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Killarney volunteers receive Tidy Towns Gold Medal award

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Killarney Town, Co Kery, Tidy Towns Volunteers, Kathleen Foley and Yvonne Quill, Winners of the Tidy Towns Gold Medal Award 2018, which was presented by Cllr Mike Kennelly and Dolores Farrell, SuperValu Community and Sponsorship Brand Manager, at the Listowel Arms Hotel, County Kerry. The Competition now in its 60th year had a record 883 towns and villages entered. The Awards are hosted by the Department of Rural and Community Affairs, sponsored by SuperValu and supported by Fáilte Ireland.Photo:Valerie O’Sullivan/FREE PIC 

All the months of hard work was worth it - as dedicated volunteers finally got their eight Gold Medal at the Mid-West and South West Regional Tidy Towns Awardson Thursday night last, (November 22).

 

Listowel was the location for the award ceremony asthe town was named as the 2018 National Tidy Towns winner in September, while Killarney retained its Gold Medal status for the eighth consecutive year.

On the night, SuperValu Tidy Towns winners, including volunteers from Killarney Tidy Towns, were presented with their awards by Councillor Mike Kennelly, Kerry County Council and Dolores Farrell, SuperValu Community and Sponsorship Brand Manager, long time sponsors of the competition.

 

Known as the tourism capital of Ireland, Killarney has maintained its supremely high standards since winning the overall award in 2011, with an overall mark 334 this year - six points higher than in 2017.

 

 

“There was a huge effort by locals this year,” said Yvonne Quill, Chairperson of the Killarney Looking Good Committee. “It was extremely successful and the fact that Listowel are now the fourth town in Kerry to win the overall title is amazing.”

 

The Tidy Towns competition is now in its 60th year and in 2018 a record 883 towns and villages entered. The awards are hosted by the Department of Rural and Community Affairs, sponsored by SuperValu and supported by Fáilte Ireland.

 

Killarney has been one of the competition’s high achievers over the past decade and Yvonne believes that their continued success is something to be celebrated.

 

“The biggest thing for Killarney is that we’ve never slipped since we started going up the ladder. We won in 2011 and our score has never dropped since then. Our marks have gone up every year. We’re very proud of that.

 

“I think it’s very important to the town. It’s lovely to live in a place that makes you feel proud.”

 

Yvonne was quick to thank all the locals who went above and beyond to make sure Killarney was looking its best during the judging periods in July and August, and she also paid tribute to Kerry County Council for their continued support.

 

 

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Parnell commemorated in Beaufort on 125th Anniversary of Land League meeting

A special ceremony was held in Beaufort to mark the 125th anniversary of Charles Stewart Parnell’s historic visit to the village in 1880, when the Irish nationalist leader addressed thousands […]

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A special ceremony was held in Beaufort to mark the 125th anniversary of Charles Stewart Parnell’s historic visit to the village in 1880, when the Irish nationalist leader addressed thousands at a pivotal land reform meeting.

The commemoration, which took place beside the Beaufort Bar, honoured the legacy of the former MP and founder of the Irish National Land League.
The original meeting was held in a field belonging to Patrick O’Sullivan and attracted a crowd of approximately 3,000, defying the orders of local landlord ‘The O’Mahony’ of Dunloe Castle, who had threatened eviction to any tenant who supported the gathering.
Padruig O’Sullivan, proprietor of the Beaufort Bar and a direct descendant of Patrick O’Sullivan, addressed attendees at the unveiling of a new monument to mark the occasion.
The stone was designed by renowned uilleann piper and artist Tomás O’Sullivan, who also composed a special piece of music titled Parnell’s Blackbird to honour the occasion.
The original 1880 meeting was reported in publications such as the ‘Dundalk Democrat’, which gave a vivid account of the powerful speeches delivered that day.

Extract from the Dundalk Democrat – May 1880

The meeting, held on Sunday, May 16, 1880 in Patrick O’Sullivan’s field south of the Beaufort Hotel, was arranged in defiance of local landlord ‘The O’Mahony,’ who warned tenants they would be evicted for taking part. Nevertheless, the turnout was overwhelming.
Parnell arrived by special train and travelled by carriage from Killarney with fellow MP ‘The O’Donoghue’. The two were met by a band and a large welcoming crowd. Police and a Government reporter were present, but the atmosphere remained peaceful and spirited.
Speakers rallied against the unjust land laws of the time. ‘The O’Donoghue’ praised Parnell as the “shining star” of Irish nationalism and stated that “Kerry desired that her meeting should partake of a national character.”
When Parnell spoke, he described it as “the largest land meeting he had attended since County Mayo” and declared the movement to reclaim Irish land as one of the greatest undertakings in Irish history. He condemned the laws that allowed landlords to evict tenants and seize food as rent payment, noting that 600,000 farmers were subject to the whims of just 10,000 landlords.
He called for legislative reform, including the suspension of evictions and Government-backed tenant purchase schemes, warning that if Parliament failed to act, “the people will do for themselves what the Legislature refuses to do for them.”
He concluded by proposing the first resolution.
“That in the opinion of this meeting, the eviction of occupiers of land for non-payment of rent arbitrarily fixed by the landlord is unjust, subversive of the true interests of the country and calls for the emphatic condemnation of all lovers of justice.”

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St Pauls sign American Maisie Burnham

Killarney’s Utility Trust St Pauls women’s basketball team has announced the signing of American player Maisie Burnham for the upcoming 2025/2026 season. The club, who performed strongly in the latter […]

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Killarney’s Utility Trust St Pauls women’s basketball team has announced the signing of American player Maisie Burnham for the upcoming 2025/2026 season.

The club, who performed strongly in the latter part of the recent season and reached the league final, is looking to build on that success.
Maisie Burnham, a 24-year-old, six-foot-tall guard from Spangle City, Washington, comes to Killarney with a strong playing record. During her time at Liberty High School, where she also played volleyball, she was a high-scoring player.
She then went to Eastern Washington University, where in the 2020/2021 season, she led the team in scoring with over 14 points per game, a record for a freshman player at the university.
Burnham later moved to the University of Portland, where her scoring average continued to improve, reaching a peak of 16.3 points per game in the 2024/2025 season.
Utility Trust St Pauls say they are looking forward to welcoming Maisie to Killarney well in advance of the new season.

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