News
PhD student’s genetic research win prestigious prize
By Michelle Crean
A Killorglin man has won a prestigious prize, the Conway Festival Gold Medal, for his work on genetic research on TB in cattle.
PhD student, John O’Grady, was competing against 114 other researchers in UCD Conway Institute, a biomedical research institute in University College Dublin.
This early-stage research could identify potential biomarkers to develop new diagnostic tests for M. bovis infection and guide the breeding of livestock with enhanced bovine TB resistance.
The research being carried out by John and supervised by Professors David MacHugh, Claire Gormley, and Stephen Gordon will impact the global agricultural industry, which sustains significant economic losses due to M. bovis infection in cattle.
In the context of a One Health framework – in which the health of animals, humans and the environment are inextricably linked - understanding the response in cattle to M. bovis infection can help explain immunological responses during human TB.
“We created a pipeline for integrative genomic analyses using three types of data: high-resolution genomic variation and transcriptomic data generated by our group and external genome-wide association study data produced by scientists at Teagasc and the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation," the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, said.
"For this, we used samples of peripheral blood from cattle infected with M. bovis to perform a transcriptome wide association study. This is the first study of its kind in the context of bovine TB.”
John is in the first year of his doctoral studies funded by the SFI Centre for Research Training in Genomics Data Science. As part of his PhD, he will continue this research to see if there are commonalities in gene expression across breed groups. The genes that are overexpressed during M. bovis infection may be potential biomarkers for the development of new diagnostic tests for M. bovis infection.
Frustration mounts over morning gridlock at Coolcorcoran
Mounting traffic gridlock at the Coolcorcoran junction onto the N22 Killarney Bypass is causing daily delays for commuters, with local motorists calling on Killarney Municipal District and elected representatives to take immediate action.
Early morning traffic coming from the Tralee side has become severely backed up past BG Motors during the peak 8.15am commute.
Motorists attempting to enter the bypass from the Coolcorcoran side face long queues and increasing frustration as they struggle to join the main road.
Local drivers point to a specific design issue at the exit, where a raised kerb and a section of unused footpath prevent left-turning vehicles from merging smoothly into the traffic flow.
Road users are requesting a simple layout modification to resolve the bottleneck: converting the exit to left-turn only, removing the kerb obstruction, and directing driver traffic to loop via a U-turn at the Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre roundabout. Similar left-turn measures were previously implemented at the nearby Lewis Road junction to improve safety and traffic flow.
The request comes as broader plans for the N22 bypass upgrade and new link road infrastructure remain under progression by Kerry County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
Motorists wishing to share their views on local road issues can email info@killarneyadvertiser.ie.
Frustration mounts over morning gridlock at Coolcorcoran
Frustration mounts over morning gridlock at Coolcorcoran Mounting traffic gridlock at the Coolcorcoran junction onto the N22 Killarney Bypass is...
Ailbhe Keogan scoops top television writing award
Acclaimed Kerry screenwriter Ailbhe Keogan has won the Best TV Drama Script award at the 19th Writers’ Guild of Ireland...
Strong turnout for St Paul’s Golf Classic at Beaufort
After a recent spell of indifferent weather, glorious sunshine and a gentle breeze greeted 35 teams at Beaufort Golf Course...
€150,000 granted to draft masterplan for St Finan’s site
Kerry County Council has been awarded €150,000 in government funding to progress a Masterplan and Infrastructure Delivery Plan for the...
GoSafe cameras live at Farranfore level crossing next week
GoSafe cameras live at Farranfore level crossing next week Automated speed cameras at the Farranfore rail level crossing will become...
Fossa Swimmers make a splash at County Finals
The Fossa Swim team pictured at the Tralee Sports Complex following their successful outing at the County Finals of the...
On the Ball Part 2 of the Mikey Daly Interview
Éamonn Fitzgerald EF: Killarney Celtic are invited to participate in an Irish competition. That has big financial implications for travel,...
LUKE MANGAN recently caught up with Kerry FC’s manager, Colin Healy.
He spoke to him about his careers as a player and manager. Here’s how it went: When you began your...
Home cup tie for St Paul’s could be epic
Paudie O’Connor National Cup (Round 1) Utility Trust St Paul’s v GCU Brunell Saturday 7.30pm Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre...
Chances of Kerry v Cork Munster final in 2026 decrease as Munster GAA delay seeding plan
After facing a backlash from Limerick, Clare, Waterford and Tipperary players, Munster GAA have postponed their plan to keep Cork...
