By Eamonn Fitzgerald

It was always uplifting to see and greet Joe Gaffey enjoying his work in Killarney.

He kept the windows so clean, saying clean windows make a great first impression, allowing natural light to enter, and helping to reduce energy costs.
He took such pride in his window cleaning business. I said, “Joe, even the humble flies are afraid to land on your cleaned windows”. Quick as a wink, he responded, “they’re afraid of skidding on my spic and span windows, like a jet crash-landing in these downpours”. With the trademark cloth whipped from his back pocket, he was back at work.
He loved the craic and the banter, but when it came to soccer, he was deadly serious, a brilliant player with Fossa FC (now extinct) where I first got to know the star player from Athlone and Jock (Alex Rintoul), his great teammate.
Teak tough, but a scrupulously fair defender, Joe was a godsend for the Fossa’s keeper. Not even the speediest inside forwards could get past him. He was a believer and practitioner of the Biblical and Lord of the Rings dictum ‘thou shalt not pass’. Not a blunt stopper, but you just could not get by such was his defensive skill and perfect timing, the sine qua non for brilliant players in any sports code. That lethal left leg, that trusted ciotóg never failed. He had the same sense of timing playing golf.
In previewing the 1976 All-Ireland final versus Dublin, I asked several members of the general public and GAA enthusiasts to predict the outcome for the Killarney Advertiser. All predicted a definite win for Kerry. A repeat of ‘75 was a dead cert. Joe was the only one to get it correct: a surprise win for the Dubs. He got a lot of mileage out of that episode.
How he would have loved Westmeath’s fairytale win over fancied Meath on Sunday last, his final day. Ach bhí an t-am istigh. The ref called for the ball. Game of life over, but our fond memories of Joe will endure. We’ll miss his professional expertise and his endearing and unfailing good humour. Slán abhaile Joe.
To his wife Julie, sons Darren and Jonathan, his extended family and his many friends and admirers, comhbhrón ó chroí.

One of Killarney’s most famous migratory residents has made a triumphant return as Cuach Cores arrived back in the National Park this week following an incredible 9,000-kilometre journey from Africa.

The latest satellite tracking data from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) confirmed that Cores crossed the Bay of Biscay and made landfall in western France last Saturday. By Monday, April 20, he was recorded on the outskirts of Villeneuve-en-Retz, perfectly on schedule for his annual return to his breeding grounds at Derrycunnihy Woodland.
This marks the third consecutive year that Cores has returned to the same spot in Killarney since being tagged at Incheens in May 2023. His reappearance is a significant relief for researchers, as his tag had gone “radio silent” for four months while he was deep within the Congolese forests. The signal finally sprang back to life on March 19 in Ghana, showing he had successfully crossed the Sahara.

For those hoping to catch a local performance from this elusive harbinger of summer, the National Park suggests heading to Derrycunnihy Church. Visitors can park and follow the Kerry Way signs toward the Old Kenmare Road (Incheens). Local experts say that if you pass the strea

m and follow the path, the distinctive call of Cores can often be heard echoing through the woodland.
Solving a natural mystery

The Cuckoo Tracking Project is a collaborative effort between the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and the BTO. It aims to solve the mystery of where Irish cuckoos spend their winter and whether they follow different migration routes than their British counterparts.
While cuckoo populations have seen a 27% decline in some regions, the Irish population has remained relatively stable. Tracking birds like Cuach Cores—who was the first cuckoo from Ireland or the UK to reach the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2023—provides vital data on the challenges these birds face during their epic biannual treks across two continents.
Cores is one of three cuckoos tagged in Killarney National Park, alongside “Cuach Torc” and others. His arrival signals the official start of “the time of the cuckoo” in the Kingdom, a period traditionally associated with the final days of April and the true beginning of the Irish summer.

Photos by Valerie O’Sullivan