News
A Celebration of Culture, Community and Talent at St Brigid’s Presentation
St Brigid’s Presentation Secondary School was alive with music, song and celebration at their recent Trad Night 2026, a wonderful evening that showcased the rich cultural talent within their school and wider community.This special event was a joint fundraiser organised by their Gaelbhratach committee, promoting the Irish language and culture; their Yellow Flag committee, celebrating diversity and inclusion; and their dedicated Music Department. The night reflected the spirit of unity in the school, bringing together students from all year groups in a vibrant celebration of heritage through music, storytelling and dance. The programme featured an impressive lineup of performances including the brush dance, junior and senior set dancers representing local clubs such as Kilcummin and Spa, and a spectacular performance from Irish dancing World Champion Caoimhe O’Halloran. Thri junior and senior traditional groups performed beautifully, alongside the hugely talented Glenflesk Ballad Group, multiple All-Ireland award winners, who brought the audience to their feet. The evening was made all the more special with the generous sponsorship of tea and traditional brack from O'Sullivan's Bakery, which was warmly enjoyed by all in attendance. The night concluded with a memorable performance from Deputy Principal, Liam McGill, who entertained the audience on guitar and vocals, accompanied by well-known local music teacher Rosie Healy and Aine McCann. St Brigid's are immensely proud of all students who performed and contributed to making the night such a resounding success. Trad Night 2026 highlighted the extraordinary talent within the school and the strong sense of community that defines St Brigid’s Presentation.
A Celebration of Culture, Community and Talent at St Brigid’s Presentation
St Brigid’s Presentation Secondary School was alive with music, song and celebration at their recent Trad Night 2026, a wonderful evening that showcased the rich cultural talent within their school and wider community.This special event was a joint fundraiser organised by their Gaelbhratach committee, promoting the Irish language and culture; their Yellow Flag committee, celebrating diversity and inclusion; and their dedicated Music Department. The night reflected the spirit of unity in the school, bringing together students from all year groups in a vibrant celebration of heritage through music, storytelling and dance. The programme featured an impressive lineup of performances including the brush dance, junior and senior set dancers representing local clubs such as Kilcummin and Spa, and a spectacular performance from Irish dancing World Champion Caoimhe O’Halloran. Thri junior and senior traditional groups performed beautifully, alongside the hugely talented Glenflesk Ballad Group, multiple All-Ireland award winners, who brought the audience to their feet. The evening was made all the more special with the generous sponsorship of tea and traditional brack from O'Sullivan's Bakery, which was warmly enjoyed by all in attendance. The night concluded with a memorable performance from Deputy Principal, Liam McGill, who entertained the audience on guitar and vocals, accompanied by well-known local music teacher Rosie Healy and Aine McCann. St Brigid's are immensely proud of all students who performed and contributed to making the night such a resounding success. Trad Night 2026 highlighted the extraordinary talent within the school and the strong sense of community that defines St Brigid’s Presentation.
Park Rangers to get power to on-the-spot fines following Killarney park fires
National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) rangers will soon have the power to issue significant on-the-spot fines to people whose carelessness causes fires or breaks rules in Killarney National Park, following the announcement of new government legislation.
Under the proposed National Parks Bill, rangers will be given stronger enforcement authority to penalise illegal activities, such as lighting fires or using disposable barbecues in vulnerable wild areas. The measures follow a major wildfire at 5 Mile Bridge that destroyed 17 hectares of heath, bog, and ancient oak woodland after burning for seven days.
Announced by Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O’Sullivan TD, the legislation will place Killarney National Park on a dedicated statutory footing, establishing nature conservation and restoration as its primary management goal.
Minister O’Sullivan stated that the law comes at a critical time, pointing to recent fires in Killarney and the Wicklow Mountains as proof that park rangers need tougher powers to tackle reckless behaviour.
Divisional Manager for Killarney National Park, Eamonn Meskell, welcomed the measures, noting that the framework will strengthen local protection for native woodlands and wildlife while supporting long-term conservation efforts.
NPWS Director General Niall Ó Donnchú added that modernising statutory powers will provide essential tools for staff working to safeguard the 10,900-hectare park.
Minister meets emergency fire crews
Minister Christopher O’Sullivan visited Killarney National Park to meet members of the emergency fire crew and thank them for their efforts in containing the recent wildfire at Five-Mile Bridge.
NPWS staff worked around the clock over seven days to suppress the blaze, which burned through dry heath, wet heath, blanket bog, and native oak woodland.
Killarney hosted the largest orienteering festival ever held on Irish soil this past week, bringing over 2,000 international competitors and generating more than 10,000 bednights for the local area.
Organised by Kerry Orienteers, the week-long event drew participants from 35 countries to take on a series of technical courses across local mountain terrain, indoor spaces, and town streets. Organisers claimed the gathering was the largest of its kind globally.
The festival kicked off at St Brendan’s College with Ireland’s first-ever indoor orienteering event. Competitors then moved into the wild for five days of open mountain challenges around Glenflesk and Kilgarvan, tackling the rugged slopes of Crohane Mountain and Black Lakes.
The action will draw to a close today (Friday) following a high-speed urban street event through the centre of town.
Athlete ages ranged from under 10 to over 80, with Switzerland bringing the largest international group of nearly 300 entrants, alongside major teams from the UK, Finland, France, and Czechia.
Brendan O’Brien of Kerry Orienteers said the club was thrilled with the turnout, noting that the week provided a massive economic boost for local accommodation and tourism while putting Killarney on the global orienteering map.
Park Rangers to get power to on-the-spot fines following Killarney park fires
Park Rangers to get power to on-the-spot fines following Killarney park fires National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) rangers will...
Killarney welcomes 2,000 orienteers for record-breaking world festival
Killarney hosted the largest orienteering festival ever held on Irish soil this past week, bringing over 2,000 international competitors and...
John O’Donoghue begins 3,000km coastal cycle around Ireland
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