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Para-athlete to hand-cycle 2000kms around Ireland

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7 years ago

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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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Sinn Féin to host public meeting on cost of living at Killarney Heights Hotel

Sinn Féin deputy leader Pearse Doherty will host a public meeting on the costs of living and housing crises at the Killarney Heights Hotel on Thursday, May 28 at 8pm. […]

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15 hours ago

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25 May 2026

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Sinn Féin deputy leader Pearse Doherty will host a public meeting on the costs of living and housing crises at the Killarney Heights Hotel on Thursday, May 28 at 8pm.

The Donegal TD will be joined by Kerry TD Pa Daly to discuss the economic pressures facing local households and the policy changes needed to provide financial relief. The main focus of the evening will center on the barriers preventing local people from buying their own homes, alongside broader costs of living challenges.
Speaking exclusively to the Killarney Advertiser ahead of his visit, Deputy Doherty said workers and families across Kerry are being squeezed from every direction by rising weekly shops, high energy bills, increasing insurance premiums, and substantial housing costs.
“Young people are losing hope that they will ever own a home in the county where they were raised,” Deputy Doherty said. “And while all of this is happening, the government is sitting on billions in budget surpluses while telling struggling families to wait. It is simply not good enough.”
The Sinn Féin finance spokesperson highlighted specific regional factors making the crisis acute in County Kerry, particularly regarding home heating costs.
“Almost 59% of homes in Kerry rely on home heating oil, which is nearly double the state average of 34%,” he said. “That means families across the county are far more exposed to soaring fuel costs than households in many other parts of the state. Yet the government withdrew supports that were helping households keep the lights on and heat their homes.”
Deputy Doherty noted that the housing situation in Kerry has moved beyond a social issue and is now impacting the local economy and communities. He pointed to figures showing average rents in the county have reached €1,493 per month, with exceptionally low market availability.
“At the time of writing, there were only 27 properties available online to rent across the entire county. Only 19 were below €2,000 a month and just five were available for less than €1,500. A county the size of Kerry, and only five rental properties affordable to someone on an ordinary income,” he said.
He also raised concerns for first-time buyers, noting that average house prices in Kerry have climbed to €296,000, representing an increase of €33,500 in a single year.
During the meeting, the Sinn Féin representatives will outline their party’s alternative proposals. These include a state-led program of affordable home building, a ban on excessive rent increases, enhanced protections for renters, and immediate energy credits and tax relief for workers.
“The resources exist to do this,” Deputy Doherty added. “The government’s own figures show billions in surplus funds available to the state. The issue is not a lack of money. The issue is political choice.”
The meeting is open to all members of the public, and a discussion session will follow the main presentations.

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National Park hosts weekend Bioblitz for National Biodiversity Week

Killarney National Park is taking centre stage for the final weekend of National Biodiversity Week, with the public being urged to get outdoor and explore the local environment. Today, Friday, […]

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17 hours ago

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25 May 2026

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Killarney National Park is taking centre stage for the final weekend of National Biodiversity Week, with the public being urged to get outdoor and explore the local environment.

Today, Friday, May 22, marks the UN International Day for Biological Diversity, and a series of free events will run across the park until the national celebration concludes this Sunday, May 24.
The highlight of the weekend is the Killarney National Park Bioblitz. This event brings families, nature lovers, and community volunteers together to find, identify, and record as many different plant and animal species as possible across the park’s diverse habitats over the next three days.
Christopher O’Sullivan, Minister for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, encouraged locals and visitors alike to utiliSe the final days of the festival to experience the area’s unique wildlife, referencing Killarney’s native habitats as key areas the state is working to protect.
Niall Ó Donnchú, Director General of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), noted that the week is designed to remind people that native plants, woodlands, and rivers are vital systems that make life possible. OrganiSers are encouraging anyone in the locality to head out to Killarney National Park before Sunday evening to participate in the species count and support local conservation efforts.

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