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Killarney celebrates as Jessie Buckley makes history with Oscar win

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Killarney-born actress Jessie Buckley has made history by becoming the first Irish woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress.

The 36-year-old secured the honour for her performance as Agnes Hathaway in Hamnet, the film adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s celebrated novel directed by Chloe Zhao.

Buckley was visibly emotional as her name was announced, breaking into tears before taking the stage. In her acceptance speech, she dedicated the win to the “beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart,” a nod to the film’s exploration of a couple navigating the profound grief of losing their son.

Beyond thanking her team, she paid tribute to the women who “create against all odds,” stating: “Thank you to the incredible women that I stand beside. I am inspired by your art and your heart.”

The win has sparked celebrations across her home county. Norma Foley TD said: “What a night in Hollywood! Congratulations to our leading lady Jessie Buckley—the first Irish woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress. A phenomenal achievement by a phenomenal woman. Proud of you Jessie. Ciarraí Abú!”

Local councillor Maura Healy-Rae added: “It’s a massive achievement and we are all very proud of her. We really appreciate the exposure she has given to Killarney, Kerry and Ireland all over the world.”

The actress's roots in the town’s arts scene remain a point of pride. Her mother, Marina, is a well-known singer and harpist, and Jessie was a dedicated member of the Killarney Musical Society. Former Mayor of Killarney and long-time society member Marie Moloney described the local atmosphere as "electric."

“She came to us in the year 2000 and she was in the children's chorus in Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat," Moloney said. "She came again in 2008 at 17 years of age and auditioned and got the lead role in Carousel as Julie Jordan.” That performance earned Buckley a best actress award at the AIMS amateur music awards, foreshadowing her future success.

President Catherine Connolly also congratulated the star, calling the win "an historic moment." The President said: "This achievement is a thoroughly deserved testament not only to Jessie’s outstanding performance in Hamnet, but to her performances both in film and on stage across her career to date."

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How will our Kerry TDs vote tomorrow?

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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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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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