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Johnny’s star shines brightly this Christmas

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4 years ago

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The feature star at the top of the spectacular Tree of Light in Killarney takes on an extra special meaning this Christmas as it is dedicated to the memory of a young man who was much loved and is very fondly remembered in the town.

Johnny Hickey was a dedicated volunteer with the Christmas in Killarney Festival every year and he demonstrated huge commitment to all aspects of the seasonal celebration, helping out in any way he could at any time of the day or night.

Johnny, who passed away suddenly on April 24 last, at the age of 37, was one of the event’s most dedicated volunteers and, in addition to driving one of the spectacular floats in the weekly parades, he was always willing to lend a hand when preparing for the festival and helping with the clean-up and dismantling duties afterwards.

Johnny, from Riverside Drive was married to Jennifer with three young children, Alyson, Laura and Conor. His family joined Mayor of Killarney, Cllr Marie Moloney, and Christmas in Killarney Chairman Niall Kelleher, to officially switch on the Tree of Light in the grounds of St Mary’s Cathedral following 6.15pm Mass on Wednesday.

“Johnny was a very dedicated volunteer every year and we really appreciated his goodwill, his good humour and the can-do approach he always displayed,” said Christmas in Killarney Chairman Niall Kelleher.
“Johnny was always there, always reliable, totally dependable and he was always willing to assist behind the scenes. Dedicating the star at the top of the tree to his memory is our small way of remembering such a very special person,” he added.

Killarney Parish Administrator, Fr Kieran O’Brien, led a special prayer ceremony for the switching on of the tree and he described it as a very special night for the parish.

“We pray that it will offer light and hope to those who visit the church and visit the parish during Christmas,” he said.

Over 4,500 twinkling bulbs adorn the magnificent 100ft Californian Redwood tree this year but the collective eye of the public will constantly be drawn to the sparkling star at the top – Johnny’s star – which will remind everybody who knew him of a very special and caring person.

Johnny Hickey might have passed on – but his spirit will live on in the town he loved so well.

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How will our Kerry TDs vote tomorrow?

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5 hours ago

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13 April 2026

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Tomorrow, Sinn Féin will be tabling a motion of no confidence against the Government after the protests that took place nationwide during the week.

Earlier today we asked our readers how would they vote in a no confidence motion against the Government?

Most of our readers said they would vote no confidence, while some said, yes they do have confidence in the Government.

One reader said: “Vote confidence. The only proper leadership over the last few days came from government. Courage came when needed despite how unpopular it looked in the moment. By contrast, opposition politicians wanted the country to burn to suit themselves”.

Another reader stated: “No confidence. Shambolic and heavy handed handling of protests this past week”.

However, some people didn’t have any confidence in either side with a reader saying: “No confidence in the no confidence! Different wings of the same bird! We need a complete overhaul of the political system”.

We asked the question to our 5 Kerry TDs before lunch-time today, asking them what their vote will be tomorrow.

We received one reply from Sinn Féin’s Kerry TD Pa Daly.

He will be voting no confidence in the Government tomorrow along with his party.

Other media outlets are reporting that Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae is undecided at the moment.

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Town centre-based software firm marks two years in business

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6 hours ago

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13 April 2026

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A Killarney-based software company is celebrating two years in business since expanding into the European market.

QT9 Software Ltd, which is located on Bohereencaol was established in 2024 as part of the company’s move to better serve customers across Europe.

The business is part of a US-based company founded 20 years ago in Chicago by Brant Engelhart.

Its Irish office is headed by Killarney resident Angela O’Sullivan, who serves as Operations Director.

QT9 Software currently employs four full-time staff members in Killarney and plans to increase that number by an additional two this year.

The company provides quality management software to businesses worldwide, with the Irish office helping to support European customers within their own time zones.

As part of its continued European expansion, the software company also opened a new data center in Amsterdam in 2025 to meet data storage and compliance requirements.

QT9 Software works with businesses that must meet quality standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 13485, as well as industry-specific regulations across sectors, such as automotive, aerospace, food and life sciences.

Speaking about the milestone, Angela O’Sullivan said: “We’re very proud to have grown QT9 Software here in Killarney over the past two years. It has been a really positive journey so far, and we’re looking forward to continuing to build our team and support more customers across Europe.”

The company is also currently recruiting for an IT Systems Administrator, with details available in the appointments section on page 46.

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