'It's a gamechanger': Wheelchair and autism friendly boat tour launches in Killarney National Park
Named An Cathal, the boat was launched at the weekend by Ross Castle Boat Tours. It is named after Charlie Fleming, whose sons Mike and Tony now run the tours.
Mike explained how traditional open boats and enclosed motor boats on the lakes lacked the necessary facilities for people with different challenges.
An Cathal has fewer seats to make room for a wheelchair.
'It's a foot wider than a normal boat which means the wheelchair can turn in the boat as well and then we have the anchor points in the floor of the boat to tie down the wheelchairs,' he said.
Timo O'Sullivan is hoisted onto 'An Cathal' for its maiden voyage at Reen Pier on the Shores of Ross Castle, Lough Lein, Killarney National Park.
Timo O'Sullivan, Lough Lein Anglers and an advocate for wheelchair accessibility, was present for the maiden voyage.
'It's a gamechanger, making the lakes so accessible for young and old — it's a great facility. both secure and safe,' he said.
He has previously been out in boats using his own hoist which he used this time also, saying: 'I'm in my chair using the lake for a long time.'
It also has a fixed stairway, making it easier to get on and off.
All staff have done training online with autism charity AsIAm. Assistance dogs are welcome.
Deirdre Pendergast from My Canine Companion said: "It's a great initiative for families of children with autism.'
Tony and Mike have made it possible for people like us to use the lake and see the beautiful scenery around us, and to use the boat in quiet times to cater for children with sensory needs.
Mr Fleming said they carry a sensory box with items such as ear protectors and sunglasses.
'We support quieter tours on request and early morning or late evening tours if required,' he said.
He urged anyone interested to get in touch, saying the boat was now fully operational.
The name an Cathal translates to 'the Charlie'.
'Unfortunately we lost him last year to cancer, so it's a tribute to him,' his son said.
Michael and Tony Fleming, who run the accessible boat tours.
'He loved the lakes and he loved looking after people, he took great pride in looking after people and that was part of the thinking when we set this up.'
The brothers worked closely with the National Parks and Wildlife Services on the design.
'Without them coming on board with us, this wouldn't have happened. They supported us from the start,' Mike said.
They are continuing to work together with more changes planned including a suitable hoist and visual guide to inclusion on the website, he added.
NPWS conservation rangers Padraig O' Sullivan and Tricia Beecher were also present.
They hope it will give more people a chance to enjoy the Killarney National Parks Unesco Biosphere Reserve and maybe spot a white-tailed eagle overhead.
Local councillor Martin Grady paid tribute to the brothers, saying: 'I'm sure their father Charlie Fleming would be very proud of them for making this project come to fruition.'
Read More
Firefighters rescue dog from River Lee after dramatic swim near Cork city centre
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
05-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Holiday from hell nearly ruined my marriage – I was drinking at 9am to get through it, it made me question everything
WHEN Tess Stimson and her husband Erik were invited to join a couple in a luxury villa in Portugal this autumn, their answer was a no-brainer. A resounding no. 5 Tess Stimson says that a holiday to Maine a few years ago nearly destroyed her marriage Credit: Supplied 5 As a result she and her husband Erik (pictured) will never go on holiday with a couple again Credit: Supplied While few of us would pass up the chance for a luxury holiday, Tess and Erik have been stung by the Here writer Tess reveals why, when it comes to travelling, a foursome is not so awesome… A few years ago we went on We'd met Tony* and Fiona* through our kids' school about five years earlier. Their little girl, Ellie*, then 7, was good friends with our daughter Lily, 10. Read More on Real Lives Together with our two sons, Henry, 18, and Matt, 15, our families had already gone away for weekends together, which had been great fun, so when Fiona suggested a joint So she found a large cottage on the rugged coast of You could see the sea from every window, and there were canoes and bicycles and beaches to explore. But from the day we arrived, it started to go wrong. Fiona and Tony had always squabbled, but suddenly they were arguing nonstop. Most read in Fabulous Tony couldn't sit still for five minutes, while Fiona wanted to chill out on the patio with a glass of wine. Our boys had the room next door to them, and after two nights listening to them quarrel well into the small hours of the morning, decided they were going to sleep in hammocks outside. Top five things about the Wild Rose Holiday Park in Cumbria Tony kept complaining about Fiona's lack of affection, and even announced one morning at breakfast he 'expected' sex every day when they were on holiday — in front of the children! Things went from bad to worse. When it was Fiona's turn to go shopping, she went to the local fishing port and splashed out on eight huge lobsters, which she put on his credit card. In retaliation, Tony blew the rest of their budget with expensive wine. In an effort to get things back on track, Fiona and I took the girls off for a spa day while the boys went mountain biking. The whole time, all she did was complain about Tony. They'd been married 20 years, and she brought up every gripe. I was sympathetic — Tony had a wandering eye — but it did kill the holiday mood. When it rained, we couldn't play board games, because Tony and Fiona kept making it personal, and it descended into a fight every time. Even a game of rounders ended in a row, with Tony throwing the bat into the sea. 5 Tess, pictured with daughter Lily, thought that getting the two families together would be a great idea Credit: Supplied 5 But she says the adults started drinking from the morning as a way of getting through the day Credit: Supplied A week in, I came down to breakfast at 9am to find Fiona waiting for me — with a huge glass of wine in her hand. 