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Calls for on street dining and seating in Killarney town centre

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OUTDOOR DINING: Street scenes like this are common in Europe and Cllr Michael Gleeson says the time is right to explore such an idea in Killarney.

By Sean Moriarty

 

A plan to roof the centre of Killarney to allow people to socialise outside in all weathers could be back on the agenda thanks to Coronavirus restrictions.

The idea to place retractable umbrellas over Main St had been given approval by the previous town council but that idea was pushed off the agenda in 2014 when town councils were merged with the Council and were restructured as municipal districts.

The idea was first put forward by Cllr Michael Gleeson seven years ago and the Independent Alliance politician sees merit in re-introducing the idea as a solution to indoor socialising that has been restricted as a result of the pandemic.

At the time local engineer Paudie O’Mahoney devised a plan to keep the rain off of tourists and locals alike. It included placing an ‘artificial roof’ over the streets of Killarney which can be removed in the summer when the weather is nice and put back up when it's raining.

The plan is to make the artificial roofs from large sections of heavy-duty canvas.

"This canopy cover system could be introduced on a trial basis in a lane way or even on one of the main streets and I can see it taking off all over the country in a very short space of time,” Paudie said in 2013.

A year later Kerry County Council said details and specifications had been agreed with a specialist supplier, but the tender process had not been completed prior to the town council’s abolition.

Cllr Gleeson raised the matter at a Killarney Municipal District meeting earlier this month as part of a debate surrounding pedestrianisation and the Safe Streets project.

His idea is to put a covered seating area in the centre of the town’s streets which would be owned and maintained by the Municipal District Council and placed in such a way that it would not favour any particular business.

Mr Gleeson says the idea works well on the continent, particularly Belgium which enjoys a similar climate to Ireland.

“It is time to look at Al Fresco dining on the streets of Killarney,” he told the Killarney Advertiser. “I have seen something similar in a large hotel in Dublin and it is quite common in Europe. It would enhance Killarney as a tourist destination as tourists and locals could socialise in a safe distance. Belgium can be colder than here in the winter but it works there.”

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Five local postmen retire with 185 years service

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Five local postmen retire with 185 years service

RETIREMENT NIGHT: Pictured at the retirement party held at Killarney Racecourse on Saturday, October 3, celebrating a combined 185 years of service with An Post, are Connie Brady, James Foley, Terry Potts, Pat Cronin, and D.J. Cahill.


Five well-known local postmen celebrated their retirement at a special function held at Killarney Racecourse on Saturday night, October 3.


The event brought together current and former An Post colleagues to mark the combined total of 185 years of service delivered across Killarney and surrounding areas.
Delivery Services Manager Terry Potts retired after 43 years with An Post. He began his career in Dublin, where he worked for 10 years, before moving to Killarney in 1993 for a further 33 years.
Pat Cronin completed an impressive 51 years of service between Killarney and Farranfore, spending 44 of those years delivering post on the Farranfore route.
James Foley served 35 years with An Post, delivering on routes across Killorglin throughout his entire career.
D.J. Cahill marked 32 years of service based out of Killarney post office, delivering mail across Killarney town, Killorglin, Kilcummin, and Headford.
Connie Brady retired following 24 years with the postal service, spending 17 years in Killarney town before completing his service in Killorglin.
The celebration offered local postal staff an opportunity to gather and catch up ahead of the busy Christmas rush.

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New Streetscapes murals launched at College Square

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A colourful collaboration between the Kerry Local Creative Youth Partnership (LCYP) and the Architecture Kerry Festival at Kerry County Council launched yesterday evening at College Square.

Titled Streetscapes, the open-air public art installation officially opened at 5pm on Thursday, accompanied by a performance from the Killarney Youth Drumming Band THUMP! under the guidance of Urs Wenk from Drum Dance Ireland.


The public art project features a series of wall murals depicting Killarney through the eyes of local children, exploring freedom, play, and potential future evolutions of the townscape.

The artworks reimagine Killarney’s iconic landmarks and streets, blending youthful imagination and curiosity.


Supported under the Creative Ireland Programme, the installation is mounted on the gable wall of Reen’s Life Pharmacy in College Square, where it will remain on public display until March 2027.


Speaking at the launch, Daniel O’Shea, Youth Development Officer at Kerry ETB, stated: “Streetscapes is a wonderful celebration of how children see things. Their creativity brings new perspectives to the townscape, and we are proud to support their ideas and their art through this public artwork.”


Deirdre Enright, Co-Ordinator of the Local Creative Youth Partnership at Kerry ETB, acknowledged the community support behind the initiative: “We are very grateful to Reen’s Life Pharmacy who have shared their built space with us. Huge credit is due to the artistic team from Me+The Moon whose dedication to creativity and to children’s art shine through in this work.”


The project forms part of the annual Architecture Kerry Festival and receives funding through Creative Ireland and the Department of Education and Youth via Kerry ETB and Kerry County Council.


Victoria McCarthy, Festival Organiser and Architectural Conservation Officer at Kerry County Council, welcomed the continued inter-agency project: “It’s always a great event for Architecture Kerry and we are so pleased with this collaboration between public sector organisations. It remains a key feature of the Architecture Kerry programme.”
See next week’s Killarney Advertiser for full photographic coverage of the event.

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