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PhD student’s genetic research win prestigious prize

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By Michelle Crean

A Killorglin man has won a prestigious prize, the Conway Festival Gold Medal, for his work on genetic research on TB in cattle.

PhD student, John O’Grady, was competing against 114 other researchers in UCD Conway Institute, a biomedical research institute in University College Dublin.

This early-stage research could identify potential biomarkers to develop new diagnostic tests for M. bovis infection and guide the breeding of livestock with enhanced bovine TB resistance.

The research being carried out by John and supervised by Professors David MacHugh, Claire Gormley, and Stephen Gordon will impact the global agricultural industry, which sustains significant economic losses due to M. bovis infection in cattle.

In the context of a One Health framework – in which the health of animals, humans and the environment are inextricably linked - understanding the response in cattle to M. bovis infection can help explain immunological responses during human TB.

“We created a pipeline for integrative genomic analyses using three types of data: high-resolution genomic variation and transcriptomic data generated by our group and external genome-wide association study data produced by scientists at Teagasc and the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation," the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, said.

"For this, we used samples of peripheral blood from cattle infected with M. bovis to perform a transcriptome wide association study. This is the first study of its kind in the context of bovine TB.”

John is in the first year of his doctoral studies funded by the SFI Centre for Research Training in Genomics Data Science. As part of his PhD, he will continue this research to see if there are commonalities in gene expression across breed groups. The genes that are overexpressed during M. bovis infection may be potential biomarkers for the development of new diagnostic tests for M. bovis infection.

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Camera Club exhibition opens at Killarney House

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Camera Club exhibition opens at Killarney House



Killarney Camera Club’s 25th anniversary exhibition is open to the public at Killarney House until Sunday, October 4.



Mayor of Killarney Councillor John O’Donoghue officially opened the event, which features a wide range of work from local photographers capturing landscapes, people, and moments from home and abroad.

Speaking at the opening, Mayor O’Donoghue highlighted the rich natural surroundings available to local photographers. “We are so fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the world, with dramatic mountains, lakes, rivers, forests, and a vibrant town centre, as well as beaches and open sea just a short distance away,” he said.

In a lighthearted admission, the Mayor admitted to storing hundreds of photos on his phone, adding that seeing the standard of work on display inspired him “to finally print some of my own photographs for posterity.”

The club was founded in 2001 as the Photographic Society of Killarney at the Park Place Hotel before adopting its current name in 2006. Founding member Seamus Long recalled starting with just eight members, contrasting it with today’s membership of over 30 photographers who meet at the ANAM Arts and Cultural Centre.

“There is nothing better than seeing your images in print, mounted and framed and hanging on a wall,” Mr Long said, referencing the club’s shift from traditional darkrooms to modern digital photography.

To mark the anniversary, the club has published a commemorative booklet featuring 25 select images from members past and present. The limited-edition booklet is available at Eason’s and directly from the club.

The exhibition runs daily at Killarney House until October 4. Admission is free and all are welcome.

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Chamber schedules future talks with Minister Foley

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Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has agreed two further meetings for 2027 with Minister Norma Foley following a positive discussion on local infrastructure last week.

Executive committee members met with Minister Foley on Thursday, August 27, to present priority projects affecting Killarney and the wider region.


The discussion focused primarily on securing Urban Regeneration and Development Fund allocations for Killarney town center and advancing plans for the Kerry-Cork economic corridor link.


Minister Foley emphasized the need for local stakeholders, elected representatives, state agencies, and government departments to maintain a unified approach when seeking state backing for strategic regional developments.


Following the discussion, Minister Foley committed to closer communication with the chamber office, alongside two formal follow-up meetings scheduled for 2027 to monitor project progress and address ongoing commercial issues.


Chamber representatives welcomed the commitment to regular dialogue, noting that structured updates will help ensure key local infrastructure projects remain active on the government agenda.


Photo Caption
STRATEGIC TALKS: Members of the Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce Executive Committee who met with Minister Norma Foley to discuss URDF funding and regional infrastructure links for the town. Photo: Don MacMonagle.

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