Help us restore a Honda Civic!

EXCITING NEW PROJECT UNDERWAY AT THE KILLARNEY VALLEY AND VINTAGE CLUB – WITH NEW MEMBERS WELCOME

“THE most important thing we do on a Thursday night is have a cup of tea, biscuits and a chat,” said Tom Leslie of the Killarney Valley Classic – albeit they’re currently working on a very exciting new project.

This time around, the group is working on restoring a 1982 Toyota Starlet – which only had one previous owner, from Killarney.

The car only has 33,000 miles on the clock, and is a classic by any measurement.

Now it will be brought back to its former glory by a dedicated team of volunteers with the club, who are passing away the dark winter months by working on bringing the classic back to life again.

And you can help too. More volunteers are being invited to come on board to help with the project and give themselves an new outlet. However, the goal, of course, is not only to restore the car but also restore confidence in people and create friendships by offering an extra social outlet for both men and women.

“We would love to have new members come along and help out,” said Tom Leslie

“It is a social outlet with a purpose and an end product. You have to have a goal.

“This gets people out, and it is for everyone. We really want more young people to join too.”

This is the fourth restoration project the group has undertaken. Last year it was a 1979 Ford 2600 that got the special treatment.

Each vehicle is then raffled off, and the funds have been donated to local charities including the Killarney Microtrack, Kerry Cork Health Link, the Kerry branch of the Irish Kidney Association, the Ian O’Connell Fund and the Louise Lynch Fund. This raffle, along with an annual walk, helps raise funds for the group’s chosen charities. The funds from 2019 were handed on Sunday to the recipients, which included ACT Meningitis and the Killarney Micro-track. A total of €27,600 was handed over and includes funds to Ian O’Connell and Louise Lynch. The 2020 beneficiaries have yet to be decided.

The group began in 2013, and since then has raised substantial funds for local charities, and they will continue this work through the restoration of the Honda Civic: “We are doing our bit for society and bringing people together. It is a lot of hard work, but it is a great accomplishment,” Tom said.

The group meets every Thursday night at 7.30pm at Ross Products, just off the Killarney by-pass. Anyone interested can contact Tom on (087) 238 3809.

Photo by Michelle Cooper Galvin The Killarney Valley Classic and Vintage club with the 1982 Toyota Starlet which they are going to restore and raffle off for charity. FRONT: Tom Leslie and Mike Buckley. BACK: James Looney, Paddy Lawlor, John O’Donoghue, Tim Herlihy, John Howard, Sean Cronin, Denis O’Connell, RIchard O’Donoghue, Jim and Liam Fleming, Michael Clifford and John Coffey.

Photo by Michelle Cooper Galvin James Looney (left) of the Killarney Valley Classic and Vintage Car Club presenting cheque to Siobhan and Robbie Paul Wharton O’Sullivan for Act for Meningitis with (right) Tom Leslie Kly Valley Classic and Vintage Car Club presenting the cheque to Jer Griffin and Jean Courtney for the Killarney Micro-Track with (centre) Cllr Michael Gleeson and Padraig Buckley at the Killarney Valley Classic and Vintage Car Club stand at the Kerry Clubs Day in the Killarney Race Course on Sunday.