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Motor club raises almost €60k for air ambulance

Killarney and District Motor Club (KDMC) presented €58,293 to the Irish Community Air Ambulance from the club’s Forestry Rally in February.
Several event suppliers gave their services for free or at a reduced cost, programme adverts generated a large amount of money but KC Print, the Killarney Advertiser’s parent company, printed and designed the programme for free, adding to the profit of the event.
At a special function on Saturday night in the River Island Hotel in Castleisland, the event’s headquarters, Clerk of the Course Dermot Healy and his KDMC organising committee presented a cheque for €58,293 to the Irish Community Air Ambulance.
“I am delighted and humbled by the overwhelming support from KDMC club members, neighbouring clubs, the Castleisland community and event sponsors and all those other people who gave such extraordinary support to this wonderful cause that has generated so much money for the air ambulance,” Dermot said.
“The team that rallied in behind me helping to put together this event seamlessly in six short weeks, were simply amazing. If it proves one thing to me, we have still an amazing amount of goodwill in this country that we can be proud of.”
Meanwhile, the club will launch its Rally of the Lakes on Sunday afternoon at the Gleneagle Hotel.
The April 29 to May 1 event has already attracted over 200 entries ensuring a very busy weekend for the town.
Event Clerk of the Course Darren McCormick said that all are welcome to attend an afternoon of chat and photographs to mark the official countdown to the event.
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Ireland’s oldest citizen has Killarney connections
Ireland’s oldest woman met with President Michael D. Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin this week. Máirín Hughes, who turned 109 on May 22 has strong Killarney connections. The previous record […]

Ireland’s oldest woman met with President Michael D. Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin this week.
Máirín Hughes, who turned 109 on May 22 has strong Killarney connections.
The previous record was held by 107-year-old Nancy Stewart who died on September 10 2021.
Although born in Belfast, Máirín went to school in the Mercy Convent. Her father was a customs and excise officer and the family moved around a lot eventually coming to Killarney after spells in County Down and Dublin.
Her mother came from the Rathmore area and her father was from Newmarket in County Cork.
She attended the Mercy Convent and has, in previous interviews, recalled growing up on the shores of Lough Lein.
“Neighbours who had three children were given the job of taking me to school,” she said. “They were annoyed because the children were going to school for two or three years but I was put in to the same class as them – my mother had taught me.”
In 2021 she featured in the book ‘Independence Memories: A People’s Portrait of the Early Days of the Irish Nation’, sharing stories of being kept in school in Killarney during an attack on the RIC barracks down the road.
In 1924 she started a degree in science and a diploma in education at University College Cork, before working in the pathology lab in University College Cork’s Department of Medicine for 16 years.
last year she recalled her story on the podcast: ‘Living History – Irish Life and Lore’.
During the broadcast she talked about her parents’ membership of the Gaelic League in 1910; the Spanish Flu in Ireland in 1918; The Black and Tans in Killarney in 1921; the early days of the new Free State; Eucharistic Congress in Dublin in 1932, visiting the Basket Islands in 1929; and working in the UCC medical laboratory from 1932 until 1948.
This week President Michael D. Higgins hosted an afternoon tea event to celebrate the important role that a variety of people have and can play in different communities and Máirín was among the guests of honour.
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Philip is running over 100kms for Cancer charity
Local runner and charity fundraiser Philip Kissane is set for the biggest challenge of his career as he lines up for the Cork City Marathon on Sunday. Phillip has already […]

Local runner and charity fundraiser Philip Kissane is set for the biggest challenge of his career as he lines up for the Cork City Marathon on Sunday.
Phillip has already completed four half marathons at various locations around Killarney – all in aid of Kerry Cancer Support Group – or the Cancer Bus as it popularly called.
This is the second time that Phillip has run four half marathon and an official race for the charity.
Back in 2021 he finished with 5km Run Killarney event but his finishing race this time around is over eight times the distance at 42kms.
“We are delighted with Philip’s continued fundraising support but also with his awareness raising for the charity,” Breda Dyland, Service Manager Kerry Cancer Support Trust.
“We are getting busier all the time and still get no statutory funding so are dependent on fundraisers like Philip’s to keep us on the road. We have just put our new wheelchair accessible bus on the Cork route so Philip’s funding will be going towards the operation of this vehicle.”