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Breen and Nagle to defend Historic Rally title in special car
Craig Breen has coaxed Paul Nagle out of retirement for next month’s Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally.
Rentokil Initial managing director Michael O'Mahoney with Kerry MaryJo Aaron and Michelle O'Mahoney at the launch of the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally at The Gleneagle Hotel Killarney on Sunday. Photo: Eamonn Keogh
Garda Danny O'Mahony Liam Cronin (Deputy Clerk of the Course)
Rentokil Initial managing director Michael O'Mahoney Diarmuid Lynch Inspector Gary Carroll Anthony O'Connor (Clerk of the Course) Paul Nagle and Dan Keane (Chairman Killarney and District Motor Club) at the launch of the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally at The Gleneagle Hotel Killarney on Sunday. Photo: Eamonn Keogh
Dermot Healy Rentokil Initial managing director Michael O'Mahoney Patrick O'Donoghue (Gleneagle Group MD) and Diarmuid Lynch at the launch of the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally at The Gleneagle Hotel Killarney on Sunday. Photo: Eamonn Keogh
Rentokil Initial managing director Michael O'Mahoney centre with brothers Charlie and John Hickey at the launch of the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally at The Gleneagle Hotel Killarney on Sunday. Killarney and District Motor Club will host the event on Friday December 2 and Saturday December 3. Photo: Eamonn Keogh
Conlaoch Kelleher at the launch of the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally at The Gleneagle Hotel Killarney on Sunday. Photo: Eamonn Keogh
Bob Moran Denis Cronin Noel O'Sullivan Junior and Noel O'Sullivan Senior at the launch of the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally at The Gleneagle Hotel Killarney on Sunday. Photo: Eamonn Keogh
Popular rally drivers Charlie Hickey Killarney and Tommy Randles Kilgarvan at the launch of the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally at The Gleneagle Hotel Killarney on Sunday. Photo: Eamonn Keogh
Tommy Randles Kevin O'Donoghue Deputy Danny Healy Rae TD and Charlie Hickey at the launch of the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally at The Gleneagle Hotel Killarney on Sunday. Photo: Eamonn Keogh
entokil Initial managing director Michael O'Mahoney and Anthony O'Connor (Clerk of the Course) with Inspector Gary Carroll Dan Keane (Chairman Killarney and District Motor Club) Mayor of Killarney Niall Kelleher Deputy Danny Healy Rae TD Garda Danny O'Mahony and members of Killarney and District Motor Club at the launch of the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally at The Gleneagle Hotel Killarney on Sunday. Killarney and District Motor Club will host the event on Friday December 2 and Saturday December 3. Photo: Eamonn Keogh
John Murphy Pat Walsh Rentokil Initial managing director Michael O'Mahoney Ted O'Gorman and Aodh Lynch at the launch of the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally. Photo: Eamonn Keogh
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Cyril Wharton Ted O'Gorman and Diarmuid Cronin at the launch of the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally at The Gleneagle Hotel Killarney on Sunday. Photo:Eamonn Keogh
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Rentokil Initial managing director Michael O'Mahoney with Kerry MaryJo Aaron and Michelle O'Mahoney at the launch of the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally at The Gleneagle Hotel Killarney on Sunday. Photo: Eamonn Keogh
Garda Danny O'Mahony Liam Cronin (Deputy Clerk of the Course) Rentokil Initial managing director Michael O'Mahoney Diarmuid Lynch Inspector Gary Carroll Anthony O'Connor (Clerk of the Course) Paul Nagle and Dan Keane (Chairman Killarney and District Motor Club) at the launch of the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally at The Gleneagle Hotel Killarney on Sunday. Photo: Eamonn Keogh
Dermot Healy Rentokil Initial managing director Michael O'Mahoney Patrick O'Donoghue (Gleneagle Group MD) and Diarmuid Lynch at the launch of the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally at The Gleneagle Hotel Killarney on Sunday. Photo: Eamonn Keogh
