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Para-athlete to hand-cycle 2000kms around Ireland

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EPIC TRIP: American para-athlete Chris Slavin is hoping to become the first person to hand-cycle 2000km around Ireland – to raise funds for The Ian O’Connell Trust.

 

Chris plans fundraiser for local wheelchair user

By Sean Moriarty

American para-athlete Chris Slavin is hoping to become the first person to hand-cycle 2000km around Ireland – to raise funds for The Ian O’Connell Trust.

The epic trip, which began at 9am this morning in Killarney, is being undertaken to raise awareness about spinal injuries. Slavin herself suffered two in her ski career and is now in a wheelchair.

A former competitive snowboarder, Slavin was a keen traveller to Ireland, where she hiked the countryside, attended céilís and attempted to learn the Irish language.

In 2007, she suffered a serious spinal injury during a US ski-board competition and lost the use of her legs but continued as a para-skier in the mono-ski category. Eight years later she suffered another bad skiing accident that again damaged her spine.

She returned to Ireland on the 10th anniversary of her first accident and now divides her time between Killarney, Massachusetts and Cork.

During her time here she befriended local well-known wheelchair users including Ian O’Connell and Timo O’Sullivan of Lough Lein Anglers.

This year, as well as completing the Ring of Kerry Cycle on her hand cycle, she set up a charity called ‘Project Possible’ where she hopes to encourage wheelchair users to enjoy the great outdoors in places like Killarney National Park.

“Killarney is one of the most accessible towns I have been in Ireland,” she told the Killarney Advertiser. “It is not perfect, but it is comparatively good. I see Killarney, and everything it offers, being the ideal location for a project of this type. Really, there is something for everyone in Killarney; and the people. There is nobody with more can-do and warmth than a Kerry person. Seriously, I met Timo O'Sullivan on my first trip to Killarney...now there is the embodiment of Kerry ‘can do’.”

She picked September when tourist traffic will be less and because it’s also Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month. Her journey begins at 9am tomorrow morning from theMonsignor Hugh O'Flaherty statute on the Mission Road.

It will take around four weeks to complete and she is expected to return to the Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty statue by September 28.

 

 

 

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Chamber pays tribute to late Dick Henggeler

Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has expressed condolences following the death of Dick Henggeler, the well-known owner of The Rose Hotel in Tralee. Mr Henggeler passed away peacefully at […]

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Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has expressed condolences following the death of Dick Henggeler, the well-known owner of The Rose Hotel in Tralee.

Mr Henggeler passed away peacefully at his home in Baltimore, USA surrounded by his Aghadoe-born wife Eibhlin (née Moriarty), their son Franz, and other family members.
Dick and Eibhlin purchased The Rose Hotel in 2015 in tribute to their late daughter Dorothy, who represented Washington DC in the 2011 Rose of Tralee Festival.
The Chamber said Mr Henggeler would be remembered for his warmth, good nature and positive approach, as well as for being a forward-thinking and knowledgeable businessman.
“He knew how to run a good hotel and that was and still is very obvious at The Rose Hotel, which is a great success story,” the Chamber said.
It added that continuity of ownership will remain in place, with Eibhlin, Franz, daughter-in-law Amber, and grandchildren Conrad and Rowan continuing to honour Dick’s legacy and vision for the hotel.
“Dick took enormous personal pride in Tralee and all of Kerry and he was always available to generously support any community initiative or endeavour undertaken in Killarney,” the Chamber said.
“He will be greatly missed by all that knew him but he leaves a wonderful legacy.”

He will repose at O’Shea’s Funeral Home, Killarney, on Friday (October 17), from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. The funeral will arrive at St Mary’s Cathedral on Saturday morning at 10:00am for Requiem Mass at 10:30am, with burial afterwards in Aghadoe Cemetery. The Requiem Mass will be live streamed at https://www.churchservices.tv/killarneycathedral.

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Beaufort Film Night returns with French drama-comedy

Beaufort Film Night will return on Friday (October 17) at Cullina National School, with a screening of the French drama-comedy The Marching Band. The film tells the story of Thibaut, […]

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Beaufort Film Night will return on Friday (October 17) at Cullina National School, with a screening of the French drama-comedy The Marching Band.

The film tells the story of Thibaut, a successful conductor recently diagnosed with leukaemia. A search for a bone marrow donor reveals that he was adopted and has a brother, Jimmy, a cafeteria worker.
The two meet, discover a shared love of music, and form a strong bond through an unexpected collaboration with Jimmy’s workplace band.
The Marching Band (French title En Fanfare) will screen at 8.30pm. Admission is €7, cash only, and will cover the motion picture licence fee.
The film has a 12A rating and is in French with English subtitles.
Beaufort Film Night is a non-profit community group that screens cultural English and international films that usually do not receive general release in Kerry.
The event is supported by Kerry County Council Arts Office and Access Cinema. Cullina National School is providing the venue.
Further details are available on Beaufort Film Night’s Facebook page @BeaufortFilmNight.

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