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Fixture debacle a sad end to the year

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The Lakers were always going to be up against it in the League Cup. Realistically they needed to beat three teams from the top four in Division 1A to win this competition so the odds were against them from the start

The one factor in their favour was home advantage in the quarters, a right they earned by finishing top of Division 1B in their first season back in the National League. Basketball Ireland’s decision to snatch that away from them at the last minute was both cruel and very hard to justify.

Whatever about the venue change affecting their chances in the competition, which it undoubtedly did, it also robbed St Paul’s of their final home game of the season. Financially speaking, they missed out on a nice chunk of money. The amount the Lakers make off the gate is the kind of cash that no team can scoff at, especially not one trying to find their feet in the league after a nine-year hiatus.

But, to me at least, the real disappointment was not being able to receive the Division 1B Shield on home court. That would have been a nice touch for the players and I’m sure younger fans especially would have enjoyed the occasion.

It’s sort of unusual as well that the League Cup is played at the end of the year. From speaking to the players, it seems as though this is the least prestigious competition in the calendar. The emphasis appears to be on winning the President’s Cup, which was finished by January, and the league, which concluded two weeks ago with the Lakers winning 1B and Killorglin winning 1A. To put it in GAA terms, it’s a bit like playing the league after the championship.

I think the fact that Basketball Ireland decided at 9.30am on Monday morning to move the Lakers v Carlow game to Neptune indicates the league’s own attitude towards the competition. It seems, from the outside anyway, that they just want to run the thing off as quickly as possible. I don’t imagine they’d do the same thing for a league decider.

It’s a sad enough end to the season for the Lakers but it shouldn’t detract from what they’ve achieved over the course of the campaign. They’ve given themselves a good platform to build on and it will be very interesting to see how far they can go over the next few years. The sky is the limit.

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New Streetscapes murals launched at College Square

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A colourful collaboration between the Kerry Local Creative Youth Partnership (LCYP) and the Architecture Kerry Festival at Kerry County Council launched yesterday evening at College Square.

Titled Streetscapes, the open-air public art installation officially opened at 5pm on Thursday, accompanied by a performance from the Killarney Youth Drumming Band THUMP! under the guidance of Urs Wenk from Drum Dance Ireland.


The public art project features a series of wall murals depicting Killarney through the eyes of local children, exploring freedom, play, and potential future evolutions of the townscape.

The artworks reimagine Killarney’s iconic landmarks and streets, blending youthful imagination and curiosity.


Supported under the Creative Ireland Programme, the installation is mounted on the gable wall of Reen’s Life Pharmacy in College Square, where it will remain on public display until March 2027.


Speaking at the launch, Daniel O’Shea, Youth Development Officer at Kerry ETB, stated: “Streetscapes is a wonderful celebration of how children see things. Their creativity brings new perspectives to the townscape, and we are proud to support their ideas and their art through this public artwork.”


Deirdre Enright, Co-Ordinator of the Local Creative Youth Partnership at Kerry ETB, acknowledged the community support behind the initiative: “We are very grateful to Reen’s Life Pharmacy who have shared their built space with us. Huge credit is due to the artistic team from Me+The Moon whose dedication to creativity and to children’s art shine through in this work.”


The project forms part of the annual Architecture Kerry Festival and receives funding through Creative Ireland and the Department of Education and Youth via Kerry ETB and Kerry County Council.


Victoria McCarthy, Festival Organiser and Architectural Conservation Officer at Kerry County Council, welcomed the continued inter-agency project: “It’s always a great event for Architecture Kerry and we are so pleased with this collaboration between public sector organisations. It remains a key feature of the Architecture Kerry programme.”
See next week’s Killarney Advertiser for full photographic coverage of the event.

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Dr Crokes stalwarts enjoy lake cruise

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Dr Crokes stalwarts enjoy lake cruise

Dr Crokes stalwarts enjoy lake cruise

Dr Crokes GAA Club hosted a special day out for its senior members on Monday, this week, taking a group aged between 70 and 90 on a cruise across the Lakes of Killarney.

Organised by the Dr Crokes Healthy Club committee under its Crokes Cruisers initiative, the event was held to recognise the lifetime contribution made by long-standing members who continue to support club activities behind the scenes.
The group travelled on two vessels, including An Cathal, an open boat operated by local brothers Tony and Mike Fleming. Built to preserve the traditional Killarney lake boat style, it is the only purpose-built, fully accessible boat on the lakes, allowing members with mobility issues and wheelchair users to safely join the two-hour trip.
Following the lake tour, the party gathered on shore for coffee and refreshments provided by Derric McMahon and Harry Clifton of the Ross Castle Garden Cafe.
The initiative forms part of the club’s ongoing community work as a Gold Award winner in the GAA Healthy Club programme.

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