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International Rally of the Lakes and Assess Ireland team up!

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Killarney & District Motor Club are delighted to announce Assess Ireland as the new title sponsor for the 2023 International Rally of the Lakes.

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The Rally of the Lakes is the leading motorsport event in Ireland and attracts huge crowds to Killarney over the May Bank Holiday Weekend, April 29 and 30.

“Killarney and District Motor Club are delighted to welcome Assess Ireland on board as the title sponsor for the 2023 International Rally of the Lakes," KDMC Chairman, Thomas Randles, said.

“We are honoured to have such a blue-chip company, together with our associated sponsor, the Gleneagle Hotel Killarney supporting this year’s Clerk of the Course Dermot Healy and KDMC in running the 2023 Rally of the Lakes making it another successful event for all involved.”

Conor Deasy, Managing Director of Assess Ireland added that “Assess Ireland provides Automotive and Engineering inspections services nationally which makes the Rally of the Lakes an ideal event for our company to be associated with".

"We are delighted to be supporting one of the most famous annual motorsport events," Mr Deasy said. “It is our intention to continue as the main sponsor for a minimum of three years.”

Established in 1999 with its head office in Kerry, Assess Ireland are the front runners in the Motor Assessing and Engineering Inspection Services, providing a wide range of vehicle inspections and plant/engineering GA1 certs through its national network.

The Gleneagle Hotel will again be the Rally Headquarters, an unbroken association dating back to the event's first running.

“The Gleneagle Hotel is delighted to welcome Assess Ireland on board as title sponsor of Killarney International Rally of the Lakes," Patrick O’Donoghue, Managing Director of the Gleneagle Hotel, said.

"We look forward to working with Assess Ireland, KDMC and other associate sponsors to deliver a successful and safe Rally in 2023.”

Dermot Healy, returning to the role of Clerk of the Course said, “I am delighted to welcome Assess Ireland on board as title sponsor for this year’s event, and beyond. I look forward to working with Conor and all the team.

“Assess Ireland and motorsport is a perfect fit, and I am delighted that they chose our event to be a partner with. We are particularly delighted with a multi-year option as from experience we can grow and develop together. This year’s event promises to be exciting with a total of 238km of competitive driving taking in some of the classic stages while including a new 18km test.”

Dermot promises more exciting news over the coming weeks.

Killarney is the place to be this May Bank Holiday weekend, see you there!

Keep up to date with the build-up to the event on Facebook.

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Adventure runner completes all Dublin streets

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Adventure runner completes all Dublin streets


Killarney native Seanie Clifford has completed an extraordinary 25-day endurance challenge that saw him run all 4,400 named streets in Dublin while sleeping rough on the city’s pavements every night.



The local athlete completed his final stretch in the capital on Saturday, August 29, after covering a total distance of 2,000 kilometres. Running under the project banner 4400 Streets & Nowhere to Go, Clifford undertook the gruelling schedule to raise vital funds for Focus Ireland, Liberty Soup Run, and Dublin Homeless Awareness.

To mirror the reality faced by thousands of individuals across the country, the Killarney man spent 25 consecutive nights sleeping out on the very streets he ran during the day. Averaging close to 80 kilometres every 24 hours, he navigated heavy traffic, intense asphalt heat, and constant route adjustments alongside his partner and sole support crew member, Alicja.

Reflecting on the experience, Clifford praised the overwhelming backing he received from members of the public throughout the capital. He stated that he went into the challenge with extreme positivity and was rewarded with extraordinary kindness from people across Dublin, with residents from Ballymun to Donnybrook coming out to offer support.

Local support carries



By the midpoint of the challenge, physical exhaustion presented severe hurdles. However, local running clubs and individuals joined Clifford on various sections of the daily routes to assist his progress.

On Day 12, runners from Artane Beaumont Running Club and local supporters joined him on the road, allowing him to complete his daily 80-kilometre target ahead of schedule as community support carried him through the toughest miles.

The final stage of the run coincided with the release of official monthly figures from the Department of Housing, which recorded a record 17,527 people living in emergency accommodation across the country, including 5,659 children.

During the closing days of the project, Clifford was invited into Leinster House to meet with TDs and discuss the conditions he witnessed while sleeping on the streets. He stressed throughout the campaign that while his temporary homelessness would end with a return home to Kerry, thousands of families across Ireland remain without permanent shelter.


Triple Crown completed



Following his arrival at the final street, members of the national ultra-running community confirmed that Clifford had achieved what is widely regarded as the Triple Crown of Irish Endurance.

A former student of St Oliver’s Primary School and St Brendan’s College in Killarney, Clifford first set a national record in 2024 by running all 275 Irish mountains over 600 metres in 21 days. In 2025, he ran the entire 2,700-kilometre length of the Wild Atlantic Way from Malin Head to Kinsale in under 30 days.

Despite his previous mountain and coastal records, Clifford described the urban street challenge through Dublin as his most difficult undertaking to date.

Clifford, who now organises trail running retreats and uses endurance projects to highlight mental health and social issues, finished his final street run on Saturday afternoon to complete the historic trilogy of Irish endurance challenges.

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Kerry Stars volunteer appreciation night

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Kerry Stars volunteer appreciation night


Kerry Stars Special Olympics Sports Club hosted a volunteer appreciation night at the International Hotel on Monday, August 31, ahead of the upcoming sports season.


The event brought together both new and long-standing volunteers to celebrate their contribution to the club, which provides sporting opportunities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities across the region.
Run entirely by volunteers, the club relies on helpers who dedicate an hour each week from September through May. The gathering provided a chance to recognise their effort following a successful summer where four Kerry Stars athletes secured a haul of gold, silver, and bronze medals at the Special Olympics Ireland Summer Games in June.
The club caters to both competitive athletes and members who participate primarily for the social aspect and inclusion. With the new season resuming in mid-September, Kerry Stars is inviting new volunteers and athletes to join its weekly training schedule.
Weekly sessions take place at various local venues, including Monday athletics at Spa GAA from 6pm to 7pm, Wednesday basketball at Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre from 7pm to 8pm, and Thursday soccer at the same location from 7pm to 8pm. The club also runs therapeutic horse riding and swimming programs in Killarney and Tralee, both of which currently operate waiting lists.
Anyone interested in getting involved as a volunteer or athlete can contact the club directly at kerrystars63@gmail.com.

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