News
Stunning “Hollywood” style home makes RTÉ final
By Michelle Crean
A couple who brought “Hollywood Hills to Kerry” were thrilled when their stunning new home made the final of an RTÉ show on Tuesday night.
The house, which has a traditional exterior but a very modern and contemporary feel inside with a large open plan throughout includes an “American vibe with the carport and big garage”, a cinema room, a basketball area outside, and a gym in the garage, impressed the judges on Home of the Year.
Judges, architect Hugh Wallace, award winning architect Amanda Bone, and new judge, award winning interior designer Sara Cosgrove, who seek out creativity and clever design, loved it so much that they marked it 26 out of 30 beating two other competing homes in the first episode of the new series.
Hugh said there was an “American vibe with the carport and big garage”. And given that the owners Tony McManus, his wife Imogen and their son Kai, moved from LA back to Kerry, he was spot on.
Tony, originally from Ballyduff, emigrated to LA 20 years ago but “home was always where the heart is” and during a six month stay in Kerry to spend quality time with relatives, they decided to pack up their beach life to settle in Killarney.
And Tony is no stranger to town. His grandparents Dan and Josephine Foley, and mom Marie came from High Street and he himself was a boarder for five years in The Sem finishing school in the early ‘90s.
“We’re back to where we wanted to be,” Tony told the Killarney Advertiser this week. “We moved in January 2019 for six months for my son to spend time with his grandparents. Then my son and wife came to me and said they didn’t want to go back. We were looking for a while to buy a house and my wife wanted to be near Killarney National Park.”
The couple purchased a site on Ross Road and hired the services of Denis O’Sullivan of Crossmount Construction who managed to bring their vision to life. The build began in November 2020 and was completed in December 2021 with a three month shut down due to the pandemic restrictions.
“He was fantastic to work with,” Tony said.
“It turned out better than we hoped. We had nothing but the best of experiences with contractors and talented tradespeople. Without them we wouldn’t have our beautiful home. We love it, we’re so fortunate.”
The new series of Home of the Year airs on RTÉ One at 8.30pm on Tuesday nights for the next seven weeks, and will be available on-demand on RTÉ Player each week after broadcast.
The fifth annual Pedal for Grace community fundraiser will take place in Firies on Saturday, September 5, with organisers aiming to push total funds raised past the €90,000 milestone.
Held in honour of local girl Grace O’Sullivan, who lives with Stargardt disease, the event brings together cyclists, walkers, and supporters from across the local community to raise vital funds for Vision Ireland. Over the past four years, the initiative has raised almost €90,000 for the national sight loss charity.
This year’s event offers options for all fitness levels, including a 60km route, shorter spins, and a walking course, with tandem options also available. Following the physical challenges, the day will feature a community barbecue, family fun activities, a raffle, and an evening of music and entertainment.
Grace was diagnosed with Stargardt disease, a genetic eye condition that affects central vision and causes progressive sight loss. The annual event was established by her family to raise awareness and support Vision Ireland’s work, which provides practical and emotional support, rehabilitation services, and assistive technology to help people living with visual impairments maintain independence.
Members of the public are invited to register in advance or support the event in Firies on the day. Full details and registration information are available on the Vision Ireland website.
Top golf scores at Mahony’s Point
Ivan Tagney and Aoife Twomey secured top honours at Killarney Golf and Fishing Club as members turned out in large numbers to compete for Captain Tomás Kelliher’s Prize on Mahony’s Point.
In the men’s event, Ivan Tagney claimed the Captain’s Prize with an impressive 42 points. Conor Dillon carded 48 points, returning the lowest score of the weekend, though he was ineligible for the main trophy without an established handicap.
Despite wet weather, the ladies section produced remarkable scoring on Sunday. Aoife Twomey took first place playing off 28 handicap, recording a nett 63. June O’Brien finished runner-up with a 67 nett, followed by Kay O’Connor in third with a 69 nett.
Captain Tomás Kelliher extended his thanks to the committee, staff, and volunteers for organising the flagship competition, praising the course condition and strong turnout across both events.
Results
Men’s Captain’s Prize 1st: Ivan Tagney (42 pts) Best Score: Conor Dillon (48 pts) 3rd: Joseph Sheahan (41 pts) 4th: Michael Cotter (41 pts) 5th: Emmet Scanlon (41 pts) 6th: Ian Sherlock (41 pts) 7th: Cathal O’Connor (40 pts) 8th: Aaron McCann (40 pts) 9th: Dan Quirke (40 pts) 10th: Mark Tuite (40 pts) 11th: Alan O’Meara (40 pts) 12th: Donal Begley (40 pts) Best Gross: Donal Considine (72) Category 1: 1st Kevin Leacy (39 pts), 2nd Ian Cronin (39 pts) Category 2: 1st Adam Carey (40 pts), 2nd Jack Crehan (40 pts) Category 3: 1st John McEnery (40 pts), 2nd Thomas Coleman (39 pts) Category 4: 1st Mike Dreelan (38 pts), 2nd Jason Reen (38 pts) Front Nine: Aaron Coffey (24 pts) Back Nine: Chris Myers (24 pts) Past Captain: Pat Cussen (38 pts) Over 70: Joe Geaney (39 pts) Committee Prize: Shane Horgan (38 pts) Guest Prize: Jack Kelliher
Ladies Captain’s Prize 1st: Aoife Twomey – 63 (28) 2nd: June O’Brien – 67 (20) 3rd: Kay O’Connor – 69 (13) 4th: Louise Langan – 70 (19) 5th: Mary Tobin – 71 (20) 6th: Geraldine Tarrant – 71 (26) 7th: Kathleen O’Keefe – 71 (19) 8th: Noreen O’Callaghan – 72 (18) 9th: Anne Moynihan – 72 (2) 10th: Breda Duggan – 72 (29) Best Gross: Kelly O’Donoghue (76) Front Nine: Kate O’Leary Back Nine: Sarah O’Brien 13-Hole Competition: Maud Malone – 24 pts (28)
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