Rentokil Initial managing director Michael O'Mahoney centre with brothers Charlie and John Hickey at the launch of the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally at The Gleneagle Hotel Killarney on Sunday. Killarney and District Motor Club will host the event on Friday December 2 and Saturday December 3. Photo: Eamonn Keogh
Conlaoch Kelleher at the launch of the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally at The Gleneagle Hotel Killarney on Sunday. Photo: Eamonn Keogh
Bob Moran Denis Cronin Noel O'Sullivan Junior and Noel O'Sullivan Senior at the launch of the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally at The Gleneagle Hotel Killarney on Sunday. Photo: Eamonn Keogh
Popular rally drivers Charlie Hickey Killarney and Tommy Randles Kilgarvan at the launch of the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally at The Gleneagle Hotel Killarney on Sunday. Photo: Eamonn Keogh
Tommy Randles Kevin O'Donoghue Deputy Danny Healy Rae TD and Charlie Hickey at the launch of the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally at The Gleneagle Hotel Killarney on Sunday. Photo: Eamonn Keogh
entokil Initial managing director Michael O'Mahoney and Anthony O'Connor (Clerk of the Course) with Inspector Gary Carroll Dan Keane (Chairman Killarney and District Motor Club) Mayor of Killarney Niall Kelleher Deputy Danny Healy Rae TD Garda Danny O'Mahony and members of Killarney and District Motor Club at the launch of the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally at The Gleneagle Hotel Killarney on Sunday. Killarney and District Motor Club will host the event on Friday December 2 and Saturday December 3. Photo: Eamonn Keogh
John Murphy Pat Walsh Rentokil Initial managing director Michael O'Mahoney Ted O'Gorman and Aodh Lynch at the launch of the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally. Photo: Eamonn Keogh
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Cyril Wharton Ted O'Gorman and Diarmuid Cronin at the launch of the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally at The Gleneagle Hotel Killarney on Sunday. Photo:Eamonn Keogh
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The Aghadoe man made the announcement at the rally’s official launch at the Gleneagle Hotel in Killarney on Sunday.
In October Nagle announced his retirement from the World Rally Championship.
He was in Japan this week to complete the handover to Breen’s new co-driver James Fulton and returned to Ireland on Sunday just in time for the launch.
The 2021 event winners will drive the Ford Sierra Cosworth that Frank Meagher drove to victory in the 1992 Circuit of Ireland Rally.
The late Tipperary driver was Breen’s childhood rally hero and he recently completed a full restoration of the Sierra.
The Killarney rally will be the car’s first appearance since the restoration.
“We are looking forward to going out for a big battle with some local drivers," Nagle said.
Killarney and District Motor Club confirmed at the launch that it had received 230 entries for the 150 available spaces.
Sunday’s launch was attended by several dignitaries including TD Danny Healy Rae and Niall Kelleher who is the Mayor of the Killarney Municipal District and president of the Chamber of Tourism and Commerce.
“This event is a great advertisement for Killarney; the exposure it gives and the much-needed business at a quieter time of the year," Mr Kelleher said.
"To those visiting our town please do enjoy yourselves."
Echoing those words Healy-Rae said: “This is a great event for the town of Killarney, coming at the dead end of the year, and it gives great exposure for the County of Kerry.”
Club chair Dan Keane welcomed the politicians’ support for the rally.
“It is hugely important that elected officials recognise the importance of motorsport in Ireland,” he said.
Garda Gary Carroll of the Kerry Roads Policing Division was there to bring a road safety message to the large group of rally fans who attended the event.
“Keep the race in the place,” he said. “This is a wonderful event and adds to the town of Killarney and County Kerry.”
Adventure runner completes all Dublin streets
Killarney native Seanie Clifford has completed an extraordinary 25-day endurance challenge that saw him run all 4,400 named streets in Dublin while sleeping rough on the city’s pavements every night.
