Saoirse's age and the family have visited Killarney," Noel this week told the Killarney Advertiser.
"She has a rare form of cancer and they had to amputate her leg. For something like that to happen to such a young girl is awful."

Losing his mom in April combined with the lockdown meant he piled on the pounds so a weight loss fundraiser was his first choice.

"I had this idea to do a fundraiser that would be challenging and engaging and I weighted myself online which was 15 stone 13 and a half pounds and put up the GoFundMe page link. ​​​​​​It's been very positive."​

Noel said that the fundraising efforts by everyone is keeping the family's spirits up while Saoirse is in and out of hospital.

He added that Fifth Class pupils from St Oliver's also generously made a donation of €250 from their Young Entrepreneurs project selling stressballs.

To donate to the fundraiser go to GoFundMe: SOS - Support Our Saoírse.

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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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