'Take this,' she said. 'You're going to need it.' She and Tony had had an almighty row the night before, and he'd stormed off, taking the car. He didn't come back until late that afternoon, and refused to say where he'd been, though he reeked of booze. By this stage, the tension in the house had spilled over to the kids, who were all squabbling, too. The four of us adults were drinking far too much just to get through the day, and starting every morning with a hangover, which didn't improve anyone's mood. Erik wanted to give up and go home early, but Fiona begged me to stay, and out of misplaced loyalty, I agreed. But what with all the stress and alcohol, Erik and I were now at each other's throats, too. Fiona latched onto every minor disagreement between us, blowing it out of all proportion. She kept talking about how we should both leave our husbands and start over. Signs your relationship is heading for a divorce Persistent Communication Breakdowns Constant misunderstandings, arguments, or a complete lack of meaningful conversation can signal deep-seated issues. Emotional Distance Feeling like roommates rather than partners, with a noticeable lack of intimacy or emotional connection. Frequent Criticism and Contempt Regularly criticising each other and showing contempt, such as sarcasm, eye-rolling, or mocking, can erode the relationship's foundation. Unresolved Conflicts Recurrent arguments about the same issues without any resolution can indicate deeper incompatibilities. Loss of Trust Trust is crucial in any relationship. If it's been broken and cannot be rebuilt, it may be a sign that the relationship is in trouble. Different Life Goals Significant differences in future aspirations, such as career goals, lifestyle choices, or family planning, can create insurmountable divides. Avoidance Preferring to spend time apart rather than together, whether through work, hobbies, or social activities, can indicate a desire to escape the relationship. Lack of Support Feeling unsupported, whether emotionally, financially, or practically, can lead to feelings of isolation and resentment. Financial Disagreements Constantly arguing about money, spending habits, or financial priorities can strain the relationship. Infidelity Whether physical or emotional, infidelity can be a major breach of trust and a sign of deeper issues in the relationship. Changes in Affection A noticeable decrease in affection, physical touch, or romantic gestures can indicate a loss of connection. We couldn't wait for the holiday to end. My liver was waving a white flag — I gave up alcohol for three years after the Maine trip. Unsurprisingly, Fiona and Tony split up a few months after they got home, and went through a very nasty divorce. I stayed friends with Fiona for a couple of years, but she blamed our holiday for blowing up her marriage, and the friendship eventually fizzled out. Erik and I had to do some serious soul-searching of our own after that trip. I'd always found two solid weeks with just him and the kids a bit intense. Having friends around meant we both had other adults to talk to apart from each other. We realised we'd fallen into the habit of holidaying with other people so we didn't have to spend one-on-one time together, and it took some honest conversations for us to turn things around. Vacations are second only to Christmas for putting relationships in a pressure cooker, and that trip to Maine was a real test for Erik and me. But it was the wake-up call we needed to make proper time for each other, and now we treat our holidays as a chance to give our marriage a gentle refresh. Our kids still talk about That Holiday, and we can laugh about it now. But with the greatest love and respect to all our friends — never again. 'The New House' by Tess Stimson - published by Avon. *Names have been changed 5 Tess and Erik survived the holiday, just, but will be avoiding holidaying with other families going forward Credit: Amanda Baker
The Irish Sun
09-06-2025
- The Irish Sun
Horrifying photos show the true cause of man's itchy eye – after he found a LEECH feasting on his eyeball
A BRIT travel agent's trip to test holiday hotspots became a "nightmare" when he discovered a leech sucking on his EYEBALL. Tony Exall was on a jungle tour near West Papua, Indonesia on May 22 this year when his left eye began to irritate him. Advertisement 6 Tony Exall was on a jungle tour near West Papua, Indonesia as part of his job as a travel agent Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media 6 He blamed his eye irritation on sweat or a tiny bug Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media 6 Tony's bloodshot eye and the small black bloodsucker can be seen in the photo Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media The 58-year-old blamed it on sweat or a tiny bug but two hours later a fellow visitor spotted that he actually had a leech on his eyeball. A horrifying photo shows Tony's bloodshot eye with the small black bloodsucker latched to the white area called the sclera. Tony grew concerned it might wriggle its way behind his eye so ended his trip early to find medical help. After six hours and trips to two hospitals a doctor extracted the leech using tweezers - despite the creature pulling on his eyeball tissue to hang on. Advertisement Read more on leeches Tony, who owns travel company Philippine Dive Holidays , was in Indonesia to test out locations for customers when he decided to head on a photography trip. The travel agent avoided catching an infection and achieved his aim of