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No Listowel races for Donie for the first time in over 80 years

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NOT AT THE RACES: Donie Sheahan studying the form at his Lewis Road home. He is missing Listowel Races for the first time in over 80 years. Photo: Sean Moriarty

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For 80 consecutive years much loved Killarney pharmacist and horse racing enthusiast Donie Sheahan hasn't missed the Listowel Races - until this year came around due to the current pandemic restrictions.

Journalist Sean Moriarty took some time out to chat to Donie to find out how the 94-year-old felt about not being there, having instead no choice but to resign to the fact that he had to watch it from the comfort of his own home.

The traditional September Harvest Festival meeting comes to a close tomorrow (Saturday) but, as it is run behind closed doors, Donie has been forced to watch proceedings on television and not trackside.

It is the first time since he was a little boy that Donie, who turned 94 in April, could not be there in person to see the action unfold.

Instead he sits at home and watches the action unfold on racing channels like At the Races and TG4.

“I would much rather be there,” he told the Killarney Advertiser.

The Lewis Road man’s family are steeped in the history of Listowel Races. His parents William and Lena ran a pub and boarding house in the town.

The pub had six livery stables to its rear, at a time when there were no stables at the island racecourse so jockeys and racehorses lodged with the Sheahan family for the duration of the meeting. The family would collect horses off the train ahead of the meeting.

“I have memories from when I was no more than six or seven-years-old,” he recalled. “We would walk the horses down to the Island, sometimes over the bridge and other times across the river. I got to know a lot of people.”

And this is how Donie and his late brother Tommy developed their lifelong love affair with horse racing.

Tommy went on to serve as chair of the Listowel Race Committee and his daughter, Donie’s niece, Dr Helen Lynch from Tralee, currently sits at the table.

“There is a huge family connection there,” he added.

On qualifying as a pharmacist Donie moved to Killarney in 1950, and after a spell with the medical department of Kerry County Council and the Southern Health Board he set up a thriving pharmacy in the town centre.

This allowed him to follow his true passions, which also includes Dr Crokes GAA Club and Kerry football, and he became a successful racehorse owner.

He has had a lot of success over the years including several Listowel winners, but the big one - The Kerry National - escaped him as he recorded two second-places with ‘For William’.

“I had three or four winners in Listowel but for two years in a row the Kerry National escaped me,” he added.

Other fond memories include winning the Fairyhouse Easter Festival in 2010 with ‘For Bill’, and jockey Davy Russell.

‘For Bill’ was named after a close friend Bill Murphy, a Garda Superintendent in Killarney, after he passed away.

In more recent years Donie has represented the European Breeders Association at Listowel.
If that organisation sponsored a race he would be called upon to hand out the trophies.

“It is funny but people always remember you when you give them a prize!"

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Five local postmen retire with 185 years service

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Five local postmen retire with 185 years service

RETIREMENT NIGHT: Pictured at the retirement party held at Killarney Racecourse on Saturday, October 3, celebrating a combined 185 years of service with An Post, are Connie Brady, James Foley, Terry Potts, Pat Cronin, and D.J. Cahill.


Five well-known local postmen celebrated their retirement at a special function held at Killarney Racecourse on Saturday night, October 3.


The event brought together current and former An Post colleagues to mark the combined total of 185 years of service delivered across Killarney and surrounding areas.
Delivery Services Manager Terry Potts retired after 43 years with An Post. He began his career in Dublin, where he worked for 10 years, before moving to Killarney in 1993 for a further 33 years.
Pat Cronin completed an impressive 51 years of service between Killarney and Farranfore, spending 44 of those years delivering post on the Farranfore route.
James Foley served 35 years with An Post, delivering on routes across Killorglin throughout his entire career.
D.J. Cahill marked 32 years of service based out of Killarney post office, delivering mail across Killarney town, Killorglin, Kilcummin, and Headford.
Connie Brady retired following 24 years with the postal service, spending 17 years in Killarney town before completing his service in Killorglin.
The celebration offered local postal staff an opportunity to gather and catch up ahead of the busy Christmas rush.

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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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