The late Paidí Ó Sé did it – as did his successor, Jack O’Connor and so it fell to Eamonn Fitzmaurice, as Kerry Senior Football team manger, to fulfil the role of VW Brand Ambassador.
Mid afternoon on Friday the genial Lixnaw man dropped into Divane’s Killarney Road base to collect his new, 2015 VW Passat Highline. Photographers awaited his arrival and then the car was produced with all the necessary window dressing, paper discs in pocketed perfection.
Local Admirers
Other than assuring local admirers that he and the team will be doing their level best to land another Munster Senior Football Championship title in Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney on this Sunday, he gave away none of the team’s tactical secrets.
He agreed that there were many talking points surrounding the team selection and that he had the strongest ‘bench’ of any Kerry manager facing into this almost annual tilt at our traditional Lee-side opponents.
The highly respected Kerry manager is no stranger to Divane’s and he was present at the end of last November at the launch of the eight generation VW Passat Variant at the Killarney Road showrooms.
Busy Few Weeks
He also helped to launch the new, Divanes Castleisland sponsored St. Kieran’s GAA Club Cycling Strip on the occasion.
It’s been a busy few weeks at Divanes Castleisland as they’ve just celebrated the 60th anniversary of the founding of the business and of the sale of the first VW by founder Stanley Divane on June 15th 1955.
It was an occasion which was highly thought of by top European VW executives and to the extent they told locals that Castleisland was honoured by the presence of Divane’s in its midst. Lars Himmer, CEO of Volkswagen Ireland visited and celebrated with the family on June 15th.
Mr. Himmer presented a specially commissioned and highly symbolic ‘All Sails Aloft’ piece to the Divane family in honour of the occasion. That piece now has pride of place in a glass case in the Killarney Road showroom.
Throughout their vast, worldwide dealerships and outlets, the visitors cherished and honoured Divanes Castleisland as the oldest and longest surviving, single family run dealership in the entire VW global union.
Anniversary Celebrations
In addition to visiting the Killarney Road base on June 15th to make presentations to the family and to share in the anniversary celebrations, MD Denis Divane was invited to Spain the following week to the launch of a new VW model there.
Again, there were presentations to Divanes at this event and Denis was left in no doubt that he was there as a guest of honour on behalf of his family firm and of his community.
For now, we’ll all wish VW Ambassador Fitzmaurice and his team the best of luck in Killarney today and for the rest of the season.
What it Says in The Papers
For people interested, this is what the weekend’s papers say on the big game in Killarney today : “Kerry hold aces in Munster showdown with neighbours,” – The Irish Times.
“Killarney provides chance for new Cork leaders to emerge,” – Irish Examiner. “Cooper absence shows Kerry’s power – The Kingdom’s strength in depth is second to none,” – Irish Independent. “We’ll have a good idea of what’s what by 3-30pm today. May the best teams win and please God let them be Kerry teams,” – The Maine Valley Post. 🙂
