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Loretto man wins big in Texas mountain biking competition

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4 years ago

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DOWNHILL: Damien McCarthy won gold at a prestigious mountain biking festival in Texas.

By Sean Moriarty

A Loretto Road man has won a gold medal at a prestigious downhill mountain biking festival in the United States.

Damien McCarthy took the top spot on the podium at the Texas Downhill Mountainbike Finals last weekend.

The 28-year-old was on an extended tour of the United States and the event near Austin was his final port of call on the three month trip.

Damien raced in the men's 18-29 age category where he faced temperatures of up to 38°C.

“He has been out there for three months, cycling in the mountains, he absolutely loves it,” his mother Sheila told the Killarney Advertiser. “The mountains here would not be big enough for him – he wants a bigger challenge.”

Last month he placed fifth in the internationally renowned ‘Sea Otter Classic’. The Monterey, California-based event is the largest gathering of cycling enthusiasts in North America.

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Sarah Leahy breaks 21-year-old Irish 50m record

Killarney Valley Athletic Club sprinter Sarah Leahy has made history by setting a new Irish Women’s Indoor 50m record. Competing at the Meeting Indoor Locarnese in Switzerland on Wednesday evening, […]

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15 hours ago

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15 January 2026

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Killarney Valley Athletic Club sprinter Sarah Leahy has made history by setting a new Irish Women’s Indoor 50m record.

Competing at the Meeting Indoor Locarnese in Switzerland on Wednesday evening, Leahy clocked a blistering time of 6.41 seconds to take the top spot.
The performance eclipses the previous national record of 6.44 seconds, which had been held by Ailish McSweeney since 2005. Leahy, a member of the national women’s 4x100m relay team that famously set a new record at the London Diamond League last year, has started her 2026 indoor campaign in exceptional form.
Known for her explosive power out of the blocks, the Killarney athlete is now using the international circuit to prepare for the National Indoor Championships.
These are scheduled to take place in seven weeks at the National Indoor Arena in Abbotstown, where Leahy aims to defend the 60m title she has won for the past two years.
It is a busy period for Killarney Valley AC, as fellow club member Maria Murnane travels to Boston next week to compete in the 800m. Murnane is hoping to secure a scholarship in the United States following a highly successful 2025 season for the club, which saw its members secure 46 national and 96 Munster medals.
Local runners are also preparing for the return of the ‘Streets of Killarney’ 5-mile road race, which will take place on Good Friday, April 3.
The fast, flat course through Killarney House and the National Park serves as a major fundraiser for the Killarney Valley AC Arena. Entries are already open, with a strong field expected from across the country.

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Junior Brother to make Mike the Pies debut this May

Kilcummin musician Junior Brother is set to play Mike the Pies for the first time when he takes to the stage at the popular Listowel venue on May 21. The […]

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2 days ago

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14 January 2026

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Kilcummin musician Junior Brother is set to play Mike the Pies for the first time when he takes to the stage at the popular Listowel venue on May 21.

The local artist has built a strong reputation on the Irish folk and alternative scene and released his third album, The End, last September. The record followed a steady rise in profile since the release of his debut album Pull The Right Rope, which was nominated for the Choice Music Prize for Irish Album of the Year.
Junior Brother also picked up two nominations at the 2019 RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards, where he was shortlisted for Best Folk Album and Best Emerging Folk Act. His distinctive songwriting and live performances have since seen him share stages with a range of well-known acts, including The Proclaimers and Glen Hansard.
Hansard later invited the Kilcummin man to join him on a tour of the east coast of the United States.
Tickets for the show are priced at €20 and are available through the Mike the Pies website.

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