Photos by Don McMonagle

The passing of retired businessman Seamus Kiely this week was widely felt across the Killarney area.

Mr Kiely died peacefully on Wednesday morning, surrounded by his family in the Palliative Care Unit at University Hospital Kerry.
Described as a man ahead of his time, Mr Kiely was Kerry’s leading electrical goods and music trader for decades.
Mr Kiely first demonstrated his entrepreneurial skills by operating a bar in the old town hall ballroom.
In the late 1960s he opened a small record shop at the bottom of High Street where he sold records and cassettes, introducing Killarney people to international music stars.
Many locals of a certain age bracket would have bought their first albums from Kiely’s.
Later Mr Kiely expanded this business to include televisions, radios, and household appliances.
Always at the cutting edge of new technology, he sold early computer appliances like the Commodore 64 and Sinclair ZX Spectrum long before personal computers were in every household.
In their heyday, Kiely’s Electrical were the largest independent electrical retailer in Munster, employing over 40 staff across five stores (in Killarney, Tralee, Ennis and two in Limerick).
The head office was based in Killarney and there was a warehouse in Newcastle West. Mr Kiely was fiercely proud of his Killarney roots.
Killarney Advertiser Managing Director Cormac Casey said: “I am saddened to learn of the death of Seamus Kiely, an entrepreneur, a loyal supporter of the Killarney Advertiser, a man of integrity to do business with and a man away ahead of his times.”
Prior to his retail ventures, he was also a pub, and nightclub owner and operated the legendary Hardy’s Nite Club, on College Street, where McSorley’s now stands.
Demonstrating innovation in every business sense, he opened an out-of-town electrical goods showroom in the Woodlands Industrial Estate, long before out-of-town shopping centres were the norm.
Later, he moved to a massive unit half way between Killarney and Farranfore, which was known as Kiely’s Supersave. This warehouse sold discounted goods long before such stores like Eurosaver were common in towns across Ireland.
A founder member of Killarney Rotary Club, Mr Kiely demonstrated fierce loyalty to his customers and staff.
Patrick Rowe, Financial Controller at KC Print, who worked with Mr Kiely during the business’s peak, paid tribute to his former boss.
“He was a very astute businessman and a tough negotiator,” Mr Rowe said. “His basic business principle was to look after the customer and they’ll repay you with their loyalty. He always looked to stock the latest cutting-edge products at a competitive price in a convenient location served by knowledgeable staff. He was a good judge of character and would have you sized up in no time. He was always the ‘the smartest person in the room’ and could compute figures in his head faster than any accountant’s calculator! He could also be a bit of a rogue with an infectious laugh and up for a ‘bit of devilment’. He was a generous employer who looked after his staff and expected loyalty and hard work in return.”
He is survived by his wife, Nuala, daughter Louise, son-in-law Daniel, and grandchildren Isabelle, Harry, and Henry.
Seamus’s funeral mass took place on Friday morning at St Mary’s Cathedral before he was laid to rest at Aghadoe Cemetery.

Killarney for Palestine will host a charity coffee morning this Saturday, December 13, in aid of Médicins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) and displaced families in Gaza.

The coffee morning has been extended by an hour, running from 11.30am to 2.30pm, as Moglaí Bap of Kneecap will lead one of the group’s trademark community runs through a town. The run will finish at 1.50pm at The Black Sheep Hostel on New Street, where the fundraiser is taking place. Kneecap run in every town and city they perform in, and this weekend the INEC is on their schedule.
The event will be held inside the lounge and interior kitchen of The Black Sheep Hostel and will feature festive baked goods, hot drinks, and live music. A raffle will be held with prizes including a luxury hamper, vouchers for Dunnes Stores, Noelle’s Café, Phoenix Fitness, and tickets to Kneecap’s Killarney show.
The morning is family-friendly, with children’s face painting and Palestine merchandise available.
Organisers say they are hoping for a strong turnout to support humanitarian work in Gaza, with all proceeds going directly to MSF and displaced families.
For a full preview on Kneecap’s Killarney gigs turn to page 42.