News
Father and son’s double act in Croke Park!

By Michelle Crean
It was a historic occasion when a local music maestro and his son not only played football but also music in Croke Park.
Liam O'Connor and his son Oisín enjoyed a kick about together at the home of GAA as part of a 'Warriors for Humanity' charity game for Self-Help Africa.
They later played at the after-match celebratory banquet in the Hogan Stand Event Centre that night - probably making history as the first father and son duo to play both in Croke Park on the same day!
O’Connor’s sporting credentials have been well-established too. He won two Cork county senior championship football medals with Duhallow.
Liam, an internationally-acclaimed accordion player, recently played at Electric Picnic.
Tomorrow (Thursday) he and his band will join the Celtic Tenors to entertain the sell-out crowd at the much-anticipated rugby clash between Munster and world champions South Africa.
The Irish maestro has brought his dynamic accordion-playing to other sporting occasions, including two Ryder Cup golf tournaments, seven All-Ireland Final appearances in Croke Park and recently made a superb contribution playing alongside the Artane Band on the RTÉ All-Ireland programme 'Up For The Match'.
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And, not one to sit still, Liam's next plan is to bring legendary hurling manager Brian Cody as the guest speaker for the annual Liam O’Connor Show at St Brendan’s College, Killarney on Thursday, December 1 at 8pm.
Cody is regarded as the greatest hurling manager of all time, having steered the senior Kilkenny team for 25 years, becoming the county's longest-serving manager and the most successful in terms of the number of major titles won. In all, during his extraordinary reign that ended with his retirement this year, Kilkenny won 43 major honours, including 11 Senior All-Irelands.
Also appearing on what promises to be a momentous night will be the St Brendan’s College Choir and Music Group, and O’Connor’s own family band featuring Saoirse on vocals, concertina and keyboards, Oisín, who plays guitars, keyboards and percussion, and Cillian on drums.
“This is my ninth year as part of the show which has now become one of the annual highlights in my schedule of gigs," Laim told the Killarney Advertiser.
"To have such an inspirational figure as Brian Cody along to share his wisdom about sport and life is truly an honour for us all. It’ll be a great way to end what has been a busy and exciting year for me.”
St Brendan’s College has a fine reputation on the music front, not least because of the skills of two remarkably dedicated music teachers in Niamh O’Connell, Mish O’Donoghue and Principal Seán Coffey whose leadership is the key to creating an amazing synergy, Liam, who lends his musical dexterity to the college on a regular basis, added.
"Of course the students are amazing in St Brendan’s. The chapel concert is a very happy place with all the great music."
Tickets for the St Brendan’s College concert are available from ticketstop.ie.
News
Strong connections made at tourism tradeshow
Many significant business deals were signed at this year’s Meitheal – Ireland’s largest and most important trade event for the tourism industry. Held in the INEC, 450 Irish businesses pitched to over 230 international […]

Many significant business deals were signed at this year’s Meitheal – Ireland’s largest and most important trade event for the tourism industry.
Held in the INEC, 450 Irish businesses pitched to over 230 international buyers from 17 countries at Fáilte Ireland’s flagship trade event.
Running since 1975, Meitheal is organised in partnership with Tourism Ireland to provide Irish tourism businesses with the opportunity to sell directly to top international buyers and tour operators.
The best of what is on offer across Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands, Ireland’s Ancient East, the Wild Atlantic Way and Dublin, were showcased with the aim of being scheduled on the itineraries of the global tour operators.
Key themes and trends emerging this year are sustainable travel options, immersive outdoor experiences and festivals.
Speaking about the importance of developing a future pipeline of tourism business, Paul Kelly, CEO of Fáilte Ireland, said that “creating a strong pipeline of future business is key for the recovery of tourism”.
“Seeing the demand for the Irish tourism product with international buyers at Meitheal is fantastic. Each international buyer represents tens of thousands of possible visitors to Ireland, and their business will be hugely important for tourism and hospitality businesses, communities, and destination Ireland as we continue to work towards recovery,” he said.
News
Outdoor dining area officially opens in town
A new outdoor dining space at Kenmare Place was officially opened today (Wednesday). The project, which was supported with €605,000 in funding from Fáilte Ireland under the Local Authority Weatherproofing and […]

A new outdoor dining space at Kenmare Place was officially opened today (Wednesday).
The project, which was supported with €605,000 in funding from Fáilte Ireland under the Local Authority Weatherproofing and Outdoor Dining Infrastructure Scheme, provides an attractive outdoor dining option for locals and visitors to Killarney.
“This is a really wonderful addition to Killarney’s tourism infrastructure and will prove a great asset throughout the year and particularly during the forthcoming tourist season,” said Cllr Kelleher, Cathaoirleach of the Killarney Municipal District, who did the honours.
“One of the effects of the recent pandemic was the need to utilise and maximise outdoor dining options and this infrastructure shows what can be achieved in an imaginative way. It will greatly enhance Killarney’s reputation as a destination for top quality tourism experiences.”
The project has been operational since last October but the official opening was timed to coincide with the Meitheal 2023 tourism industry showcase that was organised by Fáilte Ireland at the INEC this week.
“It is fantastic to see Killarney’s outdoor dining infrastructure being so well received by trade and visitors alike,” Miriam Kennedy, Head of Wild Atlantic Way at Fáilte Ireland, said.
Councillors in the Killarney Municipal District approved planning permission for the infrastructure which was completed by Daniel Canty Construction.