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Celtic youngsters ready for Alpine adventure
40 Killarney Celtic players are excited for their upcoming trip to Italy in what will be a cultural exchange and a chance to make new friendships.
Davide Mosca
Davide Mosca
The players, aged 12-14, will visit the Italian Alpine province of Aosta Valley from April 4 to 9.
Accompanied by coaches and volunteer chaperones, they will travel to the town of Verrés in Northern Italy for what is hoped to be the first running of a programme the organisers have called Calcio - Culture - Cairdeas which translates to Football, Culture, Friendship.
The programme, the brainchild of Killarney architect Davide Mosca who hails from the host town, features French classes each morning as the Aosta Valley is a bilingual region where Italian and French are spoken.
The club's U13 and U14 teams will train with their counterparts from local team PDHAE, before taking part in a tournament with the other clubs from the province which borders both France and Switzerland.
The boys will visit one of the Aosta Valleys ski resorts and enjoy a final night celebration with medals, pizza and a DJ in the town's historical main square. The lads are especially looking forward to a trip to the city of Turin and in particular, the Serie A match between Torino and José Mourinho's AS Roma. The most important part of the trip is to create a cultural exchange with the Italian kids and make new friendships.
The organisers intend to reciprocate the visit of the kids from Verrés to Killarney next year and hopefully start a yearly trip experience for different age groups for boys and girls in the coming years, from Killarney's most progressive and inclusive club.
"We really hope that this will be more than just a tournament, but will be the opportunity for the lads to enjoy a unique experience and hopefully to come back to this area in the future and make enduring international friendships," Davide Mosca said.
Paul Sherry, club Vice Chair and Killarney Chambers activist paid tribute to local sponsors and fundraisers.
"We would like to thank all the people that helped us to organise this event which we believe will be a unique experience for the lads, especially all the sponsors, the club officers of Killarney Celtic, and all the parents that took part in fundraising activities since October."
Member of the organising committee and coach of the club's U14 teams, Brian Looney, paid a special thanks to the Mayor of Verres, Alessandro and all the host town officials and to Luca Laura e Pino from the Committee of the partner club PDHAE for the support and partnership in organising accommodation and activities.
"Through Davide's Italian connections a real relationship has been developing between Killarney and Aosta. Groups of Killarney locals have enjoyed Verres' historical Carnevale festival over the last few years and now the relationship is moving to the next generation of Kerry and Valdostana youth. It will be an amazing trip for our young players. While a number of individuals have worked to bring this together - Davide and Linda Mosca have put huge effort into organising the trip and fundraising activities, and Philip O'Callaghan has done massive logistics and travel organisation and their work is appreciated by all at the club."
News
Fassbender ready for second Le Mans appearance
Local Hollywood A-lister Michael Fassbender is in the final preparation stages for his second appearance at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans. The iconic endurance race is celebrating its […]
Local Hollywood A-lister Michael Fassbender is in the final preparation stages for his second appearance at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The iconic endurance race is celebrating its 100th edition next weekend.
The Fossa star has already arrived in the famous French twon where he is involved in a week-long series of engagements including drivers’ parades, autograph sessions and more serious appointments like car safety checks, practice and qualifying.
Like last year, when he finished 16th in the LMGTE Am class, Fassbender has been entered in to the event by the German Proton Competition team with Estonian Martin Rump and the Austrian Richard Lietz.
Fassbender dreams of following the trajectory of fellow Hollywood actors Patrick Dempsey who was second in LMGTE Am class in 2016 and Paul Newman who finished second overall in 1979.
News
Ireland’s oldest citizen has Killarney connections
Ireland’s oldest woman met with President Michael D. Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin this week. Máirín Hughes, who turned 109 on May 22 has strong Killarney connections. The previous record […]
Ireland’s oldest woman met with President Michael D. Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin this week.
Máirín Hughes, who turned 109 on May 22 has strong Killarney connections.
The previous record was held by 107-year-old Nancy Stewart who died on September 10 2021.
Although born in Belfast, Máirín went to school in the Mercy Convent. Her father was a customs and excise officer and the family moved around a lot eventually coming to Killarney after spells in County Down and Dublin.
Her mother came from the Rathmore area and her father was from Newmarket in County Cork.
She attended the Mercy Convent and has, in previous interviews, recalled growing up on the shores of Lough Lein.
“Neighbours who had three children were given the job of taking me to school,” she said. “They were annoyed because the children were going to school for two or three years but I was put in to the same class as them – my mother had taught me.”
In 2021 she featured in the book ‘Independence Memories: A People’s Portrait of the Early Days of the Irish Nation’, sharing stories of being kept in school in Killarney during an attack on the RIC barracks down the road.
In 1924 she started a degree in science and a diploma in education at University College Cork, before working in the pathology lab in University College Cork’s Department of Medicine for 16 years.
last year she recalled her story on the podcast: ‘Living History – Irish Life and Lore’.
During the broadcast she talked about her parents’ membership of the Gaelic League in 1910; the Spanish Flu in Ireland in 1918; The Black and Tans in Killarney in 1921; the early days of the new Free State; Eucharistic Congress in Dublin in 1932, visiting the Basket Islands in 1929; and working in the UCC medical laboratory from 1932 until 1948.
This week President Michael D. Higgins hosted an afternoon tea event to celebrate the important role that a variety of people have and can play in different communities and Máirín was among the guests of honour.
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