News
Killarney to host world’s largest gathering of travel bloggers
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SOME 650 of the world’s leading travel bloggers will be jetting into Kerry next year as Killarney hosts a major social media conference, TBEX Europe 2017. Announcing that Ireland has won the bid to host the prestigious and influential event, Fáilte Ireland said it would be a major boost for tourism in Ireland and is poised “to make Ireland go viral”.
The conference, which takes place from October 3-5, 2017, in the INEC, Killarney, will be the largest gathering in the world of travel bloggers and writers, new media content creators, and social media-savvy travel industry professionals. These are visitors with an online output which reaches an audience of over 300m.
A range of pre and post conference familiarisation trips are being organised for attendees, who will be in Ireland for an average of nine days. They will experience all that Dublin, Ireland’s Ancient East and Wild Atlantic Way has to offer and it is expected that Ireland will go viral as delegates post, tweet and share their experiences.
The Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, today welcomed the announcement, saying: “Thanks to the efforts of Fáilte Ireland, we have won a conference which will deliver up to 650 of the world’s most influential travel bloggers to our shores with the potential to showcase Ireland to hundreds of millions worldwide. The future of tourism is very much dependent on growing our digital footprint and an event like this is a significant boost for marketing all the great assets we have on offer.”
Fáilte Ireland’s head of publicity, Ciara Sugrue, said no other event in the world offers Ireland the opportunity to meet with so many travel bloggers, traditional travel media, digital content creators, and social media influencers all at once. “This is a community with a combined reach of over 300 million and, by bringing them here, TBEX 2017 provides us with a fantastic opportunity to create the largest blogger-storm that Ireland has ever seen and put our country very much front and centre in the world’s digital shop window for travel,” she added.
It is expected that TBEX Europe 2017 attendees will primarily come from North America and Europe but there will also be a sizeable contingent present from Asia and the rest of the world. Most TBEX delegates are content creators; producers of blogs, podcasts or Web TV but approximately 20% of those in attendance include Destination Management Organizations (DMO), Travel Brands, Hoteliers, Tour Operators, Public Relations and Marketing Agencies, Traditional Media Editors and Publishers. In winning this conference bid Ireland has beaten off stiff competition from other leading European destinations including Poland and the Czech Republic.
Anticipating next year’s event in Ireland, Rick Calvert, CEO of TBEX said: "We are very excited to be coming to Ireland, for TBEX Europe. The breath-taking scenery, culture, storied history and genuine warmth of the people were all factors in our decision. We know the TBEX community will fall in love with Ireland. They will be sharing their experiences with hundreds of millions of travellers all over the world through their blogs, YouTube, traditional media and social media channels. The Fáilte Ireland team has done an amazing job so far and we are looking forward to working with them once again to produce a memorable TBEX Europe 2017."
Ireland has won the bid to host the prestigious and influential social media conference TBEX Europe 2017. Pictured above, Rick Calvert, TBEX; Cara Fuller, INEC; Mary Hartnett, Kerry Convention Bureau; Ciaran McLoone and Ciara Sugrue, Fáilte Ireland; Breffni Ingerton, INEC; Johnny McGuire and Mike Buckley, Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce, with Patti Lorraine and Michele Sapp, TBEX. PICTURE: VALERIE O'SULLIVAN
Women’s Aid highlights rising femicide figures following Killarney death
Following the violent death of Jamey Carney in Killarney on Tuesday, national charity Women’s Aid has released a stark update regarding violence against women in Ireland.
According to the Women’s Aid Femicide Watch for the Republic of Ireland, eight women have died in violent circumstances so far this year.
This figure already exceeds the total of seven women recorded during the entirety of 2025.
Sarah Benson, CEO of Women’s Aid, said:
“Violence, abuse, and even at its extremes, death, are still a reality for many women living in Ireland. After the devastating murder of Ashling Murphy in 2022, Ireland said never again. But Ireland has not lived up to that promise.
“Since then, 40 women have died violently in Ireland. That is 40 women with lives, dreams, family, friends and communities.
“Since we started the Women’s Aid Femicide Watch in 1996, 286 women have died violently in Ireland. Every death is an outrage. An absolute tragic loss of life resulting in utter heartache and trauma for those left behind.
“We are thinking today of those who will be deeply impacted by the loss of life in Killarney. Prevention of all domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is crucial and urgent.”
“The Women’s Aid Femicide Watch shows that 87% of women (where the case has been resolved) were killed by a man known to them. We also know that in Ireland, one in three women has been subjected to domestic abuse of some kind.
“Every woman has the right to be safe in her home and in her community, and this is just not the case. We must do the work required to achieve equality and safety for all, to make Ireland a country that truly has zero tolerance for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.”
Support is available on the Women’s Aid 24-Hour National Freephone Helpline on 1800 341 900, or go to womensaid.ie to use the Instant Message Service or for more information on domestic violence and abuse.”
Killarney Gardaí await post-mortem results as Muckross Road scene remains cordoned off
Gardaí investigating the discovery of a woman’s body at a residence on Muckross Road in Killarney are awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination to determine the direction of their inquiries.
It is understood that a full murder investigation is expected to be launched.
The deceased has been named locally as Jamey Carney, an American national in her 40s and the mother of a 13-year-old girl.
The scene at the domestic residence remains cordoned off today for a full technical examination, with a visible Garda presence continuing at the location.
An incident room has been established at Killarney Garda Station under a Senior Investigating Officer. Local businesses in the area have already begun supplying CCTV footage to assisting officers.
Speaking to the Killarney Advertiser, local councillor Martin Grady expressed the deep sense of shock in the area.
“I want to offer my condolences to the family,” Cllr Grady said. “This is an awful shock to the local community. I encourage anyone to come forward with any information they may have to An Garda Síochána. Whoever committed such a crime is a cowardly person and should get the maximum penalty.”
Gardaí continue to appeal to anyone who was in the Muckross Road area between the evening of Monday, July 6 and the afternoon of Tuesday, July 7 to come forward. They are particularly appealing to road users and business owners who may have dashcam or CCTV footage from the area during those times.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Killarney Garda Station on 064 667 1160, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
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