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Killarney Valley Classic & Vintage restore Land Rover 90 for Charity

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The Killarney Valley Classic & Vintage officially launched their restored 1989 Land Rover 90 last Wednesday evening at Dermot Healy Motors, Killarney, giving the Land Rover a whole new lease of life in the name of charity.

Following the success of the club’s Massey Fergusson 135 Tractor, which was fully restored for charity last year and raised an incredible €50,000, the club took on a bigger challenge of an old Land Rover 90 which happens to coincide with Land Rover celebrating their 70th anniversary this year.

The club sourced the old Land Rover through a friend of the club in Cork with the vehicle being off the road since 2002 and with only 82,000 miles on the clock. The vehicle was in good condition except for the bulk head which had a serious rust issue. The chassis and other components were well-maintained but the club decided to do a full and complete dismantle last November when the project began. This included the full galvanising of the chassis and, to give it a modern look, the club adding a sump guard, winch, roof rack, awning and LED lights. A full body spray was carried out to make it a dream machine.

Club Chairman James Looney estimated that it took over 300 hours of voluntary time to complete the restoration, which would not have been possible to complete without the huge support of the club members, sponsors and supporters through all walks of life.  “The project was a great social event for our committee and club members and would like to sincerely thank everyone who got involved with the project,” James added.

Benefitting this year from the proceeds are Down Syndrome Kerry and Recovery Haven Cancer Support Group. To be in with a chance of winning this immaculately restored vehicle, purchase tickets (€10 each) online at www.killarneyvintage.com, directly from both charities and from various outlets. The Land Rover will be at different events throughout the county over the summer months with the draw taking place on November 17 next. If you have any queries, please contact the club secretary on 087 3381842.

Well done to all involved in this worthy project. Such an endeavour takes a huge amount of hard work and no little ingenuity. With two deserving charities set to benefit, we would encourage everyone to show their support and buy a ticket or two.

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Con O’Leary: Killarney loses a vibrant and popular personality

Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has led the tributes to the late Con O’Leary, an extremely popular and very successful businessman in the town, who passed away in the […]

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Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has led the tributes to the late Con O’Leary, an extremely popular and very successful businessman in the town, who passed away in the early hours of Sunday.

Con was a vibrant and popular personality in Killarney where he operated The Laurels on Main Street, a thriving bar and restaurant, which he inherited following the passing of his father, Thado.
The business organisation said from a social perspective, The Laurels became the beating heart of the town and it was a landmark at the Market Cross in the same way as Clery’s clock was in the capital city.
Chamber said Con’s passing really marks the end of an era as he was one of a golden age of inspirational local business people who developed and built Killarney, through hard work, bravery and great commercial flair, and helped create the wonderful tourist attraction and holiday destination it is today.
“Con was very proud of Killarney and he played a very active part in progressing the town at many levels.
“He was a man that was never short of great ideas and his contribution to the business life of the town and as a director of Killarney Race Company was immense,” Chamber said.
“He was ahead of his time in many respects with the introduction by what became known as “the singing lounge” many years ago and The Laurels always led by example through its successes in the annual Killarney Looking Good competition”.
The business representative organisation noted that the O’Leary family has always been very supporting of the town and Con’s daughter, Kate, was a very dynamic Chamber President and is still a very valued member of the executive.
Chamber expressed deep sympathy to Con’s wife, Anne, children Kate, Niall, Tara and Lorna, sons-in-law, grandchildren, sisters, relatives and friends as well as the dedicated staff in The Laurels, past and present, who Con always had great time for and a great rapport with.

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All Roads Lead To Kerry For National Road Safety Conference

Kerry County Council is to host a two-day road safety conference at the INEC Killarney on May 28 and 29. The ‘Safer Roads’ road safety conference is an inter-agency event […]

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Kerry County Council is to host a two-day road safety conference at the INEC Killarney on May 28 and 29.

The ‘Safer Roads’ road safety conference is an inter-agency event focused on improving road safety, reducing traffic-related incidents, and sharing knowledge and best practices for safer road use. It encompasses various strategies and efforts across multiple domains, including road design, engineering, enforcement, forensic collision investigation, technology, education, collision trends, occupational driving, cycling and scooting, e-mobility, active & sustainable travel and on-road events.

In addition to this, AI, Virtual Reality and Driver Simulation will play a significant role at the conference, in improving safety by predicting and preventing accidents, optimizing traffic, and aiding the development of autonomous vehicles.

This ‘Safer Roads’ conference is a non-public event where road safety professionals, speakers and service providers from across Ireland, other EU countries and the UK will attend, including transportation experts, government and local authority officials, roads policing and vehicle inspection agencies, road safety advocates, educators and promoters, collision responders, cycling bodies and community safety networks.

Kerry County Council’s Road Safety Officer Declan Keogh said:
“Road safety has evolved over the years to a much broader scope, in terms of e-mobility, sustainability, technology and engineering for instance. It’s not just about the road or the vehicle anymore, but also about how technology, human behaviour, enforcement, and education intersect to reduce risks and prevent collisions. The ‘Safer Roads’ conference will involve and include every branch of the road safety tree, right across the board, and in doing so, we aim to increase road safety awareness, improve road user behaviour and decrease the collisions and carnage we see on our roads every day,”

The two-day conference also provides an opportunity for exhibitors to attend, and interested state bodies, businesses and service providers are invited to exhibit at the event to showcase their products and services and engage with delegates and officials at the conference.

Further information about the conference and how to register or exhibit can be found here. https://www.kerrycoco.ie/safer-roads-road-safety-conference/

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