News
Muckross Rowing Club to celebrate successful year on the water

This Saturday, Muckross Rowing Club is marking the conclusion of a very successful rowing year with an end of season barbeque at the Muckross Park Hotel.

Muckross Rowing Club Mens Junior 18 Double. Bronze medallists at the Irish Rowing Championships Regatta held at the National Rowing Centre in Farran Cork in July. L-r: Elaine Daly (coach) Ian Coffey Daniel Daly Maurice Coffey (coach)

Muckross Rowing Club Mens Junior 16 Double. Silver medallists at the Irish Rowing Championships Regatta held at the National Rowing Centre in Farran Cork in July. L-r: Micheal O’Sullivan (coach) Cllr. Frank O’Flynn (Mayor of Cork County) Jack Murphy Max Coyne Kieran Murphy (coach) Neville Maxwell (President Rowing Ireland)

University of Limerick RC / Castleconnell RC. Winners of the Womens Senior Eight at the Irish Rowing Championships Regatta held at the National Rowing Centre in Farran Cork in July. Pictured with crew mates are Killarney rowers Niamh Coffey Muckross (back row secon from left) and Caoimhe O’Sullivan Headford (back row right).

Muckross Rowing Club Mens Junior 18 Double. Bronze medallists at the Irish Rowing Championships Regatta held at the National Rowing Centre in Farran Cork in July. L-r: Elaine Daly (coach) Ian Coffey Daniel Daly Maurice Coffey (coach)

Muckross Rowing Club Mens Junior 16 Double. Silver medallists at the Irish Rowing Championships Regatta held at the National Rowing Centre in Farran Cork in July. L-r: Micheal O’Sullivan (coach) Cllr. Frank O’Flynn (Mayor of Cork County) Jack Murphy Max Coyne Kieran Murphy (coach) Neville Maxwell (President Rowing Ireland)

University of Limerick RC / Castleconnell RC. Winners of the Womens Senior Eight at the Irish Rowing Championships Regatta held at the National Rowing Centre in Farran Cork in July. Pictured with crew mates are Killarney rowers Niamh Coffey Muckross (back row secon from left) and Caoimhe O’Sullivan Headford (back row right).
Reflecting on a busy year, the club competed in numerous time trial and regatta events culminating in the Irish National Rowing Championships in mid-July.
Muckross Rowing Club had 34 crews competing over three days, with representation from Junior 16 to Intermediate.
The club also had five of its former junior members racing with their university clubs.
“The Championship weekend was not without its share of turbulence and high drama thanks to the weather conditions, which brought strong winds and rain over the first two days of competition. Undeterred, our crews put in a great performance for the club,” said the club’s Tim O’Shea.
The Men’s Junior 18 Quad crew of Daniel Fleming, Ian Coffey, Daniel Daly and Con Stack were second in their final and claimed the club’s first national championship medals in this event.
Daniel and Ian had further success taking bronze in the Men’s Junior 18 Double in a field of 52 crews.
Also among the medals were Jack Murphy and Max Coyne, who claimed silver in the final of the Men’s Junior 16 Double out of 37 crew entries.
Jack narrowly missed out on a qualifying spot in the Men’s Junior 16 Single with a great performance in his time trial to finish seventh overall.
Other highlights of the weekend included a number of time trial wins and other top 6 finishes including in the Men’s Intermediate Single (Marko Tot), Women’s J18 Double (Faye O’Neill, Katie Doolan), Womens Junior 16 Eight (Khim Fleming, Rachel Fuller, Muireann O Donoghue, Eva Stack, Ellie Doolan, Angelina Kenny, Keela O Connor, Aine O Sullivan), Womens J16 Quad (Khim Fleming, Rachel Fuller, Muireann O’Donoghue, Eva Stack), Womens J16 Double (Khim Fleming, Rachel Fuller) and Men’s Junior 16 Quad (Jack Murphy, Max Coyne, Gearoid O’Connor, Rory Clancy). Ben Cussen raced the time trials of the Men’s Intermediate Single with Max Coyne, Jack Murphy, Gearoid O Connor, Sean O’Donovan, Aine O’Sullivan and Abigeal Real racing in the time trials of the Junior 16 Single Sculls but were outside the top six places to make the A Finals.
The Women’s J18 Quad crew of Faye O Neill, Grace O' Connor, Katie Doolan and Clodagh Lucey just missed out on a final place in their time trial. Racing with UL RC, Niamh Coffey and Caoimhe O’Sullivan enjoyed a terrific weekend claiming four and three titles respectively across the Senior and Intermediate grades.
Finn O’Sullivan and Patrick Buckley were also silver medallists for UL in the Men’s Intermediate Four, narrowly missing out on gold at the finish line.
“The results highlight the great progression made across all age categories, with brilliant results considering the high standard of competition in each event,” added Tim.
“The performances also provide great foundations to build on for next season. To celebrate the successful year, the club will hold a Fundraising Barbecue at the Muckross Park Hotel from 6 pm and the support of members present and past to celebrate the club’s achievements would be greatly appreciated.
“Ticket details are available on the club’s social media and all are welcome. The barbecue will also be a celebration of the achievements of Daniel Daly and Caoimhe O’Sullivan who represented Ireland at the Home International Regatta at Lough Rynn.”
News
One of Killarney’s great motorsport legends passes awayBy Cormac Casey
Dermot O’Sullivan, of Ardshanavooly, Killarney, sadly passed away this week. This popular Killarney businessman started in motorsport in 1968 participating in tarmac and forestry rallying and later in hot rod […]

