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Air Ambulance launch appeal for funds

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The Irish Community Air Ambulance has launched a fundraising campaign as part of International Air Ambulance Week and is asking “What if there was no Air Ambulance?”

The organisation, which is Ireland’s first and only charity-funded HEMS Air Ambulance, is being called to more missions than ever. The helicopter was launched 388 times during the first eight months of the year with July 2021 one of its busiest months to date. Crews were tasked to 57 separate incidents in eight counties, during July, at a cost of almost €200,000. Each mission costs an average of €3,500, all of which has to be raised or donated.

The Irish Community Air Ambulance has released a video highlighting the importance of the service and is asking members of the public to help it to save lives by visiting the website www.communityairambulance.ie and making a donation. It is also asking schools and businesses to get involved in International Air Ambulance Week by wearing red or yellow and making a donation today (Friday), or any day during September.

The Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) works in partnership with the National Ambulance Service and is ready to respond to serious incidents and medical emergencies from its base in Rathcoole in North Cork seven days a week.

“We bring hope when it’s needed most," Micheál Sheridan, CEO of the Irish Community Air Ambulance, said.

"Over the last two years we have been tasked to more than one thousand missions which proves that our organisation is a vital life-changing service. Demand for our service is continuing to increase which means that our costs are also increasing. Fundraising during COVID-19 has been extremely challenging which is why we’re issuing this appeal and asking people can you help fund our next mission?”

​​​​​The Irish Community Air Ambulance is on track to complete more than five hundred missions this year and is predicting a 10% increase since 2020. Cork and Kerry are the counties most likely to require the service however, the Air Ambulance is regularly called to other counties, and incidents range from road traffic collisions, cardiac arrests and farming accidents, to equestrian incidents and falls from heights.

To make a donation visit communityairambulance.ie. You can also donate €4 by texting FLIGHT to 50300.

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10-minute plays will linger in the memory

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The West End House School of Arts is delighted to take part in this year’s St Patrick’s Day Festival with a special evening of entertaining readings on Friday, March 13 at 7.30pm.

It promises to be a vibrant showcase of five original 10-minute plays written by emerging local playwrights, each of whom has recently completed a playwriting course with Fiona Doyle (pictured).


Diverse in style and subject matter, these beautifully crafted pieces promise an evening of laughter, tears, and powerful storytelling and each reading will be performed by West End House actors from Kerry.


Together, they highlight the remarkable talent of these up-and-coming writers and actors, who are the future of theatre in our community.

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Get your scrap together

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Following the success of the first ever Killarney Lions Club scrap metal collection in 2025, the Club will again run the event this year in partnership with KWD Recycling on March 28, at Killarney Racecourse.

Similar to 2025, money raised through recycling the metal will go towards improving facilities for families attending the children’s cancer unit in Cork University Hospital, as part of an overall fundraising drive being coordinated by Lions Clubs all over Munster.

The Club is asking people to bring non-ferrous scrap metals such as aluminium, copper, brass, zinc and stainless steel (no white goods such as fridges/cookers washing machines). Volunteers will be on hand from 9am until 4pm to take donations of scrap and work with KWD Recycling to remove it for processing.

“Although Lions Clubs in Munster have already raised some funds for CUH, more is still needed, so we’re delighted that KWD Recycling is working with us again to support this very worthwhile cause”, said Jason Higgins, President of Killarney Lions Club. “We’re asking anyone who has scrap metal at home, at work or on the farm now or in the next few weeks to please bring it to the Racecourse on the day because everything we collect will make a difference.”

Tadhg Healy, Sales Manager at KWD Recycling added that “We will recycle any high quality scrap metal that we collect – it can be quite valuable and of course it’s better for the environment if it’s recycled instead of being dumped. On top of that, the main thing with this collection is to help families of children with cancer, so hopefully we’ll get a good response from everyone and raise as much money as possible through this event”.

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