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Fassbender finishes Le Mans despite two race crashes

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4 years ago

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SMILES: Michael Fassbender was delighted to reach the finish of his first Le Mans 24 Hours race. Photo: Porsche Media

Hollywood A-lister and Fossa man Michael Fassbender gave a good account of himself during his debut at the Le Mans 24 Hours last weekend.

FANDOM: Michael Fassbender's appearance at the Le Mans 24 Hours was a firm favourite with fans. Photo: Porsche Media

SELFIE: One lucky fan gets a selfie with Michael Fassbender during the Le Mans 24 Hours race weekend. Photo: Porsche Media

Fassbender was tackling the world's toughest endurance race for the first time and the legendary event threw everything at him.

He still managed to finish 17th in class, just 14 laps behind the class winner after 24 hours of driving.

Fassbender shared driving duties with professional drivers Matt Campbell and Zach Robichon.

After three years racing in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) – the recognised feeder series ahead of any Le Mans debut – Fassbender endured all sorts of calamities on his way to the finish.

Even before the race started on Saturday afternoon he was in trouble,.

On Wednesday evening he was involved in a high-speed crash during qualifying after a brake disc failed in his Proton Competition Porsche 911 RSR.

His team worked around the clock to ensure the car he shared with Campbell and Robichon was ready for the start.

His inexperience in the race itself showed. ELMS events do not include night time driving.

Just before midnight, during his first stint under the cover of darkness he was punted off the track by another driver.

The crew were running well inside the top 20 of the Amateur class at the time.

Fassbender returned to the pits where his Proton Competition mechanics were able to repair the car. However, they lost several laps during the repair works and they re-joined in 22nd place in class.

He was in trouble again, shortly after 2am on Sunday morning, during his second turn at the wheel at night time.

This time it was all his own fault as he lost control of the Porsche on the approach to Dunlop Curves and got stuck in a gravel trap. He had to wait for what seemed like an eternity for help to arrive and return him to the track.

He and his two teammates recovered to finish 16th in class. The crew completed 329 laps of the 13km course over the 24 hours.

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Several hotels recognised in tourism awards

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1 day ago

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16 February 2026

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Several Killarney hotels were honoured for their outstanding service at the CIÉ Tours Annual Awards of Excellence.

CIÉ Tours, the largest carrier of US visitors to Ireland every year, held its annual awards of excellence which celebrates Irish hoteliers and tourist experience operators.

The Europe Hotel & Resort was awarded gold for ‘Best 5 Star Hotel’.

The hotel is known for its elegance and luxury, and the hotel lies on the shores of Lough Lein overlooking the vast and magnificent Kerry landscape.

Great Southern Killarney received a gold award for ‘Best Hotel Service & Hospitality.

The hospitality venue was commended for its charm and warm welcome; the hotel ensures that its guests have a memorable stay.

The Plaza, International Hotel, Towers Hotel, and the Avenue received merit awards in the Munster hotel category.

Meanwhile, Killarney Horse & Carriage Tours were recipients of a merit award in the Munster visitor experience category.

Seán Canney TD, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, acknowledged the commitment of tour operators across Ireland and paid tribute to the award recipients.

He said: “These awards are a testament to the high standards of quality that each operator holds and is a well-deserved recognition of their work in welcoming CIÉ Tours visitors to Ireland, providing them with unique and unrivalled experiences”.

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Fianna Fáil history to go on display in Library next month

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1 day ago

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16 February 2026

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An exhibition which will focus on the early years of Fianna Fáil in County Kerry is set to go on display in Killarney Library next month.

This year marks the centenary of the foundation of the party in 1926 and the exhibition, presented by historian Dr Owen O’Shea, focuses on how the party developed and grew in Kerry in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

The exhibition titled Soldiers of Destiny, Fianna Fáil in Kerry 1926-1933, is supported by a Commemorations Bursary from the Royal Irish Academy.

It tells the story of Fianna Fáil in Kerry from its foundation in May 1926 to the general election of 1933 when the party’s vote in the Kerry constituency was the highest in the entire country.

New research about the establishment of party branches, the results of elections, the role of newspapers and propaganda all form part of the display as do profiles of the seven Fianna Fáil TDs who represented Kerry between 1926 and 1933.

Historian Owen O’Shea said Fianna Fáil’s foundation was a transformative moment in Irish politics.

He said: “Éamon de Valera’s party set about establishing a network of branches in Kerry with enormous speed and the Fianna Fáil vote in the constituency grew rapidly from 33% in 1927 to 68% in 1933.”

The exhibition will be on display at Tralee Library from February 16 to February 28 and at Killarney Library from March 10 to March 31 and can be viewed during library opening hours.

The seven TDs who represented Kerry during those years were Denis Daly, Fred Crowley, Tom McEllistrim, William O’Leary, Thomas O’Reilly and Jack Flynn.

Their stories are being shared for the first time as are many of the election posters, newspaper advertisements and political material from the time.

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