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Flying doctor service touches down in Killarney

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9 years ago

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DESPITE the whirling wind and driving rain, all eyes were trained on the skies over Killarney yesterday as the Irish Community Air Ambulance (ICAA) arrived in town.

The signature red craft touched down in Fitzgerald Stadium a 10.30am as part of a 10-day promotion organised by the ICAA as it introduces its Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS), a vital life-saving air support service to Munster and south Leinster, which takes off later this year.

The HEMS helicopter is a mobile intensive care unit staffed by a team of highly qualified and specially trained trauma doctors who can be on site in the fastest time possible providing life-saving treatment at the incident site.
The Irish Community Air Ambulance service, which will be based out of Cork Airport, will mirror successful models across Europe. It is hoped that more than €1million can be raised to launch the service in 2017. Irish Community Air Ambulance will complement the existing emergency services.

John Kearney, co-founder of Irish Community Air Ambulance, said: “People are dying unnecessarily due to the time it takes to receive critical care. This new service will be built on the already successful model of Irish Community Rapid Response (ICRR) which has been in existence since 2009 and uses volunteer doctors for pre-hospital emergencies.”

The service will offer a mobile intensive care unit by air which will allow the air ambulance to safely transport patients faster to a major hospital, saving time and lives. “This is a service for the Munster and south Leinster, and we need the support of the people to donate, fundraise or volunteer for us,” said John.

Check out the website http://communityairambulance.ie/. “We have a wide range of fundraising ideas and are happy to support them,” added John. “If you’d like to help us lift off please text FLIGHT to 50300 to donate €4 to the Irish Community Air Ambulance.”
 

 
Pictured above: Members of Killarney Order of Malta, Mayor of Kerry Michael O'Shea, Mayor of Killarney Brendan Cronin, Cllr John Sheahan and Cllr Michael Gleeson at the Irish Community Air Ambulance (ICAA) arrival at Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney on Thursday morning.
PICTURE: EAMONN KEOGH

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Minister Niall Collins visits KCYS Youth Diversion Project

Kerry Community Youth Service (KCYS) was pleased to welcome Minister Niall Collins to its Youth Diversion Project in Kilarney last week. The visit gave the Minister an opportunity to meet […]

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1 day ago

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28 April 2026

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Kerry Community Youth Service (KCYS) was pleased to welcome Minister Niall Collins to its Youth Diversion Project in Kilarney last week.

The visit gave the Minister an opportunity to meet staff and hear directly about the work of the Kerry Youth Diversion Project, including early intervention, family support, court accompaniment and wider youth justice practice across the county.
KCYS supports young people across a broad continuum of services in Kerry, from preventative and developmental youth work through to highly targeted interventions for young people and families facing significant challenge and complexity. The Youth Diversion Project forms an important part of that wider continuum of support.
Speaking following the visit, Seamus Whitty, CEO of KCYS, said:
“We were delighted to welcome Minister Collins to Kerry and to have the opportunity to give him a sense of the breadth and depth of the work being carried by the Youth Diversion Project here.
The Youth Diversion Project in Kerry is a strong and well-developed intervention, grounded in practice, informed by evidence, and marked by innovation in how it supports young people and families. It is part of a broader continuum of supports provided by KCYS, and it depends on strong collaboration across teams, services and community partners to make a real difference in people’s lives.
It is also important to acknowledge the Department’s continued commitment to youth justice. The policy direction in this area has been a progressive one, and that has created space for work of this kind to develop and respond to need in a meaningful way.”
The visit highlighted the scale and complexity of the work being carried by the KCYS team, and the importance of sustained investment in youth work responses for young people and families.

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Cllr O’Callaghan highlights deep-rooted bond between town and rally

Representing the Killarney Municipal District at Sunday’s Assess Ireland Rally of the Lakes launch, Cllr Niall ‘Botty’ O’Callaghan praised the enduring partnership between the Rally of the Lakes and the […]

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2 days ago

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28 April 2026

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Representing the Killarney Municipal District at Sunday’s Assess Ireland Rally of the Lakes launch, Cllr Niall ‘Botty’ O’Callaghan praised the enduring partnership between the Rally of the Lakes and the local community.

For the O’Callaghan family, the event is deeply personal; they own and operate the Failte Hotel on College Street, a landmark business that has grown alongside the rally for decades.
Cllr O’Callaghan noted that the history of the Failte Hotel is inextricably linked with the rally’s heritage, serving as a hub for competitors and fans since the early days of the event.
He said that the rally has become a vital part of the fabric of Killarney life, providing a massive economic and social boost to the town. “The rally has been part of the hotel’s history as much as the hotel has been part of the rally’s history,” he told the gathered crowd, expressing his pride in seeing the tradition continue.
He welcomed the organisers and sponsors to Gleneagle, wishing the event continued success as it remains a cornerstone of the Killarney sporting calendar.

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