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Cinematographer wins award in the USA

By Michelle Crean
A local filmmaker and award-winning cinematographer has scored a major award in the USA.
Dennis Earlie made a short film ‘Lost Souls' featuring local actors based on a poem of the same name by Kevin McManus who was inspired by the recollections of his father.
Kevin's father immigrated to England in the late 1950s and worked in construction. He often spoke about how some of the young Irish men he worked with gradually spent more and more time in the pubs due to loneliness and homesickness, and would drink to ease the pain. This meant that eventually they got sacked, had no place to go and ended up homeless. These young men were essentially, 'Lost Souls'.
Dennis is an award-winning cinematographer, director and voiceover artist. Like Kevin, his father left for England to find work three months before Dennis was born. He first met his father when he was 18 years of age on a railway station in Stockport Manchester, when he too moved to England as a young trainee. He did meet his father on a further three occasions.
The last one was to give a formal identification in a morgue in London. To Dennis, Kevin’s poem epitomises what his father’s life was like as was so many men and woman, who left for England.
"Once I read and narrated the poem for Kevin’s audiobook, I knew I wanted to adapt it to screen," Dennis, a listed member of IMdB whose work has been viewed in over 60 countries worldwide including Sky, BBC and French Television, told the Killarney Advertiser.
"I had a fantastic crew and cast, and I can’t thank Padrig O’Connor, Anne Browne, Elaine Shine and our assistant director Kyla Shine-Leane enough, and a special thank you to the K-Town Bar and Restaurant for allowing us to film there."
The film was screened at the Blissfest333 and Nortopia Films awards in the Cottonwood Centre for the Arts Colorado Springs Colorado, USA. 'Lost Souls' was also shortlisted for the Drumshanbo International Poetry Film Festival, the O’Bhael International Festival and the London Lift-Off Film Festival. It has been released on media platforms including YouTube.
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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Philip is running over 100kms for Cancer charity
Local runner and charity fundraiser Philip Kissane is set for the biggest challenge of his career as he lines up for the Cork City Marathon on Sunday. Phillip has already […]

Local runner and charity fundraiser Philip Kissane is set for the biggest challenge of his career as he lines up for the Cork City Marathon on Sunday.
Phillip has already completed four half marathons at various locations around Killarney – all in aid of Kerry Cancer Support Group – or the Cancer Bus as it popularly called.
This is the second time that Phillip has run four half marathon and an official race for the charity.
Back in 2021 he finished with 5km Run Killarney event but his finishing race this time around is over eight times the distance at 42kms.
“We are delighted with Philip’s continued fundraising support but also with his awareness raising for the charity,” Breda Dyland, Service Manager Kerry Cancer Support Trust.
“We are getting busier all the time and still get no statutory funding so are dependent on fundraisers like Philip’s to keep us on the road. We have just put our new wheelchair accessible bus on the Cork route so Philip’s funding will be going towards the operation of this vehicle.”