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Musician’s legacy strikes a chord in Killarney

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Cian Buckley O’Sullivan, Fossa, who won the prize for the most promising strings musician in the recent Killarney Rotary Young Musician of the Year competition, pictured with Rotarians Sean Treacy, Mike Stack, Grace O’Neill and Paul Sherry. PICTURE: JOHN O’SULLIVAN, KILLARNEY PHOTOGRAPHIC

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IT IS said that music is the universal language of mankind and this is certainly the case when it came to the generosity sparked by a Killarney contest for aspiring young performers.
When seeking sponsorship for last year’s annual Killarney Rotary Young Musician of the Year, the club’s then-president Mike Stack contacted all the suppliers of his company Tricel asking them to put an ad in the concert programme.
“One of the people I contacted was a guy called Peter Senior from a UK company called Polynt which is owned by the French oil company Total,” said Mike.
Explaining that it would take months to get approval from France, Peter decided to send Mike a personal cheque and asked him to send him an invoice which he then claimed back from the company.
Tragically, Peter died suddenly of a heart attack a short time after the competition. “It transpired that Peter was a musician (a blues guitarist) and his best friend, a guy called Paul Walton (also a musician), decided to hold a memorial concert in Peter's memory,” said Mike.
As Paul was sorting Peter's affairs, he came upon the cheque to Killarney Rotary Club. “Paul contacted me and proposed the idea of presenting the funds raised from the concert to Rotary and specifically to the Young Musician competition. I thanked him for this gesture and said that we would present a prize in Peter's memory on the finals night,” said Mike.
Paul raised €2,500 and presented this to the club. “This money is invaluable in safeguarding the future of the competition,” said Mike.
As Peter was a blues guitarist, Killarney Rotary decided to present the prize in his memory to the most promising young musician in the strings category and this year’s winner as Fossa violinist Cian Buckley O’Sullivan, who was presented with his prize on Wednesday at The Malton Hotel.
 


 
Above, Cian Buckley O’Sullivan, Fossa, who won the prize for the most promising strings musician in the recent Killarney Rotary Young Musician of the Year competition, pictured with Killarney Rotarians Sean Treacy, Mike Stack, Grace O’Neill and Paul Sherry. PICTURE: JOHN O’SULLIVAN, KILLARNEY PHOTOGRAPHIC

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Céilí Mór will send ‘em home sweatin’

It will be a case of all around the house but mind the dresser at a traditional Céilí Mór which will be one of the real entertainment highlights of this […]

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It will be a case of all around the house but mind the dresser at a traditional Céilí Mór which will be one of the real entertainment highlights of this year’s St Patrick’s Festival in Killarney.

It will take place on the eve of the big feast day in the Killarney Great Southern and there will be a wonderful party atmosphere guaranteed on the night.
Providing the tunes will be the very highly regarded Uí Bhriaín Céilí Band and they promise to send everybody home sweating after what will be a memorable night for locals and visitors.
The March 16 céilí will commence at 9.00pm and continue right through until midnight and the admission for a wonderful night of pure Irish trad is just €10.00.
Bookings can be made on the festival website or patrons can pay at the door on the night.

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St Brendan’s student Aodhagan O’Sullivan crowned CPR champion

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Aodhagan O’Sullivan, a student at St Brendan’s College, Killarney, has been named the 2026 School CPR Challenge Champion.

The prestigious award was presented on Thursday, 26 February, during a large-scale event at the Gleneagle Hotel, where approximately 300 students from post-primary schools across the county gathered to compete for the title of “who can compress the best.”


Now in its fourth year, the event is organised by the Killarney Cardiac Response Unit (KCRU) Community First Responders.

The KCRU is a volunteer-led group that provides vital emergency response services to Killarney, Beaufort, Killorglin, Firies, Rathmore, and Kenmare.

The challenge focused on “Quality CPR” (QCPR), combining a high-stakes competition with practical life-saving training and the chance for students to engage directly with local emergency and community services.


The competition utilised advanced QCPR technology to measure the depth and rate of compressions, ensuring that students aren’t just learning the motions, but are performing life-saving techniques to a clinical standard.

Beyond the competitive element, the day served as an educational hub, highlighting the “chain of survival” and the importance of immediate bystander intervention in the event of a cardiac arrest.


The 2026 challenge was made possible through the support of the Vodafone Foundation, The Gleneagle Hotel, and First Aid Systems Ltd, alongside a variety of local sponsors. Organisers praised the enthusiasm of the 300 participants, noting that such events are essential for building a “heart-safe” community and equipping the next generation with the skills to save a life.

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