Killarney’s Emer Buckley and her daughter Michaela Buckley O’Riordan made National Basketball Arena history over the weekend, becoming the first mother-daughter duo to officiate at the prestigious National Cup Finals.

The pair shared the spotlight in Dublin, working both individually and together across a busy weekend of top-flight action.

Emer is a seasoned National League HPG referee and is widely regarded as one of the top officials in the country.

Her daughter, Michaela, has carved out her own path as a FIBA-licenced table official, a qualification she earned last year following years of commitment to the sport.

Michaela is a familiar face at the Killarney Sports Centre, where she serves as the table official coordinator for St. Paul’s Basketball Club.

Her expertise is in high demand, seeing her officiate weekly at Women’s Superleague and Men’s Division 1 games, as well as travelling to assist the Tralee Warriors.

The weekend was a full-circle moment for the family. Michaela grew up watching her mother win National Cup titles as a player with St. Paul’s.

This year, she was involved in six different cup finals, with the highlight being the Women’s Superleague Final, which was broadcast live on TG4.

Both women continue to be key figures in the development of the sport in Kerry, balancing their local club duties with high-level national and international officiating assignments.

It appears that retirement did not suit one of Killarney’s most familiar faces.

Less than four months after closing the doors of his long-standing High Street store, Frank Coffey has officially announced that he is making a comeback to the local retail scene.
The popular businessman, who has spent nearly forty years fitting shoes for generations of Killarney families, revealed that he found the quiet life difficult to adjust to.
”What can I say, only I miss all my customers and friends in Killarney,” Frank said. “So I have decided I am not retiring now. I will be back in March to meet my customers and friends; I missed you all so much.”
The news comes as a major boost to High Street following Frank’s reluctant decision to shut up shop last September after 37 years in business.
At the time, he cited the rise of online shopping and a lack of government support for small retailers as significant challenges facing the sector.
His departure last October resulted in a flood of tributes from past customers ranging from local residents to Hollywood star Michael Fassbender