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Killarney man could secure Amsterdam flight

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7 years ago

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By Sean Moriarty

The man who successfully negotiated Ryanair’s London service to and from Kerry Airport could be the vital link in the airport securing a regular flight to and from Amsterdam Schipol.

Back in 2001, Aghadoe-based Peter Bellew secured the Kerry Stansted link with the Irish airline during his tenure as the airport’s marketing manager.

A short time after this Ryanair recruited the County Meath native as its Deputy Head of Flight Operations and he worked his way up the role of Director of Flight Operations before joining Malaysia Air as Deputy Chief Executive in 2014 and three years later returned to Ryanair as its Chief Operating Officer.

However, last week he announced he had left the airline again and on Thursday EasyJet announced that he would become Chief Operating Officer for the Britain-based budget airline.

At the first meeting of the newly elected Kerry County Council, on July 15, Cllr Jackie Healy-Rae’s first motion called for an international PSO between Kerry Airport and Amsterdam.

Amsterdam Schipol is considered a world hub, it is the third-busiest airport in Europe in terms of passenger volume with over 63 million in 2017, and the busiest in Europe in terms of aircraft movement. It is served by a trans-continental rail and road network.

It is also one of EasyJet’s biggest European hubs offering more than 15 flights a day to and from the airport.

Healy-Rae is the second elected member of Kerry County Council to push for Amsterdam after Tralee Mayor Cllr Jim Finucane called for it previously in June 2017, around the same time Mr Bellew returned to Ryanair.

“If we are serious about creating more business opportunities and attracting a new tourism market, we need to connect ourselves to the world and we have a way of doing that, create an International PSO from Kerry Airport to Schipol Airport, Amsterdam,” Healy-Rae said. “By doing this, you have right away opened yourself to over 200 worldwide destinations. 71 million people travelled through Schipol Airport in 2018 and by having a well marketed route to Kerry, we could be getting our fair share of this and adding to the 2.3 million visitors we had to Kerry in 2018.”

It is not clear when Bellew will take up his new role, October will probably be the earliest but given his track record at Kerry Airport and Ryanair he is best qualified to realise these political dreams.

 

 

 

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Sinn Féin to host public meeting on cost of living at Killarney Heights Hotel

Sinn Féin deputy leader Pearse Doherty will host a public meeting on the costs of living and housing crises at the Killarney Heights Hotel on Thursday, May 28 at 8pm. […]

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13 hours ago

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25 May 2026

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Sinn Féin deputy leader Pearse Doherty will host a public meeting on the costs of living and housing crises at the Killarney Heights Hotel on Thursday, May 28 at 8pm.

The Donegal TD will be joined by Kerry TD Pa Daly to discuss the economic pressures facing local households and the policy changes needed to provide financial relief. The main focus of the evening will center on the barriers preventing local people from buying their own homes, alongside broader costs of living challenges.
Speaking exclusively to the Killarney Advertiser ahead of his visit, Deputy Doherty said workers and families across Kerry are being squeezed from every direction by rising weekly shops, high energy bills, increasing insurance premiums, and substantial housing costs.
“Young people are losing hope that they will ever own a home in the county where they were raised,” Deputy Doherty said. “And while all of this is happening, the government is sitting on billions in budget surpluses while telling struggling families to wait. It is simply not good enough.”
The Sinn Féin finance spokesperson highlighted specific regional factors making the crisis acute in County Kerry, particularly regarding home heating costs.
“Almost 59% of homes in Kerry rely on home heating oil, which is nearly double the state average of 34%,” he said. “That means families across the county are far more exposed to soaring fuel costs than households in many other parts of the state. Yet the government withdrew supports that were helping households keep the lights on and heat their homes.”
Deputy Doherty noted that the housing situation in Kerry has moved beyond a social issue and is now impacting the local economy and communities. He pointed to figures showing average rents in the county have reached €1,493 per month, with exceptionally low market availability.
“At the time of writing, there were only 27 properties available online to rent across the entire county. Only 19 were below €2,000 a month and just five were available for less than €1,500. A county the size of Kerry, and only five rental properties affordable to someone on an ordinary income,” he said.
He also raised concerns for first-time buyers, noting that average house prices in Kerry have climbed to €296,000, representing an increase of €33,500 in a single year.
During the meeting, the Sinn Féin representatives will outline their party’s alternative proposals. These include a state-led program of affordable home building, a ban on excessive rent increases, enhanced protections for renters, and immediate energy credits and tax relief for workers.
“The resources exist to do this,” Deputy Doherty added. “The government’s own figures show billions in surplus funds available to the state. The issue is not a lack of money. The issue is political choice.”
The meeting is open to all members of the public, and a discussion session will follow the main presentations.

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National Park hosts weekend Bioblitz for National Biodiversity Week

Killarney National Park is taking centre stage for the final weekend of National Biodiversity Week, with the public being urged to get outdoor and explore the local environment. Today, Friday, […]

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15 hours ago

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25 May 2026

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Killarney National Park is taking centre stage for the final weekend of National Biodiversity Week, with the public being urged to get outdoor and explore the local environment.

Today, Friday, May 22, marks the UN International Day for Biological Diversity, and a series of free events will run across the park until the national celebration concludes this Sunday, May 24.
The highlight of the weekend is the Killarney National Park Bioblitz. This event brings families, nature lovers, and community volunteers together to find, identify, and record as many different plant and animal species as possible across the park’s diverse habitats over the next three days.
Christopher O’Sullivan, Minister for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, encouraged locals and visitors alike to utiliSe the final days of the festival to experience the area’s unique wildlife, referencing Killarney’s native habitats as key areas the state is working to protect.
Niall Ó Donnchú, Director General of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), noted that the week is designed to remind people that native plants, woodlands, and rivers are vital systems that make life possible. OrganiSers are encouraging anyone in the locality to head out to Killarney National Park before Sunday evening to participate in the species count and support local conservation efforts.

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