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TV series highlights Access routes to college tonight

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Niamh Dwyer is a Guidance Counsellor in Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra, Rathmore, and Chairperson of the Kerry Branch of Guidance Counsellors. She is also a Career Consultant. For details see www.mycareerplan.ie.

 

 

The journey into higher education is not always easy. This is particularly the case for applicants who have to deal with disabilities, socio-economic disadvantage and other cultural stereotypes which can act as a barrier to progression onto higher education.

 

The Irish Universities Association has partnered with RTÉ to create 'My Uni Life', a five-part series which follows the lives of seven students at various stages of their university journey. Whether it’s overcoming the challenges of having a disability, the stereotypes associated with socially disadvantaged backgrounds or having the courage to go to university at a later stage in life, these students represent just seven out of more than 5,000 students each year whose desire to succeed at third level education is facilitated and supported by the Access and Disability programmes run by Irish Universities.

SUPPORT
Access Officers in all higher education institutes (HEIs) work with students who are eligible for Access schemes before entry by supporting them with the application process and orientation into college life. Access schemes seek to level the playing field in higher education and once students have started their courses, a wide variety of supports are provided to enable full participation and success in third level. Students who meet the eligibility criteria for HEAR (Higher Education Access Route) and the DARE (Disability Access Route to Education) schemes can apply for them as part of their CAO application.

ELIGIBILITY
Eligibility for HEAR is based on socio-economic criteria while DARE is aimed at school leavers whose disabilities have had a negative impact on their education. Further information can on both schemes can be found on www.accesscollege.ie. Mature students and students applying on the basis of Further Education and Training (FET) results have different admission routes and you will find more information on these routes from the college and university websites. AHEAD is another great source of information and support for people with disabilities who are applying to college or looking for employment. Check them out on www.ahead.ie.

TUNE IN

‘My Uni Life’, which begins on RTÉ on today (Friday) at 7.30pm, tells the life stories of a diverse range of students and looks at the positives, negatives, challenges and frustrations on the ground, reflecting the reality of life for those from under-represented groups. Each student comes from a different background, access university through a variety of routes, but with the determination that is key to the personal difficulties they have to overcome. Tune in to become informed and inspired.

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Five local postmen retire with 185 years service

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Five local postmen retire with 185 years service

RETIREMENT NIGHT: Pictured at the retirement party held at Killarney Racecourse on Saturday, October 3, celebrating a combined 185 years of service with An Post, are Connie Brady, James Foley, Terry Potts, Pat Cronin, and D.J. Cahill.


Five well-known local postmen celebrated their retirement at a special function held at Killarney Racecourse on Saturday night, October 3.


The event brought together current and former An Post colleagues to mark the combined total of 185 years of service delivered across Killarney and surrounding areas.
Delivery Services Manager Terry Potts retired after 43 years with An Post. He began his career in Dublin, where he worked for 10 years, before moving to Killarney in 1993 for a further 33 years.
Pat Cronin completed an impressive 51 years of service between Killarney and Farranfore, spending 44 of those years delivering post on the Farranfore route.
James Foley served 35 years with An Post, delivering on routes across Killorglin throughout his entire career.
D.J. Cahill marked 32 years of service based out of Killarney post office, delivering mail across Killarney town, Killorglin, Kilcummin, and Headford.
Connie Brady retired following 24 years with the postal service, spending 17 years in Killarney town before completing his service in Killorglin.
The celebration offered local postal staff an opportunity to gather and catch up ahead of the busy Christmas rush.

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New Streetscapes murals launched at College Square

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A colourful collaboration between the Kerry Local Creative Youth Partnership (LCYP) and the Architecture Kerry Festival at Kerry County Council launched yesterday evening at College Square.

Titled Streetscapes, the open-air public art installation officially opened at 5pm on Thursday, accompanied by a performance from the Killarney Youth Drumming Band THUMP! under the guidance of Urs Wenk from Drum Dance Ireland.


The public art project features a series of wall murals depicting Killarney through the eyes of local children, exploring freedom, play, and potential future evolutions of the townscape.

The artworks reimagine Killarney’s iconic landmarks and streets, blending youthful imagination and curiosity.


Supported under the Creative Ireland Programme, the installation is mounted on the gable wall of Reen’s Life Pharmacy in College Square, where it will remain on public display until March 2027.


Speaking at the launch, Daniel O’Shea, Youth Development Officer at Kerry ETB, stated: “Streetscapes is a wonderful celebration of how children see things. Their creativity brings new perspectives to the townscape, and we are proud to support their ideas and their art through this public artwork.”


Deirdre Enright, Co-Ordinator of the Local Creative Youth Partnership at Kerry ETB, acknowledged the community support behind the initiative: “We are very grateful to Reen’s Life Pharmacy who have shared their built space with us. Huge credit is due to the artistic team from Me+The Moon whose dedication to creativity and to children’s art shine through in this work.”


The project forms part of the annual Architecture Kerry Festival and receives funding through Creative Ireland and the Department of Education and Youth via Kerry ETB and Kerry County Council.


Victoria McCarthy, Festival Organiser and Architectural Conservation Officer at Kerry County Council, welcomed the continued inter-agency project: “It’s always a great event for Architecture Kerry and we are so pleased with this collaboration between public sector organisations. It remains a key feature of the Architecture Kerry programme.”
See next week’s Killarney Advertiser for full photographic coverage of the event.

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