snapping a rare king bird-of-paradise minutes before the incident. He posted the video to Facebook where users described it as 'stuff nightmares are made of' and like 'something from a horror movie'. Tony, from Oxted, Surrey, said: "I came over here to investigate different places to work with in Indonesia so I thought, while I'm here, I want to do a bit of bird snapping. Advertisement Most read in Health Tested "We were waiting for the bird to turn up and I was sweating buckets. "I could feel something in my eye but I just thought it was a bug. I tried to get rid of it but couldn't so I tried to ignore it. NHS animated video on eye health "There were leeches everywhere and I must have used the back of my hand to wipe the sweat so I essentially wiped it into my eye. "A couple hours later we went to move on to somewhere else and one of my spotters pointed out the leech in my eye. Advertisement "My biggest concern was that it would get round the back of my eye. He tried to pull it out with his fingers. "He was pinching my eyeball to get it out but the leech was fixed onto my eyeball. I tried rubbing it but I couldn't get it out." Tony had trekked two hours through the jungle near Malagufuk, West Papua, to reach an area known for king bird-of-paradise sightings. After having the leech pulled from his eye, Tony was prescribed eye drops and antibiotics to make sure he didn't develop an infection. Advertisement You hear these stories about tropical diseases and infections and having one in your eye is not the best place to have one Tony Exall Tony said: "We went to two hospitals to find someone that knew something about eyes. "At first he tried to remove it and that was quite sore because a leech grabs hold of something and starts to suck the blood. "He started to gently pull the leech which was quite sore as it was something pulling on my eyeball. "My next concern was how do you get it off my eye without leaving anything behind. Advertisement "You hear these stories about tropical diseases and infections and having one in your eye is not the best place to have one. "The doctor then squirted some anaesthetic drops onto my eye, got some tweezers and pop, off it came. 6 Tony says there were leeches everywhere, and that he must have had one on his hand which he accidentally rubbed in his eye Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media 6 Minutes before the incident he was snapping a rare king bird-of-paradise Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media Advertisement 6 Some anaesthetic drops and some tweezers helped remove the leech Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media "The tissue of my eye was being pulled. I have never had that sensation before." After sharing the "squeamish" photos of his eye on Facebook, freaked-out users were quick to comment on his bizarre experience. One user said: "I'm not usually squeamish but that is stuff from horror movies! Hope everything is okay now." Advertisement Another added: "Omg you need a trigger warning on this post. Sounds awful, hope you recover quickly." A third said: "Stuff nightmares are made of." A fourth added: "Dangerous stuff, this photography." What to do if you have a foreign object in your eye Advise the casualty not to rub their eye as this could make it worse. Ask them to sit down facing a light. Stand behind them and gently open their eyelids with your thumbs. Ask them to look right, left, up and down as you look closely at the eye. If you can see something, ask them to tip their head backwards and wash it out by pouring clean water from the inner corner from a glass or jug. If this doesn't work and the object is still on the surface of the eye, try to remove it with a moist piece of gauze or the damp corner of a clean handkerchief or the object isn't easy to remove or the eye is very painful, seek medical advice - ring 111 or attend an Eye Casualty, Emergency Department or Urgent Treatment Centre. Source: St John Ambulance
Extra.ie
05-06-2025
- Extra.ie
Notting Hill residents go to extreme lengths to deter influencers from the area
London home owners are going to extreme lengths to deter influencers taking pictures on their doorsteps. The residents of Lancaster Road in Notting Hill are fed up with the consistent slew of content creators and tourists stopping for a snap outside their brightly coloured homes. In an act of defiance and to protect the popular photo spot, some locals have resorted to painting their houses black. London home owners are going to extreme lengths to deter influencers taking pictures on their doorsteps. Pic: Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Speaking to Metro, won homeowner named Mike detailed the ever increasing noise levels brought on by an influx of tourists to the area. He said: 'What is more irritating than anything else is just noise. Tourists work at a different volume level. There will be a group of 70 plus. It sounds like a football match.' While Mike has yet to paint his house black like his neighbours, he noted other tactics being employed to deter the crowds. The residents of Lancaster Road in Notting Hill are fed up with the consistent slew of content creators and tourists stopping for a snap outside their brightly coloured homes. Pic: Sam Mellish / In Pictures via Getty Images Images Some houses have chains or belt barriers blocking off their front doorsteps while others have put up signs asking people to be quiet, Residents have now started a campaign to try and get other colourful properties on their street to follow suit, claiming the dark hue looks less appealing for the Instagram feed. In a letter sent to neighbours, the residents explained: 'It's clear that the bright and contrasting house colours are a major draw for photographs for their social media accounts. 'While we all value the charm of our street, the unintended consequence has been a surge in disruptive tourism.'
