Eddie Sheehy named Hugh O’Flaherty Humanitarian recipient

Fossa resident Eddie Sheehy, founder of The Kenya Education Project, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Hugh O’Flaherty International Humanitarian Award.

The former St Brigid’s Secondary College teacher will receive the Humanitarian Award Scroll, Medal, and the €3,000 O’Donoghue-Ring Bursary from Mayor of Killarney Councillor John O’Donoghue at an official ceremony in Killarney on Friday, October 30.
The award commemorates the wartime legacy of Killarney native Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, whose Rome Escape Line saved over 6,000 lives in Nazi-occupied Rome during the Second World War. Following a pause since spring 2020, the annual award resumed this year under the stewardship of Kerry County Council, the Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce, and the O’Donoghue-Ring Collection. The selection panel selected Mr Sheehy from 22 international and domestic nominations.
Hugh O’Flaherty Memorial Society Chairperson Jerry O’Grady praised the selection. “Eddie Sheehy is an outstanding example of what one individual with the support of his family and friends can do to enhance the lives of the poor and marginalised in our society,” he said.
Killarney Chamber President Johnny Maguire added: “We are delighted to continue to be associated with the Hugh O’Flaherty Humanitarian Award. His humanitarian work is an inspiration to us all – particularly in these difficult times across the world.”
Accepting the honour, Mr Sheehy said: “I am humbled to accept this award on behalf of all those that have helped with the project since it began back in 2003. Our vital work with the children of Embulbul, Kenya would not have been possible without the wonderful support we receive from schools, friends and local businesses.”

The Kenya Education Project

Founded in 2003 by Eddie Sheehy and his late wife Carmella following a volunteer trip to the Nakuru diocese, The Kenya Education Project supports the underprivileged community of Embulbul, Kenya. Starting with an annual table quiz in Killarney, the initiative initially focused on funding basic educational needs for the local primary school. Over the past two decades, the project has grown to encompass school food programmes, family support initiatives, local medical services, and funding an extension to a girls’ hostel at the local school, sustained by continuous support from Kerry schools and local businesses.

Previous Award Recipients

2009: GOAL aid workers Sharon Commins and Hilda Kawuki, held in captivity for 108 days in Darfur.
2010: Fr Michael Sinnott, Columban missionary abducted in the Philippines who returned to service after his release.
2011: Sally O’Neill, Trócaire Director of Operations who spent 40 years aiding crisis zones worldwide.
2012: Sr Agnes Hunt, former prison chaplain at Wormwood Scrubs and volunteer for the Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas.
2013: Donal Walsh (Posthumous), 16-year-old Tralee teenager who inspired peers to value human life during his battle with cancer.
2014: Dr John Beavis, orthopaedic surgeon and founder of medical charity IDEALS, serving conflict zones in Gaza.
2015: Fr Sean Myers, Killarney-born Redemptorist missionary who spent 55 years serving oppressed communities in Northeast Brazil.
2016: Fr Shay Cullen, founder of the PREDA Foundation protecting exploited women and children in the Philippines.
2017: Sr Orla Treacy, Loreto nun who established primary and secondary schools in war-torn South Sudan.
2018: Ireland’s Rescue Services, honoring the RNLI, Irish Coast Guard, and Kerry Mountain Rescue volunteer teams.
2019: Ireland’s UN Peacekeepers, recognizing Irish Defence Forces personnel serving continuous global missions since 1958.

Adventure runner completes all Dublin streets

Killarney native Seanie Clifford has completed an extraordinary 25-day endurance challenge that saw him run all 4,400 named streets in Dublin while sleeping rough on the city’s pavements every night.

The local athlete completed his final stretch in the capital on Saturday, August 29, after covering a total distance of 2,000 kilometres. Running under the project banner 4400 Streets & Nowhere to Go, Clifford undertook the gruelling schedule to raise vital funds for Focus Ireland, Liberty Soup Run, and Dublin Homeless Awareness.

To mirror the reality faced by thousands of individuals across the country, the Killarney man spent 25 consecutive nights sleeping out on the very streets he ran during the day. Averaging close to 80 kilometres every 24 hours, he navigated heavy traffic, intense asphalt heat, and constant route adjustments alongside his partner and sole support crew member, Alicja.

Reflecting on the experience, Clifford praised the overwhelming backing he received from members of the public throughout the capital. He stated that he went into the challenge with extreme positivity and was rewarded with extraordinary kindness from people across Dublin, with residents from Ballymun to Donnybrook coming out to offer support.

Local support carries

By the midpoint of the challenge, physical exhaustion presented severe hurdles. However, local running clubs and individuals joined Clifford on various sections of the daily routes to assist his progress.

On Day 12, runners from Artane Beaumont Running Club and local supporters joined him on the road, allowing him to complete his daily 80-kilometre target ahead of schedule as community support carried him through the toughest miles.

The final stage of the run coincided with the release of official monthly figures from the Department of Housing, which recorded a record 17,527 people living in emergency accommodation across the country, including 5,659 children.

During the closing days of the project, Clifford was invited into Leinster House to meet with TDs and discuss the conditions he witnessed while sleeping on the streets. He stressed throughout the campaign that while his temporary homelessness would end with a return home to Kerry, thousands of families across Ireland remain without permanent shelter.

Triple Crown completed

Following his arrival at the final street, members of the national ultra-running community confirmed that Clifford had achieved what is widely regarded as the Triple Crown of Irish Endurance.

A former student of St Oliver’s Primary School and St Brendan’s College in Killarney, Clifford first set a national record in 2024 by running all 275 Irish mountains over 600 metres in 21 days. In 2025, he ran the entire 2,700-kilometre length of the Wild Atlantic Way from Malin Head to Kinsale in under 30 days.

Despite his previous mountain and coastal records, Clifford described the urban street challenge through Dublin as his most difficult undertaking to date.

Clifford, who now organises trail running retreats and uses endurance projects to highlight mental health and social issues, finished his final street run on Saturday afternoon to complete the historic trilogy of Irish endurance challenges.