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140-year-old Killarney Arbutus writing desk to be restored

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By Sean Moriarty

A 140-year-old writing slope - once owned by a local nurse who was a World War One hero - has been rediscovered and is set to be restored to its former glory.

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The Killarney-made handcrafted piece of Killarney Arbutus furniture was gifted to Sr Louisa ‘Lula’ Greany from Muckross by the Herbert Family in 1879.

She was Thomas Greany's first child, the local land agent for the Herbert’s, owners of Muckross House at the time. It is believed the writing slope was a present to the family on the occasion of their first born.

Louisa trained as a nurse in Dublin and moved to London in 1914.

As a Red Cross volunteer she was stationed in both Le Touquet and Dinard in France during World War One.

After the war she worked in Alexandria (now Cairo) and Jerusalem and was made an Associate of the Royal Red Cross for exceptional services as a military nurse.

Local Killarney Arbutus Furniture expert James Flynn has been tasked with the restoration. The Ross Road man’s work recently featured on RTÉ's 'Nationwide'.

“After the ‘Nationwide’ programme a couple in Dublin contacted me. I met them at the Great Southern Hotel and agreed to restore it. I am retired now. This was made specially for Louisa, it is a very important piece,” James told the Killarney Advertiser.

“There is a lot of work in it. I need to use donor pieces to get the patterns right.”

The writing slope is about the size of a modern-day laptop. It features several compartments for storing ink, pens and letters.

Details on the slope include a hand engraving of Muckross Abbey, a shamrock carving that James has never seen on previous furniture he has restored, and pencilled handwriting of Louisa’s name.

James has already sourced period-style ink bottles in Britain and will hand carve an exact replica of the shamrock. Brass hinges will have to be specially ordered to complete the restoration.

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All eyes down as St Oliver’s hosts bumper bingo fundraiser

It will be All Eyes Down as the saying goes on October 23 as St Oliver’s Primary School hosts a bumper Bingo Fundraiser night. The event, which is being held […]

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It will be All Eyes Down as the saying goes on October 23 as St Oliver’s Primary School hosts a bumper Bingo Fundraiser night.

The event, which is being held to raise additional funds for the school’s Special Classes, will take place in the Killarney Racecourse in the Celtic Steps venue.

According to Colm Ó Súilleabháin, Principal of St Oliver’s, the idea for the fundraiser was the brainchild of Denise Hendey, a parent of one of the children in the Special Classes who approached the school wanting to assist with raising much-needed funds for the classes. “She has been utterly amazing with the amount of work and organisation she has put into this event, sourcing an incredible number of fantastic prizes for the raffle and spot prizes for the bingo winners” he said.
Continuing he said “We are so appreciative of the incredible support we have received from all the businesses who have sponsored some amazing prizes and made very generous donations in support of the event.”

St. Oliver’s has eight separate Special Classes, home to 62 children. All monies raised on the night will go towards purchasing additional resources for the classes.

The event will commence at 7pm with doors opening at 6pm. So be sure to come along to what is promised to be a fun-filled night with numerous opportunities to win some amazing prizes and hopefully if there is a ‘knock on the door’ or a ‘bang on the drum’ it will be on your bingo card!

Bingo books (€10) and raffle tickets (€5) are available to buy from the school office and will be available on the night. All welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

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Milltown plan to preserve history in community project 

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The Milltown History and Heritage Society has announced plans for an oral history archive for the community.

It is hoped that the collection and preservation of stories and folklore will be a valuable resource for future generations.

Oral history expert and historian Dr Tomás Mac Conmara will speak in Milltown in support of the launch.

Dr Mac Conmara, who is an award-winning oral historian, lecturer and author, will speak at the Muintir na Tíre Hall in Milltown at 8pm on Friday, October 24 and will introduce the fundamentals for the collection of oral history.

The presentation is free of charge and is supported by funding from the Creative Communities Grant Scheme 2025.

Attendees will be introduced to the practical skills required in interviewing, recording and documenting local heritage.

Stewart Stephans of the Milltown History and Heritage Society said they are excited to have Tomás to set them on the right path towards the development of the archive.

He said: “The collection and retention of oral history needs to be approached properly, drawing on the right advice and maintaining high standards, so we are pleased to be getting the input of such a renowned expert.” The event is open to anyone who would like to attend.

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