Launched by Ireland South MEP Seán Kelly and club executive members last February, Killarney Celtic Football Club’s historic Erasmus+ Youth Mobility project has now drawn to a close with participating players presented with YouthPass certificates to acknowledge their learning and experiences during the initiative.

The certs were awarded to all the Irish and Italian participants in the project which saw a ground-breaking youth event take place in Italy at Easter.
It was the first time an Irish sports club has availed of Youth Mobility Erasmus+ funding and the trip saw 30 young Killarney Celtic players, with group leaders and accompanying adults travel to Verres in Northern Italy for the exchange.
The link, established between Celtic and Verrès college ISILTEP, delivered a great programme of activities which was undertaken jointly by a group of Italian youth with the Irish visitors drawn from six different Killarney Celtic teams at under 13 and under 16 levels.
The programme, supported by the local mayor and community, included a full programme of cultural activities, sports and climate change impact tuition and it focused on challenges facing young people in both communities.
In its final project report, the club has called upon the EU and Léargas, the national agency supporting Erasmus+ projects in Ireland, to involve more sports clubs as a means to build on their youth networks for exchanges.
The Celtic club officers are happy to share their experiences to encourage other Kerry clubs to get involved in Erasmus+ projects through the Kerry PPN, the Kerry Recreation and Sports Partnership and the Kerry Schoolboy and Girls’ League.
Based on the success of this exchange, the club hopes to apply for funding for further Erasmus+ projects in the future and looks forward to hosting a delegation from the Italian partners in August 2025.