By Sean Moriarty

One of the most popular elements of Christmas in Killarney will not go ahead this year due to rising insurance costs.

Operators of Killarney on Ice have been forced to pull the pin on this year’s events after being hit with a 300 percent increase in their insurance bill.

On top of that, each potential claim would have an excess of €25,000 before insurance companies would even consider underwriting an incident.

Killarney on Ice has been operating in the Beech Road car park since 2004. The arrival of the temporary structure each November signalled the unofficial start to the festive season in Killarney.

The news will come as a blow to the business community too. A 2019 survey revealed that three out of every four visitors to the ice rink came from outside a 15km radius of Killarney.

Killarney on Ice was an important community event too and organisers often allowed under-privileged or special needs children the opportunity to take part free of charge during quieter times.

“I am gutted,” operator Tim O’Donoghue told the Killarney Advertiser.

“I am more gutted for the community and what this means for the town of Killarney than I am from a business point of view. This is not good for the town, it is a disaster for businesses, for part-time work opportunities and as entertainment for visitors. It was a major part of the whole festival, it built the excitement around Christmas, once the ice rink went in you knew Christmas was just around the corner.”