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Enjoying the sweet sound of success at St Brendan’s

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THEY have thought of everything from revolutionary headphones and eco-friendly sugar burners to gaming devices that whisk you back in time so it's not surprising the young science whizzes at St Brendan’s College, Killarney, have been impressing at regional as well as local level.

Last Thursday some 19 students from the school participated in the 2016 Kerry regional finals of SciFest at the Institute of Technology Tralee. “The students exhibited exemplary projects displaying in-depth research and investigation as well as innovative entrepreneurial talent,” said St Brendan’s teacher Marian O’Gorman.

The school submitted a total of 12 projects. These were selected following the results of St Brendan’s in-house SciFest competition last March. The projects were based on a broad range of topics including brain injury, invasive species in Killarney National Park and Internet safety. A number of projects involved the invention of a device including drift turbines, a revolutionary set of headphones, an eco-friendly sugar burner and a tracking device.

The school won two awards at the event. Eoin O’Connell was awarded the Sustainable Energy award for his eco-friendly sugar burner. This burner offers a way forward as an alternative energy source which doesn’t burn fossil fuels. As a result, this is an energy source which does not pose any damage to the environment. Eoin may be selected to compete in the SciFest finals next November. Seán Farndon, Seán Myers and Aaron Duggan were awarded an honorary award for their invention of their revolutionary headphones. They carried out a study on a wide range of available brands of headphones and identified the strength of each brand. “By combining the best characteristics from each brand, the team designed their own headphones which are of excellent quality and can be retailed at the reasonable price of €20 per set,” said Marian.

 


 
Seán Farndon, Aaron Duggan and Seán Myers who received an honorary award for the headphones they designed.

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Céilí Mór will send ‘em home sweatin’

It will be a case of all around the house but mind the dresser at a traditional Céilí Mór which will be one of the real entertainment highlights of this […]

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It will be a case of all around the house but mind the dresser at a traditional Céilí Mór which will be one of the real entertainment highlights of this year’s St Patrick’s Festival in Killarney.

It will take place on the eve of the big feast day in the Killarney Great Southern and there will be a wonderful party atmosphere guaranteed on the night.
Providing the tunes will be the very highly regarded Uí Bhriaín Céilí Band and they promise to send everybody home sweating after what will be a memorable night for locals and visitors.
The March 16 céilí will commence at 9.00pm and continue right through until midnight and the admission for a wonderful night of pure Irish trad is just €10.00.
Bookings can be made on the festival website or patrons can pay at the door on the night.

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St Brendan’s student Aodhagan O’Sullivan crowned CPR champion

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Aodhagan O’Sullivan, a student at St Brendan’s College, Killarney, has been named the 2026 School CPR Challenge Champion.

The prestigious award was presented on Thursday, 26 February, during a large-scale event at the Gleneagle Hotel, where approximately 300 students from post-primary schools across the county gathered to compete for the title of “who can compress the best.”


Now in its fourth year, the event is organised by the Killarney Cardiac Response Unit (KCRU) Community First Responders.

The KCRU is a volunteer-led group that provides vital emergency response services to Killarney, Beaufort, Killorglin, Firies, Rathmore, and Kenmare.

The challenge focused on “Quality CPR” (QCPR), combining a high-stakes competition with practical life-saving training and the chance for students to engage directly with local emergency and community services.


The competition utilised advanced QCPR technology to measure the depth and rate of compressions, ensuring that students aren’t just learning the motions, but are performing life-saving techniques to a clinical standard.

Beyond the competitive element, the day served as an educational hub, highlighting the “chain of survival” and the importance of immediate bystander intervention in the event of a cardiac arrest.


The 2026 challenge was made possible through the support of the Vodafone Foundation, The Gleneagle Hotel, and First Aid Systems Ltd, alongside a variety of local sponsors. Organisers praised the enthusiasm of the 300 participants, noting that such events are essential for building a “heart-safe” community and equipping the next generation with the skills to save a life.

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