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Changing of the guard at Killarney Rotary

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APPLAUSE rang out in Gaby’s Restaurant on High Street on Wednesday for outgoing Killarney Rotary Club president Angela O’Connor who completed a highly successful year at the helm of the club. Rotarians welcomed Angela's successor, Eduard Schmidt-Zorner as he accepted the chain of office.

The year’s calendar of events includes the hugely popular Evening of Wine & Art, the Rotary Youth Leadership programme, the annual Afternoon Tea at The Malton fundraiser and the Young Musician of the Year competition and concert.

Originally from Dortmund in Germany and based in Milltown for the past 25 years, Eduard describes himself as “an adopted Kerry man”. “My main objective for the club this year is to have fun and to seek out opportunities for service - to increase recognition of our club both in the Rotary community, national and international and in our community at large, to identify new charities, to keep close contact with responsible people in Killarney, with the cultural scene and to visit our neighbouring clubs,” said the new president.

Eduard, who is an artist and writer, joined Killarney Rotary after retiring from Liebherr Container Cranes Ltd, Killarney. “My way into Rotary would not have materialised without the support and advice from Killarney Rotarian Barry Murphy. Years before I joined Rotary we were in contact and when he asked me one day whether I was interested to join the Killarney club. I was still working and had no free time to attend the lunch meetings but when I retired I took up his offer and I am very grateful to Barry because it opened a new aspect of life for me and I found an outstanding group of nice, inspiring, dedicated and committed women and men and I enjoyed every meeting and event and I look very much forward to the time ahead.”

Eduard added: “When I look back into the history of our club, I am the first president of foreign origin, though I am an Irish citizen now and proud of it, and I am the oldest to go into the chair,” he said.

“We are part of this community and we are respected and we are proud to help so many organisations in our area and all this combined with high level events which thousands of people in our community are marking in their diaries every year.”
 


 
Above: Eduard Schmidt-Zorner accepts the chain of office from outgoing president Angela O'Connor.

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Milltown plan to preserve history in community project 

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The Milltown History and Heritage Society has announced plans for an oral history archive for the community.

It is hoped that the collection and preservation of stories and folklore will be a valuable resource for future generations.

Oral history expert and historian Dr Tomás Mac Conmara will speak in Milltown in support of the launch.

Dr Mac Conmara, who is an award-winning oral historian, lecturer and author, will speak at the Muintir na Tíre Hall in Milltown at 8pm on Friday, October 24 and will introduce the fundamentals for the collection of oral history.

The presentation is free of charge and is supported by funding from the Creative Communities Grant Scheme 2025.

Attendees will be introduced to the practical skills required in interviewing, recording and documenting local heritage.

Stewart Stephans of the Milltown History and Heritage Society said they are excited to have Tomás to set them on the right path towards the development of the archive.

He said: “The collection and retention of oral history needs to be approached properly, drawing on the right advice and maintaining high standards, so we are pleased to be getting the input of such a renowned expert.” The event is open to anyone who would like to attend.

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Network Ireland Kerry discuss sustainable success

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Network Ireland Kerry held their third annual collaboration event last Wednesday at the Rose Hotel, Tralee. The theme was: “The Journey to Sustainable Success” which brought three industry experts together to talk about their own journey to sustainable successful.

Business professionals, entrepreneurs, and financial leaders came together for this highly anticipated event to learn about the journey from becoming a start-up, to a small-to-medium enterprise (SME), and a large SME.

The event was opened by AIB Branch Liaison for Network Ireland Kerry and AIB Castleisland Branch Manager, Colleen Shannon. It was MC’d by AIB Tralee Branch Manager, Stephen Stack.

Sarah Farrar of AINMHÌ, Garrett Dillon of Mr. Binman and Dillon Waste Ltd. and Susan Quirke-Crowley of Mounthawk Montessori School Group were among the speakers at the event.

These leaders spoke about their challenges, milestones, and breakthroughs they encountered, from launching an idea to scaling operations nationally.

Tara Elzingre of Tara Elzingre Consultancy, Zaneta Labuz-Czerwein of Rustic Boowa and Sharon Hartnett of U Coaching promoted their businesses for ‘Minute on the Mic’

Emily Reen, Network Ireland Kerry President, described the event as a testament to the power of partnership. She said: “The event underscored a powerful message: sustainable business success is not a solo journey. With the right partnerships, teams and financial tools, businesses of all sizes can grow with purpose, resilience, and long-term impact.”

Network Ireland Kerry will host their next monthly event on November 12 in Killarney and in collaboration with the Kerry Local Enterprise Office, titled: “Gain Competitive Advantage in Your Business”. This event will be MC’d by Karen Ronan, 2025 National Vice President of Network Ireland and CEO of Galway Chamber. This event is open to non-members and members, and everyone is welcome from 6 pm for networking and refreshments, with the event taking place from 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm.

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