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Canadian Incentive Buyers ‘Meet in Ireland’

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A group of influential travel incentive buyers from Canada, are currently in Ireland on a ‘Meet in Ireland’ familiarization trip, and are being shown around Kerry and Cork to learn more on how they can programme these counties for future high-end incentive programmes for their corporate clients in Canada. The visit is hosted by Fáilte Ireland’s Meet in Ireland team, in collaboration with Tourism Ireland and locally with the Kerry and Cork Convention Bureaux. For the majority of the Canadian buyers, this was their first time to travel to Ireland. 

Fáilte Ireland’s Meet in Ireland Manager Ciara Gallagher said: 

Business Tourism continues to be one of the most lucrative forms of tourism, with visitors travelling to Ireland for business purposes, spending almost three times more than the average visitor. Last year alone, Fáilte Ireland secured business events worth €162m, accounting for a total of 101,250 international delegates. One of our core priorities for the years ahead is to grow the regional spread of these delegates so that every part of Ireland benefits from business tourism.

Incentive planners are looking for truly unique Destination Experiences for reward and recognition programmes.  Infrastructure, access and value for money and safety are some of the top factors they are considering when choosing a destination for their corporate clients.”  

A bespoke itinerary was designed for the group to showcase what Kerry has to offer and included a cycling tour of the Killarney National Park and House, taking in the Lakes of Killarney and Ross Castle from St Mary’s Cathedral.  A visit to Muckross traditional farm and site visits to a number of Kerry hotels including the Killarney Park Hotel, the Great Southern Hotel and The Europe.  While in Cork the group went on a historical walking tour including Cork Gaol and UCC, the Jameson Midleton Experience and onto to Fota Island Resort and a site visit to Hayfield Manor before heading to Dublin for a show around of its leading venues and facilities.

Kerry Convention Bureaux Sales Manager, Becky Hargrove, said:

Kerry is a spectacular place to inspire, engage and motivate business tourism delegates. Whether it’s an association or corporate meeting or a high-end incentive, we offer unrivalled facilities in idyllic locations throughout our region. 

She added “In the past five years, Kerry has welcomed over 220 conferences/ meetings and 180 incentives with more than 120,000 delegates from over 25 different countries. As a business tourism destination, you won’t find another conference or incentive destination that marries professionalism and cutting-edge technology with such rich cultural history, spectacular natural scenery and abundance of activities,” 

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Parnell commemorated in Beaufort on 125th Anniversary of Land League meeting

A special ceremony was held in Beaufort to mark the 125th anniversary of Charles Stewart Parnell’s historic visit to the village in 1880, when the Irish nationalist leader addressed thousands […]

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A special ceremony was held in Beaufort to mark the 125th anniversary of Charles Stewart Parnell’s historic visit to the village in 1880, when the Irish nationalist leader addressed thousands at a pivotal land reform meeting.

The commemoration, which took place beside the Beaufort Bar, honoured the legacy of the former MP and founder of the Irish National Land League.
The original meeting was held in a field belonging to Patrick O’Sullivan and attracted a crowd of approximately 3,000, defying the orders of local landlord ‘The O’Mahony’ of Dunloe Castle, who had threatened eviction to any tenant who supported the gathering.
Padruig O’Sullivan, proprietor of the Beaufort Bar and a direct descendant of Patrick O’Sullivan, addressed attendees at the unveiling of a new monument to mark the occasion.
The stone was designed by renowned uilleann piper and artist Tomás O’Sullivan, who also composed a special piece of music titled Parnell’s Blackbird to honour the occasion.
The original 1880 meeting was reported in publications such as the ‘Dundalk Democrat’, which gave a vivid account of the powerful speeches delivered that day.

Extract from the Dundalk Democrat – May 1880

The meeting, held on Sunday, May 16, 1880 in Patrick O’Sullivan’s field south of the Beaufort Hotel, was arranged in defiance of local landlord ‘The O’Mahony,’ who warned tenants they would be evicted for taking part. Nevertheless, the turnout was overwhelming.
Parnell arrived by special train and travelled by carriage from Killarney with fellow MP ‘The O’Donoghue’. The two were met by a band and a large welcoming crowd. Police and a Government reporter were present, but the atmosphere remained peaceful and spirited.
Speakers rallied against the unjust land laws of the time. ‘The O’Donoghue’ praised Parnell as the “shining star” of Irish nationalism and stated that “Kerry desired that her meeting should partake of a national character.”
When Parnell spoke, he described it as “the largest land meeting he had attended since County Mayo” and declared the movement to reclaim Irish land as one of the greatest undertakings in Irish history. He condemned the laws that allowed landlords to evict tenants and seize food as rent payment, noting that 600,000 farmers were subject to the whims of just 10,000 landlords.
He called for legislative reform, including the suspension of evictions and Government-backed tenant purchase schemes, warning that if Parliament failed to act, “the people will do for themselves what the Legislature refuses to do for them.”
He concluded by proposing the first resolution.
“That in the opinion of this meeting, the eviction of occupiers of land for non-payment of rent arbitrarily fixed by the landlord is unjust, subversive of the true interests of the country and calls for the emphatic condemnation of all lovers of justice.”

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St Pauls sign American Maisie Burnham

Killarney’s Utility Trust St Pauls women’s basketball team has announced the signing of American player Maisie Burnham for the upcoming 2025/2026 season. The club, who performed strongly in the latter […]

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Killarney’s Utility Trust St Pauls women’s basketball team has announced the signing of American player Maisie Burnham for the upcoming 2025/2026 season.

The club, who performed strongly in the latter part of the recent season and reached the league final, is looking to build on that success.
Maisie Burnham, a 24-year-old, six-foot-tall guard from Spangle City, Washington, comes to Killarney with a strong playing record. During her time at Liberty High School, where she also played volleyball, she was a high-scoring player.
She then went to Eastern Washington University, where in the 2020/2021 season, she led the team in scoring with over 14 points per game, a record for a freshman player at the university.
Burnham later moved to the University of Portland, where her scoring average continued to improve, reaching a peak of 16.3 points per game in the 2024/2025 season.
Utility Trust St Pauls say they are looking forward to welcoming Maisie to Killarney well in advance of the new season.

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