Felicity’s Summer in Killarney

 A weekly series from Killarney Advertiser’s Jess Jukes

They waited for a few minutes until there was no further movement from Auntie Sheila’s room.  Jack unlocked the door before he disappeared to go and rummage in the downstairs bathroom. He came back victorious, with a mostly empty bottle of cat shampoo. It smelt slightly odd but they decided it would do.

They popped Socks into the sink and tried to wash him down, but were immediately met with resistance. He clawed at Felicity as she held him in the sink, and Jack gently tried to rub the shampoo into his coated fur.

It took them a long time and quite a few scratches, but they managed to return him to his regular coat of black, and his socks to a grey-er than usual white.

When she let Socks go, he turned and hissed at them before trotting off into the living room, no doubt to sleep on his favourite chair with Auntie Sheila’s nice blankets.

Felicity said goodnight to Jack and retreated to her room. She looked down at herself and sighed. She could do with a wash herself – she was completely covered in paint. She was creeping to the bathroom when Auntie Sheila’s bedroom door suddenly opened.

She took in the sight before her “What on Earth?” she muttered. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” Felicity said sheepishly. She was about to explain what had happened when Auntie Sheila cut her off.

“As long as you’re alright poppet, and you don’t think I need to know, then I don’t want to know.”

Felicity smiled, and Auntie Sheila’s nose wrinkled at the smell of what was probably the cat shampoo. “Gosh, please go shower.”

Felicity laughed quietly as her aunt closed the door.

Competition

The next morning, Felicity would have loved to lie in, but the universe had other plans. She jolted awake to the sound of loud banging. She peered out of her window and saw that Mr McCarthy was knocking harshly on the door of Mrs Flaherty’s house.

Felicity assumed she opened the door, because all she could hear was Mr McCarthy’s voice as he hollered and raved about the state of his prize roses. Felicity glanced across the street and sure enough, the rose bush that she had rescued Socks from the night before was in sorry shape. She could still see the tipped over paint can, which she now realised was the same colour as Mr McCarthy’s new garden wall. But the paint wasn’t only on the wall. Oh no. It was everywhere. The pavement, the grass, and the prize roses were all drenched in dark grey.

Felicity tuned back in to the ruckus outside Mrs Flaherty’s door in time to hear Mr McCarthy shout “I knew you were a conniving meddler June, but I never thought you’d go this far. The Hedgerow Place Association will hear about this, mark my words! Maybe even the Town Council!”

With that parting shot, Mr McCarthy stormed away, back towards his own house and ruined garden.

Felicity lunged for her phone and started texting Jack immediately.

“We might have caused some trouble …”

He got back to her within moments.

“What happened?”

Felicity filled him in on what she had witnessed. Jack said some very colourful things before he told her that he would be there as soon as possible. They both agreed they’d have to tell Mrs Flaherty about what really happened. It wasn’t fair that she had taken the brunt of Mr McCarthy’s ire when the situation wasn’t her fault.

Confessing

The pair approached Mrs Flaherty’s door and knocked. When she opened the door, Mrs Flaherty took one look at them and beckoned them inside.

Felicity had never been inside No.15 before, but it’s décor did not surprise her. They were ushed into the kitchen, where paisley wallpaper and the smell of brownies dominated the space. Mrs Flaherty gestured them towards the table whilst she took to making tea. “What sort of trouble brought ye to my door this morning?” she asked over her shoulder.

Felicity told her about the dilemma they had found Socks in when they returned back to Auntie Sheila’s yesterday. Mrs Flaherty listened quietly. “And I’m very sorry that he came to yell at you this morning, that wasn’t fair at all. Especially not when the whole situation was due to Socks.”

Mrs Flaherty said nothing for a moment before she planted their tea in front of them and took a seat herself. “It’s alright Felicity, better Rodney’s attention isn’t directed at that poor cat. He’s been through enough as it is, by the sounds of it.”

Felicity let out a sigh of relief. “Besides,” Mrs Flaherty said with a sly smile, “He’s not wrong, it does almost guarantee my tulips top place in the ‘Best Garden’ category of the competition.”

Felicity’s eyes widened and Jack let out a short laugh. “Now, you two skedaddle. I’ve got final preparations to do before the judges arrive.”

They did as she bid, returning to Auntie Sheila’s.

Later that day they read in the Killarney Advertiser that Mrs Flaherty’s tulips had indeed won ‘Best Garden’, and they only laughed to themselves quietly over dinner while Auntie Sheila shot them a look.

“Do you know what, there’s the Cork v Kerry match on next weekend, and it’s being held in Fitzgerald Stadium. We definitely need to go to that. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience!” Jack said as they finished clearing away their plates.

That night as Felicity laid in the room that had slowly transformed from a guestroom into her own bedroom throughout the summer, she thought about the upcoming match, the excitements she’d had, and the adventures still to come. Killarney was the place to be, and the town had secured itself inside her heart.

Glamour and glitz were the order of the day as students from St Brendan’s College cut a dash at their annual Debs ball on Monday.

Students gathered for a stylish pre-debs reception at St Brigid’s before being whisked off to the Ballyroe Heights Hotel in Tralee, where celebrations continued long into the night.
As much a coming-of-age celebration as the end of an era, the occasion marked the students’ final act together following six years at the town centre college.
With Leaving Certificate results looming, the Class of 2026 now prepares to take their next steps, whether heading off to third-level education, beginning apprenticeships, or entering the workforce. Whatever path they choose, we wish them the very best in all their future endeavours.
Photos: Michelle Cooper Galvin