PJ Murrihy is on the bandstand getting his gig underway with one of his popular songs, ‘Eileen Alanna’.

The Irish are used to explaining how bad a summer is by pointing to our pale disposition, rain-soaked countryside and — let’s face it — more than a little national depression.

A Kerry GAA club which failed in its bid to secure church lands to develop community and sporting facilities has made a further appeal to diocesan authorities and to the parish to reconsider a decision to sell to the highest bidder.

A controversial site which has divided a community has been sold to the highest bidder by the Diocese of Kerry, against the wishes of the local GAA club.

The Catholic Church has been warned it can expect scenes reminiscent of John B Keane’s The Field if it sells a village property in Kerry to anyone other than the local GAA club.

The future of Kilgarvan GAA Club would be safeguarded if a deal can be struck to purchase 15 acres of land adjoining its current ground, club chairman Tom Randles insisted last night.

The popular tourist spot of Killarney in Co Kerry has been named the tidiest town in Ireland.

THE scrapping of Ryanair’s flights from Cork and Kerry to Dublin will have a devastating impact on the region, tourism representatives have said.

Representatives of Cork Airport have said they are disappointed by Ryanair’s decision to end its Cork-Dublin service from October 30.

KERRY is set to capitalise on the huge international publicity given to the 3 Irish Open Golf Championship, held in Killarney.

KERRY County Convention last night voted unanimously to give the Central Council the power to open Croke Park to non GAA activities after the present agreement with rugby and soccer expires.

POLITICIANS canvassing for votes in the general election are getting plenty of ‘stick’ on the doorsteps from people experiencing difficulties in obtaining planning permission in rural areas, a planning conference heard.

THE general manager of a windfarm project on the Cork/Kerry border yesterday said he was confident that problems with TV reception in the area had been rectified.

Fastest on all three timed runs, Sean Gallagher/Enda Sherry (Escort Cosworth) were comfortable winners of the Banna Beach Hotel/Kingdom Fast Fit Kerry Single Stage Rally.

After a four year absence from competitive action, Carlow’s, Stephen Murphy and co-driver, Mickey Joe Morrissey in a Subaru WRC won the Seven Oaks Hotel/Dargan Tools Carlow Rally by over a minute from the Subaru of Ray Breen/Andrew Purcell with Patrick Elliott/David Moynihan, also in a Subaru, third.

BASED on previous performances, Dessie Nutt is the obvious favourite in Sunday’s Killarney Historic Rally.

THE MICHELIN Race of Champions motorsport spectacular in Gran Canaria, in its 16th year, will have its usual and exciting head-to-head Race of Champions as well as the fifth running of the ROC Nations Cup team competition.

Leitrim’s Sean Gallagher and his Kerry co-driver Paul Nagle were decisive winners of the BIO TECH Kerry Rally.

MAINTAINING his remarkable run of success on the Killarney Historic Rally, Dessie Nutt, co-driven by Geraldine McBride in a Porsche 911, won his fifth title when he finished the ten-stage event a minute and twenty one seconds ahead of the similar Porsche of John Keatley/Maurice Beckett.

BILLY COLEMAN, arguably Ireland’s greatest rally driver, will be honoured this evening at the Motorsport International Show at the Simmonscourt Pavilion where a video entitled Tarmac Titans will be launched.

The organisers of the EPS Bison/Red Mills 2002 Killarney Historic Stages Rally, the Killarney & District Motor Club, have attracted entries from the leading exponents of Historic and Classic rallying from Ireland and further afield for the event which will take place on Sunday, December 1.

AS expected, Niall Maguire wrapped up the 2002 Dunlop National Rally Championship at the Clonmel Arms/FESP Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally.

AS expected, Niall Maguire wrapped up the 2002 Dunlop National Rally Championship at the Clonmel Arms/FESP Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally.

Entering the final three stages of the Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally, the eighth round of the Dunlop

TOMORROW'S Edinburgh-based Jim Clark Memorial Rally unites the Toshiba Computers Irish Tarmac and the Pirelli British Rally Championships for the first of three occasions this season.

Killarney will play host to Ireland's leading drivers on May 4 and 5, when the International Rally of the Lakes returns to the sporting calendar, after a year's absence due to the foot-and-mouth scare.

Jimmy Lambert and his co-driver, James Coleman, from Ardfinnan, County Tipperary, fought their way back from a first stage overshoot to win the Crosbie Cedars Hotel Wexford Rally in dramatic fashion.

Setting a cracking time of 10 mins 29 secs, Jimmy Lambert has joined early leader, David James at the top of the leaderboard after the second run of the Crosbie Cedars Hotel Wexford Rally.

For the second year in a row, Johnny O’Sullivan/Pat Cashman (Escort WRC) are the winners of the Yokohama Tyres Kerry Winter Rally.

Defending champions Johnny O’Sullivan/Pat Cashman (Escort WRC) are the new leaders of the Yokohama Tyres Kerry Winter Rally.

Ed Synan in his Opel Manta 400 was the quickest driver through the first run of the Yokohama Tyres Kerry Winter Rally.