The annual Killarney Memory Tree will once again illuminate the town this Christmas season, Holy Cross Mercy National School has confirmed.

The initiative is a vital fundraiser for the school, and organisers have thanked the public for their t support in previous years.

The lights on the Memory Tree will be lit throughout the Christmas period to commemorate loved ones.
To officially mark the start of the fundraiser, the ‘Switch On’ ceremony will take place on Tuesday, December 2, at 7 pm.
The event will feature prayers led by Fr Vitalis Barasa, along with festive carols by candlelight. All members of the public are welcome to attend.

In addition to the lighting ceremony, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will be offered for all those being commemorated by the Memory Tree.
Mass will take place on Tuesday, December 16, at 1:10 pm in St. Mary’s Cathedral.
The Memory Tree will remain lit nightly throughout the Christmas season until January 6, the Feast of The Epiphany.

Lights for the Memory Tree can be purchased from the staff and pupils of Holy Cross Mercy School, or directly from the School Office located on New Road.

Minister of State for Forestry, Horticulture and Farm Safety, Michael Healy-Rae TD, has called for urgent action to amend Government proposals on short-term letting (STL), warning that current plans could severely damage the rural tourism sector.

Speaking on Tuesday as he opened the Irish Self-Catering Federation (ISCF) Conference in Spanish Point, Co. Clare, Minister Healy-Rae highlighted his “deep concern” that the proposed regulations could “undo decades of good work and destroy viable family-run businesses.”
The Minister stressed the importance of the sector, noting that the self-catering industry provides over 40% of Ireland’s tourism beds, most of which are located in rural towns and villages, according to Fáilte Ireland.
Minister Healy-Rae specifically reiterated his strong opposition to the proposal that would require all STL operators to apply for full planning permission and would effectively block new permissions in towns with populations over 10,000.
“This one-size-fits-all approach makes no sense,” he stated. “Places like Killarney, Dungarvan, Ballina and Tramore will be hit hard and the reality is that these properties will not return to the long-term rental market. They were never part of it to begin with.”
“We have a housing crisis, but you are not the problem and neither are you the solution,” the Minister said, adding that the self-catering industry is “under-valued by politicians and the general public” and that there remains “a serious lack of awareness within government about the importance of this issue.”