The board of Lions Club International visited Killarney over the St Patrick’s Bank Holiday weekend.

Willing the children a 'half day' Global President of the Lions Club Worldwide Brian Sheehan USA visits The Mon ringing the old school bell. Pictured from l-r: Lori Sheehan Brian Sheehan (Global President) and Killarney Lions Club President Denis Doolan. Photo: Marie Carroll-O'Sullivan

Willing the children a 'half day' Global President of the Lions Club Worldwide Brian Sheehan USA visits The Mon ringing the old school bell. Pictured from l-r: Lori Sheehan Brian Sheehan (Global President) and Killarney Lions Club President Denis Doolan. Photo: Marie Carroll-O'Sullivan

All the way from the USA Lori Sheehan with her husband Global President of Lions Club Brian Sheehan plants one of many trees at Maurice O'Donoghue Park with local secondary school students. Pictured l-r: John Fuller Lori Sheehan Brian Sheehan (Global Lions Club President) with Aoibhín Kelly (St Bridget's Presentation). Photo: Marie Carroll-O'Sullivan

All the way from the USA Lori Sheehan with her husband Global President of Lions Club Brian Sheehan plants one of many trees at Maurice O'Donoghue Park with local secondary school students. Pictured l-r were: Denis Doolan (Lions Club President Killarney) John Fuller Lori Sheehan Global Lions Club President Brian Sheehan Aoibhín Kelly (St Brigid's Killarney) Sean O'Leary (St Brendan's College) and Aliza Gul (Killarney Community College). Photo: Marie Carroll-O'Sullivan

Lions Club Global President Brian Sheehan visits Killarney with 87 other delegates to see the works of Killarney Lions Club one being Kerry Stars where the President nails a basketball challenge at Killarney Leisure Centre. Photo: Marie Carroll-O'Sullivan

Global President of Lions Club World Wide Brian Sheehan visits Killarney with his wife Lori and 87 other delegates who stayed at the Europe Hotel and visited many premises who benefitted from local Lions Club fundraising. Pictured at The Mon NS cooking up a storm were L-R Michael O'Driscoll SNA Marian O'Connor Teacher Olga Ncube measuring carefully AJ O'Shea with Lori Sheehan & Global Lions Club President Brian Sheehan. Photo: Marie Carroll-O'Sullivan

Global President of the Lions Club Brian Sheehan with his wife Lori (left of centre) enjoyed his trip to the Killarney Leisure Centre with over 87 delegates gathering in Killarney to visit the Killarney Lions and view the fundraising projects undertaken one of which with the Kerry Stars. Photo: Marie Carroll-O'Sullivan

A party of almost one hundred board members from throughout the world, led by International President Brian Sheehan, spent three days in town following a Board meeting in Belfast.

Lions is the largest service club organisation in the world with 1.4 million volunteers serving communities in 200 countries and territories.

The highlights of their visit were a tour of the sensory room in the Monastery School, tree planting in Maurice O’Donoghue Memorial Park with Transition Year students from Killarney’s secondary schools, and a basketball training session with athletes from Kerry Stars Special Olympics. Their trip culminated in a reception hosted by Killarney Lions Club at Killarney Racecourse where they were welcomed by the Mayor of Killarney, Cllr Niall Kelleher.

“This is a huge honour for the local Lions Club in Killarney,” said Denis Doolan, President of Killarney Lions Club.

“We do our best to provide support where it’s needed in our community, so it was great to be able to show the International Board some of the work we have done with organisations like Kerry Stars and local schools.”

To commemorate the trip, Lions Club International and Killarney Lions Club made donations to help complete the sensory room at the Monastery school and provide further support for Kerry Stars activities.

The Killarney Lions Club through its members, assists various groups and individuals in and around the community. Lions do this through voluntary activities, fundraising and by holding various types of events in support of many local causes.