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Dawn chorus in National Park to feature on Radio Kerry broadcast on Saturday morning

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“The chorus of birds singing together, from about 45 minutes before to 45 minutes after sunrise, our most spectacular phenomenon in nature, is at its best during these weeks,” presenter Frank Lewis will say at the beginning of the Saturday Supplement that is to be broadcast on Radio Kerry from 9 to 11am.

The programme was recorded on March 13 in Knockreer in the Killarney National Park

“During the past few weeks the Great Spotted Woodpecker has been heard here in the Gamewood in Knockreer,” field ornithologist Ed Carty will reveal.

“We expect to find it breeding here in the coming weeks – for the first time in hundreds of years or maybe much longer.”

“Walking in the woods after dark is very special,” 88-year-old Dan Kelliher will say of “The amazing experience of seeing a full moon sitting on top of Torc mountain – and hearing bagpipes being played in Muckross Abbey around midnight.”

Dan, as Superintendent in charge of Killarney National Park from 1963 to 2001, transformed it from a farm to a place where nature is king.

“Killarney National Park is now in the market to buy suitable adjacent property,” says Padraig O'Sullivan. He has been a conservation ranger in the Park for over 40 years, “A time when the Kenmare and McShane estates became part of the Park.”

The programme starts in wild garlic woods in blossom at the moment. Knockreer Gardens have had a clean-up – and there are further ambitious plans. At the Cloch Mo Choda mass rock, listeners will hear the story of Coda the monk from Innisfallen who followed an enchanted black bird and slept here for 200 years.

During these weeks there will be acres of bluebells in bloom in the woods.

White Bridge over the River Deenagh that was straightened by Lord Kenmare in the 19th century.

The programme will visit the Gamewood Bridge where the path that you could walk in your slippers years ago is now nearly always wet. Finally on Teahouse Point stories of other days will be told.

Join Frank Lewis with Dan Kelliher, Padraig O'Sullivan, Richie Clancy and Ed Carty as they walked for hours – from 5.30 - and witness the dawn chorus from Knockreer in Killarney National Park from 9 to 11am on Saturday.

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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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