A major wildfire that destroyed approximately 25 hectares of Killarney National Park on Tuesday evening, July 14, is believed to have been started by human activity.

The blaze broke out in the Five Mile Bridge area of the park along the Killarney-Kenmare road at around 5:00pm. Members of the public quickly raised the alarm, enabling emergency services and National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) personnel to quickly mobilise to the scene. This early notification and swift action were critical in preventing the fire from escalating into a much more severe incident.
Fire crews from Killarney and Kenmare responded to contain and suppress the fire, with on-ground support from NPWS staff. Aerial support was also deployed to assist ground crews, with helicopters using Bambi buckets to target the flames from above.
The affected area is estimated to be around 25 hectares in size. It includes a mixture of dry heath, wet heath, and blanket bog, as well as pockets of native old oak woodland.
NPWS Divisional Manager Eamonn Meskell praised the rapid coordination of the emergency response.
“Thanks to the rapid response and coordinated efforts of all emergency personnel, NPWS staff and dedicated fire emergency crew, Kerry Fire and Rescue Service crews, rapid aviation assistance was deployed which was very effective bringing the fire under control,” Mr. Meskell said. “We will be on site on Wednesday morning to assess the affected area and monitor for any remaining hotspots and determine whether any further firefighting operations are required.”
The Minister of State with special responsibility for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan TD, expressed frustration at the cause of the blaze.
“This is devastating and it was started by human activity,” Minister O’Sullivan said. “It was completely avoidable. We can do better than this. Thank you to the National Parks and Wildlife staff and Kerry Fire and Rescue Service and aviation crews who battled the fires in Killarney National Park.”

Photos by Valerie O’Sullivan

Work on new, fully accessible public toilet facilities at Killarney Library is set to begin on Monday, July 20, marking the realisation of a project first tabled over two years ago.

The upgrade was initially put forward by Councillor Marie Moloney in May 2024, when she raised a motion at a Kerry County Council meeting highlighting the unacceptable lack of disabled toilets in a public building. At the time, Cllr Moloney noted that while access ramps were in place, several library users with disabilities were disappointed by the lack of facilities. “I will be keeping the pressure on to have these facilities provided as soon as possible,” she stated at the time.
Delivered by the Council’s Facilities Section, the upcoming works are expected to be completed in the autumn. The development will provide a new entrance to the toilet area, a fully accessible toilet, and baby changing facilities.
Killarney Library will remain open throughout the construction period, with all regular services continuing as normal. To ensure safety, the front porch, the existing public toilets, and the events room will be temporarily closed. Visitors will access the library via a signposted side entrance, and alternative public toilets will be available nearby at the High Street Car Park.