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Laura’s fundraising drive for Ugandan Village

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Rathmore native Laura Cronin is gearing up for the volunteering trip of a lifetime this June as she prepares to travel to Uganda to help build a community playground, an initiative aimed at creating lasting change through the power of play.

A final-year Pharmacy student at Ulster University in County Derry, Laura is currently juggling her studies with an impressive slate of local fundraising efforts, all in aid of Play Action International, the charity behind the playground project. The organisation focuses on building safe, educational play spaces across East Africa, using them not only for fun, but as vital tools for early learning, social development, and community engagement.

“Before starting my career, I felt a strong desire to dedicate time to something meaningful,” Laura said. “When I discovered Play Action International, I was immediately drawn to the idea that something as simple as play could have such a huge impact on a child’s development and future.”

To support her mission, Laura has launched a local business raffle with the help of generous sponsors from across Rathmore and Killarney, and she’s also inviting the community to a coffee morning and bake sale on Saturday, April 26 at The White Raven Curio Café in Rathmore.

Raffle lines are available now at Park Road Pharmacy, Killarney and Hickey’s Centra, Rathmore for just €2 per entry or €10 for six. Entries can also be made by donation via a QR code linked to Laura’s fundraising page, with contact details needed in case of a win.

Prizes include : A €100 voucher sponsored by O'Keeffe's Oil, Service Station & Hardware Shop, Rathmore, food and wine hampers from Hickey’s Centra, Rathmore and Daly’s SuperValu, Killarney, Wellness and beauty hamper from CarePlus Pharmacy, Park Road, Killarney, €50 voucher from Kennelly’s Pharmacy & Opticians, Killarney, Mystery spot prize from Trant’s Pharmacy, Park Road, Killarney, Food and drinks voucher from Frankie’s Coffee Shop, Barraduff.

All proceeds from the raffle and bake sale will go directly to the charity, supporting not only the construction of the playground but also the wider mission of using play as a developmental and educational tool.

“I’m so grateful to the local businesses and everyone who’s pitched in so far,” Laura said. “It really shows the strength of our community, and I’d be thrilled to see more people get involved.”

To learn more or support Laura’s journey, follow her fundraising updates here.

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Free composting workshop in Fossa on Saturday

The Fossa Climate Action Group is inviting the public to a free composting workshop this Saturday at Fossa Community Hall. Taking place from 11am to 1pm, the workshop will be […]

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The Fossa Climate Action Group is inviting the public to a free composting workshop this Saturday at Fossa Community Hall.

Taking place from 11am to 1pm, the workshop will be led by Donal O’ Leary of Waste Down, who will share his 25 years of expertise on turning household and garden waste into valuable compost for gardens. The session is aimed at anyone with an interest in gardening, improving soil health, and reducing food waste.
Diarmaid Griffin, PRO of Fossa Climate Action Group, said: “It is a great to start off our series of workshops with Donal O’ Leary of Waste Down. He has a vast knowledge on the fundamentals of soil health and explains it in simple and understandable language. Everyone can compost whether you have a big garden or none at all. Each method will be explained in detail.”
The Fossa Climate Action Group thanked the Department of the Environment and Community Foundation Ireland for their support in making this informative workshop available to the community free of charge.

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Radio Kerry to feature National Park’s dawn chorus

The spectacular dawn chorus in Killarney National Park will be the focus of the Saturday Supplement on Radio Kerry this Saturday morning. Presenter Frank Lewis will highlight the natural spectacle. […]

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The spectacular dawn chorus in Killarney National Park will be the focus of the Saturday Supplement on Radio Kerry this Saturday morning.

Presenter Frank Lewis will highlight the natural spectacle.
“The chorus of birds singing together, from about 45 minutes before to 45 minutes after sunrise, our most spectacular phenomenon in nature, is at its best during these weeks.” He said.
The programme, recorded in Knockreer at dawn on April 13, will also capture the early morning floral displays.
The programme will also include insights from 88-year-old former Park Superintendent Dan Kelliher, who describes “the amazing experience of seeing a full moon sitting on top of Torc mountain – and hearing bagpipes being played in Muckross Abbey around midnight.”
Conservation ranger Padruig O’Sullivan will discuss the Park’s ongoing development.
Walks guide Richie Clancy will share a historical anecdote: “In 1969 this tall stranger asked if I could take him to where he could get a photograph of Dairy Cottage where General de Gaulle was staying. I told him we would be a long way away but he said that was no problem that he had a long lens. Over the years there had been 33 attempts to assassinate de Gaulle. I learned afterwards that the stranger was Padraig Kennelly who started Kerry’s Eye.”
The programme will also touch on the blossoming wild garlic woods, the view from Deenagh Lodge, improvements at Knockreer Gardens, the story of Coda the monk, the bluebells, King’s Bridge, the changing path at Gamewood Bridge, and stories from Teahouse Point.
Tune in to Radio Kerry this Saturday to hear Frank Lewis in conversation with Dan Kelliher, Padruig O’Sullivan, Richie Clancy, and Ed Carty, who began their recording walk at 5.30 am in Knockreer.

Field ornithologist Ed Carty has revealed that the Great Spotted Woodpecker is breeding in Killarney National Park.

Carty will be a guest on Radio Kerry’s Saturday Supplement. The programme, recorded on April 13, (see main story) will focus the dawn chorus,
During the recording of the programme, Carty said: “During the past few weeks the Great Spotted Woodpecker has been heard here in the Gamewood in Knockreer. We expect to find it breeding here in the coming weeks – for the first time in hundreds of years or maybe much longer.”
Since the recording, it has been confirmed that the Great Spotted Woodpecker is now breeding in this area of Killarney National Park.
Great Spotted Woodpeckers appear to have gone extinct in Ireland following deforestation in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The first recorded sighting of a Great Spotted Woodpecker for Killarney National Park was in 2013, where it was observed in the Tomies Wood area. This new development is significant as it is one of the first recorded breeding activity within the Park.

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