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Killarney Valley AC launch exciting new ‘match’ event for kids

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4 years ago

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KVAC youngsters with the Ahern's BMW Cup, which will be presented to the winners of the club's new competition.

Kerry’s budding athletes are set for some real excitement over the coming weeks thanks to an innovative new style of competition created by Killarney Valley AC.

Eager to expose their stars of the future to the thrill of team events, KVAC have issued an invitation to other local clubs to face off in a two-hour, multidiscipline contest. These “matches” will be staged at Killarney Valley’s state-of-the-art arena with juveniles from U9 to U14 taking part in events ranging from 60m sprints to field events.

Athletes will earn points for their clubs based on their performances and the club with the most points at the end of match will take home the Ahern’s BMW Cup, as well as a set of gold medals.

Speaking to the Killarney Advertiser this week, Tomás Griffin of KVAC explained the concept of these fun-filled match-ups, and how the idea first came about.

“Usually kids prepare for County Championships or Munster Championships, but that stuff happens later in the year,” Griffin said. “Their opportunities to build confidence and experience in competition, or something that looks like competition, are very limited.

“As a club we said, ‘we have the facilities, let’s try to be creative and see what we can do’. Our goal was to give the kids a glide path into the bigger competitions that will come along, and also to reinvent the sport in terms of how kids and parents view athletics in general. That’s really how the idea for the matches came about.”

Following on from the club’s participation in the recent National Indoor Track and Field Championships, which is an adult/over 16 team event, KVAC decided to mimic this format for their younger athletes.

Match 1 of this series has already been scheduled: KVAC will take on St Brendan’s Ardfert this coming Saturday. Griffin is hopeful that more clubs, from Kerry or beyond, will put their names forward in the coming weeks.

“We have sent an open invitation via Athletics Ireland and our own social media channels,” Griffin explains. “We’re hoping that other clubs will come to us and challenge us to a match. We will then schedule the matches as the requests come in.

“Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Ahern’s Motor Group, we will be hosting these matches free of charge for all the participating clubs. Parents can come and watch their kids enjoying a team competition and team environment.”

There is a perception that some full-day athletics events can be a little drawn out, so to combat this KVAC’s matches will be completed in two hours. This, Griffin says, will add to the entertainment value for children and parents alike.

“We’re hoping to have somewhere in the region of 50 of our kids participating on Saturday. For a lot of them, it will be their first experience of a track match. They will all be contributing – every athlete’s score in every event matters.

“We believe the format will keep the children and the spectators engaged.”

If your club is interested in taking on Killarney Valley AC in a match, please email killarneyvalleyac@gmail.com.

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Newly released book documents Civil War politics in Kerry

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2 days ago

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18 November 2025

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Kerry historian Owen O’Shea has released a new book detailing Civil War politics in the county and charting the turbulent and sometimes violent elections of the 1920s and early 1930s.

From Bullets to Ballots: Politics and Electioneering in Post-Civil War Kerry, 1923-33 has been published this week by UCD Press and will be launched at events in Tralee during the coming weeks.

Owen’s book is based on four years of research for a PhD at the School of History at University College Dublin.

Owen describes the Civil war in Kerry as the most divisive and longer lasting than any other county in Ireland.

He said: “Politics and election campaigns in the county were hugely influenced by the bitterness and hatred which the war created.

Elections brought underlying tensions to the surface and were often occasions of violence fuelled by fiery rhetoric from election platforms.”

In the book, the results of elections for the Civil War parties, as well as other parties who were not defined by the Treaty split, are considered in detail.

Key influences on electoral behaviour are examined, including party organisation, the role of party members, the dynamics of election campaigns, how the memory of the Civil War was used to persuade voters, and the crucial role of newspapers and their coverage of elections.

The book was launched by Professor Ferriter in Dublin bookshop Books Upstairs, on Tuesday.

There will be a Kerry launch on November 28 at O’Mahony’s Bookshop in Tralee with Minister Norma Foley as guest speaker.

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New Santa Cycle to support Lions Club Christmas Food Appeal

The Killarney Lions Club has launched a brand-new fundraising event. The first ever Killarney Santa Cycle will take place on Saturday, December 6. The cycle is being organised with the […]

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2 days ago

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18 November 2025

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The Killarney Lions Club has launched a brand-new fundraising event.

The first ever Killarney Santa Cycle will take place on Saturday, December 6. The cycle is being organised with the support of Killarney Cycling Club and Christmas in Killarney, and all funds raised will go directly to the Lions’ annual Christmas Food Appeal.
The Food Appeal provides hampers to local families who need extra support over the festive season. Last year, the Lions distributed more than 100 hampers, and the club hopes to match that again this Christmas.
The Santa Cycle is a short, family-friendly spin around Killarney town, and everyone is welcome to take part. Participants are encouraged to dress up, Even a simple Santa hat will do and bring their bike.
Registration is now open at idonate.ie (search 2025 Killarney Santa Cycle), or through the event QR code. Entry costs €15 for adults, €5 for children, or €25 for a family.
The cycle will begin at Killarney Racecourse at 5.15pm, before joining the Christmas in Killarney Parade to lead it through the town.
Killarney Lions Club President Jason Higgins said the new event is a fun way to support an important annual project.
“Our Christmas Food Appeal is vital because we know this time of year can be difficult for some families. We provided over 100 hampers last year and we hope to do the same again,” he said.
“We heard about Santa Cycles being held elsewhere and thought it would be something different for Killarney. I’d encourage everyone to come along — it will be a bit of fun and will help raise much-needed funds.”

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