News
Summertime is Fleadh time

Summer for many parents is a time when they bring their children to the various Fleadhanna at County, Provincial and All-Ireland Level.
The main attraction for a child when attending a Fleadh is not about winning the competition, but the opportunity to showcase their talents in public. To a large extent the buzz of attending a Fleadh, is about meeting old friends in new places and making new friends. There is no doubt the pandemic has interrupted the best laid plans for the holding Fleadh Cheoil Chiarraí in Milltown in 2020 and 2021, but hopefully, it will be back in 2022.
However, regardless of the difficulties posed by the COVID-19 restrictions, doing nothing is just not an option for the hard working officers and volunteers in Kerry Comhaltas Ceolteoirí Eireann. They still managed to put together an impressive programme of events to mark what would traditionally be the Fleadh weekend in Kerry on the third weekend in June.
Firstly, they organised an art competition amongst the national schools which attracted a high level and standard of entries from throughout the county. Congratulations to Amy Mangan of Loughfouder National School (Knocknagoshel) who won the U9 competition, and Kate O'Neill of Scoil Nuachabháil (Ballymacelligot), who was successful in the U12 competition. There was an U15 category in art also and the winner was Cathal Fitzgerald, Scoil Eoin, Balluamhnach, Trá Lí.
Secondly, members and non-members were asked to submit a history project about a local musician or tradition in their area. Once again the standard of entries that were received was just fantastic and the organising team had great difficulty in arriving at their decisions. On this occasion the winners were Sean Fleming of Kilcummin in the U12 section with his project on the famous Sliabh Luachra accordion player Johnny O’Leary. The winner in the U15 competition was Maebh O'Leary of Ballyhar with her project on her grandfather, the late Denis McMahon, who was renowned in musical circles as 'The Man with the Hat'.
Thirdly, Kerry CCE put together a family concert which was aired on YouTube on the Saturday night of the Fleadh weekend. A number of families from throughout the county entertained everybody with their music, song and dance without having to leave home. The concert is still available to see on the Kerry CCE Facebook page and is well worth a look.
And if all that wasn’t enough to keep people busy and entertained, FleadhFest Chiarraí was also launched to the public on the week of June 17 to 21 to coincide with the annual Fleadh Cheoil Chiarraí. It is a series of five specially produced programmes which showcase our musicians, singers, dancers, poets, storytellers, sporting heroes, an Ghaeilge, our cultural centres and our archive footage to a global audience. These programmes are available to view now on our Kerry Comhaltas YouTube channel, Kerrycomhaltas Facebook page and Kerrycomhaltas.ie.
News
Street Orienteering added to Wander Wild programme
By Sean Moriarty A new event has been added to the extensive Wander Wild Festival next weekend. Kerry Orienteers will run a family-friendly Urban Orienteering event as part of the […]

By Sean Moriarty
A new event has been added to the extensive Wander Wild Festival next weekend.
Kerry Orienteers will run a family-friendly Urban Orienteering event as part of the festival on March 25.
Participants can start at the Killarney Plaza Hotel Basecamp anytime from 2-4pm on Saturday.
Orienteering is an exciting outdoor adventure sport which involves walking or running whilst navigating around a course using a detailed map and sometimes a compass. And the Wander Wild Street Orienteering will have courses suitable for all ages and abilities.
“The aim is to navigate in sequence between a set of control points and decide the best route to complete the course in the quickest time. It does not matter how young, old or fit you are, as you can run, walk or jog the course and progress at your own pace. If you need any help or tips members of Kerry Orienteering Club will be available to assist during the day,” said organiser Brendan O’Brien.
Two routes are available: ‘Wander’ – 2km (easy, wheelchair and buggy accessible) and Wild – 4km (moderate), and bookings can be made via: https://t.ly/jHm2R.
News
Quiz helps to fund Easter pilgrimage
A popular annual table quiz, which raises funds to send Kerry children and young adults with special needs to Lourdes, will be held in Killarney next week. The Tim Moore […]

A popular annual table quiz, which raises funds to send Kerry children and young adults with special needs to Lourdes, will be held in Killarney next week.
The Tim Moore Memorial Table Quiz will be held in the Gleneagle Hotel at 7.30pm on Wednesday, March 29.
The entry fee for tables of four is €40 and it is €20 for teams of four schoolchildren with great prizes up for grabs on the night.
All proceeds will go to the Irish Pilgrimage Trust which organises trips to Lourdes every Easter for children and young adults with additional needs.
They will be brought on the pilgrimage on Easter Sunday and all the volunteer helpers and medical staff that will accompany them will cover for their own travel costs.
The annual quiz, which is running for close on 30 years, is dedicated to the memory of the late Killarney accountant Tim Moore who was a tireless campaigner for the Irish Pilgrimage Trust. He passed away, suddenly, in 2002 and his friends have continued the quiz as a tribute to his legacy and to ensure the charity continues to be supported.
It hasn’t been held for the past two years due to the pandemic but all involved are thrilled that it is back for 2023.
Kieran Coffey, the retired principal of Fossa National School, is one of those who spearhead the Kerry pilgrimage to Lourdes and he has appealed to the public to support the very important fundraiser which helps offset some of the costs involved.
“We are delighted to be in a position to continue Tim’s great work and to dedicate the quiz to him. The event is always so well supported by the people of the greater Killarney area and we greatly appreciate that generosity,” said Kieran.