News
Castlegregory man features in Guinness TV advertising campaign
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AS THE 2017 GAA All-Ireland Senior Championships enter the final stages, Guinness has launched its latest TV advertising campaign, 'Behind Every Great Town' featuring life-long Castlegregory GAA club volunteer Maurice Spillane. The captivating 30’’ film celebrates the everyday GAA volunteers, who willingly give their time in communities across Ireland all year round.
The advertisement features Maurice Spillane and three other real GAA volunteers from Inishbofin, Co Galway, Slaughtneil, Co Derry, and Ongar, Dublin 15. Together, they represent the thousands of people throughout the Island of Ireland who find enrichment, enjoyment and a sense of community by immersing themselves in their local GAA club.
At 12 noon today, 4 x 20 second films featuring each of the four GAA volunteers including Maurice Spillane will go live on the Guinness Facebook Page and the Guinness Europe YouTube Channel. In Maurice’s film, he tells, in his own words, his personal volunteer story to the backdrop of various landmarks in the Castlegregory area such as Kelly’s Height, Maunsell’s Garage, The Pearse Memorial Hall and of course Páirc An Cáisleán, Castlegregory’s beautifully scenic GAA pitch.
Maurice Spillane has been helping as a volunteer with Castlegregory GAA Club for 50 years. He took on the role of Chairman of Castlegregory GAA Club at the age of 23 and has been helping out ever since. Maurice has also helped to run the GAA Lotto, was senior player registrar and his block-building skills can be seen all over the re-developed Castlegregory GAA grounds, which was re-opened in 2003.
Speaking about his passion for the GAA, Maurice said: “The GAA was a social outlet for me as a young adult. I was quite shy growing up and the GAA helped me in a way to get the shyness out of me. I remember it was 1970, I was 23 years of age and I was asked to go to a GAA meeting in the old Pearse Memorial Hall in Castlegregory village. Things were bad with emigration at the time. It was the AGM and there were only five or six people at it. Somebody said to me, "Maurice, will you do chairman?". Up to then, I had never been involved in any type of administration, but I said ‘OK’ and I’ve been knee deep it the club ever since.”
Commenting on the ad, Guinness brand manager Chloé McEvoy said: “Our ad celebrates the people like Maurice whose selfless efforts and dedication to their local clubs enhances the towns and communities they live in, as well as making the GAA the vibrant, progressive and inclusive organisation that it is today. Driven by a sense of pride and belonging, these volunteers truly are the life and soul of the GAA.”
In the 30-second TV advert, it opens on a beautiful aerial view of Maurice driving through the countryside from his home outside Castlegregory to the club grounds to mow the field with his ride-on mower, a job he has done on many occasions through the years.
The viewer is then transported to Galway’s Inishbofin, where Islander, Simon Murray, and those before him have a dedication and conviction to succeed, having seen the people leave their neighbouring island Inishark in 1960. Although the island does not have a club team that regularly plays on the island, their GAA pitch is a physical symbol of their identity.
From there, we see a glimpse into the world of Wendy McEldowney and other volunteers from Slaughtneil, Co Derry, one of Ireland’s most remarkable GAA communities. Only founded in 1953, the Robert Emmets GAA club is the epicentre of community life and has helped to unite and grow the parish. The film ends with Moses Wanjigo, originally from Kenya, who came to live in Ireland in 2010. Responding to an advertisement from the Erin Go Bragh GAA Club who was looking new members to join, Moses was welcomed by the club with open arms and he quickly found a way to integrate into the local community.
‘Behind Every Great Town’ was created by communications agency, Wilson Hartnell, together with well-known Irish director Brian Durnin and production company Red Rage Films.
You can view all four vignettes here
Wendy
https://www.youtube.com/embed/WbC1_KAsApI
Simon
https://www.youtube.com/embed/7gOomDgtnDY
Maurice
https://www.youtube.com/embed/3Jj-BR9WnQs
Moses
https://www.youtube.com/embed/MoCeZ8ixc0U
There is a reason Killarney is so tidy
By Eamonn Fitzgerald
Killarney won the overall national award as Ireland’s Tidiest town in 2011 and, since then, has consistently won gold medals and several category titles. In 2023, Killarney was Ireland’s Tidiest Large Town.
The 2024 overall winner was Ballincollig on 386 marks, followed by Killarney on 384. We need a two-pointer, so let’s all pull together for that orange flag, as the judges are on the circuit for the 2026 awards.
Winning an All-Ireland title takes a lot of planning, commitment, dedication, and continuous work. That was needed to win the Sam Maguire in 2025. Now the race is on for Sam’s return. Killarney would also cherish winning the overall Tidiest Town in Ireland.
It is a huge challenge for Killarney with so many visitors swelling the resident population of 14,351. Recently, there was Bike Fest, two big games at Fitzgerald Stadium- the Munster football final, with an attendance of close to 33,000, and the Donegal game, which attracted over 22,000. If even 50 % of the people dropped one piece of litter, a wrapping, paper coffee cup, or plastic water bottle, the accumulated litter would be enormous. It is my custom to walk around Killarney, especially on the morning after a big event, but by 10.00 am on Monday mornings, the town is spic and span. All litter disappeared overnight. Magic?
No. Noel O’Leary had his Killarney Town Council staff working from dawn, complemented by Mick Gleeson’s volunteers from Killarney Looking Good. Such cooperation between the statutory body and volunteers is very rare indeed. We should not take it for granted but appreciate this cooperative effort to maintain Killarney as the Town we love so well, just like Phil Coulter appreciates his native Derry. Let us all row in, bring home your own litter or use the bins provided, and if you see a stray piece of litter, put it in the nearest bin. Teams win All-Irelands, not individuals. Let’s all do our bit: it will make a difference. Ní neart go cur le chéile.
HIQA registration delays opening of new hospital
Confusion surrounds the opening date of the new 130-bed Killarney Community Nursing Unit, with a Dáil debate revealing that a previous end-of-June opening target is now dependent on resolving outstanding registration issues with the health watchdog, HIQA.
Speaking in the Dáil this week, Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae criticised the ongoing delays, stating that Kerry TDs were assured by local HSE management on May 29 that the facility would open before the end of June. However, county councillors at a HSE SouthWest Forum were informed a week later that this target would not be met.
“Who is calling the shots? Is it the HSE at national level? Is it the Minister?” Deputy Healy-Rae asked. “The lights have been on in the building since before Christmas and it was cleared to go. We are begging for this on our knees.”
He highlighted that the delay impacts 30 planned dementia-specific beds, as well as broader plans for a minor injuries unit and a primary care centre at the St Columbanus’s site.
Responding on behalf of the government, Deputy Jennifer Murnane O’Connor maintained that the HSE still expects the unit to open before the end of June, but confirmed the timeline depends entirely on HIQA registration.
“The HSE is engaging with HIQA regarding a small number of outstanding issues,” she said. “Once HIQA registration is granted, the HSE will set a date and move forward with the transfer of residents.”
Deputy Healy-Rae countered that the response was identical to information provided by the government a month ago. He questioned why staffing agreements and HIQA certifications were not finalised sooner, given the building was structurally completed last December.
INMO serves notice of industrial action
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has served notice of industrial action on HSE South West over proposed staffing levels at the new facility.
The union stated that its members are deeply dissatisfied with the proposed rosters, which they claim fall short of the staffing required to deliver safe care on day and night duties.
INMO Industrial Relations Executive Kathryn Courtney said there is a significant staffing gap compared to similar facilities, leaving members with no choice but to take action.
There is a reason Killarney is so tidy
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