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Free concert at ANAM Cultural Centre tonight

The first of three free concerts at ANAM Killarney Arts and Cultural Centre will take place tonight (Tuesday) at 7.30pm.
Well-known musician Tim O’Shea will bring Afro Trad Ireland to the centre.
It is one of three concerts there thanks to funding through Phase Four of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media’s Local Live Performance Programming Scheme.
The aim of the scheme is to support employment opportunities for professional performers and technicians and to help underpin the recovery of the commercial live performance sector.
“Kerry County Council thanks Minister Catherine Martin and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media for their continued support. Over the previous three instalments of the Local Live Performance Programming Scheme, Kerry County Council has had the opportunity to support more than 300 Kerry-based professional artists, musicians, crew and other staff involved in live performances and we are grateful to be able to support many more with this fourth instalment,” said Mayor of Kerry, Cllr John Francis-Flynn.
Two further free concerts will also take place at ANAM in the coming weeks – Cathal Flaherty and Lorraine Nash, both talented musicians from Killarney.
Cathal Flaherty has played all over Ireland and across Europe in the last few years and has supported many well-known artists including Bressie, Delerentos, Jack L, Paddy Casey, The Riptide Movement, Mundy, Heathers and many more.
Lorraine Nash is a talented multi-instrumentalist, often using a variety of instruments including piano, guitar, harp, flute and violin in her creative process to embody her song-writing with different influences and ambience.
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Ireland’s oldest citizen has Killarney connections
Ireland’s oldest woman met with President Michael D. Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin this week. Máirín Hughes, who turned 109 on May 22 has strong Killarney connections. The previous record […]

Ireland’s oldest woman met with President Michael D. Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin this week.
Máirín Hughes, who turned 109 on May 22 has strong Killarney connections.
The previous record was held by 107-year-old Nancy Stewart who died on September 10 2021.
Although born in Belfast, Máirín went to school in the Mercy Convent. Her father was a customs and excise officer and the family moved around a lot eventually coming to Killarney after spells in County Down and Dublin.
Her mother came from the Rathmore area and her father was from Newmarket in County Cork.
She attended the Mercy Convent and has, in previous interviews, recalled growing up on the shores of Lough Lein.
“Neighbours who had three children were given the job of taking me to school,” she said. “They were annoyed because the children were going to school for two or three years but I was put in to the same class as them – my mother had taught me.”
In 2021 she featured in the book ‘Independence Memories: A People’s Portrait of the Early Days of the Irish Nation’, sharing stories of being kept in school in Killarney during an attack on the RIC barracks down the road.
In 1924 she started a degree in science and a diploma in education at University College Cork, before working in the pathology lab in University College Cork’s Department of Medicine for 16 years.
last year she recalled her story on the podcast: ‘Living History – Irish Life and Lore’.
During the broadcast she talked about her parents’ membership of the Gaelic League in 1910; the Spanish Flu in Ireland in 1918; The Black and Tans in Killarney in 1921; the early days of the new Free State; Eucharistic Congress in Dublin in 1932, visiting the Basket Islands in 1929; and working in the UCC medical laboratory from 1932 until 1948.
This week President Michael D. Higgins hosted an afternoon tea event to celebrate the important role that a variety of people have and can play in different communities and Máirín was among the guests of honour.
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Philip is running over 100kms for Cancer charity
Local runner and charity fundraiser Philip Kissane is set for the biggest challenge of his career as he lines up for the Cork City Marathon on Sunday. Phillip has already […]

Local runner and charity fundraiser Philip Kissane is set for the biggest challenge of his career as he lines up for the Cork City Marathon on Sunday.
Phillip has already completed four half marathons at various locations around Killarney – all in aid of Kerry Cancer Support Group – or the Cancer Bus as it popularly called.
This is the second time that Phillip has run four half marathon and an official race for the charity.
Back in 2021 he finished with 5km Run Killarney event but his finishing race this time around is over eight times the distance at 42kms.
“We are delighted with Philip’s continued fundraising support but also with his awareness raising for the charity,” Breda Dyland, Service Manager Kerry Cancer Support Trust.
“We are getting busier all the time and still get no statutory funding so are dependent on fundraisers like Philip’s to keep us on the road. We have just put our new wheelchair accessible bus on the Cork route so Philip’s funding will be going towards the operation of this vehicle.”