News
Locals help fund fire truck for Ukraine
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.”
Spa GAA has finalised a deal with Cork-based renewable firm ePower to install two electric vehicle (EV) charging points at its club grounds in Killarney.
The move makes the club one of the very first GAA organisations in County Kerry to provide dedicated, on-site charging infrastructure for drivers.
The dual-socket units will be situated directly within the club’s main car park, offering charging accessibility to members, visiting supporters, and patrons.
The new ePower facilities are designed to support local EV drivers and visitors traveling to the club’s various sporting events throughout the season.
Ukrainian Olympian joins parkrun for annual Chestnut Run
It is not every day an Olympian joins the Killarney parkrun, but participants had exactly that experience last Saturday, when two-time Ukrainian Olympic skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych joined the event at Killarney House and Gardens.
Heraskevych completed the 5km route alongside members of both the local and Ukrainian communities as part of the annual Ukrainian Chestnut Run. The charity tradition originated in Kyiv 33 years ago and has been organised locally by the Killarney Ukrainian community for the past four years.
The athlete previously captured global attention at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina with his “Helmet of Memory” tribute to fallen athletes.
His appearance in Killarney was part of a week-long tour of athletic and educational centres across south-west Ireland. He spent Friday night in Tralee ahead of the Saturday morning run. During his stay in the region, Heraskevych visited the MTU Tralee campus to meet with students, researchers, and local representatives to discuss sports diplomacy, sustainability, and inclusive sports.
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