West Kerry star brings Riverdance back home

All-Ireland footballer and dancer Tomás Ó Sé will take to the stage in his home county this month when Riverdance 30 – The New Generation comes to the Gleneagle Arena.

Ó Sé, who began dancing at five with Scoil Rinceoirí na Ríochta, enjoyed a highly successful competitive career before joining the international show in 2016. His achievements include nine Munster titles and a British National title, alongside podium finishes at both the Irish and World Championships. He has since toured Europe, the United States, Canada, China, South Africa, Russia, and Dubai.
Alongside his stage career, Ó Sé boasts an extensive sporting record on the GAA pitch. He won All-Ireland Minor and Junior medals with Kerry, represented the Kerry Senior team in 2019, and secured an All-Ireland Colleges medal with Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne. Earlier this year, he claimed another national title when An Ghaeltacht won the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Football Championship.
The upcoming run features updated choreography, new costume designs, and refreshed staging to mark the 30th anniversary of the production.
Riverdance 30 – The New Generation runs at the Gleneagle Arena from September 10 to 13. Ticket details and accommodation options are available via the venue website.

Eddie Sheehy named Hugh O’Flaherty Humanitarian recipient

Fossa resident Eddie Sheehy, founder of The Kenya Education Project, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Hugh O’Flaherty International Humanitarian Award.

The former St Brigid’s Secondary College teacher will receive the Humanitarian Award Scroll, Medal, and the €3,000 O’Donoghue-Ring Bursary from Mayor of Killarney Councillor John O’Donoghue at an official ceremony in Killarney on Friday, October 30.
The award commemorates the wartime legacy of Killarney native Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, whose Rome Escape Line saved over 6,000 lives in Nazi-occupied Rome during the Second World War. Following a pause since spring 2020, the annual award resumed this year under the stewardship of Kerry County Council, the Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce, and the O’Donoghue-Ring Collection. The selection panel selected Mr Sheehy from 22 international and domestic nominations.
Hugh O’Flaherty Memorial Society Chairperson Jerry O’Grady praised the selection. “Eddie Sheehy is an outstanding example of what one individual with the support of his family and friends can do to enhance the lives of the poor and marginalised in our society,” he said.
Killarney Chamber President Johnny Maguire added: “We are delighted to continue to be associated with the Hugh O’Flaherty Humanitarian Award. His humanitarian work is an inspiration to us all – particularly in these difficult times across the world.”
Accepting the honour, Mr Sheehy said: “I am humbled to accept this award on behalf of all those that have helped with the project since it began back in 2003. Our vital work with the children of Embulbul, Kenya would not have been possible without the wonderful support we receive from schools, friends and local businesses.”

The Kenya Education Project

Founded in 2003 by Eddie Sheehy and his late wife Carmella following a volunteer trip to the Nakuru diocese, The Kenya Education Project supports the underprivileged community of Embulbul, Kenya. Starting with an annual table quiz in Killarney, the initiative initially focused on funding basic educational needs for the local primary school. Over the past two decades, the project has grown to encompass school food programmes, family support initiatives, local medical services, and funding an extension to a girls’ hostel at the local school, sustained by continuous support from Kerry schools and local businesses.

Previous Award Recipients

2009: GOAL aid workers Sharon Commins and Hilda Kawuki, held in captivity for 108 days in Darfur.
2010: Fr Michael Sinnott, Columban missionary abducted in the Philippines who returned to service after his release.
2011: Sally O’Neill, Trócaire Director of Operations who spent 40 years aiding crisis zones worldwide.
2012: Sr Agnes Hunt, former prison chaplain at Wormwood Scrubs and volunteer for the Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas.
2013: Donal Walsh (Posthumous), 16-year-old Tralee teenager who inspired peers to value human life during his battle with cancer.
2014: Dr John Beavis, orthopaedic surgeon and founder of medical charity IDEALS, serving conflict zones in Gaza.
2015: Fr Sean Myers, Killarney-born Redemptorist missionary who spent 55 years serving oppressed communities in Northeast Brazil.
2016: Fr Shay Cullen, founder of the PREDA Foundation protecting exploited women and children in the Philippines.
2017: Sr Orla Treacy, Loreto nun who established primary and secondary schools in war-torn South Sudan.
2018: Ireland’s Rescue Services, honoring the RNLI, Irish Coast Guard, and Kerry Mountain Rescue volunteer teams.
2019: Ireland’s UN Peacekeepers, recognizing Irish Defence Forces personnel serving continuous global missions since 1958.