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Weight to go Noel – as fundraiser helps raise funds for sick little girl

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CHARITY WEIGHT LOSS: Killarney's Noel O'Sullivan is currently losing one stone in weight to fundraise for a sick little girl. Photo: Michelle Crean

By Michelle Crean

One way to lose weight is to put yourself out there in the public eye - which is what one local man has done for the month of June.

However, Killarney's Noel O'Sullivan has an extra reason as he's raising funds for a young girl who recently had her leg amputated after being diagnosed with a rare life threatening Osteosarcoma tumour in her tibia. With a GoFundMe page set up, so far over €155k has been raised for the Galway family to help them access the prosthetics for young Saoirse Ruane and make adjustments to their home.

Noel and his wife know the family personally and as he wanted to come up with a unique fundraiser he decided, after clocking up some pounds during lockdown, to combine his weight loss with a fundraiser.

Noel, who is a Learning Support teacher in St Oliver's NS, has been greatly inspired for his plan to lose a stone in June after receiving positive comments online both publicly​​​​​​​ and privately in the last few weeks.

Currently he's down just under half a stone with good food and plenty of exercise and with a few weeks left hopes to achieve the full 14 pound weight loss target.

"My wife became friends with Saoirse's mom Rosanna and my daughter Cora is around Saoirse's age and the family have visited Killarney," Noel this week told the Killarney Advertiser.
"She has a rare form of cancer and they had to amputate her leg. For something like that to happen to such a young girl is awful."

Losing his mom in April combined with the lockdown meant he piled on the pounds so a weight loss fundraiser was his first choice.

"I had this idea to do a fundraiser that would be challenging and engaging and I weighted myself online which was 15 stone 13 and a half pounds and put up the GoFundMe page link. ​​​​​​It's been very positive."​

Noel said that the fundraising efforts by everyone is keeping the family's spirits up while Saoirse is in and out of hospital.

He added that Fifth Class pupils from St Oliver's also generously made a donation of €250 from their Young Entrepreneurs project selling stressballs.

To donate to the fundraiser go to GoFundMe: SOS - Support Our Saoírse.

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Noel O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship

Noel O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship

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O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship

Muckross co-driver Noel O’Sullivan is set for a busy season as he returns to the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) while also preparing for a record-breaking attempt on home soil.

O’Sullivan and driver Callum Devine have signed with the Swedish team JC Raceteknik for a full campaign focused on asphalt events. Their season begins this week at the Andalusia Rally – Sierra Morena in Spain. O’Sullivan remains the only Killarney-based co-driver competing at this level for a full season.
He brings significant international experience to the team, having previously worked with WRC driver Jon Armstrong during his early European outings. O’Sullivan and Devine recently proved their pace against top European crews with a fifth-place finish at the 2024 Rali Ceredigion in Wales.
Devine said:
“I’m really looking forward to coming back to the ERC. It’s always great for a driver to compete against Europe’s best on some iconic events. We’ve had great success back home in Ireland over the past few seasons, winning two Irish Tarmac Rally Championships, and we feel now is the right time to come back and take on some ERC events. Starting with Rally Sierra Morena, I’m delighted to be joining JC Raceteknik. I know they are a very professional team with a wealth of experience, and I’m looking forward to working closely with them.”
The European schedule will not interfere with O’Sullivan’s local plans. Following the rally in Spain, the pair will return to Kerry for the Rally of the Lakes over the May Bank Holiday weekend. They are aiming for a fifth consecutive victory in Killarney as they look to move back into the lead of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.
The move to the European stage follows a successful week for O’Sullivan, who was recently named the International Motorsport winner at the Kerry Sports Star Awards.

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Classic Tour set to celebrate heritage roads in June

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Classic Tour set to celebrate heritage roads in June


A new heritage motoring event, the Killarney Classic Tour, has been confirmed for June 26–27, 2026. The two-day tour is designed to celebrate the iconic rally stages of Kerry and the Beara Peninsula.


Headquartered at the Gleneagle Hotel, the event is non-competitive and open to a wide range of vintage and historic cars. Organisers are placing a particular focus on period-correct rally cars and recreations that reflect the history of the Circuit of Ireland, the Circuit of Munster, and the early years of the Rally of the Lakes.
The tour is the work of two well-known figures in Irish rallying, Mike Marshall and Micheal O’Mahoney. Marshall, a founding member of the Rally of the Lakes and Clerk of the Course for over 20 years, has designed a route that allows drivers to experience famous stages like Moll’s Gap at a relaxed pace. O’Mahoney, a long-term supporter of the sport through Rentokil and a historic car owner himself, joins Marshall in the venture.

Co-Founder O’Mahoney said:
“This event is about bringing people back together – the cars, the stories, and the friendships that have always been part of rallying. It’s a chance to step away from competition and simply enjoy these roads.”



The Saturday itinerary includes a lunch stop in Castletownbere before the field returns to Killarney for a gala dinner at the Gleneagle Hotel. The evening will feature guest speakers and a focus on the shared history of the sport.
“This event is about bringing people back together — the cars, the stories, and the friendships,” added Micheal O’Mahoney.
Registrations are now open at www.KillarneyClassicTour.ie.

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