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KASI wins big at Pride of Place awards

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By Michelle Crean

It was the first all-island awards since the COVID-19 lockdown - and a Killarney group won big for their community work.

KASI, the Killarney Immigrant Support Centre, was named the winner of the 'Community Resilience' category at an awards ceremony in the INEC, which was hosted by RTE’s Marty Whelan in front of the 400 community volunteers in attendance.

Judges chose KASI because of the wide range of support it gives the community while Corca Dhuibhne 2030/Dingle Peninsula 2030 received the 'IPB Pride of Place Climate Action Award'. The Reeks District were nominated in the ‘Islands and Coastal Communities’ category but missed out on an award.

Sponsored by IPB Insurance, the Pride of Place competition was initiated 19-years-ago though a Co-operation Ireland programme to acknowledge the invaluable work undertaken by volunteers and those involved in local community development.

It has since grown into the largest competition recognising community development achievements on the island of Ireland.

Judges spoke of how impressed they were by the work being carried out by KASI.

“In addition to creating employment, raising revenue, and facilitating integration; this initiative also addresses social, economic and environmental issues with the aim of changing consumers behaviour on environmental issues, such as packaging waste and food waste.

“Relying heavily on volunteers from Killarney town, the centre has developed a strong working relationship with public and private sector agencies and has earned an outstanding reputation with the towns people.”

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Céilí Mór will send ‘em home sweatin’

It will be a case of all around the house but mind the dresser at a traditional Céilí Mór which will be one of the real entertainment highlights of this […]

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It will be a case of all around the house but mind the dresser at a traditional Céilí Mór which will be one of the real entertainment highlights of this year’s St Patrick’s Festival in Killarney.

It will take place on the eve of the big feast day in the Killarney Great Southern and there will be a wonderful party atmosphere guaranteed on the night.
Providing the tunes will be the very highly regarded Uí Bhriaín Céilí Band and they promise to send everybody home sweating after what will be a memorable night for locals and visitors.
The March 16 céilí will commence at 9.00pm and continue right through until midnight and the admission for a wonderful night of pure Irish trad is just €10.00.
Bookings can be made on the festival website or patrons can pay at the door on the night.

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St Brendan’s student Aodhagan O’Sullivan crowned CPR champion

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Aodhagan O’Sullivan, a student at St Brendan’s College, Killarney, has been named the 2026 School CPR Challenge Champion.

The prestigious award was presented on Thursday, 26 February, during a large-scale event at the Gleneagle Hotel, where approximately 300 students from post-primary schools across the county gathered to compete for the title of “who can compress the best.”


Now in its fourth year, the event is organised by the Killarney Cardiac Response Unit (KCRU) Community First Responders.

The KCRU is a volunteer-led group that provides vital emergency response services to Killarney, Beaufort, Killorglin, Firies, Rathmore, and Kenmare.

The challenge focused on “Quality CPR” (QCPR), combining a high-stakes competition with practical life-saving training and the chance for students to engage directly with local emergency and community services.


The competition utilised advanced QCPR technology to measure the depth and rate of compressions, ensuring that students aren’t just learning the motions, but are performing life-saving techniques to a clinical standard.

Beyond the competitive element, the day served as an educational hub, highlighting the “chain of survival” and the importance of immediate bystander intervention in the event of a cardiac arrest.


The 2026 challenge was made possible through the support of the Vodafone Foundation, The Gleneagle Hotel, and First Aid Systems Ltd, alongside a variety of local sponsors. Organisers praised the enthusiasm of the 300 participants, noting that such events are essential for building a “heart-safe” community and equipping the next generation with the skills to save a life.

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