News
Ring of Kerry tractor run to raise money for Firies charity
ON THE RUN: The Nobber Vintage Club annual vintage tractor run passing through Killarney town last year. Photo: Eamonn Keogh
By Sean Moriarty
A fleet of up to 50 vintage tractors, cars and motorcycles will pass through Killarney this Friday afternoon as members of Nobber Vintage Club in County Meath host their annual visit to the county.
One local charity, The Seamus O’Brien Fund, will benefit from the charity run, organised by the Meath-based club.
The Firies man, who lost his leg in a construction accident in 2018, has strong family ties to County Meath. His wife Ruth is from the Royal County and when they returned to Ireland after a spell in London Seamus played football with the local Seneschalstown GAA Club before eventually settling in Seamus’s home village of Firies.
The participants will raise also money for the Marie Keating Foundation.
The group, who have been running the Ring of Kerry run since 2011, will leave the Meath town on Wednesday and drive their vintage tractors to Killarney.
Local man Tony Wharton is taking his 50-year-old John Deere tractor to Nobber in time for the start and will participate in the entire run with support from Barleymount’s Pat O’Brien who will drive a back-up vehicle.
The fleet is expected in Killarney around 2.30pm on Friday and will parade through the town. They will be joined by between 25 and 30 members of Killarney Valley Classic and Vintage Club (KVCVC) on arrival in Kerry and the local members will also participate in Saturday’s Ring of Kerry run.
The group will overnight in Fossa and the participating tractors will be on display at Tom Wharton’s farm in Fossa.
“Seamus has been through a hard time and deserves everything we can do to support him,” Mr Wharton told the Killarney Advertiser. “It was my idea to include a local charity and the Nobber Club agreed because it is also local to them. They have been coming here since 2011 and have left a nice few Euros in the locality.”
On Saturday, the convoy will complete the Ring of Kerry run, via the Gap of Dunloe and the finish line in Fossa before returning to Nobber on Monday morning.
The group will have driven over one thousand kilometres by the time they return to Meath on Wednesday August 26.
Top golf scores at Mahony’s Point
Ivan Tagney and Aoife Twomey secured top honours at Killarney Golf and Fishing Club as members turned out in large numbers to compete for Captain Tomás Kelliher’s Prize on Mahony’s Point.
In the men’s event, Ivan Tagney claimed the Captain’s Prize with an impressive 42 points. Conor Dillon carded 48 points, returning the lowest score of the weekend, though he was ineligible for the main trophy without an established handicap.
Despite wet weather, the ladies section produced remarkable scoring on Sunday. Aoife Twomey took first place playing off 28 handicap, recording a nett 63. June O’Brien finished runner-up with a 67 nett, followed by Kay O’Connor in third with a 69 nett.
Captain Tomás Kelliher extended his thanks to the committee, staff, and volunteers for organising the flagship competition, praising the course condition and strong turnout across both events.
Results
Men’s Captain’s Prize 1st: Ivan Tagney (42 pts) Best Score: Conor Dillon (48 pts) 3rd: Joseph Sheahan (41 pts) 4th: Michael Cotter (41 pts) 5th: Emmet Scanlon (41 pts) 6th: Ian Sherlock (41 pts) 7th: Cathal O’Connor (40 pts) 8th: Aaron McCann (40 pts) 9th: Dan Quirke (40 pts) 10th: Mark Tuite (40 pts) 11th: Alan O’Meara (40 pts) 12th: Donal Begley (40 pts) Best Gross: Donal Considine (72) Category 1: 1st Kevin Leacy (39 pts), 2nd Ian Cronin (39 pts) Category 2: 1st Adam Carey (40 pts), 2nd Jack Crehan (40 pts) Category 3: 1st John McEnery (40 pts), 2nd Thomas Coleman (39 pts) Category 4: 1st Mike Dreelan (38 pts), 2nd Jason Reen (38 pts) Front Nine: Aaron Coffey (24 pts) Back Nine: Chris Myers (24 pts) Past Captain: Pat Cussen (38 pts) Over 70: Joe Geaney (39 pts) Committee Prize: Shane Horgan (38 pts) Guest Prize: Jack Kelliher
Ladies Captain’s Prize 1st: Aoife Twomey – 63 (28) 2nd: June O’Brien – 67 (20) 3rd: Kay O’Connor – 69 (13) 4th: Louise Langan – 70 (19) 5th: Mary Tobin – 71 (20) 6th: Geraldine Tarrant – 71 (26) 7th: Kathleen O’Keefe – 71 (19) 8th: Noreen O’Callaghan – 72 (18) 9th: Anne Moynihan – 72 (2) 10th: Breda Duggan – 72 (29) Best Gross: Kelly O’Donoghue (76) Front Nine: Kate O’Leary Back Nine: Sarah O’Brien 13-Hole Competition: Maud Malone – 24 pts (28)
‘Natural Kerry’ opens at Killarney House
Tralee Art Group’s ‘Natural Kerry’ exhibition officially opened at Killarney House and Gardens on Saturday, August 8, celebrating the landscapes, people, and culture of the Kingdom.
Opening remarks were given by TAG Chairperson Caitríona Foley, who welcomed artists, family, and friends before introducing special guest Michael Gleeson, former Mayor of Killarney and current Chairperson of Killarney Tidy Towns.
Addressing attendees, Michael spoke on the unique gift artists possess in capturing and sharing the beauty of Kerry through their work, offering a thoughtful reflection on the inspiration behind the collection.
The well-attended launch drew a large crowd to view the artwork, meet the artists, and enjoy the surroundings of Killarney House. Tralee Art Group extended its thanks to the staff at Killarney House and Gardens for hosting the event.
‘Natural Kerry’ runs until August 27. Many of the featured artworks are available for purchase, with enquiries available online at www.traleeartgroup.ie.
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