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Damien Wins National Pitch & Putt Title

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AFTER three podium finishes in the event in the last six stagings, including two third placed finishes in 2016 and 2017, Deerpark’s Damien Fleming became only the second Kerry player ever to win a National Senior Gents Strokeplay title when he emerged with a one stroke victory in Glenville in Dublin last Sunday afternoon. Damien was second to Tralee’s Jonathon Goodall in 2012 in nearby RGSC in the national’s capital but made sure of his win this year after the bronze medal performances in Tullamore and Clonmel of the last two years.

Damien made a somewhat slow start beginning with two under par for his first 18 holes before firing himself into contention after the first 36 holes with an eight under par round as his score of 10 under par saw him one shot off the lead of 11 under par ahead of the Top 20 playoff for the title. He was sharing the lead on 14 under par with Dubliner and Irish International team captain John Ross Crangle and National Matchplay holder Bryan Delaney with nine holes to go before a Hole-in-One followed by a birdie for Crangle appeared to give the advantage to the Loughlinstown player. Damien remained steady however in picking up another four birdies to pass out Crangle in the finish and win the title by a single stroke with a score of 144, 18 under par.

Damien’s win made him the 14th player in Pitch & Putt history to win a National Matchplay and National Strokeplay double after his Matchplay success in 2011 back in Collinstown Westmeath. He has previously won the Irish International Open twice as well in 2009 and 2011. Castleisland’s Aidan O’Connor also made the Top 20 Playoff finishing the tournament with a score of seven under par as Tralee’s Jason O’Regan was one shot off the cut with a 36 hole total of four under. Damien’s brother James finished 11th overall in the Intermediate event the previous day meanwhile in a good showing in tough scoring conditions.

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Parnell commemorated in Beaufort on 125th Anniversary of Land League meeting

A special ceremony was held in Beaufort to mark the 125th anniversary of Charles Stewart Parnell’s historic visit to the village in 1880, when the Irish nationalist leader addressed thousands […]

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A special ceremony was held in Beaufort to mark the 125th anniversary of Charles Stewart Parnell’s historic visit to the village in 1880, when the Irish nationalist leader addressed thousands at a pivotal land reform meeting.

The commemoration, which took place beside the Beaufort Bar, honoured the legacy of the former MP and founder of the Irish National Land League.
The original meeting was held in a field belonging to Patrick O’Sullivan and attracted a crowd of approximately 3,000, defying the orders of local landlord ‘The O’Mahony’ of Dunloe Castle, who had threatened eviction to any tenant who supported the gathering.
Padruig O’Sullivan, proprietor of the Beaufort Bar and a direct descendant of Patrick O’Sullivan, addressed attendees at the unveiling of a new monument to mark the occasion.
The stone was designed by renowned uilleann piper and artist Tomás O’Sullivan, who also composed a special piece of music titled Parnell’s Blackbird to honour the occasion.
The original 1880 meeting was reported in publications such as the ‘Dundalk Democrat’, which gave a vivid account of the powerful speeches delivered that day.

Extract from the Dundalk Democrat – May 1880

The meeting, held on Sunday, May 16, 1880 in Patrick O’Sullivan’s field south of the Beaufort Hotel, was arranged in defiance of local landlord ‘The O’Mahony,’ who warned tenants they would be evicted for taking part. Nevertheless, the turnout was overwhelming.
Parnell arrived by special train and travelled by carriage from Killarney with fellow MP ‘The O’Donoghue’. The two were met by a band and a large welcoming crowd. Police and a Government reporter were present, but the atmosphere remained peaceful and spirited.
Speakers rallied against the unjust land laws of the time. ‘The O’Donoghue’ praised Parnell as the “shining star” of Irish nationalism and stated that “Kerry desired that her meeting should partake of a national character.”
When Parnell spoke, he described it as “the largest land meeting he had attended since County Mayo” and declared the movement to reclaim Irish land as one of the greatest undertakings in Irish history. He condemned the laws that allowed landlords to evict tenants and seize food as rent payment, noting that 600,000 farmers were subject to the whims of just 10,000 landlords.
He called for legislative reform, including the suspension of evictions and Government-backed tenant purchase schemes, warning that if Parliament failed to act, “the people will do for themselves what the Legislature refuses to do for them.”
He concluded by proposing the first resolution.
“That in the opinion of this meeting, the eviction of occupiers of land for non-payment of rent arbitrarily fixed by the landlord is unjust, subversive of the true interests of the country and calls for the emphatic condemnation of all lovers of justice.”

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St Pauls sign American Maisie Burnham

Killarney’s Utility Trust St Pauls women’s basketball team has announced the signing of American player Maisie Burnham for the upcoming 2025/2026 season. The club, who performed strongly in the latter […]

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Killarney’s Utility Trust St Pauls women’s basketball team has announced the signing of American player Maisie Burnham for the upcoming 2025/2026 season.

The club, who performed strongly in the latter part of the recent season and reached the league final, is looking to build on that success.
Maisie Burnham, a 24-year-old, six-foot-tall guard from Spangle City, Washington, comes to Killarney with a strong playing record. During her time at Liberty High School, where she also played volleyball, she was a high-scoring player.
She then went to Eastern Washington University, where in the 2020/2021 season, she led the team in scoring with over 14 points per game, a record for a freshman player at the university.
Burnham later moved to the University of Portland, where her scoring average continued to improve, reaching a peak of 16.3 points per game in the 2024/2025 season.
Utility Trust St Pauls say they are looking forward to welcoming Maisie to Killarney well in advance of the new season.

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