News
Family of severely Alexis welcome hoist grants policy change

By Sean Moriarty
A Killarney family have welcomed news that that fixed track hoists will be included in the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Schemes.
Parents Steve and Teresa O’Mahony have been fighting government bureaucracy for months.
The urgently need a hoist fitted to their home to help them care for their daughter Alexis. She suffers from a pyruvate dehydrogenase, PDH, deficiency and she has a brain injury. She has cerebral palsy, quadriplegia, visual impairment, a subluxation of her hip and is at high risk of aspiration.
In recent months the family were dealing with Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and the Department of Health, in an effort to get a grant to fit a hoist to their home.
None of the government departments were willing to commit to the scheme until political intervention by TDs Pa Daly and Norma Foley and Tralee councillor Jim Finucane.
It was announced this week that that fixed track hoists will be included in the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Schemes.
“It is a big relief that funding has finally been reinstated and a clear pathway now exists in the years ahead for those across Ireland that require ceiling track hoists,” Steve told the Killarney Advertiser.
“Access to the scheme without worry now exists and enables people with a disability to live day to day with their dignity and comfort protected. It should never have taken almost three years to get the legislation in place and a lot needs to be learned in terms of engagement and communication channels between government departments.
“Ultimately it is some of society's most vulnerable that suffered because of the impasse and it is also society's most vulnerable and their families and carers that will benefit enormously from the scheme. A thank you to all Kerry politicians that engaged on this in various times.”
News
Kerry’s youth celebrated at the Lee Strand/Kerry Garda Youth Achievement Awards
This year’s overall winner of the Lee Strand Kerry Garda Youth Achievement is Ryan Griffin from Waterville who was nominated by Mairead O’Sullivan from Killorglin Family Resource Centre. Ryan Griffin […]

This year’s overall winner of the Lee Strand Kerry Garda Youth Achievement is Ryan Griffin from Waterville who was nominated by Mairead O’Sullivan from Killorglin Family Resource Centre.
Ryan Griffin is a member of the Skellig Stars and was chosen to represent Kerry at the Special Olympics.
Ryan’s biggest hurdle is communication and he had to overcome this during his trip to Berlin for the big event.
Ryan has overcome his disabilities by focusing on all the great abilities he has. Ryan attends mainstream school in Coláiste na Sceilge where he is a very respected member of the School Community. He is a member of Kerry Stars and also Downs Syndrome Kerry.
Ryan has always had a keen interest in sport and even played with the local team in Waterville, but now Ryan thinks it’s too fast for him so he prefers to cheer them on from the side-lines.
Ryan has always been involved with the Community and they have never left him out. Ryan started out his athletics career with Skellig Stars and without them he would have gone to the Special Olympics and he has never forgotten when he came from.
Ryan and his family are very grateful to the local community in Waterville and the surrounding area for all the support they have given them over the years and especially now with the Special Olympics coming closer.
The whole community from Waterville to Mid-Kerry got behind Ryan, raising funds to help his family go to Berlin for 2 weeks. Ryan is now an inspiration to others to overcome difficulties and “go for gold”.
Ryan was the only representative from Kerry on this years Irish Special Olympics Team and in fact one of the Youngest Athletes on Team Ireland at only 16yrs of age, which was a great honour for him.
This in itself is a great achievement but it also shows his friends at Skellig Stars, Downs Syndrome Kerry and in the wider community that dreams do come true.
It took a lot of hard work and determination on Ryan’s behalf to make these dreams come true, not least the long journey he had to make from South Kerry to Dublin once a month since last January to train for the Special Olympics. He also trained weekly with the Skellig Stars.
At the 2023 Special Olympics in Berlin Ryan took part in the 100m run and the relay but his biggest achievement was winning the Silver Medal in the mini javelin. This showed others that overcoming difficulties can be possible and you can achieve your goals with hard work and determination, which Ryan has in abundance.
Local Merit Awards
Aliza Gul, Killarney
Joey McCarthy, Killarney
John O’Connor, Killarney
Nattagun Ryan, Killarney
Samuel Behal, Killarney
St Brendan’s Choir, Killarney
News
Controversial finish to Cougar’s opening match of season
Basketball Ireland is to review the result Killarney Cougars opening match of the new Basketball season. The opening game of the season was long and eventful The game was abandoned […]

Basketball Ireland is to review the result Killarney Cougars opening match of the new Basketball season.
The opening game of the season was long and eventful
The game was abandoned with 1.48 seconds remaining in the second quarter with the court unplayable due to condensation, however Portlaoise Panthers plea to change venue was allowed by the officials.
The game continued an hour later in Portlaoise College despite the Killarney protest with the long delay to proceedings and the game already abandoned in the St Mary’s venue.
Panthers held the advantage through the second quarter whan the game was abandoned following a series of bad slips and falls on the wet floor with just under two minutes remaining,
Darius Hopkins heavy slip and fall that finally saw the game stopped.
The remainder of the game in in the new venue was completed without any competitive edge.
Cougars finished with a series of injuries to Bill Wiseman, Alex Fleming and Oleh Drahanchuk with the game conditions and long delays a contributing factor but the homeside won the contest.
A final decision on the outcome of the game is expected by Basketball Ireland following a review of events.