By Michelle Crean

A special presentation was made to Killarney Salmon & Trout Angling Club (KSTAC) this week in memory of an avid angler who passed away nine years ago.

The Jeremy O'Neill Memorial Shield.

SHIELD: A memorial shield was presented to Killarney Salmon & Trout Angling Club (KSTAC) on Monday. Front: Proprietor Denis O'Neill with his son Jeremy. Back: Denis O'Neill Stuart Steadwood (KSTAC committee member) Sinead O'Neill and Mike Doody (Secretary KSTAC).

The presentation was carried out in O'Neills of Plunkett Street on Monday. The current proprietor of the family business, Denis O'Neill, presented the KSTAC with the Jeremy O'Neill Memorial Shield in memory of his late father Jeremy who sadly passed away in 2014.

The shield was designed by Gerdie Murphy of Vincent Murphy Sports in Castleisland and it will be presented annually to the Club Angler of the Year.

"O'Neill's has, for many generations now, been a focal point and gathering location for anglers both local and from afar and it's great to see the business still supporting and supplying anglers today," Mike Doody, Secretary Killarney Salmon & Trout Angling Club (KSTAC), said.

"The Killarney Salmon and Trout Angling Club are very grateful to the O'Neill family to have been honoured with receiving this lovely shield and are very proud of the connections that it has with angling in Killarney."

He added that Denis was delighted to be able to acknowledge the ties with local angling through his family's sponsorship of the shield and in further support to the club, he will sponsor a prize for the winning angler as well.

"No better incentive for club members to dust down the rod and reel and contemplate taking to the waters for the season ahead! We are delighted to be presented with this shield and to be able to support a traditional local business which still has angling to its core today."