News
New festive show announced for Christmas festival
A brand-new theatrical production has been added to the Christmas in Killarney festival line-up, bringing a major family attraction to the town throughout the winter season.
Titled Christmas in Killarney – The Show, the new production makes its debut at Killarney Racecourse. It runs every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday across the four weekends leading up to Christmas, offering a fresh entertainment experience alongside the town's existing seasonal celebrations.
The narrative follows a story based locally, beginning when Santa's sleigh crash-lands in Killarney during a routine test flight. With Santa missing, a search-and-rescue team of North Pole elves and their loyal reindeer Olive embark on a race against time to locate him before Christmas Eve. The journey takes the characters through recognisable local locations, including the streets of the town and Killarney National Park.
The stage production combines live acting, music, and comedy designed for audiences of all ages. The storyline concludes directly in time for the cast to join the weekly Magic Parade in the town centre each Saturday.
The addition expands the six-week festival schedule, which is managed by Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce and supported by Kerry County Council. The new show runs alongside returning attractions, including the weekly parades, Christmas markets, and seasonal dining events across local venues.
Organisers confirmed that tickets for Christmas in Killarney – The Show are available via the Killarney Racecourse website, with multiple showtimes scheduled across each weekend of the run.
Highlights of the upcoming six-week festival
The six-week Christmas in Killarney festival returns with a full schedule of street entertainment, markets, and family attractions across the town starting late November.
Ireland’s only weekly Christmas Magic Parades return to the town centre each Saturday from November 28, featuring festive floats, costumed characters, and street performers. Santa's Holiday Residence opens at Golden Gate Lodge in Killarney National Park from November 27 to December 23, offering family visits with Santa and his elves.
Local culinary event Dine in Killarney takes place across two evenings on November 19 and 26, with over 30 participating restaurants providing three-course seasonal menus. Old Market Lane hosts the town’s Christmas Markets, featuring handcrafted items and seasonal goods from local vendors. Killarney on Ice also returns to Beech Road from November 27 through January 10.
Autism friendly festival events
Organisers of Christmas in Killarney have confirmed a suite of accessibility measures to ensure festival events are inclusive for all visitors.
As an Autism Friendly Town, Killarney will feature designated quiet viewing areas along the routes for each of the weekly Saturday Magic Parades. Wheelchair accessible viewing platforms will also be installed at main gathering points throughout the festival grounds.
To assist families, visual and sensory guides detailing the environment and noise levels of key festival experiences will be provided on the festival website prior to the opening weekend.
Santa Grotto tickets go on sale
Tickets for Santa’s Holiday Residence at Golden Gate Lodge go on sale today, Friday, September 11, on the official festival website.
The experience runs from November 27 to December 23, featuring meetings with Santa’s elves, an official certificate, and a private family visit with Santa in his firelit sitting room. Advance booking is required through christmasinkillarney.com.
Festival Highlights at a glance
Weekly Magic Parades: Four parades take place each Saturday leading up to Christmas, starting November 28, featuring dazzling festive floats, characters, elves, and Santa.
Santa’s Grotto: Located at Golden Gate Lodge in Killarney National Park from November 27 to December 23, complete with an official Nice List Certificate and firelit sitting room visit.
Dine in Killarney: Special three-course festive menus across more than 30 local restaurants on November 19 and 26.
Christmas Markets: Open-air cabins offering seasonal treats and handcrafted gifts at Old Market Lane, off Market Cross.
Killarney on Ice: Ice-skating rink operating at Beech Road from November 27 to January 10.
Santa's Grotto tickets go on sale today
Tickets for Santa's Holiday Residence at Golden Gate Lodge in Killarney National Park go on sale today, Friday, September 11, via the official festival website.
Running from November 27 through December 23, the experience includes interactive visits with Santa's elves, an official Nice List Certificate, and a private family meeting with Santa in his firelit sitting room.
Organisers advise advance booking due to high demand. Full ticket details for Santa's Grotto, Christmas in Killarney – The Show, and Killarney on Ice can be accessed at christmasinkillarney.com.
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
Couples across the parish of Kilcummin gathered at Our Lady of Lourdes Church for a special celebration Mass honouring milestone wedding anniversaries.
The special service, celebrated by Fr Pat O’Donnell, brought together local couples celebrating 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60 years of marriage. Each couple received a commemorative certificate in recognition of their decades of commitment and companionship.
Following the ceremony, the parish committee hosted a reception in the parish hall, where attendees enjoyed tea, home baking, and an opportunity to catch up with neighbours and family members.
Organisers extended their gratitude to Fr O’Donnell, the church committee, photographer Anne Holland, and all who helped arrange the celebratory event.
ANNIVERSARY MASS: Pictured at the Kilcummin wedding anniversary mass are (front row, left to right) Michael and Mary Dorrigan, Michael and Mary Moynihan, Marion and Timmy O’Keeffe, and Clare and Sean Moynihan; (second row) Robert and Ann Marie Keane, Paudie and Kate Cahill, Hann and Denny Donnelly, Sheila and Charlie O’Neill, and Maureen and Francis O’Doherty; (third row) Maura and Cornelius Brosnan, Joan and Jeremiah Desmond, Breda and Timmy O’Leary, Noreen and Patie Nagle, and Barry and Breda Duggan; with (back row) Willie and Breda Fleming, Mary and Noel Cronin, and Fr Pat O’Donnell. Photo: Anne Holland.
PEARL ANNIVERSARY: Clare and Sean Moynihan celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Kilcummin. Photo: Anne Holland.
GOLDEN JUBILEE: Marion and Timmy O’Keeffe marking 50 years of marriage during the parish anniversary celebrations in Kilcummin. Photo: Anne Holland.
RUBY CELEBRATION: Timmy and Breda O’Leary celebrating 40 years of marriage in Kilcummin. Photo: Anne Holland.
SAPPHIRE MILESTONE: Joan and Jeremiah Desmond celebrating 45 years of marriage at the anniversary Mass in Kilcummin. Photo: Anne Holland.
CORAL ANNIVERSARY: Robert and Anne Marie Keane marking 35 years of marriage at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Kilcummin. Photo: Anne Holland.
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