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Angry protest over National Park deer cull

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PROTEST: Ted Cronin of the Party for Animal Welfare with a group of protesters outside Killarney National Park on Wednesday morning.

 

By Sean Moriarty

 

The Party for Animal Welfare - who staged a protest at the gates of Killarney National Park early Wednesday morning - is calling for a contraceptive style approach to reduce the deer herd in Killarney.

The group, who were out at 7.30am and left just after 9am, were raising concerns over the current deer cull taking place in the Park.

The cull, which is approved and managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS), has been taking place once a week for the last two weeks. Next Wednesday (March 11) has been set aside for the final day of the annual cull and the Park will be closed between 6.30am and 11.30am.

Latest figures show that there were 120 deer culled during the 2017-18 season and that 272 were culled last year.

Animal rights activist and recent General Election hopeful Ted Cronin led Wednesday’s protest.

He says there are other ways of controlling the deer population.

“Shooting deer is the easy way out, there are other methods,” the party’s deputy leader told the Killarney Advertiser. “The contraceptive method is used a lot in America, animals could be transported to different parts of the country too and while a journey in a horsebox would be stressful for the deer it is still better than killing them.”

Killarney enjoys a love-hate relationship with Ireland’s oldest animal.

Deer are an important part of the tourist experience but growing numbers have led to calls for culls as deer frequently wander into the town centre and they have been blamed for several road traffic accidents – some fatal – in recent years.

“Imagine a telling a tourist that the deer they were looking at yesterday have now been shot dead - they would not want to come back to Killarney,” added Cronin. “If there are only 10 deer left in the Park, they can jump out in front of a car at any time too.”

Cronin claims Wednesday’s cull was cut short after a member of the protest group entered the National Park, and the park rangers were unable to locate that person so had to stop the shooting for safety reasons.

However, this was denied by the NPWS.

“The cull was neither called off nor interrupted by protest. The cull was completed in full. No people were in the Park during the cull. We would stress that culling is a regular management operational activity of the Park. It would have been an incredibly reckless and irresponsible action had any protestors trespassed during the cull, which had been clearly signed and advertised in the interests of public safety,” said a statement issued to the Killarney Advertiser.

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Network Ireland Kerry discuss sustainable success

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Network Ireland Kerry held their third annual collaboration event last Wednesday at the Rose Hotel, Tralee. The theme was: “The Journey to Sustainable Success” which brought three industry experts together to talk about their own journey to sustainable successful.

Business professionals, entrepreneurs, and financial leaders came together for this highly anticipated event to learn about the journey from becoming a start-up, to a small-to-medium enterprise (SME), and a large SME.

The event was opened by AIB Branch Liaison for Network Ireland Kerry and AIB Castleisland Branch Manager, Colleen Shannon. It was MC’d by AIB Tralee Branch Manager, Stephen Stack.

Sarah Farrar of AINMHÌ, Garrett Dillon of Mr. Binman and Dillon Waste Ltd. and Susan Quirke-Crowley of Mounthawk Montessori School Group were among the speakers at the event.

These leaders spoke about their challenges, milestones, and breakthroughs they encountered, from launching an idea to scaling operations nationally.

Tara Elzingre of Tara Elzingre Consultancy, Zaneta Labuz-Czerwein of Rustic Boowa and Sharon Hartnett of U Coaching promoted their businesses for ‘Minute on the Mic’

Emily Reen, Network Ireland Kerry President, described the event as a testament to the power of partnership. She said: “The event underscored a powerful message: sustainable business success is not a solo journey. With the right partnerships, teams and financial tools, businesses of all sizes can grow with purpose, resilience, and long-term impact.”

Network Ireland Kerry will host their next monthly event on November 12 in Killarney and in collaboration with the Kerry Local Enterprise Office, titled: “Gain Competitive Advantage in Your Business”. This event will be MC’d by Karen Ronan, 2025 National Vice President of Network Ireland and CEO of Galway Chamber. This event is open to non-members and members, and everyone is welcome from 6 pm for networking and refreshments, with the event taking place from 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm.

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Minor injury clinic to open by this time next year

The Killarney Local Injury Clinic is expected to be open by Q3 2026, according to the HSE. The proposed unit will be located on the grounds of St Columbanus Home. […]

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The Killarney Local Injury Clinic is expected to be open by Q3 2026, according to the HSE. The proposed unit will be located on the grounds of St Columbanus Home.

The timeline was confirmed in response to a Parliamentary Question from Fianna Fáil TD Michael Cahill, who said the project will follow the relocation of the Community Nursing Unit from its current site to the grounds of the old St Finan’s Hospital. Once the transfer is complete, construction of the injury clinic can proceed.
Deputy Cahill described the two new health facilities as “a fantastic addition for Killarney and the wider East, Mid, and South Kerry regions” and noted they will help reduce waiting times at University Hospital Kerry A&E.
“I will continue to push for enhanced health services for our people,” added the Fianna Fáil Spokesperson for Older People.
The new clinic is expected to provide urgent care services for local residents, easing pressure on hospital emergency departments and improving access to timely treatment in the Killarney area.

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