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Rás Mumhan needs a new base – can Killarney fill the gap?

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By Sean Moriarty

Killarney has a golden opportunity to stage one of the country’s biggest cycle races and the Killarney Advertiser is launching a campaign to make it happen.

This week the organisers of Kerry Group Rás Mumhan have announced they will not organise the race again in the future. A search will now begin for new race promoters.
The 20th edition of the four-day event was due to take place over its traditional date of the Easter Bank Holiday Weekend, but fell foul to COVID-19 restrictions.
Prior to this year’s event the organising committee, made up mainly of Killorglin Cycling Club members, had decided to bow out and confirmed as much in a statement issued earlier this week.
'The decision to withdraw from event promotion was taken early in 2020. The intention of the organising committee was to announce the decision at the conclusion of the 2020 race, events however overtook the plan', said the statement.

After An Ras, the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan, is the second biggest cycle race in Ireland and regularly attracts entries from semi-professional and national teams.
The rights of the event is owned by Cycling Munster and the provincial governing body has now begun a search to find a replacement organising team.

While the selection process is a complicated matter, it is open to any affiliated club in Munster, and the Killarney Advertiser understands that Kerry Group would continue its sponsorship of the event if it stays in the county.

Both Tralee and Killarney Cycling Clubs are well placed to bid for the event because access to local hotels and classic mountain roads suitable for such an event are already available.

“It would be huge for the club, but it’s a big ask,” said Killarney Cycling Club member and former county champion Connor Kissane. “But if they could step up it would be unreal.”

One of the highlights of Killorglin-based Rás Mumhan was the finish line in the town centre. Thousands of fans and curious locals would gather in Killorglin to watch the spectacle.

“Most of the fans came over from Killarney for the day anyway,” added Kissane. “It would be very special to have a finish on the streets of Killarney."

HAVE YOUR SAY: Should Killarney host the 2021 Rás Mumhan? What suggestions have you for the event?

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Musical Society announces ‘Sister Act’ as 2027 production

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Killarney Musical Society has announced that its 2027 musical production will be the comedy Sister Act.

The show will run at the Gleneagle Arena from Tuesday, March 2nd to Thursday, March 4th, 2027.

Based on the film, the musical tells the story of Deloris Van Cartier, a nightclub singer placed in protective custody in a convent after witnessing a crime. While there, she helps transform the parish choir.


Society Chairperson Derek O’Leary expressed excitement about the selection. “It is a show that combines humour, heart, spectacular music and an inspiring story, making it a perfect fit for Killarney Musical Society and our audiences,”

O’Leary said. He also confirmed that award-winning director Oliver Hurley and musical director Jimmy Brockie will return for the production.


The society, which draws performers, musicians, and backstage volunteers from across Kerry and neighbouring counties, will release details regarding auditions and production updates in the coming months.

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Killarney retains top ten position in national litter rankings

Killarney has maintained its position in the top ten of the latest Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) survey, securing 9th place out of 40 towns and cities surveyed nationwide. The […]

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Killarney has maintained its position in the top ten of the latest Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) survey, securing 9th place out of 40 towns and cities surveyed nationwide. The town was officially deemed to be ‘Cleaner than European Norms’.

The accompanying report by An Taisce praised Killarney for delivering a solid performance, noting that there were no heavily littered sites found within the town boundaries.
Several local areas received top marks for maintenance and presentation. Main Street was highlighted as exceptionally well-presented, while Park Road, Muckross Road, and the Knockreer Playground and environs were also singled out for praise. The report noted that the playground area was in very good order across all elements.
However, the inspectors did highlight some areas for improvement. The JYSK site showed slight progress compared to the previous survey but remained classified as moderately littered. The report warned that care must be taken to prevent the location from deteriorating further.
On a national level, IBAL representative Conor Horgan noted that entering the peak tourist season, the country has fewer littered areas than at any time in the past 25 years.
Despite the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), the survey highlighted a national rise in specific waste items. Plastic bottles were found in 19% of all surveyed sites across the country, and drinks cans were present in 22%. The prevalence of coffee cups also reached its highest level since 2023, alongside an increase in cigarette butt litter.

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