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State-of-the-art facility opened at Listowel Race Course

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9 years ago

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Brenda Daly, secretary, with David Fitzmaurice, chairman, Listowel Race Company and Brian Kavanagh, CEO HRI, pictured at the opening of the new €1.3m facility at the racetrack on Wednesday. The annual Listowel Harvest Racing Festival runs over seven days from September 11-17. PICTURE: DON MACMONAGLE
Brenda Daly, secretary, with David Fitzmaurice, chairman, Listowel Race Company and Brian Kavanagh, CEO HRI, pictured at the opening of the new €1.3m facility at the racetrack on Wednesday. The annual Listowel Harvest Racing Festival runs over seven days from September 11-17. PICTURE: DON MACMONAGLE

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WELL-KNOWN figures from the horse-racing industry are among 300 guests hosted by Listowel Race Company this evening as it officially opened it newly constructed food hall, bar and viewing area at a reception in the new €1.3 million facility.

The chairman of Listowel Race Company, David Fitzmaurice, welcomed all present on behalf of the board of directors, with special guests including the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, and Brian Kavanagh, chief executive of Horse Racing Ireland (HRI).

The trio cut the ribbon at the end of the opening ceremony to officially declare the new building open. Canon Declan O’Connor then blessed the building.

Built by Monami Construction Ltd, the new facility has been part-financed by Horse Racing Ireland through its Racecourse Capital Development Scheme, which provided funding of over €600,000.

Construction began in January and was completed ahead of schedule in mid-July. Many thousands of racegoers will have the opportunity to enjoy the new facility over the forthcoming 158th Listowel Harvest Racing Festival Meeting from September 11 to 17. For more information on Listowel Races contact 068-21144/21172 or visit www.listowelraces.ie

The new building is a modern contemporary design which both complements and enhances the overall look of the racecourse facilities. It replaces The Old Snack Bar, and incorporates a modern Food Hall, called The Old Weir Food Hall on the ground floor, and The Riverside Bar on the upper level with an adjacent viewing area that has magnificent views of the Parade Ring. There are also ladies and gents toilets on the ground level.

The Old Weir Food Hall is designed to serve people who want to grab a quick bite, but don’t want to waste time on eating when there are exciting races to watch and bet-on! The Riverside Bar will accommodate sponsors, owners and trainers on race-days.
 

 
Brenda Daly, secretary, with David Fitzmaurice, chairman, Listowel Race Company and Brian Kavanagh, CEO, HRI, pictured at the opening of the new €1.3m facility at the racetrack on Wednesday. The annual Listowel Harvest Racing Festival runs over seven days from September 11-17. PICTURE: DON MACMONAGLE

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Concerns over future of St Mary of the Angels

Two Kerry TDs have voiced concerns over the future of St Mary of the Angels and St Francis Special School in Beaufort, highlighting the urgent need for respite services for […]

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14 hours ago

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17 October 2025

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Two Kerry TDs have voiced concerns over the future of St Mary of the Angels and St Francis Special School in Beaufort, highlighting the urgent need for respite services for children and adults with profound disabilities and special needs.

The campus, set on lands generously donated by the Doyle family, offers 30 acres of grounds, existing buildings, and services, making it a valuable asset for the provision of respite care in Kerry. TD Michael Cahill emphasized that the Doyle family’s wishes should be respected, and that the grounds should be made accessible immediately.
“The special needs community in Kerry has a major respite crisis and families don’t have time to wait. Families need help — they are not asking for full-time residential care but respite care, a break, a helping hand,” Deputy Cahill said.
He added that a bespoke approach is needed to meet the individual needs of children attending St Francis Special School. “Many of the children in the county with profound needs need a safe haven where they can roam the grounds freely, and St Mary of the Angels offers this.”
Deputy Cahill has accompanied several Ministers to the Beaufort campus to highlight its value to Disability Health Service providers. A working group has been formed including St John of Gods, the HSE, representatives of residents at St Mary of the Angels, and St Francis Special School, to explore options for maintaining and expanding respite services.
“Parents are worn out and at the end of their tether. This needs to be dealt with expeditiously, in an environment of cooperation between the relevant Government Departments of Health, Disability, and Education. We need to get this across the line urgently and put it permanently in place,” he said.
Deputy Cahill pointed to the current shortfall of respite services in Kerry. “As of now, Cunamh Iveragh respite in Cahersiveen is only open Friday to Sunday, running at half capacity — two adults per night instead of four. The issue is staffing, and the HSE will not release funding to open full-time. The Beaufort campus is available and should be utilised as parents are crying out for overnight respite. Cooperation and compassion could see this done quickly.”
TD Danny Healy Rae echoed these concerns during a Dáil speech this week. “We are still short of respite beds on the southern side of the constituency. Families caring for people with disabilities just want a break, but there is nowhere available locally. Places are being offered only in Tipperary or Meath for those needing new residential care. It makes no sense. St Mary of the Angels in Beaufort has 40 or 50 acres of grounds that could be expanded, with facilities already in place such as swimming pools. It could be developed as a model for the rest of the country.”
Both TDs are urging the Government and the HSE to take immediate action to utilise the Beaufort campus for respite care, in line with the intentions of the Doyle family and the needs of Kerry families.

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Cardiac Response Unit’s ‘Restart a Heart’ training event

Killarney Cardiac Response Unit (KCRU) is set to run a range of events as part of the global initiative Restart A Heart, which aims to increase awareness and actual rates […]

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18 hours ago

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17 October 2025

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Killarney Cardiac Response Unit (KCRU) is set to run a range of events as part of the global initiative Restart A Heart, which aims to increase awareness and actual rates of bystander CPR worldwide.

The main event, titled RAH 2025, invites the public to learn life-saving skills and the basic steps in the chain of survival. This will take place on Saturday, October 18, at the Killarney Outlet Centre.
Members of the public are encouraged to join KCRU at the centre between 10:00 am and 5pm.
Key feature of the day will be the CPR Competition, offering “fantastic prizes to be won.”
For further information, visit www.killarneycru.ie/rah25

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