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Ring of Kerry tractor run to raise money for Firies charity

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ON THE RUN: The Nobber Vintage Club annual vintage tractor run passing through Killarney town last year. Photo: Eamonn Keogh

By Sean Moriarty

A fleet of up to 50 vintage tractors, cars and motorcycles will pass through Killarney this Friday afternoon as members of Nobber Vintage Club in County Meath host their annual visit to the county.

One local charity, The Seamus O’Brien Fund, will benefit from the charity run, organised by the Meath-based club.

The Firies man, who lost his leg in a construction accident in 2018, has strong family ties to County Meath. His wife Ruth is from the Royal County and when they returned to Ireland after a spell in London Seamus played football with the local Seneschalstown GAA Club before eventually settling in Seamus’s home village of Firies.

The participants will raise also money for the Marie Keating Foundation.

The group, who have been running the Ring of Kerry run since 2011, will leave the Meath town on Wednesday and drive their vintage tractors to Killarney.

Local man Tony Wharton is taking his 50-year-old John Deere tractor to Nobber in time for the start and will participate in the entire run with support from Barleymount’s Pat O’Brien who will drive a back-up vehicle.

The fleet is expected in Killarney around 2.30pm on Friday and will parade through the town. They will be joined by between 25 and 30 members of Killarney Valley Classic and Vintage Club (KVCVC) on arrival in Kerry and the local members will also participate in Saturday’s Ring of Kerry run.

The group will overnight in Fossa and the participating tractors will be on display at Tom Wharton’s farm in Fossa.

“Seamus has been through a hard time and deserves everything we can do to support him,” Mr Wharton told the Killarney Advertiser. “It was my idea to include a local charity and the Nobber Club agreed because it is also local to them. They have been coming here since 2011 and have left a nice few Euros in the locality.”

On Saturday, the convoy will complete the Ring of Kerry run, via the Gap of Dunloe and the finish line in Fossa before returning to Nobber on Monday morning.

The group will have driven over one thousand kilometres by the time they return to Meath on Wednesday August 26.

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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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