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Grab your Stetson and step into your stilettos for a night to remember

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The Stetsons and Stilettos fundraiser takes place in the INEC, Killarney, on September 23.

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IT’S going to be a toe-tappingly fantastic night at the INEC, Killarney, on Friday, September 23, as Stetson-wearing revellers fill the venue. Stetsons and Stilettos is the title of and dress code for the fun event which features the ultimate Garth Brooks Experience, Trevor Smith and Friends in Low Places.

It will see the community come together to raise money for St John’s Ward in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin. Amy O’Connor, nine, from Killarney, has been undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Yesterday evening members of the organising committee, INEC representative Fiona O’Connor and teammates and friends of Amy O’Connor from the Killarney Celtic Football Club gathered at Ballydribeen to launch the upcoming benefit night. “Amy is a young member of the soccer club who is battling illness and all of us behind the event wanted to give something back to the excellent staff in Crumlin,” said Angie Kissane on behalf of the organisers.

“We have planned a very exciting and enjoyable fundraising event that we would love families, friends, individuals young and old from near and far to come out and enjoy on Friday, September 23.”

Angie added: “On the night Stetsons will be on sale, there will be popcorn and hot stalls, prizes for the best dressed country guy, gal and child and some fantastic raffle prizes to be won.”

The event will also include a rousing performance of Amy’s Hoe-Down with guest appearances by local artists.

The fundraiser is being organised in association with the INEC and Killarney Celtic Football Club. Doors open at 7pm and the show starts at 7.30pm.

Tickets are priced at €20 for adults and € 10 for children/senior citizens and are available from the INEC box office on 064-6671555, Mary on 086-6485809, Angie on 087-1311608 and Tim on 087-7584847.

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Concerns over future of St Mary of the Angels

Two Kerry TDs have voiced concerns over the future of St Mary of the Angels and St Francis Special School in Beaufort, highlighting the urgent need for respite services for […]

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Two Kerry TDs have voiced concerns over the future of St Mary of the Angels and St Francis Special School in Beaufort, highlighting the urgent need for respite services for children and adults with profound disabilities and special needs.

The campus, set on lands generously donated by the Doyle family, offers 30 acres of grounds, existing buildings, and services, making it a valuable asset for the provision of respite care in Kerry. TD Michael Cahill emphasized that the Doyle family’s wishes should be respected, and that the grounds should be made accessible immediately.
“The special needs community in Kerry has a major respite crisis and families don’t have time to wait. Families need help — they are not asking for full-time residential care but respite care, a break, a helping hand,” Deputy Cahill said.
He added that a bespoke approach is needed to meet the individual needs of children attending St Francis Special School. “Many of the children in the county with profound needs need a safe haven where they can roam the grounds freely, and St Mary of the Angels offers this.”
Deputy Cahill has accompanied several Ministers to the Beaufort campus to highlight its value to Disability Health Service providers. A working group has been formed including St John of Gods, the HSE, representatives of residents at St Mary of the Angels, and St Francis Special School, to explore options for maintaining and expanding respite services.
“Parents are worn out and at the end of their tether. This needs to be dealt with expeditiously, in an environment of cooperation between the relevant Government Departments of Health, Disability, and Education. We need to get this across the line urgently and put it permanently in place,” he said.
Deputy Cahill pointed to the current shortfall of respite services in Kerry. “As of now, Cunamh Iveragh respite in Cahersiveen is only open Friday to Sunday, running at half capacity — two adults per night instead of four. The issue is staffing, and the HSE will not release funding to open full-time. The Beaufort campus is available and should be utilised as parents are crying out for overnight respite. Cooperation and compassion could see this done quickly.”
TD Danny Healy Rae echoed these concerns during a Dáil speech this week. “We are still short of respite beds on the southern side of the constituency. Families caring for people with disabilities just want a break, but there is nowhere available locally. Places are being offered only in Tipperary or Meath for those needing new residential care. It makes no sense. St Mary of the Angels in Beaufort has 40 or 50 acres of grounds that could be expanded, with facilities already in place such as swimming pools. It could be developed as a model for the rest of the country.”
Both TDs are urging the Government and the HSE to take immediate action to utilise the Beaufort campus for respite care, in line with the intentions of the Doyle family and the needs of Kerry families.

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Cardiac Response Unit’s ‘Restart a Heart’ training event

Killarney Cardiac Response Unit (KCRU) is set to run a range of events as part of the global initiative Restart A Heart, which aims to increase awareness and actual rates […]

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Killarney Cardiac Response Unit (KCRU) is set to run a range of events as part of the global initiative Restart A Heart, which aims to increase awareness and actual rates of bystander CPR worldwide.

The main event, titled RAH 2025, invites the public to learn life-saving skills and the basic steps in the chain of survival. This will take place on Saturday, October 18, at the Killarney Outlet Centre.
Members of the public are encouraged to join KCRU at the centre between 10:00 am and 5pm.
Key feature of the day will be the CPR Competition, offering “fantastic prizes to be won.”
For further information, visit www.killarneycru.ie/rah25

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