Aikido Club celebrates 20 years by launching beginners course

Published

4 months ago

21 September 2025

Editor

Killarney Aikido Club is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

The club was founded in 2005 by Seamus Whitty (4th Dan) and Anthony O’Leary (3rd Dan) and has taught hundreds of students since then.

To mark the milestone, the club is starting a six-week beginners’ course on Thursday, October 2nd from 7.00pm to 8.15pm at the Killarney Sports and Leisure Complex.

It is open to anyone aged 15 and over with no previous experience needed.

The course will cover basic techniques, safe falling drills, breathing exercises and an introduction to the principles behind Aikido.

Classes will be led by experienced instructors under the Irish Aikido Federation and the Aikikai Foundation in Japan.

“Aikido is not just about self-defence. For 20 years our mission has been to share it as a path to self-discovery and personal growth,” said Seamus Whitty, co-founder of the club.

Regular club nights continue on Mondays and Thursdays from 8.00pm to 9.45pm at the Killarney Sports Complex.

For more information or to book a place on the beginners’ course, contact Seamus Whitty on 087 123 5994.

Sarah Leahy breaks 21-year-old Irish 50m record

Killarney Valley Athletic Club sprinter Sarah Leahy has made history by setting a new Irish Women’s Indoor 50m record. Competing at the Meeting Indoor Locarnese in Switzerland on Wednesday evening, […]

Published

16 hours ago

15 January 2026

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Killarney Valley Athletic Club sprinter Sarah Leahy has made history by setting a new Irish Women’s Indoor 50m record.

Competing at the Meeting Indoor Locarnese in Switzerland on Wednesday evening, Leahy clocked a blistering time of 6.41 seconds to take the top spot.
The performance eclipses the previous national record of 6.44 seconds, which had been held by Ailish McSweeney since 2005. Leahy, a member of the national women’s 4x100m relay team that famously set a new record at the London Diamond League last year, has started her 2026 indoor campaign in exceptional form.
Known for her explosive power out of the blocks, the Killarney athlete is now using the international circuit to prepare for the National Indoor Championships.
These are scheduled to take place in seven weeks at the National Indoor Arena in Abbotstown, where Leahy aims to defend the 60m title she has won for the past two years.
It is a busy period for Killarney Valley AC, as fellow club member Maria Murnane travels to Boston next week to compete in the 800m. Murnane is hoping to secure a scholarship in the United States following a highly successful 2025 season for the club, which saw its members secure 46 national and 96 Munster medals.
Local runners are also preparing for the return of the ‘Streets of Killarney’ 5-mile road race, which will take place on Good Friday, April 3.
The fast, flat course through Killarney House and the National Park serves as a major fundraiser for the Killarney Valley AC Arena. Entries are already open, with a strong field expected from across the country.

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News

Junior Brother to make Mike the Pies debut this May

Kilcummin musician Junior Brother is set to play Mike the Pies for the first time when he takes to the stage at the popular Listowel venue on May 21. The […]

Published

2 days ago

14 January 2026

AdFactory Editorial Content

Kilcummin musician Junior Brother is set to play Mike the Pies for the first time when he takes to the stage at the popular Listowel venue on May 21.

The local artist has built a strong reputation on the Irish folk and alternative scene and released his third album, The End, last September. The record followed a steady rise in profile since the release of his debut album Pull The Right Rope, which was nominated for the Choice Music Prize for Irish Album of the Year.
Junior Brother also picked up two nominations at the 2019 RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards, where he was shortlisted for Best Folk Album and Best Emerging Folk Act. His distinctive songwriting and live performances have since seen him share stages with a range of well-known acts, including The Proclaimers and Glen Hansard.
Hansard later invited the Kilcummin man to join him on a tour of the east coast of the United States.
Tickets for the show are priced at €20 and are available through the Mike the Pies website.

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Killarney Advertiser

Aikido Club celebrates 20 years by launching beginners course

News

Aikido Club celebrates 20 years by launching beginners course

News

Sarah Leahy breaks 21-year-old Irish 50m record

Killarney Valley Athletic Club sprinter Sarah Leahy has made history by setting a new Irish Women’s Indoor 50m record.

Attachments

News

Junior Brother to make Mike the Pies debut this May

Kilcummin musician Junior Brother is set to play Mike the Pies for the first time when he takes to the stage at the popular Listowel venue on May 21.

Attachments

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Sarah Leahy breaks 21-year-old Irish 50m record

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Killarney Advertiser

Aikido Club celebrates 20 years by launching beginners course

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