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Palestinian Mia Saleh’s Speech Raises the Roof

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By Aidan Quirke

A Tralee ‘Gig for Gaza’ on Wednesday night starred local Mia Saleh with a powerful speech on her experience of being a Palestinian, a place that she has yet to visit.

The Killarney resident is daughter of Mohammed Saleh and Fatima Al Khateeb, who run The VIP Turkish Barbers on Glebe Lane.
Up to 300 people from Kerry attended the concert in St John’s Church, Ashe St. Tralee to show solidarity with the people of Palestine.

Mia, who is just 15 years old, took to the stage to give a speech detailing her lived experience and how her parents arrived as refugees to Ireland.
“When my parents first arrived to Ireland as refugees they had no papers so they had to go to the Palestinian ambassador and told him that they were refugees from Palestine.
They got papers eventually but, in the paper(s), it stated that we had no right to go to go back to our homeland Palestine to visit we couldn’t go to the place we are from,” said Mia.
The youngster held a rapt audience for 10 minutes as she detailed how she as a child had to act differently from other children.
“At a young age I always saw children messing around and playing but I could never do the same as if I did anything wrong people will judge us, ‘people won’t see anything but the fact that I wear a hijab’ is what my mom would always say,” Mia said.

The confident teenager, spoke with hope and belief, that she will return to Palestine one day.
“I will return home and so will all the families and refugees that were kicked out, we will go back to a free and peaceful Palestine,” Mia said to a thunderous round of applause for her speech.

Over €5,000 was raised on the night for the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fun and was organised by Tralee local arts group, nonfaction, in collaboration with the Kerry branch of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Group.
The event also featured Kerry and national musicians. The headline act was rising folk star John Frances Flynn along with Tralee native Teresa Galvin, singer songwriter Aoife Nessa Frances and Limerick spoken work artist, Dyrt.

Nationally, ‘Gigs for Gaza’ and other events are happening nationwide, another concert for Kerry will be announced in the New Year

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Spa GAA and Kerry Parents & Friends secure energy grant funding

Spa GAA and the Kerry Parents & Friends Association are among the Kerry organisations to benefit from the SE Systems Community Fund Programme 2025. Both groups have been announced as […]

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Spa GAA and the Kerry Parents & Friends Association are among the Kerry organisations to benefit from the SE Systems Community Fund Programme 2025.

Both groups have been announced as successful applicants for the national energy grant funding scheme, which supports community and sports organisations in delivering sustainable, energy-efficient projects that help reduce running costs.
The fund, launched in 2022, provides financial assistance, technical resources, and expert guidance to not-for-profit organisations working to improve energy efficiency and sustainability.
For Spa GAA, the funding will go towards a full insulation retrofit of the club’s Sports Hall and Clubhouse, as well as upgrading existing floodlights to new energy-efficient LED fittings. The project follows the installation of a Solar PV system earlier this year, continuing the club’s move toward greater energy conservation.
Speaking at the official funding announcement in Cork, James Cahill of Spa GAA thanked SE Systems “for supporting the power of sport and recreation to bring people together, promote healthy lifestyles and build connections in the community.”
Spa GAA has also been selected as one of three clubs nationally to feature in SE Systems’ print media campaign promoting the Community Fund.

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All eyes down as St Oliver’s hosts bumper bingo fundraiser

It will be All Eyes Down as the saying goes on October 23 as St Oliver’s Primary School hosts a bumper Bingo Fundraiser night. The event, which is being held […]

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It will be All Eyes Down as the saying goes on October 23 as St Oliver’s Primary School hosts a bumper Bingo Fundraiser night.

The event, which is being held to raise additional funds for the school’s Special Classes, will take place in the Killarney Racecourse in the Celtic Steps venue.

According to Colm Ó Súilleabháin, Principal of St Oliver’s, the idea for the fundraiser was the brainchild of Denise Hendey, a parent of one of the children in the Special Classes who approached the school wanting to assist with raising much-needed funds for the classes. “She has been utterly amazing with the amount of work and organisation she has put into this event, sourcing an incredible number of fantastic prizes for the raffle and spot prizes for the bingo winners” he said.
Continuing he said “We are so appreciative of the incredible support we have received from all the businesses who have sponsored some amazing prizes and made very generous donations in support of the event.”

St. Oliver’s has eight separate Special Classes, home to 62 children. All monies raised on the night will go towards purchasing additional resources for the classes.

The event will commence at 7pm with doors opening at 6pm. So be sure to come along to what is promised to be a fun-filled night with numerous opportunities to win some amazing prizes and hopefully if there is a ‘knock on the door’ or a ‘bang on the drum’ it will be on your bingo card!

Bingo books (€10) and raffle tickets (€5) are available to buy from the school office and will be available on the night. All welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

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