Dermot O’Sullivan, of Ardshanavooly, Killarney, sadly passed away this week.
This popular Killarney businessman started in motorsport in 1968 participating in tarmac and forestry rallying and later in hot rod racing.
A high point in his motorsport career was competing on the 1982 Circuit of Ireland in his Datsun Sunny, at a time when competitors had no pacenotes, relying on sheer wit and skill.
In 2005, after a 23-year gap, he returned to rallying in a Talbot Sunbeam competing in the Killarney Historic Rally with his son Paul in the navigator’s seat, and competed in various events till 2009.
Whenever the glory of days of Kerry rallying are discussed in local pubs during the wee hours, it was certain that Dermot’s name would be mentioned. He had a sideways style of driving that kept every spectator entertained.
As much a flamboyant competitor behind the wheel of his Datsun, his ability to tell a good story was equally entertaining.
As a young motorsport enthusiast, I waited with anticipation each week as Dermot called to the ‘Advertiser’ office in Woodlawn to placing his weekly advert, to hear his animated description of his exploits on the rallying stages. As time went on, the stories never faded, and I always enjoyed our encounters.
Dermot establishing a successful chainsaw and lawnmower business in the 1970’s, down Pawn Office Lane, off High Street, Killarney. In true entrepreneurial spirit he saw a gap in the market, soon after establishing O’Sullivan’s Cycles as one of the first to introduce bike rental to Killarney, a business venture that is still successful today under the guidance of the current O’Sullivan generations.
A true character and an absolute gentleman. May he rest in peace.
Our sincere condolences to wife, Mary, sons Paul, Derry and David, daughters-in-law Barbara, Denise and Fiona, grandchildren Megan, Luke, Kate and Ciara and his great granddaughter Ava, his sisters Breda and Maureen and brother John, brother-in-law Bill, sister-in-law Ann, nieces, nephews, relatives, neighbours, and many great friends.
News
Kerry’s youth celebrated at the Lee Strand/Kerry Garda Youth Achievement Awards
This year’s overall winner of the Lee Strand Kerry Garda Youth Achievement is Ryan Griffin from Waterville who was nominated by Mairead O’Sullivan from Killorglin Family Resource Centre. Ryan Griffin […]

This year’s overall winner of the Lee Strand Kerry Garda Youth Achievement is Ryan Griffin from Waterville who was nominated by Mairead O’Sullivan from Killorglin Family Resource Centre.
Ryan Griffin is a member of the Skellig Stars and was chosen to represent Kerry at the Special Olympics.
Ryan’s biggest hurdle is communication and he had to overcome this during his trip to Berlin for the big event.
Ryan has overcome his disabilities by focusing on all the great abilities he has. Ryan attends mainstream school in Coláiste na Sceilge where he is a very respected member of the School Community. He is a member of Kerry Stars and also Downs Syndrome Kerry.
Ryan has always had a keen interest in sport and even played with the local team in Waterville, but now Ryan thinks it’s too fast for him so he prefers to cheer them on from the side-lines.
Ryan has always been involved with the Community and they have never left him out. Ryan started out his athletics career with Skellig Stars and without them he would have gone to the Special Olympics and he has never forgotten when he came from.
Ryan and his family are very grateful to the local community in Waterville and the surrounding area for all the support they have given them over the years and especially now with the Special Olympics coming closer.
The whole community from Waterville to Mid-Kerry got behind Ryan, raising funds to help his family go to Berlin for 2 weeks. Ryan is now an inspiration to others to overcome difficulties and “go for gold”.
Ryan was the only representative from Kerry on this years Irish Special Olympics Team and in fact one of the Youngest Athletes on Team Ireland at only 16yrs of age, which was a great honour for him.
This in itself is a great achievement but it also shows his friends at Skellig Stars, Downs Syndrome Kerry and in the wider community that dreams do come true.
It took a lot of hard work and determination on Ryan’s behalf to make these dreams come true, not least the long journey he had to make from South Kerry to Dublin once a month since last January to train for the Special Olympics. He also trained weekly with the Skellig Stars.
At the 2023 Special Olympics in Berlin Ryan took part in the 100m run and the relay but his biggest achievement was winning the Silver Medal in the mini javelin. This showed others that overcoming difficulties can be possible and you can achieve your goals with hard work and determination, which Ryan has in abundance.
Local Merit Awards
Aliza Gul, Killarney
Joey McCarthy, Killarney
John O’Connor, Killarney
Nattagun Ryan, Killarney
Samuel Behal, Killarney
St Brendan’s Choir, Killarney