By Sean Moriarty

Nearly 200 guests brought the bright lights of London to Killarney last Saturday night.

For the first time ever the annual Killarney London Reunion was held on Irish soil and a gala dinner was organised in the Dromhall Hotlel.

The Killarney London Association is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

The association’s annual reunion was included in the month-long 'An Turas Mor Kerry Homecoming Festival', a joint venture between Kerry County Council and Bord Fáilte.

The festival is aimed at bringing Kerry people, who are based all over the world, home to Kerry for a range of different sporting and cultural events.

Seamus O’Donoghue of Killarney Oils, was selected as the 2022 winner of the prestigious award in recognition of his great support for the Killarney London Reunion over the last five decades.

Seamus lived in Ealing Broadway and was a bus conductor and driver with Transport for London between 1964 and 1967.

“Seamus was a deserving winner, he went to all of the Reunion dinners in London over the years and he is an absolute gentleman,” Martin O’Grady, of the organising committee said.

Such was the success of Saturday night’s event there are hopes that it will alternate between London and Killarney in future years.

“I think being included in An Turas Mor helped, bringing it home to Killarney was important too and Noel O’Sullivan of the London committee said it should be in Killarney every second year, he was that happy with it.”

Funds were also raised on the night for the Irish Community Air Ambulance.