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Jane part of Ireland’s first third-level outdoor classroom

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By Sean Moriarty

A Killarney student was one of a group of trainee teachers at Mary Immaculate College to set up the very first outdoor education classroom in a third level college.

Jane McGillicuddy, from Kilcummin, is in her fourth and final year at the Limerick College.

Her speciality subject is geography and she and her fellow students, with support from the teaching staff at the college, founded An Choill Bheag (The Small Forest) on the grounds of the college.

The new project will serve as an outdoor classroom for future students at the college and prepare them to teach all aspects of geography, nature and environmental studies.

It was supported by Learning About Forests (LEAF) which is an international programme operated in Ireland by the outdoor Education Unit of An Taisce.

Earlier this week, LEAF Ireland planted almost one hundred native trees with students and staff from Mary Immaculate College and this woodland habitat will provide an on-site educational and recreational resource for the whole college community.

“This will be there for years to come,” Jane, a former student at both Holy Cross Mercy National School and St Brigid’s Secondary School, told the Killarney Advertiser.

“It will promote outdoor learning. Our teachers managed the whole project but we did all the physical work like preparing the ground, marking out the area and planting the trees.”

As part of the Choill Bheag project student teachers have attended forest-based workshops in Coillte Curraghchase Forest Park, where they were shown a variety of different ways that the outdoors can be used to educate children in all curricular areas.

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Tadhg Fleming to lead Team Jack and Jill in Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle

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Tadhg Fleming to lead Team Jack and Jill in Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle


Comedian and content creator Tadhg Fleming will lead the charge for Team Jack and Jill this summer, taking on the 170km Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle on Saturday, July 4.


The annual event, which starts and finishes in Killarney, raises vital funds for charities across Ireland. This year, Fleming is urging cyclists of all abilities to join him in raising money to support the 504 Jack and Jill families nationwide, including 14 families currently receiving care in County Kerry.
“It’s a sin this Kerry man hasn’t done the Ring of Kerry yet, but it’s about time I did it,” Fleming said. “I’m absolutely delighted to be taking it on for Jack and Jill, a charity very close to our hearts. Dad Derry has done it a few times and told me it’s a piece of cake, so we’ll soon find out about that.”
The Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation provides critical in-home nursing care and respite support for children up to the age of seven who live with severe learning disabilities and complex medical needs.
Among those benefiting from the service is Tralee mother Anna Walsh. Her youngest daughter, Róisín, lives with Angelman syndrome, a rare neurogenetic condition.
“Jack and Jill has made such a difference to our family life,” Walsh said. “The hours of in-home nursing care we receive mean I’m able to work, which is massively important for our family. It gives us breathing space, practical support, and reassurance when things are overwhelming.”
Registration is now open for participants looking to secure a place on the team. Those who sign up to cycle for the charity will receive fundraising support, specialized training plans from Coral Leisure personal trainers, and an official Jack and Jill cycling jersey.
Cyclists can register to join Team Jack and Jill online at https://www.ringofkerrycycle.ie/our-charities/jack-jill-foundation/

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100-year-old fire tender beautifully restored 

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Billy Spring from Milltown with his restored Merryweather Hatfield Trailer Pump Fire Tender which was in service by Killarney Fire Brigade from it’s purchase in 1926 up until the 1960’s,Billy purchased it in 1994,he carried out the restoration on it from 2008 to 2026.This Appliance was particularly suited for duties as the town was composed of a lot of narrow lanes and congested areas where a regular pump couid not gain access.Photo by Michael G Kenny

A piece of Killarney’s municipal history has been painstakingly brought back to life following an extensive restoration project by Milltown resident Billy Spring.

The rare machine served as a frontline tender for the Killarney Fire Brigade for four decades, spanning from the 1920s through to the 1960s. Having survived a century, the machine required a monumental amount of skilled craftsmanship to reverse decades of wear and return it to its former glory.

Now fully restored, this unique piece of local heritage offers a rare glimpse into the early days of emergency services in the region.

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