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Rare Padre Pio relic to go on display in Friary

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By Sean Moriarty

A rare relic of Padre Pio - owned by a Kilcummin man - will go on display at the Franciscan Friary during the annual St Padre Pio Triduum this week.

PADRE PIO: Michael O'Connor will display his 'First Class Relic' of Padre Pio at the annual St Padre Pio Triduum next week. Fr Eamonn O'Driscoll will lead the three-day devotion. Photo: Grigoriy Geniyevskiy

The three-day Triduum to the modern-day saint will take place from September 21 to 23 and will be led by Fr. Eamonn O’Driscoll, OFM.

There will be daily masses at 10am and 7pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and  Thursday this week.

The ‘First Class Relic’ - a bandage with the Saint’s blood on it - will go on display at the Friary for each of the two daily Masses over the three days.

The relic is owned by Kilcummin man Michael O’Connor who has been devoted to Padre Pio after he claims the saint appeared to him at his home in 2010.

Following the appearance, Michael decided to visit San Giovanni Rotondo, the Saint’s home from July 1916 until his death in 1968.

During one of his many visits, which included asking a local wood-carver to make a life-size solid-oak statue of the saint, he got to know many of the priests in the town.

They presented him with the bandage in February 2011 and this is the relic that will go on display.

“I have taken it on display in Galway, Mayo, many parishes all over the country,” Michael told the Killarney Advertiser.

“It has been to Kilcummin and here at the Friary too before. I have met many people who have told me they have been cured by it, that all their pains were gone, but this is the work of Padre Pio and Jesus and I am just the channel.”

Fr Eamonn is looking forward to welcoming parishioners back to the Friary after months of restrictions. The church will remain at 50 percent capacity during the two daily Masses. In June the Friary was forced to run six Masses a day on the Feast of St Anthony.

“There is a lot of devotion to Padre Pio here in Ireland. He is in living memory for some people,” he told the Killarney Advertiser. “It is a ‘First Class Relic’ and to see it public is unusual.”

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Noel O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship

Noel O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship

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O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship

Muckross co-driver Noel O’Sullivan is set for a busy season as he returns to the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) while also preparing for a record-breaking attempt on home soil.

O’Sullivan and driver Callum Devine have signed with the Swedish team JC Raceteknik for a full campaign focused on asphalt events. Their season begins this week at the Andalusia Rally – Sierra Morena in Spain. O’Sullivan remains the only Killarney-based co-driver competing at this level for a full season.
He brings significant international experience to the team, having previously worked with WRC driver Jon Armstrong during his early European outings. O’Sullivan and Devine recently proved their pace against top European crews with a fifth-place finish at the 2024 Rali Ceredigion in Wales.
Devine said:
“I’m really looking forward to coming back to the ERC. It’s always great for a driver to compete against Europe’s best on some iconic events. We’ve had great success back home in Ireland over the past few seasons, winning two Irish Tarmac Rally Championships, and we feel now is the right time to come back and take on some ERC events. Starting with Rally Sierra Morena, I’m delighted to be joining JC Raceteknik. I know they are a very professional team with a wealth of experience, and I’m looking forward to working closely with them.”
The European schedule will not interfere with O’Sullivan’s local plans. Following the rally in Spain, the pair will return to Kerry for the Rally of the Lakes over the May Bank Holiday weekend. They are aiming for a fifth consecutive victory in Killarney as they look to move back into the lead of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.
The move to the European stage follows a successful week for O’Sullivan, who was recently named the International Motorsport winner at the Kerry Sports Star Awards.

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Classic Tour set to celebrate heritage roads in June

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Classic Tour set to celebrate heritage roads in June


A new heritage motoring event, the Killarney Classic Tour, has been confirmed for June 26–27, 2026. The two-day tour is designed to celebrate the iconic rally stages of Kerry and the Beara Peninsula.


Headquartered at the Gleneagle Hotel, the event is non-competitive and open to a wide range of vintage and historic cars. Organisers are placing a particular focus on period-correct rally cars and recreations that reflect the history of the Circuit of Ireland, the Circuit of Munster, and the early years of the Rally of the Lakes.
The tour is the work of two well-known figures in Irish rallying, Mike Marshall and Micheal O’Mahoney. Marshall, a founding member of the Rally of the Lakes and Clerk of the Course for over 20 years, has designed a route that allows drivers to experience famous stages like Moll’s Gap at a relaxed pace. O’Mahoney, a long-term supporter of the sport through Rentokil and a historic car owner himself, joins Marshall in the venture.

Co-Founder O’Mahoney said:
“This event is about bringing people back together – the cars, the stories, and the friendships that have always been part of rallying. It’s a chance to step away from competition and simply enjoy these roads.”



The Saturday itinerary includes a lunch stop in Castletownbere before the field returns to Killarney for a gala dinner at the Gleneagle Hotel. The evening will feature guest speakers and a focus on the shared history of the sport.
“This event is about bringing people back together — the cars, the stories, and the friendships,” added Micheal O’Mahoney.
Registrations are now open at www.KillarneyClassicTour.ie.

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