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Smalltalk: Brendan Kealy

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Ahead of Sunday’s eagerly anticipated Intermediate Championship final, Adam Moynihan caught up with Kilcummin’s All-Star goalkeeper Brendan Kealy

Congrats first of all on your win over Templenoe. It was hard-fought to say the least…

It was. Jeez, it was a very tough game. Templenoe are a good team, very strong. They’ve been unlucky the last few years so we knew it was going to be tough and it would probably go to the wire. Luckily enough, we came out on the right side of it in the end.

What do you think was the key?

Kevin McCarthy’s goal gave us a lift when we needed it. They had their purple patch in the first half as well and we didn’t really perform, but to go in just three points down playing against the breeze… I suppose things could have been worse. We knew that if we could perform in the second half, we were still well in the game.

How influential has Kevin been this season?

Kev is playing good stuff now at the moment. He’s obviously inside with Kerry and he has much more potential to reach as well, no doubt. He’s doing well but in fairness there are other guys there. There’s been a nice spread across the team. But he’s a great lad to have around the place.

Your backs forced a lot of turnovers down the stretch. Is that kind of intense tackling one of your strengths as a team?

Yeah, I suppose it was a frantic kind of game, especially towards the end. I don’t know was there too much method to the madness; it was just doing what needed to be done and the lads stood up well. But Templenoe were unlucky. The ball could have bounced another way once or twice and it could have been different.

You’re now 60 minutes away from bouncing back to senior at the first time of asking. Were there any fears after last year’s relegation that things might go backwards again?

We have had a couple of disappointing years. We were down numbers and stuff. But sometimes you need to take a step back to go forward and that’s what happened last year. I suppose that fear is always at the back of your mind that things could get worse - it can be a slippery slope when you do start sliding. We were just conscious at the start of the year to halt the slide and try and reverse it.

We’re in a final now and it’s a bonus. We would have been happy to just consolidate this year but we’re there now and we’ll see how it goes.

How important is it for Kilcummin to get back to senior level? 

It’s not a big, huge talking point or anything. I know it’s the oldest cliché in the book but we’re just playing each game as it comes. It’s not that it’s this big thing to get back senior. We were senior for 20 years and it’s obviously great to play at the top level of football - in Kerry, of all places, it’s a privilege - but we just wanted to get the show back on the road this year and get lads back enjoying their football. We’ll see where it takes us.

Glenflesk stand in your way in the final. What do you make of them as a team?

They’re a good East Kerry club with a good tradition and they’re really building something again now. They’re a young team with some dangerous players like Lee O’Donoghue, Darragh Roche, Jeff O’Donoghue… Those lads are as good a player as you’ll come across in the county. Denis Reen has gone in there this year and they’re taking things to the next level. You have to admire what they’re doing out there.

We played them in the league and the game could have gone either way but it’s going to take a very, very good performance for us to be there or thereabouts the next day. We know that. Glenflesk will probably be favourites.

On a personal level, you decided to step away from the Kerry fold last year. How have you found not being involved with Kerry after such a long time? 

Yeah it was obviously a bit strange at times, especially at the start of the year when you’re normally going through the slog. But it was great to be back and going through that slog with the club, which I haven’t been able to do for a long number of years. Just to be able to get back in with your friends and put the head down, shoulder to the wheel and really try to give something back to the club. It has been really, really enjoyable.

I think the way the fixtures have been played there in the month April, from a club point of view, has been great. We’ve picked up momentum and it has been more enjoyable rather than the scattergun approach before where you might have a game every couple of months. But I’m really enjoying where I am at the moment.

Stepping away from the county has also allowed you to explore some other avenues. You’re coaching with Offaly and you’ve set up a YouTube channel for goalkeepers. How are those ventures going? 

The coaching is a brand new experience. It’s something I thought that down the road I’d like to get into and an opportunity came along sooner than I thought it might. So I said, “look, we’ll go for it”. I have family connections up in Offaly as well so it seemed like a good fit. I’m fortunate that I’m still playing while also getting the experience on the coaching side of things at intercounty level. So yeah, really happy and just soaking it all up.

The YouTube channel is just something that myself and Kieran (Fleming) started up as there was a real interest from a lot of young goalkeepers in particular who want to improve but for various reasons aren’t able to get the coaching they need. I started @thegaagk on social media as a place where goalkeepers can get tips and training ideas for when they are on the training field themselves. It’s very enjoyable and the feedback has been great so far so we’ll stick at it and keep trying to help.

All the best with everything, and good luck in the final on Sunday.

Thanks Adam!

