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Sunday Solstice on The Paps of Anú

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3 years ago

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0245894_Winter_Solstice_Paps10.jpg
Photo: Valerie O'Sullivan

Celebrating this year's Winter Solstice will take place on Sunday, December 18 in aid of the Kerry Hospice Foundation Palliative Care.

SOLSTICE: Having a Sunday Solstice this year will allow people to travel and have time to savour the day. Photo: Valerie O'Sullivan

SOLSTICE PAST: Batty O’Sullivan (left) Rachael Cullen John O’Sullivan Paddy Lawlor Shanon Cullen and Mike Doherty Shane Dennehy and Chris Crowley previously enjoying the Winter Solstice on the summit of the Paps of Anú in aid of Kerry Hospice Foundation Palliative Care. Photo: Valerie O'Sullivan

The astronomical calendar is getting closer to what is the shortest day of the year - on Wednesday, December 21 - but as it falls on a week day this year, organisers are planning to have a Sunday Solstice to allow people to travel and have time to savour the day.

These ancient sacred summits, ‘The Paps of Anú’, resemble a pair of breast shaped hills known as ‘The Paps’ in the Derry Na Saggart Mountains close to the Cork Kerry border. The Paps have long been associated with mythology, mysticism and majesty. The Goddess Anú represents all that is earthly, fertile, abundant and protective.

With kind permission of local landowners Sean and Mary O’Donoghue, Glenflesk, and neighbour Jimmy Moynihan, the walk departs from Garries Bridge - the first bridge after St Agatha’s Church, Glenflesk, meeting at 6.30am.

A long walk in darkness to the summit, it has two strenuous inclines, leading to the Western Pap at 690 metres. At approximately 8.45am sunrise and craic begins, with Glenflesk's finest musicians Derry and Rosie Healy, setting the pace for a Kerry polka set, followed by an ancient ceremonial blessing by another Glenflesk native, Mary Cronin. The trek will be led by expert mountaineer Donie Mulcahy and crew.

A donation of €20 will be collected on the morning of the walk. It is compulsory to bring a head torch, warm clothes, hiking boots, waterproof jacket and pants, gloves, hat, food and a drink. A good level of fitness is required. Guides will be on duty for gear check before departure.

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Concerns over future of St Mary of the Angels

Two Kerry TDs have voiced concerns over the future of St Mary of the Angels and St Francis Special School in Beaufort, highlighting the urgent need for respite services for […]

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12 hours ago

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17 October 2025

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Two Kerry TDs have voiced concerns over the future of St Mary of the Angels and St Francis Special School in Beaufort, highlighting the urgent need for respite services for children and adults with profound disabilities and special needs.

The campus, set on lands generously donated by the Doyle family, offers 30 acres of grounds, existing buildings, and services, making it a valuable asset for the provision of respite care in Kerry. TD Michael Cahill emphasized that the Doyle family’s wishes should be respected, and that the grounds should be made accessible immediately.
“The special needs community in Kerry has a major respite crisis and families don’t have time to wait. Families need help — they are not asking for full-time residential care but respite care, a break, a helping hand,” Deputy Cahill said.
He added that a bespoke approach is needed to meet the individual needs of children attending St Francis Special School. “Many of the children in the county with profound needs need a safe haven where they can roam the grounds freely, and St Mary of the Angels offers this.”
Deputy Cahill has accompanied several Ministers to the Beaufort campus to highlight its value to Disability Health Service providers. A working group has been formed including St John of Gods, the HSE, representatives of residents at St Mary of the Angels, and St Francis Special School, to explore options for maintaining and expanding respite services.
“Parents are worn out and at the end of their tether. This needs to be dealt with expeditiously, in an environment of cooperation between the relevant Government Departments of Health, Disability, and Education. We need to get this across the line urgently and put it permanently in place,” he said.
Deputy Cahill pointed to the current shortfall of respite services in Kerry. “As of now, Cunamh Iveragh respite in Cahersiveen is only open Friday to Sunday, running at half capacity — two adults per night instead of four. The issue is staffing, and the HSE will not release funding to open full-time. The Beaufort campus is available and should be utilised as parents are crying out for overnight respite. Cooperation and compassion could see this done quickly.”
TD Danny Healy Rae echoed these concerns during a Dáil speech this week. “We are still short of respite beds on the southern side of the constituency. Families caring for people with disabilities just want a break, but there is nowhere available locally. Places are being offered only in Tipperary or Meath for those needing new residential care. It makes no sense. St Mary of the Angels in Beaufort has 40 or 50 acres of grounds that could be expanded, with facilities already in place such as swimming pools. It could be developed as a model for the rest of the country.”
Both TDs are urging the Government and the HSE to take immediate action to utilise the Beaufort campus for respite care, in line with the intentions of the Doyle family and the needs of Kerry families.

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Cardiac Response Unit’s ‘Restart a Heart’ training event

Killarney Cardiac Response Unit (KCRU) is set to run a range of events as part of the global initiative Restart A Heart, which aims to increase awareness and actual rates […]

Published

16 hours ago

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17 October 2025

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Killarney Cardiac Response Unit (KCRU) is set to run a range of events as part of the global initiative Restart A Heart, which aims to increase awareness and actual rates of bystander CPR worldwide.

The main event, titled RAH 2025, invites the public to learn life-saving skills and the basic steps in the chain of survival. This will take place on Saturday, October 18, at the Killarney Outlet Centre.
Members of the public are encouraged to join KCRU at the centre between 10:00 am and 5pm.
Key feature of the day will be the CPR Competition, offering “fantastic prizes to be won.”
For further information, visit www.killarneycru.ie/rah25

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