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McShain family’s contribution to be celebrated

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The generosity of the man who built America also created a more spectacular Killarney and that incredible deed will be celebrated in great style in the town on Wednesday and Thursday next.

Killarney will always be extremely grateful to the McShain family, not only for the gift of Killarney House and Gardens, but for the donation of Inisfallen Island, Ross Castle and 8,000 acres of parkland, mountains and lake which John and Mary McShain presented to the town.

That remarkable kindness, when added to the generosity of the Bourn Vincent family in Muckross, helped to create Ireland’s first national park and enhance Killarney’s reputation as the country’s tourist capital.

The valued relationship will be very much to the fore during next week’s Celebration of Irish American Friendship with the captivating story of John McShain to be told, through poetry, music and song, in a special hour-long production at the Anam Arts and Cultural Centre on Thursday, July 4 (5.00pm).

Co-produced and choreographed by richly talented locals Noel Patrick O’Sullivan and Fiona Crowley, it will tell the McShain story through the thought-provoking poetry of Tim Buckley, the musical talents of Tony O’Flaherty and Miriam O’Sullivan, the voice of Mary Culloty O’Sullivan and dance courtesy of the Maureen Hegarty Academy.

Detailed script research into the life of the McShain family was conducted by Rachel Kelleher of the NPWS and special permission has been received from the Hagley Museum in Wilmington, Delaware to use iconic images from the coveted McShain family collection in the hour-long production.

“History will tell you what happened but a song will tell you how it felt,” Noel Patrick O’Sullivan said.

This year also there will be an opportunity to remember the estimated six million Irish people who emigrated to the US since 1820, whose descendants now proudly describe themselves as Irish-American.

Their story will be traced in an engaging public lecture in the appropriate setting of the Garden Room Killarney House – the former McShain residence – on the evening of Wednesday, July 3rd. The guest speaker will be acclaimed genealogist and author Kay Caball who will share insights on who emigrated and why, how and to where they travelled and their connections to the Kerry of today.

The big attraction of the Celebration of Irish American Friendship will, of course, be the spectacular parade on Thursday with fantastic floats, favourite Disney characters, beautiful princesses, marching bands and colourful cheerleaders.

The parade will start at Killarney Outlet Centre at 7.00pm and it will pass through Fair Hill, College Street, Plunkett Street and Main Street and several hundred people are expected to line the street for the gala occasion.

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Con O’Leary: Killarney loses a vibrant and popular personality

Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has led the tributes to the late Con O’Leary, an extremely popular and very successful businessman in the town, who passed away in the […]

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Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has led the tributes to the late Con O’Leary, an extremely popular and very successful businessman in the town, who passed away in the early hours of Sunday.

Con was a vibrant and popular personality in Killarney where he operated The Laurels on Main Street, a thriving bar and restaurant, which he inherited following the passing of his father, Thado.
The business organisation said from a social perspective, The Laurels became the beating heart of the town and it was a landmark at the Market Cross in the same way as Clery’s clock was in the capital city.
Chamber said Con’s passing really marks the end of an era as he was one of a golden age of inspirational local business people who developed and built Killarney, through hard work, bravery and great commercial flair, and helped create the wonderful tourist attraction and holiday destination it is today.
“Con was very proud of Killarney and he played a very active part in progressing the town at many levels.
“He was a man that was never short of great ideas and his contribution to the business life of the town and as a director of Killarney Race Company was immense,” Chamber said.
“He was ahead of his time in many respects with the introduction by what became known as “the singing lounge” many years ago and The Laurels always led by example through its successes in the annual Killarney Looking Good competition”.
The business representative organisation noted that the O’Leary family has always been very supporting of the town and Con’s daughter, Kate, was a very dynamic Chamber President and is still a very valued member of the executive.
Chamber expressed deep sympathy to Con’s wife, Anne, children Kate, Niall, Tara and Lorna, sons-in-law, grandchildren, sisters, relatives and friends as well as the dedicated staff in The Laurels, past and present, who Con always had great time for and a great rapport with.

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All Roads Lead To Kerry For National Road Safety Conference

Kerry County Council is to host a two-day road safety conference at the INEC Killarney on May 28 and 29. The ‘Safer Roads’ road safety conference is an inter-agency event […]

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Kerry County Council is to host a two-day road safety conference at the INEC Killarney on May 28 and 29.

The ‘Safer Roads’ road safety conference is an inter-agency event focused on improving road safety, reducing traffic-related incidents, and sharing knowledge and best practices for safer road use. It encompasses various strategies and efforts across multiple domains, including road design, engineering, enforcement, forensic collision investigation, technology, education, collision trends, occupational driving, cycling and scooting, e-mobility, active & sustainable travel and on-road events.

In addition to this, AI, Virtual Reality and Driver Simulation will play a significant role at the conference, in improving safety by predicting and preventing accidents, optimizing traffic, and aiding the development of autonomous vehicles.

This ‘Safer Roads’ conference is a non-public event where road safety professionals, speakers and service providers from across Ireland, other EU countries and the UK will attend, including transportation experts, government and local authority officials, roads policing and vehicle inspection agencies, road safety advocates, educators and promoters, collision responders, cycling bodies and community safety networks.

Kerry County Council’s Road Safety Officer Declan Keogh said:
“Road safety has evolved over the years to a much broader scope, in terms of e-mobility, sustainability, technology and engineering for instance. It’s not just about the road or the vehicle anymore, but also about how technology, human behaviour, enforcement, and education intersect to reduce risks and prevent collisions. The ‘Safer Roads’ conference will involve and include every branch of the road safety tree, right across the board, and in doing so, we aim to increase road safety awareness, improve road user behaviour and decrease the collisions and carnage we see on our roads every day,”

The two-day conference also provides an opportunity for exhibitors to attend, and interested state bodies, businesses and service providers are invited to exhibit at the event to showcase their products and services and engage with delegates and officials at the conference.

Further information about the conference and how to register or exhibit can be found here. https://www.kerrycoco.ie/safer-roads-road-safety-conference/

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