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Biddy tradition alive and well in Kilgobnet

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By Sean Moriarty

After a two year hiatus due to the pandemic the Biddys were back with music, dance and in great form in Kilgobnet on Sunday evening.

The rural community near Beaufort is one of the few areas in Ireland still celebrating St Brigid’s Day in the traditional ways.

Dressing as the Biddies is one of the oldest and most colourful customs in Ireland, a blend of pagan and Christian pageantry, held on February 1 each year.

Next year the day will be marked nationally with a Bank Holiday for the first time but the rest of Ireland will have to look to the small mid-Kerry community to see how it is really done.

Not unlike the Wren Celebrations in West Kerry, celebrating the Biddy is all about tradition.

Locals dress up in uniform – the official colours of the Kilgobnet Biddy is red and green – and they visit local areas to dance at crossroads and play music.

Two local guardians, Mike Coffey and Kilgobnet National School Principal Maura O’Connor, ensure the correct protocols are followed.

Miss O’Connor passes these traditions to her pupils and staff. The school’s Board of Management identified the Biddy as a potential fundraiser and apart from the pandemic, the school has organised an event every year.

“It was fantastic,” teacher Mary Anne Leane told the Killarney Advertiser. “Local man Mike Coffey makes all the costumes and he knows the protocols. It is great to have the proper traditions – often things get diluted when you try to revive them. This year we could not go around from house to house as we usually would, but we were at Sweeney’s Cross which is a known location for crossroads dancing. We visited Kissane’s Shop too. The older people were able to see us there.”

She praised her school Principal Maura O’Connor who has done so much to keep the Biddy tradition alive in both the school and in the locality.

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Noel O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship

Noel O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship

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O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship

Muckross co-driver Noel O’Sullivan is set for a busy season as he returns to the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) while also preparing for a record-breaking attempt on home soil.

O’Sullivan and driver Callum Devine have signed with the Swedish team JC Raceteknik for a full campaign focused on asphalt events. Their season begins this week at the Andalusia Rally – Sierra Morena in Spain. O’Sullivan remains the only Killarney-based co-driver competing at this level for a full season.
He brings significant international experience to the team, having previously worked with WRC driver Jon Armstrong during his early European outings. O’Sullivan and Devine recently proved their pace against top European crews with a fifth-place finish at the 2024 Rali Ceredigion in Wales.
Devine said:
“I’m really looking forward to coming back to the ERC. It’s always great for a driver to compete against Europe’s best on some iconic events. We’ve had great success back home in Ireland over the past few seasons, winning two Irish Tarmac Rally Championships, and we feel now is the right time to come back and take on some ERC events. Starting with Rally Sierra Morena, I’m delighted to be joining JC Raceteknik. I know they are a very professional team with a wealth of experience, and I’m looking forward to working closely with them.”
The European schedule will not interfere with O’Sullivan’s local plans. Following the rally in Spain, the pair will return to Kerry for the Rally of the Lakes over the May Bank Holiday weekend. They are aiming for a fifth consecutive victory in Killarney as they look to move back into the lead of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.
The move to the European stage follows a successful week for O’Sullivan, who was recently named the International Motorsport winner at the Kerry Sports Star Awards.

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Classic Tour set to celebrate heritage roads in June

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Classic Tour set to celebrate heritage roads in June


A new heritage motoring event, the Killarney Classic Tour, has been confirmed for June 26–27, 2026. The two-day tour is designed to celebrate the iconic rally stages of Kerry and the Beara Peninsula.


Headquartered at the Gleneagle Hotel, the event is non-competitive and open to a wide range of vintage and historic cars. Organisers are placing a particular focus on period-correct rally cars and recreations that reflect the history of the Circuit of Ireland, the Circuit of Munster, and the early years of the Rally of the Lakes.
The tour is the work of two well-known figures in Irish rallying, Mike Marshall and Micheal O’Mahoney. Marshall, a founding member of the Rally of the Lakes and Clerk of the Course for over 20 years, has designed a route that allows drivers to experience famous stages like Moll’s Gap at a relaxed pace. O’Mahoney, a long-term supporter of the sport through Rentokil and a historic car owner himself, joins Marshall in the venture.

Co-Founder O’Mahoney said:
“This event is about bringing people back together – the cars, the stories, and the friendships that have always been part of rallying. It’s a chance to step away from competition and simply enjoy these roads.”



The Saturday itinerary includes a lunch stop in Castletownbere before the field returns to Killarney for a gala dinner at the Gleneagle Hotel. The evening will feature guest speakers and a focus on the shared history of the sport.
“This event is about bringing people back together — the cars, the stories, and the friendships,” added Micheal O’Mahoney.
Registrations are now open at www.KillarneyClassicTour.ie.

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