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Fossa woman wins classic Toyota in fundraising raffle

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3 years ago

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INTERVIEW: Tom Leslie of Killarney Valley Classic and Vintage Club tells Meabh Swarbuck that she has just one a classic Toyota Starlet. Photo: Sean Moriarty

By Sean Moriarty

The family of a Fossa woman who won a classic car in a raffle said the win was “totally unexpected".

WINNING TICKET: Jordan Lee is watched by Brendan Fuller as he pulls out the winning tickets.

WINNERS: Alan and Meabh Swarbuck accept the Toyota Starlet on behalf of Meabh's mother Mary Terry. Photo: Sean Moriarty

CLUB: Killarney Valley Classic and Vintage Club members and supporters at Kellihers Garage in Tralee. Photo: Sean Moriarty

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PRIZE: Alan and Meabh Swarbuck accept the Toyota Starlet on behalf of Meabh's mother Mary Terry. Photo: Sean Moriarty

CROWD:Some of the large crowd that attended Thursday night's raffle. Photo: Sean Moriarty

TOP SELLER: Thresa Looney of the Irish Kidney Association with Brenda Houlihan Tralee who sold 145 ticket for the draw: Photo: Sean Moriarty

Killarney Valley Classic and Vintage Club drew the winning tickets for its annual raffle on Thursday evening (November 24) at Kelliher’s Garage in Tralee.

The top prize was a 40-year-old Toyota Starlet that was lovingly restored by the members of club earlier this year.

Members sold tickets over the past six months to support four local charities which included the Irish Kidney Association Kerry Branch, Killarney Valley Athletic Club, Recovery Haven and Cuan Mhuire.

The winning ticket was drawn by Radio Kerry DJ Brendan Fuller and Toyota brand ambassador Jordan Lee.

Mary Terry from Fossa was the lucky winner of the car but she was not present at the draw.

However, members of the club contacted her family and her daughter Meabh, son-in-law Alan and her two grandsons Finian and Keelan made their way from Fossa to Tralee just in time for the tail end of the celebrations.

“This is a big surprise, it is totally unexpected,” said her daughter Meabh Swarbuck.

“We gave mam a ring on the way over, she is unsure what to do with the car. She is 77 and still driving.”

Her two sons are members of Killarney Valley Athletic Club, one of the beneficiaries of the raffle and the winning ticket was sold by athletic club members Breeda Stack who has sold the winning ticket on three of the last four times the vintage club has run a fundraising raffle.

Killarney Valley Classic and Vintage Club chairman, James Looney, thanked everyone who has supported this and other restoration raffles over the years.

“This is the fourth time that the top prize has not left the county,” he told the large crowd gathered in Kelliher’s Toyota showroom in Tralee.

Entertainment was provide by Killarney School Of Music and refreshments from Kathleen, Mags and Sylvia of Ross Cafe Killarney.

“Huge thanks go to Brendan Fuller as our Master of Ceremony and we were also honoured to have Paralympian Jordan Lee help us draw out the winning tickets on the night,” said club secretary Rich O’Donoghue.

“A huge thank you again to our many sponsors and supporters who made the restoration possible.”

The other lucky winners on the night were:

2nd prize €1,000 cash - Lauren McGilloway

3rd prize €500 voucher - O'Callaghan Coaches, Ken Manley

4th prize €250 voucher - Castleisland Tyre Centre Brendan O’Reilly

5th prize €150 voucher - Garret's Restaurant Killarney, Mary O'Shea

6th prize 30 bags of turf - Tommy Drumm

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Killarney Civic Arts Group to hold first AGM

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17 minutes ago

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8 December 2025

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Killarney Civic Arts, a new group formed to advance cultural awareness and promote participation in the arts, is inviting the public to its inaugural Annual General Meeting (AGM) this month.

The group, made up of artists and arts workers, aims to share experiences and insights with the community regarding the future and direction of cultural development in Killarney and the wider Munster region.


Killarney Civic Arts invites anyone who cares about shaping creative places in the community to connect with them and share their thoughts and stories.


The first AGM will be held in the Deer-hunter lounge at the Dromhall Hotel, (V93PY80), on Saturday, December 13, at 10.00am. The event offers free entry and is hosted in an accessible room.


For further information, the public may contact Dolores Lyne at 087 263 8720.

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Tree of Light ceremony on Monday

The spectacular 100ft Tree of Light in Killarney, festooned with close on 3,000 lights and topped with a giant star, will again illuminate the town this Christmas with the official […]

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16 hours ago

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7 December 2025

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The spectacular 100ft Tree of Light in Killarney, festooned with close on 3,000 lights and topped with a giant star, will again illuminate the town this Christmas with the official switch-on date planned for Monday next, December 8.

The lighting up ceremony will take place after a community Mass in the adjacent St Mary’s Cathedral at 6.15pm and a short prayer service will mark the big switch-on.
The towering Tree of Light is a landmark giant Californian Redwood tree located just outside the main door of the Pugin-designed building.
The project is an collaboration between a sub-committee of Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce and the Killarney parish and it creates a wonderful focal point in the town in the lead up to and during the festive season.
Killarney Parish Administrator, Fr Kieran O’Brien and Christmas in Killarney Chairman, Cllr Niall Kelleher extend a warm invitation to all community groups, schools, clubs and organisations, families and individuals to attend the special Mass next Monday evening or to visit the tree this Christmastime.
The feature star on the spectacular tree will take on an extra special meaning this year as it will be dedicated to the late Donal Grady, a long-serving local councillor and former Mayor of Killarney who worked diligently and passionately for the community.
Donal, who passed away in 2024, was a dedicated public representative who worked with great passion and a real sense of purpose on behalf of his loyal supporters.
Through his work as a long-serving chief fire officer in Killarney, he helped so many families at a time when they most needed assistance and reassurance and he brought a great sense of calm and responsibility to the position
The Tree of Light was first lit to mark the millennium year when it commemorated all those who lost their lives in the conflict in Northern Ireland and it was again illuminated in the mid-2000s to remember those who had been killed on Irish roads.
Since then the project is all about community and it celebrates the fact that Killarney is such a wonderful town to live in.
In the past, the star at the top of the tree has been dedicated to great community activists Johnny Hickey, Yvonne Quill, Paul Coghlan and Rena Kennelly.

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