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The new President of Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce hopes to bring a new and fresh perspective to the role – and also tackle the town’s parking problems.
Paul Sherry, manager of the Killarney Outlet Centre, who this week took over from outgoing president Paul O'Neill, said many of his outstanding predecessors have been directly involved in tourism and he is acutely aware that the industry is key in Killarney.
Although a retailer by profession and not a business owner, he still sees himself as working in tourism, and pledges to represent all sectors with equal enthusiasm.
The new president said he wants to continue to represent the entire business community, the industrial and manufacturing sector, hospitality, retail and other commercial interests, and he hopes everybody will work together to create an even better Killarney.
“I want to make the Chamber as inclusive as it can be, and one of my main targets during my term is to increase membership. We are already a very strong and driven organisation and by growing further we can only get stronger,” he said.
Outlining his priorities for the role, Paul said he plans to build on the very good relationship the Chamber has with the officials and elected members of Killarney Municipal District Council and Kerry County Council, to work together on the big issues such as the town’s parking problem, congestion during the tourist season and creating greater access.
He said he is also looking forward to continuing the partnership with organisations like Tidy Towns, the Killarney Mountain Meitheal and the National Parks and Wildlife Service, and he is particularly anxious to see the potential of the magnificent asset that is Killarney House and Gardens maximised.
“The bottom line is that I am very keen to hear the views of everybody in Killarney in terms of what the town needs and what the Chamber can do to ensure it remains the best town in the country to live in and to visit,” Paul added.
He said Paul O’Neill would be a hard act to follow as he was a tremendous ambassador for the town during his two-year term.
“My priority is to continue to build on the great work that has been done by Chamber down through the years and to work closely with Team Killarney,” he said.
Always active in Chamber, Paul has served on all the organisation’s festival committees and he is currently Chairperson of the Killarney St Patrick’s Festival.
A long-serving member and former President of Killarney Rotary Club, he is the current Chairman of Killarney Celtic FC – the reigning Kerry league and cup champions – and he also serves on the board of management at Gaelscoil Faithleann in Killarney.