Killarney transport firm O’Callaghan Coaches honoured long-serving staff member Kevin O’Sullivan at their annual Christmas party held at the Fáilte Hotel last week.

O’Sullivan was officially inducted into the O’Callaghan Coaches Hall of Fame, joining company founders James and Lena O’Callaghan, as well as Denis Lynch and Mike Moynihan, in recognition of his service.

Kevin O’Sullivan joined the business over 30 years ago. His early career involved driving taxis around Killarney town at night, while operating school buses and private hire coaches during the day.

“Kevin began his journey with us over 30 years ago, working at the very foundations of the modern company we know today,” said Philip O’Callaghan. “It was this level of commitment and work ethic in those early years that helped shape the company’s growth and success.”

The evening also saw Michael O’Keeffe named ‘Person of the Year’.

The award is decided by a vote among company employees, and O’Keeffe is the second person to receive the title.

The event capped off a significant year for the Killarney-based operator.

O’Callaghan Coaches was recently named Ireland’s Best Small Workplace for 2025 and received Fáilte Ireland’s Outstanding Employer Award for both 2024 and 2025.

Joseph O’Connor’s latest novel, The Ghosts of Rome, has been named the overall An Post Irish Book of the Year 2025.

The announcement was made during a special television broadcast on RTÉ One hosted by broadcaster Oliver Callan. The book, which previously won ‘The Last Word Listeners’ Choice Award’ at the An Post Irish Book Awards, was selected as the overall winner by a panel of judges chaired by author Paul Howard.

The Ghosts of Rome is the second instalment in O’Connor’s Escape Line Trilogy. It follows the success of the first book, My Father’s House, which has sold over 150,000 copies in English. Both novels reached the Number One spot on the Irish bestseller charts within days of their release.

Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty
The trilogy is inspired by the extraordinary true story of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, known as the ‘Vatican Pimpernel’.

Though born in County Cork, O’Flaherty was raised in Killarney, attending the local Monastery school.

During World War II, O’Flaherty used his position in the Vatican to coordinate an ‘Escape Line’, a secret network that smuggled over 6,500 Allied soldiers and Jews to safety from Nazi-occupied Rome.

Despite constant threats from the Gestapo and a bounty on his head, he operated from the steps of St Peter’s Basilica, providing refugees with food, money, and false papers.

Joseph O’Connor is currently working on the final book of the trilogy.

While The Ghosts of Rome continues to dominate bestseller lists, fans will have to wait until early 2027 for the conclusion of the series.