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Students take on new Park and Stride initiative  

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By Michelle Crean

A new Park and Stride initiative ‘5 Days 5 New Ways’ to encourage alternative means of travelling to school was launched in Killarney this week.

The initiative began at 8.30am on Monday morning in St Brigid's Secondary School, as students were dropped to Tesco car park in town and walked to school from there. Carpooling was the mode of transport on Tuesday, cycling on Wednesday. On Thursday, students assembled in the Lidl carpark and were escorted to school, and Friday everyone was encouraged to use the bus service.

It is all part of the Green Schools Initiative, with the main aim of the campaign to reduce congestion outside the school entrance, focus on the health and well-being of the students to encourage them to walk and cycle to school.

The school also hopes to promote the very topical issue of climate change by reducing carbon emissions, Sheree Murphy, Green Schools Coordinator of St Brigid’s explained.

"The support from various organisations such as Killarney Gardaí, Killarney Tidy Towns Committee and Mayor of Killarney John Sheahan has been phenomenal,” she said.

“I think everyone would like to see the public, and in particular students getting more active in the morning, as it is not only beneficial to our health but also to the environment and Killarney town itself."

She added a particular thank you to the Tidy Towns committee who sponsored a €30 voucher per day for any student who got involved in the ‘5 Days 5 New Ways’ initiative. The student’s names were entered into a raffle for a voucher. And Colm Copper, representing AIB, sponsored a voucher for students who got involved in two or more mornings.

Kerry footballer and All-Star winner, Sarah Houlihan was also on hand during Thursday’s event in order to encourage more walking to school, she added.

“Thank you to Garda Jamie Lenihan who organised a Garda presence on each of the days. The Cathaoirleach of Killarney Municipal District Councillor John Sheahan commended the teachers and the students for their initiative in trying to drive a change in behaviour around transport. The development of safe, accessible walking and cycling routes in Killarney is of vital importance to the long term development of the town.”

 

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Parnell commemorated in Beaufort on 125th Anniversary of Land League meeting

A special ceremony was held in Beaufort to mark the 125th anniversary of Charles Stewart Parnell’s historic visit to the village in 1880, when the Irish nationalist leader addressed thousands […]

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A special ceremony was held in Beaufort to mark the 125th anniversary of Charles Stewart Parnell’s historic visit to the village in 1880, when the Irish nationalist leader addressed thousands at a pivotal land reform meeting.

The commemoration, which took place beside the Beaufort Bar, honoured the legacy of the former MP and founder of the Irish National Land League.
The original meeting was held in a field belonging to Patrick O’Sullivan and attracted a crowd of approximately 3,000, defying the orders of local landlord ‘The O’Mahony’ of Dunloe Castle, who had threatened eviction to any tenant who supported the gathering.
Padruig O’Sullivan, proprietor of the Beaufort Bar and a direct descendant of Patrick O’Sullivan, addressed attendees at the unveiling of a new monument to mark the occasion.
The stone was designed by renowned uilleann piper and artist Tomás O’Sullivan, who also composed a special piece of music titled Parnell’s Blackbird to honour the occasion.
The original 1880 meeting was reported in publications such as the ‘Dundalk Democrat’, which gave a vivid account of the powerful speeches delivered that day.

Extract from the Dundalk Democrat – May 1880

The meeting, held on Sunday, May 16, 1880 in Patrick O’Sullivan’s field south of the Beaufort Hotel, was arranged in defiance of local landlord ‘The O’Mahony,’ who warned tenants they would be evicted for taking part. Nevertheless, the turnout was overwhelming.
Parnell arrived by special train and travelled by carriage from Killarney with fellow MP ‘The O’Donoghue’. The two were met by a band and a large welcoming crowd. Police and a Government reporter were present, but the atmosphere remained peaceful and spirited.
Speakers rallied against the unjust land laws of the time. ‘The O’Donoghue’ praised Parnell as the “shining star” of Irish nationalism and stated that “Kerry desired that her meeting should partake of a national character.”
When Parnell spoke, he described it as “the largest land meeting he had attended since County Mayo” and declared the movement to reclaim Irish land as one of the greatest undertakings in Irish history. He condemned the laws that allowed landlords to evict tenants and seize food as rent payment, noting that 600,000 farmers were subject to the whims of just 10,000 landlords.
He called for legislative reform, including the suspension of evictions and Government-backed tenant purchase schemes, warning that if Parliament failed to act, “the people will do for themselves what the Legislature refuses to do for them.”
He concluded by proposing the first resolution.
“That in the opinion of this meeting, the eviction of occupiers of land for non-payment of rent arbitrarily fixed by the landlord is unjust, subversive of the true interests of the country and calls for the emphatic condemnation of all lovers of justice.”

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St Pauls sign American Maisie Burnham

Killarney’s Utility Trust St Pauls women’s basketball team has announced the signing of American player Maisie Burnham for the upcoming 2025/2026 season. The club, who performed strongly in the latter […]

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Killarney’s Utility Trust St Pauls women’s basketball team has announced the signing of American player Maisie Burnham for the upcoming 2025/2026 season.

The club, who performed strongly in the latter part of the recent season and reached the league final, is looking to build on that success.
Maisie Burnham, a 24-year-old, six-foot-tall guard from Spangle City, Washington, comes to Killarney with a strong playing record. During her time at Liberty High School, where she also played volleyball, she was a high-scoring player.
She then went to Eastern Washington University, where in the 2020/2021 season, she led the team in scoring with over 14 points per game, a record for a freshman player at the university.
Burnham later moved to the University of Portland, where her scoring average continued to improve, reaching a peak of 16.3 points per game in the 2024/2025 season.
Utility Trust St Pauls say they are looking forward to welcoming Maisie to Killarney well in advance of the new season.

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