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Sweet acoustic sound surprises locals

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MUSIC TO THEIR EARS: Talented acoustic guitarist Gareth Carey has been amazing locals and visitors in town with his music. Photo: Michelle Crean

Passersby have stopped in their tracks in the heart of Killarney town in recent weeks as one very talented busker has been playing melodic, uplifting and refreshing songs on his acoustic guitar.

Michelle Crean talked to the man behind the strings, 40-year-old Gareth Carey, who is planning to make Killarney his new home.

And, during our ‘In Conversation’ he revealed that he has had a huge music career touring with Jeff Martin's 'Armada' in Australia, supporting acts like Public Enemy, Gomez, The Wailers and had a meeting to discuss some songs with none other than The Temptations at the Royal Albert Hall.

He also toured Australia extensively and played for the Swing Dance Champion of the East Coast of America.

Gareth grew up in Malvern, England before moving to Clonakilty, Ireland aged 12 in 1992 and began to learn the guitar. When he was 16 he studied under the tutelage of Kevyn Gammond who played guitar with The Band of Joy with Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin) on vocals and then collaborated on many albums and live shows Robert Plant went on to record and perform in his solo career. Gareth also attended Kidderminster College where he studied Music Management and Sound.

In the years that followed Gareth has been session playing with emerging bands from the Irish and English music scene.

His music influences include Nick Drake, Roy Harper, John Martyn and Bob Dylan and although he’s looking to get signed as a solo artist, he says that the music industry is going through a tough decade.

“Obviously it’s been a tough year with the year that’s in it,” he explained to the Killarney Advertiser.

He says that he supported Mick Flannery seven or eight years ago and recorded his first album with ’70s and ‘80s folk legend Roy Harper who has over 50 albums under his belt. Since then he’s been session playing but work is becoming increasingly hard to come by especially this year due to the pandemic and restrictions on gigs.

“The last 10 years has been the toughest for the music industry as it’s all free online now. It makes it more difficult to make a living from music now. I want to bring music back, I think it’s been lost a bit. It’s like art suddenly has no work. There’s no way around it.”

Not only has the last decade set him on harder times, the talented guitarist also recently smashed both his ankles in an accident, which has set him back even further.

“I smashed both ankles in Mercier in Spain on May 15 in an accident when I jumped into the water, not realising there were rocks beneath my feet.”

Metal pins were put in and it will take a few months to fully heal, he explained.
He says he’s ready to make a new album and hopes to get a record deal, especially since experiencing the positive reaction of the people in Killarney town.

“I’ve been a bit down on my own ability the last few years but now I’ve just got a new lease of life. I love Kerry especially Killarney, it's the best town and the people are really nice. I plan to settle here. I want to get a record deal ASAP. I really want to do something special. I’ll sit outside Universal Records if I have to. I want to absolutely focus on my music and get my songs out there.”

To hear Gareth’s music have a listen on soundcloud.com/garethcareymusic.

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School Dayz St Brendan’s students donate to Kerry Hospice

Students from St Brendan’s College have given €600 to Kerry Hospice. The money was raised from their book, ‘Futures from the Past’ which was published in April 2024. Teacher Mary […]

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Students from St Brendan’s College have given €600 to Kerry Hospice.

The money was raised from their book, ‘Futures from the Past’ which was published in April 2024.
Teacher Mary Denise Lyons and students Divo Lucic Kovacevii, Michéal McElligott, and Jaroslav Stetsenko handed over the funds to Cathal Walshe of Kerry Hospice.
‘Futures from the Past’ is a book written by current and retired writers, as well as students from St Brendan’s College.
This donation is the second from the book, with €800 donated last year and €600 this year.
The book was created to allow students to use their imaginations to explore the past and think about the future. It involved students from Poetry Ireland’s Writers-In-Schools Programme and adult learners from Kerry Education & Training Board’s Community Education Creative Writing group.
The book was launched at St Brendan’s College in April last year and was made possible with support from Poetry Ireland and the Arts Office of Kerry County Council.
‘Futures from the Past’ is available for sale at St Brendan’s College for €9.

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Community College TY students become qualified baristas

School Dayz Transition Year students at Killarney Community College spent last Tuesday learning the skills to become baristas. They completed a full-day training course and are now qualified to make […]

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School Dayz

Transition Year students at Killarney Community College spent last Tuesday learning the skills to become baristas.

They completed a full-day training course and are now qualified to make coffee, which could make them very employable in local cafes and restaurants this summer.
Their teachers, who are described as the school’s “resident coffee experts,” were impressed with the students’ hard work and enjoyed the lattes, cappuccinos, and Americanos the students made throughout the day.
In addition to their barista training, the TY students also took a trip to Mallow. There, they learned about the rules of the road, practiced the driver theory test, and many got behind the wheel of a car for the first time. They also learned about the dangers of speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

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