Fossa Climate Action Group to host autumn nature walk

Fossa Climate Action Group will host a guided nature walk in the Muckross area of Killarney National Park on Saturday, November 7.

The walk will be led by National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Education Officer Tara Buckley, starting at 10:30am.
Participants will learn about local wildlife habitats, seasonal changes in the woodland ecosystem, and how native species such as red squirrels prepare for the winter months.
The event is open to the public, with children welcome alongside an accompanying adult.
Due to limited availability, places must be reserved in advance by contacting Paul O’Raw on 087 2317204.

Concerns grow over rough sleeping beside Cathedral

A makeshift encampment beside St Mary’s Cathedral has renewed debate over rough sleeping in Killarney, raising questions about support for vulnerable people and the management of public spaces.

A photograph shared on a local Facebook page this week shows a tent, bedding and belongings beneath a tree near the cathedral, Bishop’s Palace and a car park used by worshippers and visitors. The location is also close to secondary schools. Comments beneath the photograph reflect concern about the encampment’s appearance and whether the response has been appropriate. The circumstances of the person staying there, including whether they have been offered accommodation or support, have not been established. Killarney councillors have raised rough sleeping repeatedly. In February 2021, the late Cllr Donal Grady told the Killarney Advertiser that some people sleeping rough had declined offers of accommodation in Killarney and Tralee. At the time, a Kerry County Council official told a Joint Policing Committee meeting: “If a person refuses accommodation then there’s nothing we can do about it. ”Those comments concerned earlier cases. They provide no evidence about the person currently pictured beside the cathedral. In January 2025, Cllr John O’Donoghue called for continued engagement with people sleeping rough, even when they were reluctant to accept help. Kerry County Council said homelessness involves complex circumstances that require cooperation between agencies.The cathedral adds a powerful historical dimension. Construction stopped during the Great Famine, when the unfinished building served as a hospital and shelter for the sick and dying. Children who died during the Famine were buried in its grounds.

A DIFFICULT SITUATION

A makeshift shelter beside this landmark raises a difficult question for a town known internationally for tourism and hospitality. Killarney also remembers the death in 2018 of a man believed to have been sleeping rough. The priority must be the individual’s welfare and dignity, alongside appropriate care for a busy public area. Has outreach taken place? Has suitable accommodation been offered? Who is responsible for managing the site, and what steps are being taken towards a lasting solution?

Have your say: info@killarneyadvertiser.ie