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“Cluttered street space will have negative effect” says Cllr Donal Grady

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CONCERN: Cllr Donal Grady fears temporary measures by the Council will lead to long-term pedestrianisation of Killarney town centre. Photo: Michelle Crean

By Sean Moriarty

 

A long-serving councillor has warned that the temporary footpath widening, put in place to allow social-distancing, is a covert way to extend pedestrianisation in Killarney.

In July, to allow the town centre reopen following the national shut down, Kerry County Council extended the width of footpaths in several town centre locations.

Cllr Donal Grady says he is at odds with the Council’s decision concerning the widening of footpaths and the reasons stated.

The entire project is supposed to be a temporary arrangement to allow social distancing while there is still a threat of COVID-19 in the country.

“The town will be desecrated,” he told the Killarney Advertiser. “It is OK now, we have plenty of visitors around, but mark my words, come September, when the season is over, the town centre will be dead.”

However, these ’temporary’ works have been installed in such a fashion that it would require a lot of money and work to restore them to pre-social distancing times. The restoration works would involve breaking out new tarmac and kerbing, and the streets would then need full resurfacing.

The widened footpaths have been decorated with large flower paths, effectively, reducing the width of the path to their previous size and some wider pavements are now being used as parking bays for motorcycles.

“It is a way of sneaking in pedestrianisation,” he added. “The elected councillors were not consulted. We had no say in the matter,” added Grady. “This is going to kill the town centre. Locals will go to Tralee and Castleisland to shop and we will lose everything.”

Additionally, Plunkett St has been closed to traffic since early July. The town centre street had a long-running arrangement where it is pedestrianised every day between the hours of 7pm and 7am and this scheme has divided the Council for years. This has been further extended to 24hrs – until September – to allow social distancing on the narrow street.

While some elected members are pushing to increase pedestrianisation on the streets and to other areas in the town centre, Mr O’Grady is amongst those against the idea stating that businesses are suffering due to restricted passing trade. He will bring the issue up again at next month’s Killarney Municipal District meeting.

There has been an increased level of outdoor dining in the town centre since the country started to reopen in late June and early July and while Grady welcomed this as a short-term solution to help businesses get back on their feet, he warned that long-term, the cluttered street space will have a negative effect on the town centre.

“We are not living in Portugal,” said Mr Grady, who added that the temporary arrangements have come at the cost of over 50 parking spaces in the town. “We have been shouting about parking issues for years.”
The Council have been contacted for a comment.

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Killarney sweeps county selections in national carvery awards

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Killarney has taken seven of the nine Kerry spots named as “Knorr Recommended Roast 2026” venues.

The nationwide programme, now in its third year, evaluates pubs and hotels through independent mystery diners to check carvery and roast dinner quality across the country.

Venues across Munster performed above the national average, with a combined score of 81.5% compared to the country-wide average of 80.5%.


The seven Killarney and surrounding area locations making the list include Hannigan’s at the International Hotel, the Killarney Court Hotel, and the Mill Brasserie at the Killarney Heights Hotel.

The Kerry Way Bar & Restaurant in Glenflesk also earned a recommendation, alongside the Killarney Oaks Hotel.


Two local establishments made the list for the first time this year, with the Kenmare Rooms at the Killarney Avenue Hotel and Scott’s Hotel both listed as new entries for 2026.

The remaining two county spots went to Tralee-based venues, namely the Brogue Inn on Rock Street and Gally’s on the Castlemaine Road.

To achieve inclusion in the 148 venues selected across Ireland, each establishment had to demonstrate consistent quality, portion standard, and execution in their daily roast offerings.

Jim Reeves, Customer Director Ireland at Unilever Food Solutions, noted that the results show an exceptional standard of local food and hospitality, stating that each selected venue has a long-standing reputation for serving top-notch carvery dishes.

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Resurfacing works announced for key sections of N22

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A programme of resurfacing works has been confirmed for several key sections of the N22 in and around Killarney.

The investment will involve replacing the road wearing course under the HD28 road maintenance programme to address areas impacted by high traffic volumes.

The project was confirmed at the June full meeting of Kerry County Council and covers four specific locations along the route.

Works will take place on the N22 from the Killarney Leisure Centre through the SuperValu Roundabout to the Coolcaslagh Junction, including the Lissyviggeen Roundabout.

Upgrades are also scheduled for the N22 Killarney Bypass from east of the Kilcummin Junction to the north of the Cleeny Roundabout.

Additionally, resurfacing will be carried out at Madams Hill from the Viewing Park to the north of BG Motors, as well as another section of the N22 running from approximately 1.8 kilometres south of Lawlor’s Cross up to the cross itself.

The works are currently out to tender, with responses expected back shortly. Construction is anticipated to begin in July, with the majority of the resurfacing scheduled to take place at night to minimise disruption for motorists.

The allocation has been welcomed by Deputy Michael Healy-Rae TD and Councillor Jackie Healy-Rae, who noted the importance of the corridor for commuters, tourism, and local businesses.


Deputy Michael Healy-Rae stated that the N22 is one of the most important transport corridors in Kerry and carries thousands of vehicles every day.

He added that maintaining and improving the condition of the road network is vital for road safety, tourism, local businesses, and commuters, while acknowledging Transport Infrastructure Ireland and Kerry County Council for prioritising the funding.

Councillor Jackie Healy-Rae added that well-maintained infrastructure is a basic expectation for residents and visitors alike.

He said that while road maintenance may not always grab headlines, it is one of the most important investments that can be made to improve driving conditions for residents, visitors, and businesses.

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