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Locals help fund fire truck for Ukraine

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By Sean Moriarty

Killarney Fire and Rescue have praised the people of Killarney who helped fund a fire engine that will be driven to the Ukraine-Polish border and will be used to help people in the war-torn country.

Last March firefighters from several Kerry and Cork fire stations launched a fundraiser to help buy the fire engine.

Three months later they hit their €50,000 target and later this month Tralee fire men PJ O’Dowd and Trevor Kelliher will drive the unit to Poland were it will be handed over to aid organisations in Ukraine.

Over €2,500 was raised by Killarney Fire and Rescue through various fundraisers that were held in the Gala Courtyard shop on Upper College Street.

The store is managed by Iryna Rudenko, whose home city of Sumy has been devastated by the war. She organised a different fundraiser for her home country that raised a further €2,100.

“The local collections were a mix of coffee mornings and store collections with the help of Killarney and Dunmanway Fire service. We would like to thank everyone who made a donation which has got us to the stage where we now have purchased a Fire Truck and we are currently planning driving the Truck to Poland at the end of the month. We will be travelling over with three Fire service jeeps that are being donated by Kilkenny. Also the Irish organisation Safe Harbour Ukraine will be helping us with the journey,” local fireman Martin Grady told the Killarney Advertiser.

“Huge thank to the people of Killarney for their kindness, it is important that vital public service vehicles are replaced and equipped to deal with emergencies.”

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Céilí Mór will send ‘em home sweatin’

It will be a case of all around the house but mind the dresser at a traditional Céilí Mór which will be one of the real entertainment highlights of this […]

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It will be a case of all around the house but mind the dresser at a traditional Céilí Mór which will be one of the real entertainment highlights of this year’s St Patrick’s Festival in Killarney.

It will take place on the eve of the big feast day in the Killarney Great Southern and there will be a wonderful party atmosphere guaranteed on the night.
Providing the tunes will be the very highly regarded Uí Bhriaín Céilí Band and they promise to send everybody home sweating after what will be a memorable night for locals and visitors.
The March 16 céilí will commence at 9.00pm and continue right through until midnight and the admission for a wonderful night of pure Irish trad is just €10.00.
Bookings can be made on the festival website or patrons can pay at the door on the night.

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St Brendan’s student Aodhagan O’Sullivan crowned CPR champion

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Aodhagan O’Sullivan, a student at St Brendan’s College, Killarney, has been named the 2026 School CPR Challenge Champion.

The prestigious award was presented on Thursday, 26 February, during a large-scale event at the Gleneagle Hotel, where approximately 300 students from post-primary schools across the county gathered to compete for the title of “who can compress the best.”


Now in its fourth year, the event is organised by the Killarney Cardiac Response Unit (KCRU) Community First Responders.

The KCRU is a volunteer-led group that provides vital emergency response services to Killarney, Beaufort, Killorglin, Firies, Rathmore, and Kenmare.

The challenge focused on “Quality CPR” (QCPR), combining a high-stakes competition with practical life-saving training and the chance for students to engage directly with local emergency and community services.


The competition utilised advanced QCPR technology to measure the depth and rate of compressions, ensuring that students aren’t just learning the motions, but are performing life-saving techniques to a clinical standard.

Beyond the competitive element, the day served as an educational hub, highlighting the “chain of survival” and the importance of immediate bystander intervention in the event of a cardiac arrest.


The 2026 challenge was made possible through the support of the Vodafone Foundation, The Gleneagle Hotel, and First Aid Systems Ltd, alongside a variety of local sponsors. Organisers praised the enthusiasm of the 300 participants, noting that such events are essential for building a “heart-safe” community and equipping the next generation with the skills to save a life.

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