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Fossa Youth Club’s 1975 World Record to be marked 50 Years On

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The 50th anniversary of a Guinness World Record set by Fossa Youth Club will be celebrated later this year.

In August 1975, members of the club played five-a-side soccer for 57 hours non-stop over the bank holiday weekend.
The marathon effort set a new world record and regained the title for Fossa, who had originally set the record at 55 hours before it was beaten by the Duke of York’s Royal Military School in Britain a short time later so they had to have second go a bring the record to 57 hours.
The original match was played at Fossa GAA grounds, with players rotating in and out but keeping the game going for more than two days and nights without a break
The players were eventually hosed down with cold water after the final whistle.
At the time, the achievement made national headlines. RTÉ News broadcast a report in August 1975 under the headline: “A Kerry youth club sets about creating a new world record for non-stop five-a-side football.”
The Killarney Advertiser also carried full coverage. Writing in his report, journalist Eamonn Fitzgerald said:
“Members of Fossa Youth Club [in Killarney, County Kerry[ spent the August bank holiday weekend breaking the world record for the longest game of five-a-side football. They played for 57 hours. The Fossa Club recaptured a record they had set originally at 55 hours which was broken by the Duke of York’s Royal Military School in Britain.”
He described the remarkable scenes at the finish:
“Players cooled off after the marathon game as onlookers gathered around the pitch to witness history being made. The club sent details of their latest 57-hour effort to the Guinness Book of Records for ratification.”
The feat was later confirmed by Guinness World Records.
Now, 50 years on, two of the original participants, James Houlihan and Noel Fitzgerald are contacting former club members who took part with the aim of organising a reunion later in the year.
Funds raised at the 1975 event went towards the construction of the new Prince of Peace Church in the village.

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Rathmore Credit Union celebrated founder’s life and legacy

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Rathmore & District Credit Union celebrated the life and legacy of Nora Herlihy, one of the key founders of the credit union movement in Ireland.

A commemorative plaque was unveiled at her birthplace in Ballydesmond.

The event was attended by the Board of Directors, staff and volunteers from Rathmore & District Credit Union, members of Nora’s family, local community members, and Brendan Jenkins, President of the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU), David Malone, CEO of the ILCU, and Pat Sheehan, Director of the ILCU.

The day also included visits to the Nora Herlihy Memorial Centre and to Ballydesmond Church graveyard, where a wreath was laid at Nora’s grave in her memory.

Nora Herlihy, a teacher by profession, devoted her life to tackling poverty and promoting financial inclusion.

Her work in the 1950s and 1960s laid the foundation for what has become one of Ireland’s most trusted and community-driven financial movements.

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Great Southern to host information afternoon for Kerry’s migrant community

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An information afternoon, ‘One Stop Shop’, will be held at the Great Southern Hotel on October 12 from 12-3pm.

The event will have over 100 information stands from support organisations, local clubs and national agencies aimed at providing practical information, advice and opportunities for Kerry’s migrant community.

Attendees will also be able to take part in breakout sessions, where organisations such as the Kerry Volunteer Centre, Citizens Information Service, HSE, Kerry ETB, and many others will deliver short 15-minute information sessions on key topics including work permits, volunteering, education, health services, and childcare.

There will be a soft launch of the Integreat App which is a new digital tool providing accessible information for migrants.

Local support services, learning English, employment, health and mental health services are among the information that will be available.

The One Stop Shop is a collaboration between Kerry County Council and the Kerry Community Integration Forum.

It is the first event of its kind in the county. Kerry has a growing and diverse migrant community, and this event was developed in response to the need for a single, accessible platform where individuals and families can connect with services, learn about opportunities, and engage with their local community.

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