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Celtic players enjoy trip of a lifetime

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A total of 42 young Killarney Celtic players enjoyed the experience of a lifetime during a trip to Italy last week.

A party was held in the town square in Verrés.

Club stalwarts Mikey Lyne and Paul Sherry fly the Celtic flag in Italy.

Some of the Killarney contingent at the AS Roma v Torino Serie A game.

The Killarney contingent on a sightseeing tour.

The young Celtic players with Italian soccer legend Moreno Torricelli.

They participated in a friendship tournament in Verrés, a beautiful Aosta Valley village, located to the north-west of Turin in Italy and also enjoyed the culture and friendship.

Flying from Dublin to Milan Malpensa before completing the journey to Verrés by bus, they were accompanied by 21 adult club members and coaches with two Celtic teams competing – with successful outcomes – against the locals in Under 13 and Under 14 blitz-style tournaments.

As well as daily training sessions, they also had an exciting coaching clinic and a questions and answers session with legendary Italian soccer star Moreno Torricelli, who won three Italian titles, the UEFA Cup and the Champions League with Juventus and was man-of-the-match in the 1996 Champions League final. He also played for Fiorentina and was part of the Italy squad for Euro '96 and the 1998 World Cup.

The Killarney contingent also took in a Serie A clash between José Mourinho’s AS Roma and Torino in the Olimpico di Torino which the visitors won 1-0.

As the Alpine province of Verrés is very close to the Italy-France border, and many of the travelling party are studying French in secondary school in Killarney, a full hour of French lessons was organised on each of the five days.

One of the most entertaining events of the visit was a seven-a-side clash between the visiting Killarney Celtic coaches and parents and a local team, starring the Mayor of Verrés, and despite romping into a 3-0 lead, the Celtic representatives were eventually hauled back and the game ended 3-3.

GREAT EXPERIENCE

The visiting party from Killarney also enjoyed sightseeing tours to ski resorts and cable car rides in the Alps and, to mark their visit, they were afforded the full VIP treatment when the town square was closed off and a street party and open air disco were held in their honour with souvenir medals presented to the Celtic players by the mayor.

The travelling party was accommodated, free of charge, in campus-style chalets and the visit was supported by a generous €700 donation to Celtic by Kerry County Council under the Community Support Fund.

The club also organised a number of fundraising initiatives ­– including a quiz night, a cake sale, collecting acorns in the National Park and stewarding for an adventure race – to help offset some of the flight costs and expenses.

The main organiser of the trip was Killarney architect Davide Mosca who is a native of Verrés, and he was joined by Celtic vice chairman Paul Sherry and long-time club official Mikey Lyne in an advance party which travelled out to ensure everything was ready for the Celtic visitors when they arrived.

“It was a very positive experience and all the Celtic party enjoyed themselves thoroughly. We were treated like royalty,” Paul Sherry explained.

“We hope to arrange an Erasmus-style educational exchange between the two locations and it certainly helped to create great new friendships and bonds for the kids which will stand to them going forward,” he said.

Celtic officials intend to reciprocate the visit by hosting children from Verrés in Killarney next year and, hopefully, start an annual trip experience for different age groups for boys and girls in the coming years.

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Community College TY students become qualified baristas

School Dayz Transition Year students at Killarney Community College spent last Tuesday learning the skills to become baristas. They completed a full-day training course and are now qualified to make […]

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School Dayz

Transition Year students at Killarney Community College spent last Tuesday learning the skills to become baristas.

They completed a full-day training course and are now qualified to make coffee, which could make them very employable in local cafes and restaurants this summer.
Their teachers, who are described as the school’s “resident coffee experts,” were impressed with the students’ hard work and enjoyed the lattes, cappuccinos, and Americanos the students made throughout the day.
In addition to their barista training, the TY students also took a trip to Mallow. There, they learned about the rules of the road, practiced the driver theory test, and many got behind the wheel of a car for the first time. They also learned about the dangers of speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

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Rising stars Amano and Lillie Foley to share stage in ANAM

Two of Killarney’s rising musical talents, Amano and Lillie Foley, are set to perform their first ever joint headline concert at the ANAM Cultural Centre. Singer-songwriter and sean nós singer […]

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Two of Killarney’s rising musical talents, Amano and Lillie Foley, are set to perform their first ever joint headline concert at the ANAM Cultural Centre.

Singer-songwriter and sean nós singer Amano will bring her ‘Mythilligocial Meitheal Tour’ home for a special live performance of both her contemporary and traditional music.

Joining her on the night is local rising star Lillie Foley, making it a special event to celebrate two young Killarney songwriters making their mark on the Irish music scene. The event is supported by Kerry County Council Arts Office.

Amano, described by Hot Press in 2024 as an “idiosyncratic talent” is comfortable performing in both English and Irish, draws influences from alt-folk, R&B, and traditional sean-nós singing.

Her project THREAD was nominated for Irish language Album and Song of the year at the Gradaim Nós in 2024.

Her recent singles, ‘Burn’ and ‘The Birthing House’, have received airplay on RTÉ Radio 1, Radio Kerry, and Raidió na Life.

Lillie Foley, a 22-year-old singer who recently graduated from the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance with a BA in Voice, has released two debut singles in 2025, ‘Someday’ and ‘That’s Life’, which blend pop, soul, and folk genres.

The event is supported by Kerry County Council Arts Office.

The concert will take place on May 23, at the ANAM Cultural Centre in Killarney, starting at 7:00pm. Tickets are available from €15 plus a booking fee on Ticketpass.org.

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