Residents of Killarney will recognise many familiar faces when Killarney Musical Society stages All Shook Up on February 10, 11 and 12 in the Gleneagle Arena.

The society is marking its 40th anniversary year and is introducing the lead cast members in the weeks before opening night.
Orna Cleary O’Shea plays Mayor Matilda Hyde, a conservative town leader who opposes the arrival of rock and roll. The character tries to keep control as music changes life in the community. Mayor Hyde is protective of her son Dean, played by Jaidon Ward Barrett, and works with Sheriff Earl, played by Conor O’Leary, to maintain order.
Orna has performed with the society since its first production in 1985 and has appeared in every show.
She said she has built her life around the group. “I have been afforded countless unforgettable memories, fabulous friendships, laughter, loss and love, and above all moments that have shaped my life and will treasure forever,” she said.
Her past roles include Eliza Doolittle in ‘My Fair Lady’, Sally Smith in ‘Me and My Girl’, Reno Sweeney in ‘Anything Goes’, Laurie in ‘Oklahoma’, and Mrs Johnstone in ‘Blood Brothers’.
She received an AIMS Best Actress nomination for Oklahoma. In later years she played Maria, Duchess of Derreen in Titanic and Alice Beane in Titanic.
Orna said Killarney Musical Society has been more than theatre. “KMS has been far more than a stage to me, it has been part of my life, a second home filled with laughter, tears, lifelong friendships and memories of a lifetime,” she said.
Tickets are available on Ticketmaster and at the Gleneagle box office.

A total of 392 deer were culled in Killarney National Park during 2025, representing a 37% increase on the previous year.

According to new figures from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the cull included 276 non-native sika deer and 116 native Killarney red deer.

The 2025 figures show a marked rise from 2024, when 286 deer were removed from the 10,000-hectare park.

The NPWS confirmed that the culling took place primarily during the official hunting season, with a specific focus on female deer to manage population growth.

The NPWS acknowledged an increase in deer numbers, citing restrictions on hunting during the Covid-19 pandemic as a contributing factor.

A spokesperson noted that deer populations are highly mobile and their home ranges are not constrained by land ownership or park boundaries.

Management of the population is currently being guided by a national strategy under the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

This involves Deer Management Units, managed by Farm Relief Services (FRS), which appoint coordinators to liaise between farmers and hunters to target problem areas across the county.