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Blás award a sweet win for local honey business

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By Michelle Crean

Winning a major national food award after only two years in business is a sweet success for one Kilcummin honey producing family.

Tim and Kathleen Regan of Regan’s Family Apiary were awarded Silver by the Blás Na hEireann judges this week - which is considered to the Oscars of the Irish food industry.

Normally presented in Dingle, this year’s winners tuned in for a second year running from every corner of the country for a virtual celebration of the very best in Irish food.

Products from every county in Ireland were entered into this year’s competition to win Gold, Silver or Bronze in over 150 food and drink categories, as well as key awards like Supreme Champion and Best Artisan Producer.

According to Tim, who runs the artisan business with his wife Kathleen, with help from his son Liam and daughter Katy, the win is thanks to the bees!

"It's down to the bees and the forage rather than the beekeeper," Tim told the Killarney Advertiser. "Good honey depends on three things, good weather, forage and the bees."

The former St Brendan's College Science and Maths teach explained that they started out with two hives seven years ago but that has now grown to 20 plus hives. The bees feed on briars, clover and other flowers which gives their wild flower honey its distinctive taste.

"On average you can get 40 to 50 pounds of honey per hive, on a good year it could go up to 100 pounds per hive," Tim, who is currently Chair of the Kerry Beekeepers Association, added. "Last year we had 20 to 30 pounds as the weather was too cold and the clover didn't release the nectar as it needs to reach 20 plus degrees."

At present the business runs from the family home in Inchicullane with an honesty table outside where customers can put the money in the box. They plan to sell online in time with the addition of candles, face creams and lip balms made from the honey. They're also planning a walking experience around the meadows to show how the honey is produced.

The 12 other Blás winners announced were: Camos Artisan Foods (Gold and Silver), Cistin na hEireann (Gold), Dingle Distillery (Silver), Dingle Farm (Silver), Dingle Goats Cheese (Bronze), Kells Bay Cheese (Silver), Kennedy’s Butchers (Gold and Silver), Prestige Foods Ltd (Gold and Silver), Quinlan's Kerry Fish (Gold and Bronze), Valentia Island Vermouth Ltd. (Bronze), West of Dingle (Gold), Rogha na Gaeltachta (Best in County), supported by LEO Kerry, and Knockatee Natural Dairy (Gold).

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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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