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“It’s life-changing for Joe”

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Killarney mother urges public to think organ donation after son’s life-changing kidney transplant

By Michelle Crean

A young Killarney man with Down Syndrome has had a new lease of life thanks to the gift of kidney last month.

21 year-old Joe Buckley from Faha, son of Noreen and Jack, the former President of Killarney Golf Club, suffered ill health and had to undergo regular kidney dialysis. However, thanks to the kindness of one family, who made the difficult decision to donate a loved one’s kidney, Joe is now back to full health and ready to get back to his regular activities.

Now his mother is speaking out ahead of next week’s Organ Donor Awareness Week, which takes place from March 30 to April 6, and is appealing to the public to ‘Give the Gift of Life’ by becoming an organ donor.

“Joe had his operation on February 12,” Noreen told the Killarney Advertiser yesterday (Thursday).

“It was life-changing straight away. The big thing is once you receive your kidney it’s life-changing. There’s a difference within 24 hours. The recovery is remarkable.”

She explained how Joe, who attends the Kerry Parents and Friends and is a member of the Kerry Stars Special Olympics Club, had suffered with kidney trouble since the age of 12 and had to undergo dialysis.

She said she received great support from her workplace in the Dept of Justice, especially from colleague Stephen Byrne.

“I’d like to praise the HSE for their dedication to the Kidney Association with regard transport to and from Joe’s dialysis and John Crean Taxis, Catherine and her team in KP&F and Dilly Little’s team in Dublin and all on Damian’s Ward in Beaumont Hospital.”

Organ Donor Cards can be obtained by phoning the Irish Kidney Association 01 6205306 or free text the word DONOR to 50050. Visit website www.ika.ie/card. You can also download a free ‘digital organ donor card’ APP to your phone.

 

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Con O’Leary: Killarney loses a vibrant and popular personality

Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has led the tributes to the late Con O’Leary, an extremely popular and very successful businessman in the town, who passed away in the […]

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Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has led the tributes to the late Con O’Leary, an extremely popular and very successful businessman in the town, who passed away in the early hours of Sunday.

Con was a vibrant and popular personality in Killarney where he operated The Laurels on Main Street, a thriving bar and restaurant, which he inherited following the passing of his father, Thado.
The business organisation said from a social perspective, The Laurels became the beating heart of the town and it was a landmark at the Market Cross in the same way as Clery’s clock was in the capital city.
Chamber said Con’s passing really marks the end of an era as he was one of a golden age of inspirational local business people who developed and built Killarney, through hard work, bravery and great commercial flair, and helped create the wonderful tourist attraction and holiday destination it is today.
“Con was very proud of Killarney and he played a very active part in progressing the town at many levels.
“He was a man that was never short of great ideas and his contribution to the business life of the town and as a director of Killarney Race Company was immense,” Chamber said.
“He was ahead of his time in many respects with the introduction by what became known as “the singing lounge” many years ago and The Laurels always led by example through its successes in the annual Killarney Looking Good competition”.
The business representative organisation noted that the O’Leary family has always been very supporting of the town and Con’s daughter, Kate, was a very dynamic Chamber President and is still a very valued member of the executive.
Chamber expressed deep sympathy to Con’s wife, Anne, children Kate, Niall, Tara and Lorna, sons-in-law, grandchildren, sisters, relatives and friends as well as the dedicated staff in The Laurels, past and present, who Con always had great time for and a great rapport with.

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All Roads Lead To Kerry For National Road Safety Conference

Kerry County Council is to host a two-day road safety conference at the INEC Killarney on May 28 and 29. The ‘Safer Roads’ road safety conference is an inter-agency event […]

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Kerry County Council is to host a two-day road safety conference at the INEC Killarney on May 28 and 29.

The ‘Safer Roads’ road safety conference is an inter-agency event focused on improving road safety, reducing traffic-related incidents, and sharing knowledge and best practices for safer road use. It encompasses various strategies and efforts across multiple domains, including road design, engineering, enforcement, forensic collision investigation, technology, education, collision trends, occupational driving, cycling and scooting, e-mobility, active & sustainable travel and on-road events.

In addition to this, AI, Virtual Reality and Driver Simulation will play a significant role at the conference, in improving safety by predicting and preventing accidents, optimizing traffic, and aiding the development of autonomous vehicles.

This ‘Safer Roads’ conference is a non-public event where road safety professionals, speakers and service providers from across Ireland, other EU countries and the UK will attend, including transportation experts, government and local authority officials, roads policing and vehicle inspection agencies, road safety advocates, educators and promoters, collision responders, cycling bodies and community safety networks.

Kerry County Council’s Road Safety Officer Declan Keogh said:
“Road safety has evolved over the years to a much broader scope, in terms of e-mobility, sustainability, technology and engineering for instance. It’s not just about the road or the vehicle anymore, but also about how technology, human behaviour, enforcement, and education intersect to reduce risks and prevent collisions. The ‘Safer Roads’ conference will involve and include every branch of the road safety tree, right across the board, and in doing so, we aim to increase road safety awareness, improve road user behaviour and decrease the collisions and carnage we see on our roads every day,”

The two-day conference also provides an opportunity for exhibitors to attend, and interested state bodies, businesses and service providers are invited to exhibit at the event to showcase their products and services and engage with delegates and officials at the conference.

Further information about the conference and how to register or exhibit can be found here. https://www.kerrycoco.ie/safer-roads-road-safety-conference/

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