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Fassbender’s motor racing dream comes true

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Fossa’s Michael Fassbender says his appearance at this weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans is a “dream come true,”

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The world’s greatest endurance gets underway at 3pm (Irish time) on Saturday.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year.

The anniversary race will again take place in front of full grandstands for the first time in two years.
Fassbender is driving for the Proton Competition team and will share a Porsche 911 RSR with Matt Campbell (Australia) and Zach Robichon (Canada) in the legendary twice-around the clock race.

“With the start in Le Mans, my dream as a racing driver has come true. That's what I've been working towards for the last few years. I'm happy to have such an experienced team and such strong teammates at my side in this legendary race,” said Fassbender.

The event on the 13.626-kilometre Circuit des 24 Heures at Le Mans is extremely popular with motor racing fans and marks the highlight of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The storied circuit south of the city with its 150,000 inhabitants consists mainly of public roads. Normally, hundreds of trucks and cars drive over the legendary Mulsanne straight every day on their way from Le Mans to Tours.

After extensive restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 90th edition of the Le Mans 24- hour race will be contested in front of a large crowd. Up to 250,000 fans are expected at La Sarthe.

For the first time since 2019, spectators will once again be treated to special events such the public technical scrutineering, the drivers’ parade and the pit-lane tour with concerts and other highlights.

Sunday was reserved for the so-called pre-tests on the Circuit des 24 Heures – the only chance for teams and drivers to familiarise themselves with the special characteristics of the circuit before the race week kicks off.

The long-distance classic, which was held for the first time in 1923, can look back on an eventful history full of triumphs and tragedies. The best racing drivers have immortalized themselves in the list of winners of the most famous long-distance race in the world.

As a debutante at the French long-distance classic, like all rookies, Fassbender first had to fulfill certain prerequisites before heading out for his first real drive on the legendary racetrack. For first-timers, the rules require a simulator test. Here, drivers must familiarise themselves with how to behave during safety car phases, slow zones, and other safety measures, which at times differ significantly on the 13.626-kilometre Circuit des 24 Heures compared to other racetracks.

Michael Fassbender has documented his personal “Road to Le Mans” journey in his own YouTube series: www.porsche.com/RoadToLeMans.

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BREAKING: Kerry ETB Awarded €2.3m to purchase Pretty Polly Site

The Kerry Education and Training Board (Kerry ETB) has been awarded €2.3 million in funding to purchase the former Pretty Polly site on Upper Park Road, Killarney. The funding, announced […]

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The Kerry Education and Training Board (Kerry ETB) has been awarded €2.3 million in funding to purchase the former Pretty Polly site on Upper Park Road, Killarney.

The funding, announced this morning by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, will allow Kerry ETB to develop the site as a new Tourism Sector Training College. The proposed facility will focus on training for the hospitality and tourism industries.
Kerry TD Michael Cahill described the announcement as “a major vote of confidence in Killarney and the wider Kerry tourism industry.”
“This is immense news for the town,” said Deputy Cahill. “It will mark Killarney out officially as the tourism capital of Ireland by providing a Hospitality Sector Training College right in the heart of the county.”
Deputy Cahill said he had been advocating for such a development since entering the Dáil, adding that the investment “will be a gamechanger for the hospitality sector in Killarney and Kerry.”
He also recalled the former CERT training centre that operated at the Torc Great Southern Hotel in the 1970s, noting that this new project would revive that legacy for a new generation of tourism professionals.
The Pretty Polly site, vacant for many years, will now be transformed into a key educational and economic hub for the region once the project proceeds.

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Coffee morning being held in memory of late Kevin O’Shea

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A coffee morning will take place in the Aghadoe Heights Hotel next week in memory of the late Kevin O’Shea.


It will take place on October 18 from 11am to 1pm.


All proceeds will go to Kerry Hospice Foundation, Kerry Cancer Support Group and Recovery Haven.


For those who are unable to make it on the day, you can make a donation online by scanning the QR code on the picture.


Kevin’s family extended their heartfelt thanks to local businesses and hotels that have generously sponsored spot prizes, all to be won on the day.


They also said that any donation, big or small, is appreciated and all support is most welcome.

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