Killarney’s food and hospitality sector secured multiple titles at the Irish Restaurant Awards Munster Regional Final. Held at the Strand Hotel, Limerick last week. The event was attended by over 600 guests and recognised excellence across restaurants, cafés, and gastro pubs throughout the province.

The Lake Restaurant at the Lake Hotel was named Best Hotel & Guesthouse Restaurant, while Gary Fitzgerald of Vendricks Restaurant received the Best Chef award.

Willow Café. Miltown (pictured) was named Best Café, and Kyoto Japanese Restaurant took the award for Best World Cuisine. The Killarney Urban Farm X The Tan Yard – Tour & Taste Experience was named Innovator of the Year.

Other local winners included The Brehon Hotel & Angsana Spa for Best Use of Social Media,

Seán Collender, President of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, stated that the awards highlight the high standards and innovation within local communities. All county winners will now proceed to the All-Ireland Awards Gala Dinner on Monday, 18 May, at the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin.

Milky Way image wins Camera Club award

Killarney Camera Club recently held its “Long Exposure” themed competition, showcasing techniques that allow camera sensors to capture light and detail beyond the capability of the human eye.

The top honours in the Novice Category went to Maryann Heidtke for her stunning photograph, “Starry Starry Night”. The image was captured in the Quiver Tree Forest near Keetmanshoop in Namibia, a location renowned for its exceptionally dark skies.

Speaking about the achievement, Maryann explained that it was her first attempt at Milky Way photography. She noted that the orange glow visible in the shot was not light pollution but rather natural atmospheric phenomena like airglow and zodiacal light, which become visible during long exposures in dry, dark environments.