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Let’s saddle up for Killarney’s August racing festival

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9 years ago

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Caitriona Carroll at the launch of Killarney's August Racing Festival. PICTURE: MAREK HAJDASZ
Caitriona Carroll at the launch of Killarney's August Racing Festival. PICTURE: MAREK HAJDASZ

S

SOME of the biggest names in the horseracing industry are galloping into Kerry this week as the Killarney August Racing Festival gets underway tomorrow, Wednesday, August 17, and continues until Saturday, August 20.

Ladies day, held in association with Keanes Jewellers, on August 20 will conclude what has been a very successful racing season at the course.

The first three days of racing are all evening meetings and the Vincent O’Brien Ruby Stakes, with a prize fund of €45,000, features tomorrow, Wednesday. Also on Wednesday there will be a turf and surf barbecue on the terrace of the Panoramic Restaurant.

A mixed card, featuring a The Kingdom Gold Cup, with a €50,000 prize fund, features on Thursday, August 18. Meanwhile, on Friday, August 20, racegoers will enjoy a National Hunt card. With a prize fund of over €100,000 on offer for the evening some great racing is expected.

And ladies will be turning on the style on Saturday, August 20, as Killarney Racecourse hosts its August ladies day in association with Keanes Jewellers. Ladies will be out to impress fashion blogger and stylist and ladies day judge Pippa O’Connor in a bid to win the fabulous prize of a €3,000 diamond pendant sponsored by Keanes Jewellers and coveted title of best-dressed lady. All ten finalists will receive a €100 voucher for Keanes Jewellers.

Killarney Racecourse’s sales and marketing manager Bríd Lucey, said: “The festival always attracts some great racing and Killarney is well known for its fantastic atmosphere and after a very successful July festival we are very much looking forward to the August Racing Festival.”

The festival features 28 races over the four days, there is an impressive prize fund of over €400,000 on offer which is sure to attract runners from Ireland and UK’s top stables. The first race on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings is at 5.20pm, with Saturday’s going to post at 1.20pm. For further information, contact 064-6631125 or visit www.killarneyraces.ie
 

 
Caitriona Carroll at the launch of Killarney's August Racing Festival.
PICTURE: MAREK HAJDASZ

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Concerns over future of St Mary of the Angels

Two Kerry TDs have voiced concerns over the future of St Mary of the Angels and St Francis Special School in Beaufort, highlighting the urgent need for respite services for […]

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14 hours ago

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17 October 2025

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Two Kerry TDs have voiced concerns over the future of St Mary of the Angels and St Francis Special School in Beaufort, highlighting the urgent need for respite services for children and adults with profound disabilities and special needs.

The campus, set on lands generously donated by the Doyle family, offers 30 acres of grounds, existing buildings, and services, making it a valuable asset for the provision of respite care in Kerry. TD Michael Cahill emphasized that the Doyle family’s wishes should be respected, and that the grounds should be made accessible immediately.
“The special needs community in Kerry has a major respite crisis and families don’t have time to wait. Families need help — they are not asking for full-time residential care but respite care, a break, a helping hand,” Deputy Cahill said.
He added that a bespoke approach is needed to meet the individual needs of children attending St Francis Special School. “Many of the children in the county with profound needs need a safe haven where they can roam the grounds freely, and St Mary of the Angels offers this.”
Deputy Cahill has accompanied several Ministers to the Beaufort campus to highlight its value to Disability Health Service providers. A working group has been formed including St John of Gods, the HSE, representatives of residents at St Mary of the Angels, and St Francis Special School, to explore options for maintaining and expanding respite services.
“Parents are worn out and at the end of their tether. This needs to be dealt with expeditiously, in an environment of cooperation between the relevant Government Departments of Health, Disability, and Education. We need to get this across the line urgently and put it permanently in place,” he said.
Deputy Cahill pointed to the current shortfall of respite services in Kerry. “As of now, Cunamh Iveragh respite in Cahersiveen is only open Friday to Sunday, running at half capacity — two adults per night instead of four. The issue is staffing, and the HSE will not release funding to open full-time. The Beaufort campus is available and should be utilised as parents are crying out for overnight respite. Cooperation and compassion could see this done quickly.”
TD Danny Healy Rae echoed these concerns during a Dáil speech this week. “We are still short of respite beds on the southern side of the constituency. Families caring for people with disabilities just want a break, but there is nowhere available locally. Places are being offered only in Tipperary or Meath for those needing new residential care. It makes no sense. St Mary of the Angels in Beaufort has 40 or 50 acres of grounds that could be expanded, with facilities already in place such as swimming pools. It could be developed as a model for the rest of the country.”
Both TDs are urging the Government and the HSE to take immediate action to utilise the Beaufort campus for respite care, in line with the intentions of the Doyle family and the needs of Kerry families.

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Cardiac Response Unit’s ‘Restart a Heart’ training event

Killarney Cardiac Response Unit (KCRU) is set to run a range of events as part of the global initiative Restart A Heart, which aims to increase awareness and actual rates […]

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18 hours ago

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17 October 2025

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Killarney Cardiac Response Unit (KCRU) is set to run a range of events as part of the global initiative Restart A Heart, which aims to increase awareness and actual rates of bystander CPR worldwide.

The main event, titled RAH 2025, invites the public to learn life-saving skills and the basic steps in the chain of survival. This will take place on Saturday, October 18, at the Killarney Outlet Centre.
Members of the public are encouraged to join KCRU at the centre between 10:00 am and 5pm.
Key feature of the day will be the CPR Competition, offering “fantastic prizes to be won.”
For further information, visit www.killarneycru.ie/rah25

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