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Michael Lyster: A fixture of Killarney motorsport

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The Irish rallying community has been saddened by the death of Michael Lyster, who passed away on 21 March 2026.

While primarily known as the long-standing presenter of RTÉ’s The Sunday Game, Lyster was a dedicated motorsport enthusiast and a frequent visitor to Killarney for the Rally of the Lakes over several decades.

He was a regular competitor in Kerry as both a driver and a co-driver.

A major highlight of his rallying career came in 1992 when he navigated for the late Enda Nolan in a Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth, finishing fourth overall in the Rally of the Lakes. During the early 1990s, when the event was still held in the winter, he also competed behind the wheel of a Talbot Sunbeam.

Lyster’s involvement in the county extended to the Circuit of Kerry and the Banna (Kerry Winter) Rally. Outside of his own driving, he frequently co-drove for Killarney’s Mike O’Leary on events across the country.

In more recent years, he remained a central part of the local motorsport scene, serving as the official MC for the Rally of the Lakes in 2016 and 2017, and returning for the event’s 40th anniversary in 2019.

His professional broadcasting experience made him a natural fit for the start and finish ramps, where he brought a genuine passion for the sport to the prize-giving ceremonies.

An unassuming presence in the service parks and on the stages, his contribution to the sport and his connection to Killarney will be remembered by the many who knew him through rallying.

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How will our Kerry TDs vote tomorrow?

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Tomorrow, Sinn Féin will be tabling a motion of no confidence against the Government after the protests that took place nationwide during the week.

Earlier today we asked our readers how would they vote in a no confidence motion against the Government?

Most of our readers said they would vote no confidence, while some said, yes they do have confidence in the Government.

One reader said: “Vote confidence. The only proper leadership over the last few days came from government. Courage came when needed despite how unpopular it looked in the moment. By contrast, opposition politicians wanted the country to burn to suit themselves”.

Another reader stated: “No confidence. Shambolic and heavy handed handling of protests this past week”.

However, some people didn’t have any confidence in either side with a reader saying: “No confidence in the no confidence! Different wings of the same bird! We need a complete overhaul of the political system”.

We asked the question to our 5 Kerry TDs before lunch-time today, asking them what their vote will be tomorrow.

We received one reply from Sinn Féin’s Kerry TD Pa Daly.

He will be voting no confidence in the Government tomorrow along with his party.

Other media outlets are reporting that Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae is undecided at the moment.

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Town centre-based software firm marks two years in business

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A Killarney-based software company is celebrating two years in business since expanding into the European market.

QT9 Software Ltd, which is located on Bohereencaol was established in 2024 as part of the company’s move to better serve customers across Europe.

The business is part of a US-based company founded 20 years ago in Chicago by Brant Engelhart.

Its Irish office is headed by Killarney resident Angela O’Sullivan, who serves as Operations Director.

QT9 Software currently employs four full-time staff members in Killarney and plans to increase that number by an additional two this year.

The company provides quality management software to businesses worldwide, with the Irish office helping to support European customers within their own time zones.

As part of its continued European expansion, the software company also opened a new data center in Amsterdam in 2025 to meet data storage and compliance requirements.

QT9 Software works with businesses that must meet quality standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 13485, as well as industry-specific regulations across sectors, such as automotive, aerospace, food and life sciences.

Speaking about the milestone, Angela O’Sullivan said: “We’re very proud to have grown QT9 Software here in Killarney over the past two years. It has been a really positive journey so far, and we’re looking forward to continuing to build our team and support more customers across Europe.”

The company is also currently recruiting for an IT Systems Administrator, with details available in the appointments section on page 46.

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