News
Sadness as Friar killed in car crash
By Sean Moriarty
The elderly man who died in a road traffic accident in Newcastle West on Wednesday night was a Friar who was on his way to the Franciscan Friary in Killarney for a holiday.
Fr John ‘Florian’ Farrelly was a member of the Franciscan community and attached to the Rossnowlagh Friary in County Donegal.
Fr Florian was previously attached to the Killarney Friary and served as the local Guardian in the 1980s.
He was on his way to visit friends and colleagues in Killarney – his first visit to the locality since before the pandemic.
“With great sadness we announce that our brother was tragically killed in a car accident on September 7. He was 87-years-old and a member of the Rossnowlagh fraternity. May his good and generous soul rest in the peace of Christ,” said a Franciscan statement.
“Florian’s kindness, his attentive listening and gentle presence were a blessing in the lives of the many people he came in contact with over his decades of Gospel service.”
John Farrelly was from Sutton, Co Dublin. He joined the friars in 1953 and received the religious name, Florian. He celebrated his Franciscan Profession the following year. After studies in Galway and Rome he was ordained to the priesthood in Rome in 1961. His younger brother Paschal (Michael) also joined the Franciscans and pre-deceased him in 2000.
During his long and fruitful ministry Florian lived in many friaries in Ireland beginning in Waterford. He spent an extended period in Drogheda friary where he was Guardian. He was also appointed Guardian in Killarney and Multyfarnham communities.
Funeral arrangements will be announced later.
Gneeveguilla apprentice wins national stonemasonry title
Darragh O’Sullivan from Gneeveguilla won the overall prize in the Architectural Stonemasonry category at the WorldSkills Ireland competition held recently at the RDS in Dublin.
An apprentice stonecutter and stonemason with the Office of Public Works (OPW) based in Mallow, O’Sullivan secured gold for his technical accuracy and craftsmanship during the three-day event.
The state agency relies on traditional trade skills to manage, conserve, and restore national monuments, public buildings, and heritage sites across the country.
O’Sullivan’s success reflects the training provided by his OPW mentors and team, highlighting the importance of apprentice development in preserving traditional heritage crafts for future generations.
Picture Caption: CRAFT CHAMPION: Tom Little (Kerry ETB), Terri Sweeney Meade (OPW), category winner Darragh O’Sullivan (OPW), and Donal Keys (WorldSkills Ireland) at the RDS in Dublin.
Jessica Cronin donates hair for children’s charity
Ten-year-old Killarney resident Jessica Cronin is set to cut and donate 12 inches of her hair to support young cancer patients, alongside a fundraising campaign for LauraLynn Children’s Hospice.
The hair donation will go directly to the Little Princess Trust, a charity providing real hair wigs free of charge to children and young people who have lost their own hair through medical treatment.
Alongside her hair donation, Jessica is collecting financial contributions for LauraLynn through the Locks of Love campaign.
“I want to help somebody that doesn’t have something that I have, hair,” Jessica said.
Her family expressed their pride in her decision to support both organisations.
“We are all so proud of her,” her mother, Grace O’Shea-Cronin, said. “Any donation, no matter how small, would be greatly appreciated.”
Donations to support Jessica’s fundraiser can be made online at
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