EUROPEAN AWARD: Declan O’Hara (Managing Director McElligotts) Ronan Flood (Managing Director Kia Ireland) with Colin Swan (Head of Sales Kia Ireland) Darren Byrne (Aftersales Regional Manager Kia Ireland) Patrick McElligott (Director McElligotts) David Murphy (Head of Aftersales Kia Ireland) and Adam Fogarty (Head of Network Development Kia Ireland). Photo: Don MacMonagle
McElligotts Tralee have been awarded the inaugural Kia European Dealer of the Year award for 2023.
This prestigious award was given exclusively to the best Kia dealers across Europe, as part of Kia’s distinctive global dealer excellence recognition programme.Dealers are recognised for the previous year’s performance in delivering outstanding standards, customer service, customer facilities, staff training and development, sales performance and local market share.McElligotts were among just 28 European recipients from 1,640 dealerships and the sole Irish representative to receive the accreditation.“McElligotts have been in business in Kerry since 1870 thanks to our customer centric approach that is always supported by great staff. This award is testament to the entire team and I would like to thank everyone here at McElligotts for their hard work and dedication to our customers," Declan O’Hara, Managing Director of McElligotts, said.Kia finished 2022 as Ireland's fourth best-selling car brand and offers nine models including Picanto, Rio, Stonic, Ceed, XCeed, Niro, Sportage, Sorento and EV6, which was voted the Irish and European Car of the Year in 2022.
Killarney native Seanie Clifford has completed an extraordinary 25-day endurance challenge that saw him run all 4,400 named streets in Dublin while sleeping rough on the city’s pavements every night.
The local athlete completed his final stretch in the capital on Saturday, August 29, after covering a total distance of 2,000 kilometres. Running under the project banner 4400 Streets & Nowhere to Go, Clifford undertook the gruelling schedule to raise vital funds for Focus Ireland, Liberty Soup Run, and Dublin Homeless Awareness.
To mirror the reality faced by thousands of individuals across the country, the Killarney man spent 25 consecutive nights sleeping out on the very streets he ran during the day. Averaging close to 80 kilometres every 24 hours, he navigated heavy traffic, intense asphalt heat, and constant route adjustments alongside his partner and sole support crew member, Alicja.
Reflecting on the experience, Clifford praised the overwhelming backing he received from members of the public throughout the capital. He stated that he went into the challenge with extreme positivity and was rewarded with extraordinary kindness from people across Dublin, with residents from Ballymun to Donnybrook coming out to offer support.
Local support carries
By the midpoint of the challenge, physical exhaustion presented severe hurdles. However, local running clubs and individuals joined Clifford on various sections of the daily routes to assist his progress.
On Day 12, runners from Artane Beaumont Running Club and local supporters joined him on the road, allowing him to complete his daily 80-kilometre target ahead of schedule as community support carried him through the toughest miles.
The final stage of the run coincided with the release of official monthly figures from the Department of Housing, which recorded a record 17,527 people living in emergency accommodation across the country, including 5,659 children.
During the closing days of the project, Clifford was invited into Leinster House to meet with TDs and discuss the conditions he witnessed while sleeping on the streets. He stressed throughout the campaign that while his temporary homelessness would end with a return home to Kerry, thousands of families across Ireland remain without permanent shelter.
Triple Crown completed
Following his arrival at the final street, members of the national ultra-running community confirmed that Clifford had achieved what is widely regarded as the Triple Crown of Irish Endurance.
A former student of St Oliver’s Primary School and St Brendan’s College in Killarney, Clifford first set a national record in 2024 by running all 275 Irish mountains over 600 metres in 21 days. In 2025, he ran the entire 2,700-kilometre length of the Wild Atlantic Way from Malin Head to Kinsale in under 30 days.
Despite his previous mountain and coastal records, Clifford described the urban street challenge through Dublin as his most difficult undertaking to date.
Clifford, who now organises trail running retreats and uses endurance projects to highlight mental health and social issues, finished his final street run on Saturday afternoon to complete the historic trilogy of Irish endurance challenges.
Kerry Stars Special Olympics Sports Club hosted a volunteer appreciation night at the International Hotel on Monday, August 31, ahead of the upcoming sports season.
The event brought together both new and long-standing volunteers to celebrate their contribution to the club, which provides sporting opportunities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities across the region. Run entirely by volunteers, the club relies on helpers who dedicate an hour each week from September through May. The gathering provided a chance to recognise their effort following a successful summer where four Kerry Stars athletes secured a haul of gold, silver, and bronze medals at the Special Olympics Ireland Summer Games in June. The club caters to both competitive athletes and members who participate primarily for the social aspect and inclusion. With the new season resuming in mid-September, Kerry Stars is inviting new volunteers and athletes to join its weekly training schedule. Weekly sessions take place at various local venues, including Monday athletics at Spa GAA from 6pm to 7pm, Wednesday basketball at Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre from 7pm to 8pm, and Thursday soccer at the same location from 7pm to 8pm. The club also runs therapeutic horse riding and swimming programs in Killarney and Tralee, both of which currently operate waiting lists. Anyone interested in getting involved as a volunteer or athlete can contact the club directly at kerrystars63@gmail.com.
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