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Killarney man runs for 28 hours straight!

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7 years ago

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CROSS COUNTRIES: Joe O'Leary in one of the world's toughest endurance races in the Swiss, Italian and French Alps.

EXCLUSIVE

By Sean Moriarty

A Killarney man has completed one of the world’s toughest endurance races in the Alps after running almost non-stop for 28 hours.

Joe O’Leary (45), an accomplished mountain runner, took part in last weekend’s Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, a 160km race with elevations gains of around 10,000 metres.

Based in the French town of Chamonix, it is widely regarded as one of the most difficult foot races in the world, and one of the largest with more than 2,500 starters. The race, which has strict entry and qualification requirements gained over a two-year period, crosses the French, Italian and Swiss Alps.

O’Leary qualified on the back of several Irish results including winning last year’s Sli Gaeltacht Mhuscrai Ultra Marathon from Millstreet to Ballingeary, but elected to enter the 160km race as opposed to the 170km.

“Believe it or not the shorter distance is actually more difficult as we face more direct climbs,” he told the Killarney Advertiser this week. “The climbing in Italy is crazy stuff, I had one section where I climbed for 2000 metres, around here you have Carrauntoohil, you can only go just over 1000 metres before you start to come down again.”

The Lissivigeen man competed the course in 28 hours and four minutes and finished 29thin his age category.

“I wasn’t watching the time as that would just wreck your head,” he added. “I finished where I thought I would time-wise. My quads were wrecked though that night and my ankle was sore and slowed me up. The last nine kilometres was relatively easy and maybe I could have come in under 28 hours but I was getting hungry and decided to stop for a bowl of soup and enjoy the last bit.”

He hopes to return to the event again and even has ambitions to contest the 320km event that runs alongside the two other races.

“That is a team event, you need a team of four so you are never on your own,” he said. “It is for the real head bangers.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sinn Féin to host public meeting on cost of living at Killarney Heights Hotel

Sinn Féin deputy leader Pearse Doherty will host a public meeting on the costs of living and housing crises at the Killarney Heights Hotel on Thursday, May 28 at 8pm. […]

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14 hours ago

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25 May 2026

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Sinn Féin deputy leader Pearse Doherty will host a public meeting on the costs of living and housing crises at the Killarney Heights Hotel on Thursday, May 28 at 8pm.

The Donegal TD will be joined by Kerry TD Pa Daly to discuss the economic pressures facing local households and the policy changes needed to provide financial relief. The main focus of the evening will center on the barriers preventing local people from buying their own homes, alongside broader costs of living challenges.
Speaking exclusively to the Killarney Advertiser ahead of his visit, Deputy Doherty said workers and families across Kerry are being squeezed from every direction by rising weekly shops, high energy bills, increasing insurance premiums, and substantial housing costs.
“Young people are losing hope that they will ever own a home in the county where they were raised,” Deputy Doherty said. “And while all of this is happening, the government is sitting on billions in budget surpluses while telling struggling families to wait. It is simply not good enough.”
The Sinn Féin finance spokesperson highlighted specific regional factors making the crisis acute in County Kerry, particularly regarding home heating costs.
“Almost 59% of homes in Kerry rely on home heating oil, which is nearly double the state average of 34%,” he said. “That means families across the county are far more exposed to soaring fuel costs than households in many other parts of the state. Yet the government withdrew supports that were helping households keep the lights on and heat their homes.”
Deputy Doherty noted that the housing situation in Kerry has moved beyond a social issue and is now impacting the local economy and communities. He pointed to figures showing average rents in the county have reached €1,493 per month, with exceptionally low market availability.
“At the time of writing, there were only 27 properties available online to rent across the entire county. Only 19 were below €2,000 a month and just five were available for less than €1,500. A county the size of Kerry, and only five rental properties affordable to someone on an ordinary income,” he said.
He also raised concerns for first-time buyers, noting that average house prices in Kerry have climbed to €296,000, representing an increase of €33,500 in a single year.
During the meeting, the Sinn Féin representatives will outline their party’s alternative proposals. These include a state-led program of affordable home building, a ban on excessive rent increases, enhanced protections for renters, and immediate energy credits and tax relief for workers.
“The resources exist to do this,” Deputy Doherty added. “The government’s own figures show billions in surplus funds available to the state. The issue is not a lack of money. The issue is political choice.”
The meeting is open to all members of the public, and a discussion session will follow the main presentations.

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National Park hosts weekend Bioblitz for National Biodiversity Week

Killarney National Park is taking centre stage for the final weekend of National Biodiversity Week, with the public being urged to get outdoor and explore the local environment. Today, Friday, […]

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15 hours ago

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25 May 2026

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Killarney National Park is taking centre stage for the final weekend of National Biodiversity Week, with the public being urged to get outdoor and explore the local environment.

Today, Friday, May 22, marks the UN International Day for Biological Diversity, and a series of free events will run across the park until the national celebration concludes this Sunday, May 24.
The highlight of the weekend is the Killarney National Park Bioblitz. This event brings families, nature lovers, and community volunteers together to find, identify, and record as many different plant and animal species as possible across the park’s diverse habitats over the next three days.
Christopher O’Sullivan, Minister for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, encouraged locals and visitors alike to utiliSe the final days of the festival to experience the area’s unique wildlife, referencing Killarney’s native habitats as key areas the state is working to protect.
Niall Ó Donnchú, Director General of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), noted that the week is designed to remind people that native plants, woodlands, and rivers are vital systems that make life possible. OrganiSers are encouraging anyone in the locality to head out to Killarney National Park before Sunday evening to participate in the species count and support local conservation efforts.

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