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Killarney man welcomes Lego’s inclusive approach

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Tom Doherty.

K

Tom Doherty.

KILLARNEY man Tom Doherty has welcomed Lego’s introduction of a product depicting a young wheelchair user.

Tom, who is PRO of the Killarney/South Kerry branch of the Irish Wheelchair Association, said: “I am absolutely delighted that Lego, one of the world's top brand names in children's toys, has finally produced a product depicting a young person with a disability.”

The figure in question is of a young wheelchair user wearing a beanie cap. “The mini figure can be found in the City theme range 60134 Fun in the Park,” said Tom. “Lego, the building bricks of childhood since 1932, was named toy of the century twice, receiving its second accolade by Forbes magazine in 1999. The Lego group produce an astonishing 19 billion elements every year.”

The online campaign #toylikeme highlights the need to produce toys representing all children equally. "This group and others like them came to my attention early last year when I decided to raise funds for the paediatric department of the National Rehabilitation Hospital Dun Laoghaire which caters for brain injury, stroke, spinal-cord injury, neurological disorders or limb absence,” said tom.

“It shocked me that toys representing them are extremely difficult to come by. It is vital that all children have toys they can identify with. It was great to finally get my hands on this Lego set. I look forward to purchasing a number of the toys for the hospital. Hopefully more toys make will take up the challenge. Please support the online campaign #toylikeme.”
 


 
Above: Tom Doherty with the new Lego set.

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Chamber pays tribute to late Dick Henggeler

Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has expressed condolences following the death of Dick Henggeler, the well-known owner of The Rose Hotel in Tralee. Mr Henggeler passed away peacefully at […]

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Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has expressed condolences following the death of Dick Henggeler, the well-known owner of The Rose Hotel in Tralee.

Mr Henggeler passed away peacefully at his home in Baltimore, USA surrounded by his Aghadoe-born wife Eibhlin (née Moriarty), their son Franz, and other family members.
Dick and Eibhlin purchased The Rose Hotel in 2015 in tribute to their late daughter Dorothy, who represented Washington DC in the 2011 Rose of Tralee Festival.
The Chamber said Mr Henggeler would be remembered for his warmth, good nature and positive approach, as well as for being a forward-thinking and knowledgeable businessman.
“He knew how to run a good hotel and that was and still is very obvious at The Rose Hotel, which is a great success story,” the Chamber said.
It added that continuity of ownership will remain in place, with Eibhlin, Franz, daughter-in-law Amber, and grandchildren Conrad and Rowan continuing to honour Dick’s legacy and vision for the hotel.
“Dick took enormous personal pride in Tralee and all of Kerry and he was always available to generously support any community initiative or endeavour undertaken in Killarney,” the Chamber said.
“He will be greatly missed by all that knew him but he leaves a wonderful legacy.”

He will repose at O’Shea’s Funeral Home, Killarney, on Friday (October 17), from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. The funeral will arrive at St Mary’s Cathedral on Saturday morning at 10:00am for Requiem Mass at 10:30am, with burial afterwards in Aghadoe Cemetery. The Requiem Mass will be live streamed at https://www.churchservices.tv/killarneycathedral.

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Beaufort Film Night returns with French drama-comedy

Beaufort Film Night will return on Friday (October 17) at Cullina National School, with a screening of the French drama-comedy The Marching Band. The film tells the story of Thibaut, […]

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Beaufort Film Night will return on Friday (October 17) at Cullina National School, with a screening of the French drama-comedy The Marching Band.

The film tells the story of Thibaut, a successful conductor recently diagnosed with leukaemia. A search for a bone marrow donor reveals that he was adopted and has a brother, Jimmy, a cafeteria worker.
The two meet, discover a shared love of music, and form a strong bond through an unexpected collaboration with Jimmy’s workplace band.
The Marching Band (French title En Fanfare) will screen at 8.30pm. Admission is €7, cash only, and will cover the motion picture licence fee.
The film has a 12A rating and is in French with English subtitles.
Beaufort Film Night is a non-profit community group that screens cultural English and international films that usually do not receive general release in Kerry.
The event is supported by Kerry County Council Arts Office and Access Cinema. Cullina National School is providing the venue.
Further details are available on Beaufort Film Night’s Facebook page @BeaufortFilmNight.

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