The local athlete completed his final stretch in the capital on Saturday, August 29, after covering a total distance of 2,000 kilometres. Running under the project banner 4400 Streets & Nowhere to Go, Clifford undertook the gruelling schedule to raise vital funds for Focus Ireland, Liberty Soup Run, and Dublin Homeless Awareness.
To mirror the reality faced by thousands of individuals across the country, the Killarney man spent 25 consecutive nights sleeping out on the very streets he ran during the day. Averaging close to 80 kilometres every 24 hours, he navigated heavy traffic, intense asphalt heat, and constant route adjustments alongside his partner and sole support crew member, Alicja.
Reflecting on the experience, Clifford praised the overwhelming backing he received from members of the public throughout the capital. He stated that he went into the challenge with extreme positivity and was rewarded with extraordinary kindness from people across Dublin, with residents from Ballymun to Donnybrook coming out to offer support.
Local support carries
By the midpoint of the challenge, physical exhaustion presented severe hurdles. However, local running clubs and individuals joined Clifford on various sections of the daily routes to assist his progress.
On Day 12, runners from Artane Beaumont Running Club and local supporters joined him on the road, allowing him to complete his daily 80-kilometre target ahead of schedule as community support carried him through the toughest miles.
The final stage of the run coincided with the release of official monthly figures from the Department of Housing, which recorded a record 17,527 people living in emergency accommodation across the country, including 5,659 children.
During the closing days of the project, Clifford was invited into Leinster House to meet with TDs and discuss the conditions he witnessed while sleeping on the streets. He stressed throughout the campaign that while his temporary homelessness would end with a return home to Kerry, thousands of families across Ireland remain without permanent shelter.
Triple Crown completed
Following his arrival at the final street, members of the national ultra-running community confirmed that Clifford had achieved what is widely regarded as the Triple Crown of Irish Endurance.
A former student of St Oliver’s Primary School and St Brendan’s College in Killarney, Clifford first set a national record in 2024 by running all 275 Irish mountains over 600 metres in 21 days. In 2025, he ran the entire 2,700-kilometre length of the Wild Atlantic Way from Malin Head to Kinsale in under 30 days.
Despite his previous mountain and coastal records, Clifford described the urban street challenge through Dublin as his most difficult undertaking to date.
Clifford, who now organises trail running retreats and uses endurance projects to highlight mental health and social issues, finished his final street run on Saturday afternoon to complete the historic trilogy of Irish endurance challenges.
Kerry Stars volunteer appreciation night
Kerry Stars Special Olympics Sports Club hosted a volunteer appreciation night at the International Hotel on Monday, August 31, ahead of the upcoming sports season.
The event brought together both new and long-standing volunteers to celebrate their contribution to the club, which provides sporting opportunities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities across the region.
Run entirely by volunteers, the club relies on helpers who dedicate an hour each week from September through May. The gathering provided a chance to recognise their effort following a successful summer where four Kerry Stars athletes secured a haul of gold, silver, and bronze medals at the Special Olympics Ireland Summer Games in June.
The club caters to both competitive athletes and members who participate primarily for the social aspect and inclusion. With the new season resuming in mid-September, Kerry Stars is inviting new volunteers and athletes to join its weekly training schedule.
Weekly sessions take place at various local venues, including Monday athletics at Spa GAA from 6pm to 7pm, Wednesday basketball at Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre from 7pm to 8pm, and Thursday soccer at the same location from 7pm to 8pm. The club also runs therapeutic horse riding and swimming programs in Killarney and Tralee, both of which currently operate waiting lists.
Anyone interested in getting involved as a volunteer or athlete can contact the club directly at kerrystars63@gmail.com.
Adventure runner completes all Dublin streets
Adventure runner completes all Dublin streets Killarney native Seanie Clifford has completed an extraordinary 25-day endurance challenge that saw him...
Kerry Stars volunteer appreciation night
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