News
Lewis Road historian charts history of Killarney
By Sean Moriarty
A brand new walking loop which will trace the history of Killarney and how it got its name is in the pipeline and could become a huge tourist attraction.
Killarney historian Thomas ‘Totty’ O’Sullivan from Lewis Road is an author, illustrator, musician and storyteller. Earlier this year he devised a walk in Killorglin linking all of the town’s historical sites.
He will now turn his attention to his home town and how it got its name.
Killarney translates from Irish into the Church of the Sloe.
Thomas has hand-drawn a map that links 41 sites of historical importance. The walk starts and finishes at the Church of the Sloe or St Mary’s Church of Ireland at Kenmare Place. Linking all the sites is the base for his historical walk and he now hopes to attract funding to allow him print brochures and launch the official historical walking tour and guide to Killarney.
“This is an exploration into of the origin of the name ‘Cill Áirne’ which translates as Church of the Sloe or Killarney, and one of the most famous tourism destinations in the world,” he said.
His research took him to Adamstown, County Wexford.
The Irish name for Adamstown is Magh Áirní which is translated as ‘Plain of the Sloes’.
The town’s patron saint was St Abbán a pre-Patrician saint who travelled abroad and all over the south of Ireland in the fifth century, founding many ecclesiastical foundations and sites on his way.
St Abbán of Wexford founded Aghadoe, Killarney in the sixth Century. From here Thomas was able to trace the importance, firstly the religious sites around the town, and linked them with more modern monuments like the World Ploughing Memorial on Mission Road.
Wallace Arnold coach drivers return to Killarney
A group of 26 former coach drivers, wives, and friends from the Wallace Arnold tour company returned to Killarney over a recent weekend.
The group travelled from Holyhead to Dublin in a restored Wallace Arnold coach, staying at the Killarney Towers Hotel for three nights.
During the visit, the group drove the vintage coach to local landmarks, including Kate Kearney’s Cottage and Muckross House, before returning to town ahead of the Kerry versus Donegal match. The itinerary also included a trip around the Ring of Kerry.
The trip allowed the former drivers to reconnect and reminisce about their years touring Ireland. Organiser Bob Adams said that the vintage coach drew attention from local residents along the route.
The group noted the absence of several former colleagues who could not travel due to health reasons, including veteran driver Hilton Caldwell who is well known in Killarney.
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