The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Kathleen’s calendar charts a year in the life of south Kerry...
CHRISTMAS wouldn’t feel like Christmas in south Kerry without the wonderful collection of photographs that make up Kathleen O’Sullivan’s calendar. The 2020 calendar is already in shops with orders already in from south Kerry people living in America, England and Australia.
The calendar has over 130 photographs and brings up the ‘5-in-a-row of calendars’ for Kathleen, who bemoaned the fact Dublin only beat her by a couple of months to the accolade! Kathleen praised Christy Riordan for supplying the photos, which capture the life and times of Cahersiveen and south Kerry.
“Christy has to be thanked for this. He is a great friend of mine and without him there would be no calendar. This is my twentieth charity project doing with Christy,” said Kathleen.
Each year the proceeds from the sale of the calendar go to local charities and organisations. This year’s recipient is St Anne’s Community Hospital in Cahersiveen. The money will go towards purchasing what’s known as a ‘Snoezelen’. This provides a range of sensory stimulation that may be tailored to meet the needs of people with Dementia in order to heighten awareness and assist in the preparation for engagement in meaningful activity. In her many years raising money for charity, Kathleen has managed to distribute over €64,000 for different local causes.
“I’m proud of it. But what I like even more is when people tell me Christmas wouldn’t feel the same without the calendar being in the shops. It’s a great calendar again this year.”
The photos feature every part of south Kerry, including the opening of the new ‘Mary O’Donoghue Avenue’; there is a picture of the opening of Centra in Cahersiveen, an event that had the Sam Maguire and Liam McCarthy cups in attendance; there’s also a lovely picture of Joan Griffin from Dromid feeding the hens on her farm and many more wonderful photos. When combined, the calendar charts a social history of the locality.
“It’s the people of Cahersiveen and south Kerry who support me that I owe thanks to. Without them buying and supporting the calendar it wouldn’t be possible,” said Kathleen. The calendar is now available in local shops across south Kerry.