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Student hoping to kickstart innovative 3D project

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By Michelle Crean

One bright student is hoping her new product will change the way people with mobility issues write, draw and paint.

Final year Industrial Design student in GMIT, Mckella Daly, had to create a new, innovative product in response to the ongoing crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic.

After some inspiration and research she came up with a 3D printed assistive device which is aimed at helping people of all ages and abilities who want to express themselves creatively.

And she is now hoping to raise €10,000 to make her dream a reality and to achieve this has set up a Kickstarter campaign called 'Saor Dexterity Assistive Product'.

The unique circular grip allows the user to hold the product in a way that does not affect the natural clenched shape of their hand, Mckella explained.

"It is also helpful for people with arthritis and limited dexterity or fine motor skill issues. Saor is 3D printed in a durable, sustainable material that is also affordable. It makes it easy to adjust to the users' needs."

INSPIRATION

The inspiration for the unique design came from a nine-year-old child with Cerebral Palsy.

"I saw him write his name for the first time in his life!"

As her final year project was based on the difficulties caused by the pandemic she decided to focus on children who are considered vulnerable, mainly those with Cerebral Palsy, and from her research, she explains that it was clear that there are challenges, now more than ever, within the disability sector from medical challenges to isolation.

"After interviewing a number of children and their parents what became obvious was that they were struggling with home-schooling," McKella said.

"There is a huge financial strain on parents to buy specialised equipment that is necessary for their child and they have lost all of their therapies due to the pandemic whether that's occupation therapy, physiotherapy or speech and language therapy. From here, I decided to concentrate my design on the loss of occupational therapy and home-schooling. Many children with Cerebral Palsy struggle with a lack of mobility and find it difficult to hold a pen/pencil in a conventional way. This is where Saor came from."

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Céilí Mór will send ‘em home sweatin’

It will be a case of all around the house but mind the dresser at a traditional Céilí Mór which will be one of the real entertainment highlights of this […]

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It will be a case of all around the house but mind the dresser at a traditional Céilí Mór which will be one of the real entertainment highlights of this year’s St Patrick’s Festival in Killarney.

It will take place on the eve of the big feast day in the Killarney Great Southern and there will be a wonderful party atmosphere guaranteed on the night.
Providing the tunes will be the very highly regarded Uí Bhriaín Céilí Band and they promise to send everybody home sweating after what will be a memorable night for locals and visitors.
The March 16 céilí will commence at 9.00pm and continue right through until midnight and the admission for a wonderful night of pure Irish trad is just €10.00.
Bookings can be made on the festival website or patrons can pay at the door on the night.

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St Brendan’s student Aodhagan O’Sullivan crowned CPR champion

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Aodhagan O’Sullivan, a student at St Brendan’s College, Killarney, has been named the 2026 School CPR Challenge Champion.

The prestigious award was presented on Thursday, 26 February, during a large-scale event at the Gleneagle Hotel, where approximately 300 students from post-primary schools across the county gathered to compete for the title of “who can compress the best.”


Now in its fourth year, the event is organised by the Killarney Cardiac Response Unit (KCRU) Community First Responders.

The KCRU is a volunteer-led group that provides vital emergency response services to Killarney, Beaufort, Killorglin, Firies, Rathmore, and Kenmare.

The challenge focused on “Quality CPR” (QCPR), combining a high-stakes competition with practical life-saving training and the chance for students to engage directly with local emergency and community services.


The competition utilised advanced QCPR technology to measure the depth and rate of compressions, ensuring that students aren’t just learning the motions, but are performing life-saving techniques to a clinical standard.

Beyond the competitive element, the day served as an educational hub, highlighting the “chain of survival” and the importance of immediate bystander intervention in the event of a cardiac arrest.


The 2026 challenge was made possible through the support of the Vodafone Foundation, The Gleneagle Hotel, and First Aid Systems Ltd, alongside a variety of local sponsors. Organisers praised the enthusiasm of the 300 participants, noting that such events are essential for building a “heart-safe” community and equipping the next generation with the skills to save a life.

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