Connect with us

News

Driving home for Christmas – with comedian Chris O’Dowd

Published

on

NEW CAMPAIGN: Comedian Chris O'Dowd, pictured with Sean O'Mahony (Faha Court Hotel) and his daughter Aoife, took part in the new 'Social Spin' service launched online this week.

 

EXCLUSIVE

 

By Sean Moriarty

 

A Killarney pub will reach millions of homes this Christmas – starring TV comic Chris O’Dowd – when it features in a television and online video promoting a new rural drive-home service ahead of the festive season.

 

The Faha Court Hotel is one of two Kerry pubs to offer the ‘Social Spin’ service where punters at the bar can be driven to and from the pub by a team of volunteer drivers on rota.

 

O’Dowd spent the two days driving customers to and from the Faha Court and his interaction with locals will be the focal point of both the social media campaign and the RTE documentary.

 

Social Spin is the brainchild of Faha Court owner Sean O’Mahony who wanted to do something about the decline of rural Ireland and find a way around new and more stringent drink-driving laws.

 

Earlier this year, with the help of the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) and Guinness distributor Diageo, Sean set up the new campaign and a pub in Causeway soon followed.

 

The Kerry pilot scheme could be rolled out nationwide in the New Year and will be the subject of an RTE documentary which will be aired in early 2020.

 

O’Dowd has offered up his driving skills to support a new pilot initiative and, as a result, he was in Killarney last Thursday and Friday to record the promotional video which will be broadcast on social and traditional channels in the run up to Christmas. The first airings of the video appeared on the Guinness and VFI’s social media platforms on Wednesday.

 

“We have to respect the new regulation but no one seemed to care how they would effect rural pubs and no politician was coming up with a solution,” Sean told the Killarney Advertiser. “I went to a Kerry Vintner’s meeting with my idea and they told me they would help in every way. At this point Causeway came on board.”

 

Social Spin has seen more than 70 volunteer drivers throughout Faha and Causeway sign up to get behind the wheel of newly bought community cars to drive people to and from the pub so they can enjoy a night out without drinking and driving.

 

“This is the first pub in Ireland to do this, other schemes exist but they are community run, not by a pub,” Sean added. “It ticked all the boxes for Diageo and I got great support from my local rep, Fionnuala Dwyer. We hope to bring all the stats from our first year to a feasibility study in Dublin where we will look at bringing this to other areas.”

 

 

 

 

Advertisement

News

Network Ireland Kerry discuss sustainable success

Published

on

By

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.

Continue Reading

News

Minor injury clinic to open by this time next year

The Killarney Local Injury Clinic is expected to be open by Q3 2026, according to the HSE. The proposed unit will be located on the grounds of St Columbanus Home. […]

Published

on

The Killarney Local Injury Clinic is expected to be open by Q3 2026, according to the HSE. The proposed unit will be located on the grounds of St Columbanus Home.

The timeline was confirmed in response to a Parliamentary Question from Fianna Fáil TD Michael Cahill, who said the project will follow the relocation of the Community Nursing Unit from its current site to the grounds of the old St Finan’s Hospital. Once the transfer is complete, construction of the injury clinic can proceed.
Deputy Cahill described the two new health facilities as “a fantastic addition for Killarney and the wider East, Mid, and South Kerry regions” and noted they will help reduce waiting times at University Hospital Kerry A&E.
“I will continue to push for enhanced health services for our people,” added the Fianna Fáil Spokesperson for Older People.
The new clinic is expected to provide urgent care services for local residents, easing pressure on hospital emergency departments and improving access to timely treatment in the Killarney area.

Continue Reading

Last News

Sport