News
Book to remember Johnny ‘The Rock’ O’Brien
By Sean Moriarty
A Glenflesk man who died in tragic circumstances at Christmas is to be forever remembered in a book.
The Glenflesk community woke to the worst possible news on St Stephen’s Day when they learned that Johnny 'The Rock' O'Brien, had died in a house fire.A passing motorist alerted emergency services after seeing the fire in the early hours of December 26.A popular local figure, ‘The Rock’ was a farmer who lived his entire life at the roadside farmhouse near Glenflesk.He was well-known to passing motorists, a friendly honk of a car’s horn was always met by an equally happy salute from the bachelor farmer.His love of his animals made national headlines a few years ago as he saved them from flooding after a severe storm.A central part of the local community, ‘The Rock' was supposed to climb The Paps with a group of locals on the Monday morning of his death to raise funds for two charities.Now a friend and neighbour wants to remember him and she is looking for old photos and anecdotes to compile into a book.“The idea is to gather stories and anecdotes from as wide a group of Johnny's friends and neighbours as possible and combine them with as many photos as possible.“[Photographer] Valerie O'Sullivan is completely behind this project and has promised to help with photos of Johnny,” said his neighbour and friend Lucy Chisholm Greenfield in a social media post.“The plan is to self-publish a little book to keep Johnny's memory alive. I will absorb the costs and the price will be set low to encourage everyone who knew him to buy a copy.“All money from the sale of books will go to the two charities that Johnny was intending to raise money for by walking to the summit of one of The Paps with Sam McGuire on St Stephen's Day. The walk went ahead in the snow but without Johnny and with heavy hearts.”The two charities that the book will support are the Kerry Cancer Support Group and The Brian Lawlor Trust.
FESTIVAL HIT: Local accordion virtuoso Liam O’Connor pictured performing alongside his family band members, daughter Saoirse on vocals and keyboards, and sons Oisín on guitar and Cillian on drums, during their high-energy set on the Salty Dog Stage at Electric Picnic in Stradbally last weekend. Photos: Paul Dargan
Camera Club exhibition opens at Killarney House
Killarney Camera Club’s 25th anniversary exhibition is open to the public at Killarney House until Sunday, October 4.
Mayor of Killarney Councillor John O’Donoghue officially opened the event, which features a wide range of work from local photographers capturing landscapes, people, and moments from home and abroad.
Speaking at the opening, Mayor O’Donoghue highlighted the rich natural surroundings available to local photographers. “We are so fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the world, with dramatic mountains, lakes, rivers, forests, and a vibrant town centre, as well as beaches and open sea just a short distance away,” he said.
In a lighthearted admission, the Mayor admitted to storing hundreds of photos on his phone, adding that seeing the standard of work on display inspired him “to finally print some of my own photographs for posterity.”
The club was founded in 2001 as the Photographic Society of Killarney at the Park Place Hotel before adopting its current name in 2006. Founding member Seamus Long recalled starting with just eight members, contrasting it with today’s membership of over 30 photographers who meet at the ANAM Arts and Cultural Centre.
“There is nothing better than seeing your images in print, mounted and framed and hanging on a wall,” Mr Long said, referencing the club’s shift from traditional darkrooms to modern digital photography.
To mark the anniversary, the club has published a commemorative booklet featuring 25 select images from members past and present. The limited-edition booklet is available at Eason’s and directly from the club.
The exhibition runs daily at Killarney House until October 4. Admission is free and all are welcome.
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