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Friary to sell Trócaire’s Christmas ‘Gifts of Love’

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CHARITY SALES: Ann Marie O'Leary and Fr Eamonn O'Driscoll of the Friary office which will sell Trócaire’s Christmas ‘Gifts of Love’ this festive season. Photo: Sean Moriarty

 

By Sean Moriarty

 

Killarney’s Franciscan Friary is the only local outlet to offer Trócaire’s Christmas ‘Gifts of Love’ this year. The development agency sells a range of Christmas gifts which allows the charity to provide families in the developing world with clean water, essential tools, livestock and help with education.

There are 17 Trócaire gifts to choose from, such as chicks, beehives and solar lamps, ranging in price from €5 to €1,000.

Due to restrictions The Franciscan Friary office now offers a telephone and email service for Mass Cards and this service will be expanded to include the sale of Trócaire gift packs.

“Christmas is a time of giving and we are delighted to offer this service to the people of Kerry,” Fr Eamonn O’Driscoll told the Killarney Advertiser.

The Dubliner, who joined the Killarney Friary this summer, can trace his family roots to Valentia Island.

Between 1985 and 1991 he spent five years on a mission in Zimbabwe.

“I have seen first-hand the work of Trócaire,” said Fr Eamonn, who celebrated his 69th birthday on Wednesday.

PRIVATE PRAYER

The Friary will remain open for private prayer between 7.30am and 7pm each day and the Friars also broadcast a daily Mass at 10am via its Facebook page.

“The Killarney community have been very good to us and this is our way of giving back to them,” recently appointed Guardian Fr Eamonn added.

While the parish office remains closed, staff will be on hand between 10am and 4.30pm each day to answer queries and process Mass offerings.

The office can be contacted on 064 66 31066 or killarney@franciscans.ie.

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Céilí Mór will send ‘em home sweatin’

It will be a case of all around the house but mind the dresser at a traditional Céilí Mór which will be one of the real entertainment highlights of this […]

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It will be a case of all around the house but mind the dresser at a traditional Céilí Mór which will be one of the real entertainment highlights of this year’s St Patrick’s Festival in Killarney.

It will take place on the eve of the big feast day in the Killarney Great Southern and there will be a wonderful party atmosphere guaranteed on the night.
Providing the tunes will be the very highly regarded Uí Bhriaín Céilí Band and they promise to send everybody home sweating after what will be a memorable night for locals and visitors.
The March 16 céilí will commence at 9.00pm and continue right through until midnight and the admission for a wonderful night of pure Irish trad is just €10.00.
Bookings can be made on the festival website or patrons can pay at the door on the night.

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St Brendan’s student Aodhagan O’Sullivan crowned CPR champion

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Aodhagan O’Sullivan, a student at St Brendan’s College, Killarney, has been named the 2026 School CPR Challenge Champion.

The prestigious award was presented on Thursday, 26 February, during a large-scale event at the Gleneagle Hotel, where approximately 300 students from post-primary schools across the county gathered to compete for the title of “who can compress the best.”


Now in its fourth year, the event is organised by the Killarney Cardiac Response Unit (KCRU) Community First Responders.

The KCRU is a volunteer-led group that provides vital emergency response services to Killarney, Beaufort, Killorglin, Firies, Rathmore, and Kenmare.

The challenge focused on “Quality CPR” (QCPR), combining a high-stakes competition with practical life-saving training and the chance for students to engage directly with local emergency and community services.


The competition utilised advanced QCPR technology to measure the depth and rate of compressions, ensuring that students aren’t just learning the motions, but are performing life-saving techniques to a clinical standard.

Beyond the competitive element, the day served as an educational hub, highlighting the “chain of survival” and the importance of immediate bystander intervention in the event of a cardiac arrest.


The 2026 challenge was made possible through the support of the Vodafone Foundation, The Gleneagle Hotel, and First Aid Systems Ltd, alongside a variety of local sponsors. Organisers praised the enthusiasm of the 300 participants, noting that such events are essential for building a “heart-safe” community and equipping the next generation with the skills to save a life.

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