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Happy Monday for Killarney as it maintains top-ten anti-litter status

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Main Street, Killarney.

I

IT’S A case of Happy Monday for Killarney today as it celebrates maintaining its top ten status in a major anti-litterstudy. The latest survey by business group Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) shows Killarney in ninth position in the ranking of 40 towns and cities and once again deemed “Cleaner than European Norms”. Our town is a former winner of the IBAL Anti Litter League.

While nearly all of Ireland’s main towns are now clean, pockets of our major cities continue to suffer from significant levels of litter, The study, conducted by an Taisce, showed only two of 25 towns surveyed to be littered, but 7 of the 8 bottom places in the rankings to be occupied by city areas. IBAL says councils need to concentrate on those specific areas where the problem is worst.

The An Taisce report on Killarney stated: “Killarney has been a top-performing town for a number of years in the IBAL Litter survey and this high ranking is continued in 2016. Some of the particularly good sites included High Street and Main Street, the residential area of Countess Grove and Plunkett Street – the latter had colourful windows boxes and nicely presented shop fronts.”

Kilkenny once again topped the table, ahead of Enniscorthy, Kildare and Waterford City.

IBAL’s inclusion of more city areas in its rankings is a recognition of the fact that litter is now largely restricted to neglected pockets of our cities. ”These survey findings bear out our contention that while our city centres are generally well maintained, disadvantaged areas continue to be the source of much of the litter in our country,” says Conor Horgan of IBAL.

According to IBAL, litter is a symptom of social neglect, and councils need to look at a community-wide response targeting those areas where the problem is at its worst. “Work at keeping these areas clean for six to twelve months and they are likely to stay clean, and the community can have pride in their neighbourhood,“ says Horgan. “That does cost money initially, but the payback will be significant.”

“This underlines the need to ensure that in our new house-building programme we don’t replicate the mistakes of the past and ensure the 50,000 new homes planned by 2021 are built as communities, with mixed incomes, proper infrastructure and most of all are places that people have pride in - good for communities and good for business.”

While litter is subsiding, evidence suggests dumping is rising. The business group concurs with the principle behind the mandatory pay-by-weight collection system, due for introduction next year, but fears that it will inevitably lead to more dumping. “We would be especially concerned that the experience of this summer will set the public against the charges when they come in next year. This can only be harmful to our environment.”

The survey showed sweet papers as once again the most common form of litter on our streets, followed by fast food wrappers, cigarette butts and chewing gum. There was a rise in the prevalence of cans and plastic bottles.
 


 
Above: Main Street was on of the areas that came in for favourable comment by the judges in the Irish Business Against Litter report.

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Killarney sweeps county selections in national carvery awards

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Killarney has taken seven of the nine Kerry spots named as “Knorr Recommended Roast 2026” venues.

The nationwide programme, now in its third year, evaluates pubs and hotels through independent mystery diners to check carvery and roast dinner quality across the country.

Venues across Munster performed above the national average, with a combined score of 81.5% compared to the country-wide average of 80.5%.


The seven Killarney and surrounding area locations making the list include Hannigan’s at the International Hotel, the Killarney Court Hotel, and the Mill Brasserie at the Killarney Heights Hotel.

The Kerry Way Bar & Restaurant in Glenflesk also earned a recommendation, alongside the Killarney Oaks Hotel.


Two local establishments made the list for the first time this year, with the Kenmare Rooms at the Killarney Avenue Hotel and Scott’s Hotel both listed as new entries for 2026.

The remaining two county spots went to Tralee-based venues, namely the Brogue Inn on Rock Street and Gally’s on the Castlemaine Road.

To achieve inclusion in the 148 venues selected across Ireland, each establishment had to demonstrate consistent quality, portion standard, and execution in their daily roast offerings.

Jim Reeves, Customer Director Ireland at Unilever Food Solutions, noted that the results show an exceptional standard of local food and hospitality, stating that each selected venue has a long-standing reputation for serving top-notch carvery dishes.

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Resurfacing works announced for key sections of N22

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A programme of resurfacing works has been confirmed for several key sections of the N22 in and around Killarney.

The investment will involve replacing the road wearing course under the HD28 road maintenance programme to address areas impacted by high traffic volumes.

The project was confirmed at the June full meeting of Kerry County Council and covers four specific locations along the route.

Works will take place on the N22 from the Killarney Leisure Centre through the SuperValu Roundabout to the Coolcaslagh Junction, including the Lissyviggeen Roundabout.

Upgrades are also scheduled for the N22 Killarney Bypass from east of the Kilcummin Junction to the north of the Cleeny Roundabout.

Additionally, resurfacing will be carried out at Madams Hill from the Viewing Park to the north of BG Motors, as well as another section of the N22 running from approximately 1.8 kilometres south of Lawlor’s Cross up to the cross itself.

The works are currently out to tender, with responses expected back shortly. Construction is anticipated to begin in July, with the majority of the resurfacing scheduled to take place at night to minimise disruption for motorists.

The allocation has been welcomed by Deputy Michael Healy-Rae TD and Councillor Jackie Healy-Rae, who noted the importance of the corridor for commuters, tourism, and local businesses.


Deputy Michael Healy-Rae stated that the N22 is one of the most important transport corridors in Kerry and carries thousands of vehicles every day.

He added that maintaining and improving the condition of the road network is vital for road safety, tourism, local businesses, and commuters, while acknowledging Transport Infrastructure Ireland and Kerry County Council for prioritising the funding.

Councillor Jackie Healy-Rae added that well-maintained infrastructure is a basic expectation for residents and visitors alike.

He said that while road maintenance may not always grab headlines, it is one of the most important investments that can be made to improve driving conditions for residents, visitors, and businesses.

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