News
O’Brien impresses on home debut
N
National League Division One
Scotts Lakers 93-70 Fr Mathews
Despite trailing by 15 points at one stage, Scotts Lakers St Paul’s bounced back to take complete control and secure a comprehensive 23-point victory over Fr Mathews in Killarney Sports Centre on Saturday night. A capacity crowd filled the Killarney venue for this opening home game of the season and they didn't go home disappointed.
It was a match where Scotts Lakers’ outstanding new American signing Seán O’Brien was the difference between the sides. A game high of 37 points combined with a tremendous all-round display on both sides of the court meant he stood out from any other player on view. The Killarney side have certainly secured the services of a quality American player and his presence will be a huge boost to the Lakers’ challenge this season.
The visitors started much the better side and they led 20-5 with four minutes left in the first quarter as the Lakers struggled to make any impact.
The introduction of veteran assistant coach Shane McCarthy made a big difference for the Lakers. His smart assist play opened up opportunities for his teammates and the hosts trailed by just two, 23-25, at the end of the first quarter.
The home side continued to impress in the second quarter with big three-pointers from O’Brien, Greene, Hersisia and McCarthy and they led 44-36 with four minutes left in the half. They maintained control with further scores from Andrew Fitzgerald and Mark Greene to lead 57-43 at half-time.
Fr Mathews tried everything in the third quarter to narrow the gap but O’Brien led the Killarney challenge to great effect. His superb ball-handling skills and intelligent play beat Mathews’ full court press every time as the home side continued to dominate. Cormac O’Donoghue’s team led 74-56 entering the final quarter.
The gap was stretched to 91-62 with four minutes left in the final period. O’Brien left the action with less than three minutes remaining. He had scored 37 points at that stage - despite the slow start and the other times he sat out during the course of the game.
In the end it was a mere formality as the Scotts Lakers cruised to a 93-70 victory. It was a big improvement on the team performance from the win over Limerick IT the previous week and the Killarney side currently find themselves joint top of the Southern Conference.
Scotts Lakers: Seán O'Brien (37), Papito Hersisia (18), Mark Greene (14), Dailian Mason (12), Andrew Fitzgerald (5), Shane McCarthy (4), Cian Clernon (2), Justin Tuason (1), Philip O'Connor, Dylan O'Sullivan, Marko Bencic and James Murphy.
Fr Mathews: Deon Baker Jr (25), Michael McGinn (21) and Paul O'Driscoll
Gneeveguilla apprentice wins national stonemasonry title
Darragh O’Sullivan from Gneeveguilla won the overall prize in the Architectural Stonemasonry category at the WorldSkills Ireland competition held recently at the RDS in Dublin.
An apprentice stonecutter and stonemason with the Office of Public Works (OPW) based in Mallow, O’Sullivan secured gold for his technical accuracy and craftsmanship during the three-day event.
The state agency relies on traditional trade skills to manage, conserve, and restore national monuments, public buildings, and heritage sites across the country.
O’Sullivan’s success reflects the training provided by his OPW mentors and team, highlighting the importance of apprentice development in preserving traditional heritage crafts for future generations.
Picture Caption: CRAFT CHAMPION: Tom Little (Kerry ETB), Terri Sweeney Meade (OPW), category winner Darragh O’Sullivan (OPW), and Donal Keys (WorldSkills Ireland) at the RDS in Dublin.
Jessica Cronin donates hair for children’s charity
Ten-year-old Killarney resident Jessica Cronin is set to cut and donate 12 inches of her hair to support young cancer patients, alongside a fundraising campaign for LauraLynn Children’s Hospice.
The hair donation will go directly to the Little Princess Trust, a charity providing real hair wigs free of charge to children and young people who have lost their own hair through medical treatment.
Alongside her hair donation, Jessica is collecting financial contributions for LauraLynn through the Locks of Love campaign.
“I want to help somebody that doesn’t have something that I have, hair,” Jessica said.
Her family expressed their pride in her decision to support both organisations.
“We are all so proud of her,” her mother, Grace O’Shea-Cronin, said. “Any donation, no matter how small, would be greatly appreciated.”
Donations to support Jessica’s fundraiser can be made online at
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