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Kerry writer helps raise awareness of arthritis

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A Kerry writer and geologist is sharing her personal story in a short film to raise awareness of a form of inflammatory arthritis that can take up to eight years to diagnose in Ireland.

Sneem-based novelist Amanda Geard (38) is supporting 'Back in Action', the new campaign from Arthritis Ireland, which aims to make people more aware of Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS).

The condition mainly affects the spine, but can also cause pain and/or swelling in the shoulders, hips, knees, heels, chest/ribs and small joints of the hands and feet. While back pain is very common in the general population, only a small percentage of people will have inflammatory arthritis of the spine.

Originally from Tasmania, but living in Kerry for several years, Geard was 19 when her symptoms began. What started out feeling like a pulled muscle intensified to the point where she felt there was a knife stabbing into her lower back.

“When every single minute of every day is spent in pain you do let a condition like this define you,” she said.

While diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis in Australia, she lived with chronic debilitating pain for 15 years before she finally found an effective treatment plan for managing her symptoms. Having moved to Ireland a number of years ago, she was referred to a consultant rheumatologist, which altered everything.

“It’s always a surprise every morning you wake up and you can get straight out of bed. My pain has decreased to the point that I could go for a run in the morning if I wanted to. That was completely unheard of for a decade and a half."

It’s not being more active that Geard has noticed but a difference in her quality of life. “By decreasing your pain, you can also at times be a little less mobile, so you are able to sit at a computer without the pain in your pelvis consuming your mind rather than what’s there in front of you.”

She has put that new freedom to good use in writing her first novel, which is due to be published next spring.

Support and information for people living with Ankylosing Spondylitis is available on the Arthritis Ireland website, www.arthritisireland.ieand via their helpline, 0818 252 846.

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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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