Killarney Valley AC wins Texaco ‘Support for Sport Initiative’

Killarney Valley Athletics Club (KVAC) has been named the Kerry County winner in this year’s Texaco Support for Sport initiative.

The club has received €5,000 to enhance its facilities, expand training programmes and invest in new sports equipment.
The club, named Athletics Ireland Development Club of the Year in 2022, works with local schools, hosts community games, provides opportunities for people with disabilities and promotes mental health through sport.
Now in its fifth year, the Texaco Support for Sport initiative – run by Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited – allocates €130,000 annually in €5,000 grants to clubs on a county-by-county basis. Previous Kerry winners include Inter Kenmare FC (2021), Castlegregory Golf & Fishing Club (2022), St Brendan’s Park FC, Tralee (2023) and Mastergeeha FC (2024).
Donncha O’Callaghan, ambassador and adjudicator for Texaco Support for Sport, described the club as “a very worthy winner” and praised its inclusivity and community focus.
“This Texaco funding will provide equipment and enhance facilities for the benefit of all in its community. The club sets a great example with inclusivity at its core and I wish it continued success,” he said.

An opportunity to hear the story behind Killarney’s street murals will be one of the highlights of this year’s Architecture Kerry Festival.

A guided event called ‘Bringing Art to Killarney’s Streetscapes’ will take place on September 24 at 4.00pm, meeting at College Square.

It is hosted by Kerry Local Creative Youth Partnership and will explore the murals that have become a feature of the town’s streets.

The eighth annual Architecture Kerry Festival runs from September 24 to October 8 and celebrates Kerry’s built heritage and architectural landscape.

A wide range of free events, guided tours and exhibitions will take place around the county.

The aim of the festival is to highlight the diversity of Kerry’s architecture and to make some of the county’s best-known sites accessible to all ages.
This year’s programme also includes tours of contemporary buildings, town centre living projects and renovation schemes. Kerry County Museum and Kerry County Library will host events looking at archaeology, technology and the built environment.

Other festival highlights include the Kingdom of Skills at Muckross Schoolhouse September 26 and 27, with talks and demonstrations from more than two dozen craftspeople and free conservation clinics for anyone interested in traditional skills.

Tours of Ross Castle on September 27 and 28 and Killarney House and Gardens on Sunday October 5 are also planned.
Both are free but places are limited and must be booked in advance.

For more information or to book events email architecturekerry@kerrycoco.ie
or bookingskillarneyhouse@npws.gov.ie