End of an era as Pat Tangney retires from CRL Oil after 47 years

Well-known and widely respected sales representative Pat Tangney has officially retired from CRL Oil following 47 years of service with the Killarney company.

Pat joined the Lissivigeen-based home heating oil business when it was founded in 1979 having initially worked summer job with sister company C&R Frozen Foods in Ballycasheen.
He began his career as a delivery truck driver before working across nearly every area of the business, eventually serving as the company’s primary travelling sales representative.
He recalls that the current Lissivigeen site was a green field when operations began in 1979, with the original office operating out of a caravan.
Over his nearly five decades in the oil trade, he experienced the complete transition from handwritten paper invoices to digital systems, as well as the shift away from an era before mobile phones when drivers relied on local post offices for directions to rural homesteads.
CRL Oil holds a long-standing historical connection with the Killarney Advertiser. Pat recalls visiting the publication’s original founder Danny Casey in a portacabin on Woodlawn to book an advertisement on page three, a position the company maintains to this day.
A feature on Pat Tangney’s career will appear in an upcoming edition as part of the popular Marie Meets column.

Kerry County Council has confirmed that a Data Protection Impact Assessment is complete and approval has been granted by the Garda Commissioner for a new Community CCTV scheme in Killarney town centre.

Tender documentation is now prepared, with the project set to go out to tender shortly.
Councillor Tommy Cahill welcomed the update, noting that the town and local business groups have campaigned for the infrastructure for more than two decades.

“Killarney and Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce have been waiting for this scheme for more than 20 years,” Cllr Cahill said. “It is therefore most welcome to see that we are now at a stage where the Data Protection Impact Assessment has been completed, Garda Commissioner approval has been secured, and the tender documentation is prepared.”

He urged local authorities and state bodies to avoid any further hold-ups following high-profile public order issues over the summer months.

“Incidents in the town this summer have further outlined the need for this CCTV system,” he said. “Killarney is one of the busiest towns in the country, particularly during the tourism season, and having an effective Community CCTV system in place is an important piece of infrastructure for the town.”

Fianna Fáil TD Michael Cahill is taking the issue to the Dáil, submitting a Parliamentary Question to the Minister for Justice regarding the impact of data protection rules on public safety cameras.

“There is an important balance to be struck between data protection and public safety, but data protection should not become a barrier to the appropriate installation or operation of CCTV,” Deputy Cahill said. “In the case of Killarney, the town has been waiting for a Community CCTV scheme for more than two decades, and it is very welcome that the project has finally reached the stage where tender documentation has been prepared.”

Kerry County Council currently acts as Data Controller for four Community CCTV schemes across the county, covering three locations in Tralee and one in Killorglin. The local authority confirmed it will continue working with An Garda Síochána and Local Community Safety Partnerships regarding future rollouts.