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Plans already underway for 2026 St Patrick’s festival celebration

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The green face paint has hardly been washed off and the banners remain unfurled but plans are already at a relatively advanced stage for the 2026 St Patrick’s Festival in Killarney.

In the coming months the dedicated and hugely enthusiastic committee, spearheaded by hotelier Jason Clifford, will hold several numerous meetings, with two on some days, as well as making and receiving hundreds of phone calls before the grand marshal is paraded through the streets in March of next year for the final instalment in the hugely successful Echoes trilogy.
The theme last year was Echoes of Killarney Past, this year it was Echoes of Killarney Present and in 2026 the focus will be on Echoes of Killarney Future and to suggest that the three-year theme has been a success is quite the understatement.
“The festival continues to grow in stature and in participation every year and St Patrick’s Day brings the biggest footfall to Killarney at any one time of the year,” said Clifford.
He added that the fact that the traditional one-day celebration has now grown to a hugely successful five-day festival speaks volumes about the high regard in which Killarney and its many festivals are held.
Jason said the secret to success is the small army of volunteers who so willingly give of their time and effort to ensure everything runs smoothly.
In addition to a 22-strong committee, this year the festival had close on 30 volunteers working at AbleFest – a fully inclusive one-day outdoor festival on March 16 – while a further 75 volunteers took to the streets to help with the running of the parade and all it involved on St Patrick’s Day, under the direction of co-ordinator Thys Vogels.
“Without the volunteers, who range in age from 16 upwards, the St Patrick’s Festival or any of the great festivals in Killarney just wouldn’t be possible,” Jason said.
He singled out safety officer, Martin O’Brien, for special praise as he prepares and implements a 75-page safety document prior to the events and Jason acknowledged the enormous contribution of the festival organisers, Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce, in conjunction with Kerry County Council and Fáilte Ireland.
The chamber executive has heaped praise on Jason, the festival committee and the dedicated volunteers for the enormous effort they made to ensure that the parade in Killarney was one of the best in the country.
“We hand them the baton and off they go. They are a truly wonderful bunch and the Killarney business community, the people of the town and visitors have great reason to be grateful for the professional way they go about the task at hand.
“We thank everybody involved and we look forward to the exciting third part of the trilogy in March of 2026,” the chamber said in a statement.

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Aghadoe Heights Spa expands wellness offering with specialised cancer care therapies

The five-star Aghadoe Heights Hotel and Spa has unveiled a new suite of advanced treatment experiences, including specialised oncology training for therapists to support local patients undergoing cancer care. Under […]

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The five-star Aghadoe Heights Hotel and Spa has unveiled a new suite of advanced treatment experiences, including specialised oncology training for therapists to support local patients undergoing cancer care.

Under the direction of newly appointed Spa Manager Lorna Jankovic, the team is undergoing dedicated training to safely adapt treatments for guests undergoing or recovering from cancer-related medical care.
The tailored therapies will focus on comfort, safety, and wellbeing, utilising gentle, modified massage techniques and relaxation-focused treatments based on each individual’s health stage.
“We see the future of luxury wellness as a balance between innovation and genuine human connection,” Jankovic said. “That means creating a space that feels truly inclusive and supportive, including for guests undergoing or recovering from cancer-related treatments. These experiences are designed to slow things down, allowing for stillness, care, and deeper restoration.”
Alongside the new cancer care provision, the spa has introduced two touch-free, immersive treatment beds designed to assist with physical renewal and stress relief.
The first new addition is the MLX i3Dome, a 30-minute non-contact treatment that combines far-infrared technology, plasma, and light therapy to support the body’s natural detoxification processes, skin health, and muscle relaxation.
The second addition is the Welnamis treatment bed, which uses acoustic vibration and binaural sound therapy through headphones. The system uses targeted audio frequencies to calm the nervous system, offering the benefits of mindfulness and deep relaxation for individuals experiencing high stress levels.
The thermal and technological additions can be booked as standalone 30-minute sessions or used to prepare the body ahead of standard hands-on therapies. Over the coming year, the team plans to continue developing bespoke therapies and expanding holistic wellness programming at the famous venue.

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Killarney breaks national May temperature record 

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Killarney breaks national May temperature record 

Killarney became one of the hottest spots in the country this week as Ireland’s nationalmaximum air temperature record for the month of May was officially broken.

According to data issued by Met Éireann on Tuesday, the weather station at Muckross House recorded a blistering 29.1°C on Tuesday afternoon.

The extraordinary reading comfortably surpassed the previous county May record of 28.4°C, which had stood for nearly three decades after being set in Liscahane Ardfert, on May 31  1997.

The historic warmth came as Northwest Europe was trapped under an intense high-pressure system, frequently referred to as a heat dome. 

The unseasonable weather pattern began pushing temperatures toward record levels on Monday when provisional records were initially breached across several nationwide monitoring stations.

Among Met Éireann’s 25 primary synoptic stations, Shannon Airport in County Clare also surpassed the 1997 milestone by reaching 28.6°C. 

The Climate and Automatic Monitoring Program (CAMP) network captured the peak of the heatwave, with three independent stations eclipsing the old record on Tuesday and Wednesday, led by the historic high at Muckross House.

Pauline Healy-Reen and her sister Frances at the Gap of Dunloe on Tuesday,

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