 

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Rotary Club’s Wine & Art Night raises €25,000

The Killarney Rotary Club’s annual Wine & Art Night, held before Christmas, was another resounding success, raising a grand total of €25,000 for local community projects. President Ciara Irwin Foley […]

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The Killarney Rotary Club’s annual Wine & Art Night, held before Christmas, was another resounding success, raising a grand total of €25,000 for local community projects.

President Ciara Irwin Foley expressed the club’s delight with the amount raised, thanking club members and everyone who contributed to this impressive sum. She highlighted that this popular annual event directly supports vital local initiatives such as schools, clubs, and charities in the Killarney area.

Ms. Irwin Foley extended particular thanks to the event’s long-standing key sponsors: Daly’s SuperValu, Killarney Brewing & Distilling Co, and Killarney Credit Union, acknowledging their crucial and consistent support over the years. The team at The Great Southern Killarney was also thanked for ensuring the smooth running of the event. Appreciation was also given to the businesses that sponsored door prizes and competitions, including The Rose Hotel, M.D. O’Shea’s, CRL, and The Lake Hotel, as well as to Mike Neeson for providing entertainment.

The Wine & Art Night provides a valuable platform for local artists and craftspeople, with up to fifty showcasing their work. Some artists have been involved since the event’s inception, making it a wonderful networking opportunity. There is always significant interest from artists to participate in this worthwhile cause, with a percentage of their sales donated on the night. Many also generously donate their artwork for the auction, where 100% of the proceeds go directly to the beneficiary fund.

The beneficiaries themselves play an active role by selling tickets for the event in advance, using this as a key fundraising method for their own projects. The schools, clubs, organisations, and charities involved put in tremendous effort, and it is always inspiring to hear how the funds raised have positively impacted them. For example, the Hospice sells their Christmas cards at the event, and the Irish Pilgrimage Trust sells raffle tickets to help bring local people to Lourdes at Easter.

Organising the Wine & Art Night is a significant undertaking for the Killarney Rotary Club, with extensive preparations happening well in advance. Many individuals contribute their time and effort, with numerous volunteers ensuring everything runs smoothly on the night. It is this collective effort that makes the event such a success.

The €25,000 raised this year has been distributed to the following deserving beneficiaries: Faha N.S., Fossa N.S., Gaelscoil Faithleann, Knockanes N.S., Loreto N.S., Loughquittane N.S., St. Brendan’s (Sem), Hospice, Irish Pilgrimage Trust, Kerry Stars Club, Killarney Athletic, and Killarney Valley AC.
The Killarney Rotary Club is already looking forward to hosting their next Wine & Art Night at the end of November.

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Kerry Jobs Fair to connects job seekers and employers

Job seekers and employers in Kerry will have a chance to meet at the Kerry Jobs Fair 2025 on May 20, at the Rose Hotel in Tralee. Over 30 companies […]

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Job seekers and employers in Kerry will have a chance to meet at the Kerry Jobs Fair 2025 on May 20, at the Rose Hotel in Tralee.

Over 30 companies from the county will be there, offering hundreds of job openings across different sectors.
The free event is organised by NEWKD Local Development Company, in partnership with The Rose Hotel and Tralee Chamber Alliance. Anyone interested can attend by registering on the day.
People looking for work can explore opportunities in areas like office administration, IT, accounting, finance, hospitality, manufacturing, food production, and retail.
The event aims to link job seekers and employers with useful information and support related to employment.
Alongside employer stands, there will be a careers clinic offering help with CV writing, interview skills, and information on training and career development.
There will also be workshops for both employees and employers about employing people who are not Irish citizens.
Robert Carey, NEWKD SICAP Programme Manager, said that bringing together many employers, services, and speakers will give job seekers a great chance to talk directly to potential employers, join workshops on career progression, and learn about employment schemes like Tús, CE, and WPEP. He added that employers will get to meet job seekers face-to-face and get information on employing people from abroad, which is important for business growth.
Efforts are being made to help Ukrainian refugees and those seeking international protection attend the fair, with information provided beforehand and interpreters available on the day. NEWKD, as part of the Kerry Community Response Forum, highlights that employment is key for refugees integrating into the community.
During the event, employers can learn about the specifics of employing migrants, get answers to common questions, and raise any concerns. A workshop for employers will be led by Frank O`Boyle from the Irish Refugee Council.
In addition to the job fair, there will be information sessions for all visitors on topics such as CV preparation (led by Sean Connell, HR at NEWKD), interview skills (presented by Lydia Oboryna from the Open Door Initiative), employment law for migrants, accessing the labour market for those with temporary protection, and entrepreneurship workshops on starting a business and finding funding.
The Newkd Kerry Jobs Fair 2025 is supported by the Rose Hotel and the Tralee Chamber Alliance, with funding from the SICAP programme, which is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Local Community Development Committee (LCDC).

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