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Motor Club Remember Jimmy Devane At Memorial Autocross

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Killarney & District Motor Club held the Jimmy Devane Memorial Autocross event last Sunday 12th August. The action took place at Ballybeggan Racecourse Tralee, with over 50 competitors from all over the country taking part and driving a wide variety of cars and special buggies on the day. The event was proudly sponsored by Rentokil Initial Ireland and was marked as round seven of the Munster Autocross Championship. The weather held off and we had a great day’s racing. The track measured 2.2Km in length, was very technical, fast, with some tight chicanes and required some precision driving set out by Clerk of the Course Tommy Daly. The Event was run in conjunction with Kerry Motor Club and all proceeds going to the Costello Family Fund.

There was some fierce competition amongst the top local drivers Charles O’Neill & David Fleming both in Honda Civic’s from Killarney, John Hickey from Barraduff in his Suzuki built Special Buggy and Tommy Daly in his Semog Buggy from Kilcummin all fighting for overall honours and the Jimmy Devane memorial Cup. Laois man Anthony Culleton was the early leader in his Semog 600 Special. On the fourth run last year’s winner Pat O’Driscoll from Clonakility Co.Cork pulled out all the stops, setting a scintillating time and narrowly taking the win by less than a second. Tommy Daly was the top local driver and took home the Best KDMC Award. The Fastest Novice was John O’Flaherty in his newly purchased Semog buggy. The Best Saloon car was driven by Paul McCann from Dublin in his Ford Escort Cosworth, while Michelle Galwey captured the ladies award in her Ford KA. Jimmy’s Son David Devane was on hand to present the awards at the prize giving. The club also made a special presentation to the event secretary Norma Lucey for her outstanding work. A Special Thanks to all Marshals, Officials, Competitors & Everyone involved, a great enjoyable day of motorsport.

Results:

Class 1 Gary Lordan – Honda Civic

Class 2 George Shinnors – Vauxhall Nova

Class 3 David Fleming – Honda Civic

Class 4 Mike O’Connor Snr – Honda Integra

Class 5 Paul McCann – Escort Cosworth

Class 6 Derek Deane – Semog 750

Class 9 Mossie Costello – Nissan Micra

Class 10 Stevey Lane – Semog Buggy

Overalls:

1st Ladies Michelle Galwey – Ford Ka

1st Junior John O’Flaherty – Semog 600

1st Saloon Paul McCann – Escort Cosworth

1st KDMC Tommy Daly – Semog Buggy

1st Special Anthony Culleton – Semog Buggy

1st Overall Pat O’Driscoll – Semog Buggy

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Parnell commemorated in Beaufort on 125th Anniversary of Land League meeting

A special ceremony was held in Beaufort to mark the 125th anniversary of Charles Stewart Parnell’s historic visit to the village in 1880, when the Irish nationalist leader addressed thousands […]

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A special ceremony was held in Beaufort to mark the 125th anniversary of Charles Stewart Parnell’s historic visit to the village in 1880, when the Irish nationalist leader addressed thousands at a pivotal land reform meeting.

The commemoration, which took place beside the Beaufort Bar, honoured the legacy of the former MP and founder of the Irish National Land League.
The original meeting was held in a field belonging to Patrick O’Sullivan and attracted a crowd of approximately 3,000, defying the orders of local landlord ‘The O’Mahony’ of Dunloe Castle, who had threatened eviction to any tenant who supported the gathering.
Padruig O’Sullivan, proprietor of the Beaufort Bar and a direct descendant of Patrick O’Sullivan, addressed attendees at the unveiling of a new monument to mark the occasion.
The stone was designed by renowned uilleann piper and artist Tomás O’Sullivan, who also composed a special piece of music titled Parnell’s Blackbird to honour the occasion.
The original 1880 meeting was reported in publications such as the ‘Dundalk Democrat’, which gave a vivid account of the powerful speeches delivered that day.

Extract from the Dundalk Democrat – May 1880

The meeting, held on Sunday, May 16, 1880 in Patrick O’Sullivan’s field south of the Beaufort Hotel, was arranged in defiance of local landlord ‘The O’Mahony,’ who warned tenants they would be evicted for taking part. Nevertheless, the turnout was overwhelming.
Parnell arrived by special train and travelled by carriage from Killarney with fellow MP ‘The O’Donoghue’. The two were met by a band and a large welcoming crowd. Police and a Government reporter were present, but the atmosphere remained peaceful and spirited.
Speakers rallied against the unjust land laws of the time. ‘The O’Donoghue’ praised Parnell as the “shining star” of Irish nationalism and stated that “Kerry desired that her meeting should partake of a national character.”
When Parnell spoke, he described it as “the largest land meeting he had attended since County Mayo” and declared the movement to reclaim Irish land as one of the greatest undertakings in Irish history. He condemned the laws that allowed landlords to evict tenants and seize food as rent payment, noting that 600,000 farmers were subject to the whims of just 10,000 landlords.
He called for legislative reform, including the suspension of evictions and Government-backed tenant purchase schemes, warning that if Parliament failed to act, “the people will do for themselves what the Legislature refuses to do for them.”
He concluded by proposing the first resolution.
“That in the opinion of this meeting, the eviction of occupiers of land for non-payment of rent arbitrarily fixed by the landlord is unjust, subversive of the true interests of the country and calls for the emphatic condemnation of all lovers of justice.”

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St Pauls sign American Maisie Burnham

Killarney’s Utility Trust St Pauls women’s basketball team has announced the signing of American player Maisie Burnham for the upcoming 2025/2026 season. The club, who performed strongly in the latter […]

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Killarney’s Utility Trust St Pauls women’s basketball team has announced the signing of American player Maisie Burnham for the upcoming 2025/2026 season.

The club, who performed strongly in the latter part of the recent season and reached the league final, is looking to build on that success.
Maisie Burnham, a 24-year-old, six-foot-tall guard from Spangle City, Washington, comes to Killarney with a strong playing record. During her time at Liberty High School, where she also played volleyball, she was a high-scoring player.
She then went to Eastern Washington University, where in the 2020/2021 season, she led the team in scoring with over 14 points per game, a record for a freshman player at the university.
Burnham later moved to the University of Portland, where her scoring average continued to improve, reaching a peak of 16.3 points per game in the 2024/2025 season.
Utility Trust St Pauls say they are looking forward to welcoming Maisie to Killarney well in advance of the new season.

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