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Killarney looking to retain Purple Flag status

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Killarney will be looking to retain its Purple Flag following the latest assessment which will take place on Friday, July 27. The flag is currently flown with pride at the Town Hall, Garda Station and at KDYS Centre. The town was awarded the Purple Flag in 2014 and it has successfully retained its status since.

Two assessors will be visiting Killarney for the overnight assessment next Friday. They will tour the town from 4pm to 3am to determine whether Killarney has a safe and vibrant early evening and night-time economy.

Local businesses have been asked to row in behind the Purple Flag initiative by taking particular care on the night in question. They have been encouraged to decorate windows in purple and a number of hotels and buildings will be lit up in purple. Business owners have also been asked to be vigorous on litter and glass, especially from 10pm onwards.

Starting this weekend, security staff around the town will wear new purple high-vis jackets and they are encouraged by Killarney Purple Flag Working Group to pay particular attention during the assessment and to communicate with the gardaí.

The Purple Flag is an international accreditation scheme for towns and city centres in the evening and at night. It is the ‘gold standard’ for early night-time entertainment destinations. Like Blue Flags for beaches, towns that meet the stringent criteria can proudly fly the flag. Purple Flag aims to raise the standard and broaden the appeal of night-time destinations from 5pm to 5am. Town centres that achieve a Purple Flag are those which are vibrant and well managed in the evening and night-time.  It provides a safe and friendly environment in which to live, work and socialise.

Over 70 town and city and town centres have been awarded Purple Flags in the UK and Ireland since the scheme was launched in October 2009.  The total number in the Republic of Ireland is 16.

The Purple Flag accreditation is based on five sets of criteria that town centres must meet in order to obtain the award. These include wellbeing in terms of safety and care, movement meaning transport and car parking, appeal of restaurants, bars, other venues including arts and culture, place in terms of location and design and, most importantly, the policy envelope which shows a collaboration between sectors, agencies, service providers and policy-makers.

Killarney’s Purple Flag initiative is led by Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce, working with Killarney Municipal District/Kerry County Council, the gardaí, local businesses, groups and local schools. It is vitally important that Killarney retains its Purple Flag because the symbol is becoming widely known in the tourism industry as a major international brand.

 

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Paralympic legend Jason Smyth visits St Brendan’s

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Paralympic legend Jason Smyth visits St Brendan’s


World renowned Paralympian and world record holder Jason Smyth paid a visit to St Brendan’s College on Wednesday afternoon as part of a high profile visit to Killarney.


The six time Paralympic gold medallist spoke to second year students from St Brendan’s College, alongside students from neighbouring schools St Brigid’s Presentation Secondary School and Killarney Community College.
The interactive talk and interview took place ahead of World Sight Day, with the legendary sprinter sharing his personal journey with Stargardt disease, a genetic eye condition that left him legally blind at eight years old.
The Derry native, who holds the world record as the fastest Paralympian on earth over 100 metres, offered inspiring insights into overcoming physical adversity and achieving success at the highest level of world sport.
The school visit formed the opening leg of his Killarney schedule before he took centre stage later on Wednesday evening at The Killarney Plaza Hotel & Spa.
Smyth headlined An Evening with Paralympian Jason Smyth, an event organised by the Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce as part of its winter schedule, sponsored by AIB.

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Deerpark Retail Park placed on market for fifteen million euro

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Deerpark Retail Park in Killarney has officially been placed on the market with a guide price in excess of 15.4 million euro, excluding VAT.

International real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield has been appointed as the sole sales agent to handle the high-profile commercial property sale on behalf of its current owner, Investcorp.

Investcorp, a global investment management firm headquartered in Bahrain, had previously acquired the prominent shopping complex.


The sale represents one of the largest commercial property offerings to launch in County Kerry this year.

Located roughly 1.3 kilometres west of Killarney town centre, the scheme enjoys strong regional connectivity and sits adjacent to independently owned operations including a Tesco Extra store, a Tesco petrol filling station, JYSK, and Aldi.


Constructed in 2006, the development extends across approximately 10,482 square metres, or 112,835 square feet.

The scheme comprises a mix of modern retail warehouse units and a complementary neighbourhood centre, offering 13 individual units in total with Part Open and Part Bulky Use planning permission.

The units range in size from 94.6 square metres up to 1,994.9 square metres. Visitors have access to approximately 248 customer parking spaces across the commercial grounds.

The park is currently 100 per cent occupied by a strong line-up of established national and international brands.

Key retail tenants include Marks & Spencer, Boots, DID Electrical, Maxi Zoo, and Mountain Warehouse.

The neighbourhood centre element accommodates service and convenience operators such as Costa Coffee, Card Factory, and Salon B.

The first-floor accommodation is fully let to Peak Performance Academy, which provides additional rental diversification.

Additionally, the scheme benefits from an agreement with Tesla to operate eight electric vehicle charging bays within the customer car park.


Commercial figures show that the property generates a total current rental income of 1,326,458 euro per annum, with a weighted average unexpired lease term of 4.45 years to break options and 6.46 years to lease expiry.

Cushman & Wakefield noted that the quoted guide price of 15.4 million euro reflects a net initial yield of 7.83 per cent, assuming standard purchaser costs of 9.96 per cent.

The selling agents highlighted that the fully occupied asset offers investors an attractive income profile alongside scope for additional income generation through parking commercialisation.

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