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Celtic 90 minutes away from perfect season

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Kerry Premier A League Final

Killarney Celtic v Dingle Bay Rovers

Friday, June 8 at 7.45pm

(Mounthawk Park)

As they face into tonight’s league final against Dingle Bay Rovers, Killarney Celtic’s players know that they are just 90 minutes away from completing the perfect season.

The solitary black mark was the second half collapse against Killarney Athletic where they let a three-goal lead slip to draw 3-3. Apart from that they have been utterly dominant, winning every single game and registering a whopping 75 goals in the process. Celtic were obviously very hungry for success after what happened last year and it has really showed in their performances thus far.

As I’ve said before, this league final business is a bit of a joke. Last season it actually made sense because Athletic and Celtic finished joint top with identical records. This year Celtic finished 11 points clear of second. They have been the best team in the division over the course of the past nine months, but one bad 90 minutes (or one bad half, even) and they could end up with nothing. It’s not a fair way of doing things in my opinion.

Although anything can happen in one-off game, I still think Eoghan Donnellan’s side will be massive favourites and anything other than a Celtic win would be a major shock.

Dingle are a good team with some great players but the 11-point gap tells its own story. The fixtures between the two during the regular season tells an even bigger one. On the opening day, Celtic went back to Gallarus and whacked Dingle 7-0. In March, they put seven past them again in Killarney. An aggregate score of 14-1 doesn’t exactly bode well for a competitive fixture in Tralee this evening.

But look, you never know. Dingle have ball players like Luke Burgess, Joe Sheehy and Adam O’Rourke in midfield but they can actually be quite direct at times. That particular tactic worked well for us in our league finals against Celtic and if Dingle can get it right, Seán Fitzgerald and Paudie Quinn are more than capable of nicking a goal or two.

As for Celtic, centre half Jamie Spillane recently moved to Japan but Chris Brady is a very good replacement and they should be solid enough at the back. Gary Keane and Matt Keane will look to dictate the tempo in midfield and feed their dangerous wingers, Danny Roche and Wayne Sparling.

If Celtic score early, I would fear for Dingle to be honest. Dingle’s best hope is to start well and get in at half time level. Obviously, if they could sneak a goal that would be the ideal scenario for them. If Celtic take the lead early it could kill Dingle’s confidence, especially considering how the earlier encounters have panned out.

Having said that, the last time these two met in the final it was the men from the west who came out on top (4-3 in 2016). The same outcome in this particular decider is unthinkable for the Hoops; if they were to lose it would be their third consecutive league final defeat. When you take into account the excellent season that they’ve had to date, it would be cruel in the extreme if they were to fall short once again.

Personally, I can’t see that happening.

Prediction: Celtic 3-1 Dingle

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Deerpark Retail Park placed on market for fifteen million euro

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Deerpark Retail Park in Killarney has officially been placed on the market with a guide price in excess of 15.4 million euro, excluding VAT.

International real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield has been appointed as the sole sales agent to handle the high-profile commercial property sale on behalf of its current owner, Investcorp.

Investcorp, a global investment management firm headquartered in Bahrain, had previously acquired the prominent shopping complex.


The sale represents one of the largest commercial property offerings to launch in County Kerry this year.

Located roughly 1.3 kilometres west of Killarney town centre, the scheme enjoys strong regional connectivity and sits adjacent to independently owned operations including a Tesco Extra store, a Tesco petrol filling station, JYSK, and Aldi.


Constructed in 2006, the development extends across approximately 10,482 square metres, or 112,835 square feet.

The scheme comprises a mix of modern retail warehouse units and a complementary neighbourhood centre, offering 13 individual units in total with Part Open and Part Bulky Use planning permission.

The units range in size from 94.6 square metres up to 1,994.9 square metres. Visitors have access to approximately 248 customer parking spaces across the commercial grounds.

The park is currently 100 per cent occupied by a strong line-up of established national and international brands.

Key retail tenants include Marks & Spencer, Boots, DID Electrical, Maxi Zoo, and Mountain Warehouse.

The neighbourhood centre element accommodates service and convenience operators such as Costa Coffee, Card Factory, and Salon B.

The first-floor accommodation is fully let to Peak Performance Academy, which provides additional rental diversification.

Additionally, the scheme benefits from an agreement with Tesla to operate eight electric vehicle charging bays within the customer car park.


Commercial figures show that the property generates a total current rental income of 1,326,458 euro per annum, with a weighted average unexpired lease term of 4.45 years to break options and 6.46 years to lease expiry.

Cushman & Wakefield noted that the quoted guide price of 15.4 million euro reflects a net initial yield of 7.83 per cent, assuming standard purchaser costs of 9.96 per cent.

The selling agents highlighted that the fully occupied asset offers investors an attractive income profile alongside scope for additional income generation through parking commercialisation.

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Killarney Racecourse to host first professional festive pantomime

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Killarney Racecourse to host first professional festive pantomime

A classic fairytale is set to receive a distinct Kerry makeover this festive season as Killarney Racecourse hosts the town’s first professional pantomime, Cinderella.

Running across 12 performances over four weekends in November and December, the production weaves iconic local landmarks directly into the story. In this festive adaptation, Cinderella dreams of escaping her chores inside Ross Castle before receiving news of a royal ball hosted at Muckross House. Her journey is guided by Molls, a fairy godmother arriving from beyond the Gap of Dunloe, while the adventure takes audiences straight through the enchanted woods of Killarney National Park.
Directed by Lily MacMonagle of The MACademy Performing Arts and choreographed by Katrina Galvin of Sparrow Dance Academy, the production features a cast of local talent bringing the story to life.
Speaking about the upcoming debut production, Karl McCay, General Manager of Killarney Racecourse, expressed his excitement for the launch.
“We are thrilled to announce our first-ever Christmas Show at Killarney Racecourse. Killarney already sets the standard for festive celebrations with its magical parades, Santa’s grotto, Christmas markets, and Killarney on Ice. We are delighted to build on this tradition with our debut production of Cinderella. Directed by Lily MacMonagle and featuring a wonderfully talented local cast, we can’t wait to welcome you to this exciting new holiday experience.”
Director Lily MacMonagle emphasised the broad appeal of the festive show for families across the region.
“We are so delighted to bring the first professional panto to Killarney for families to enjoy this Christmas. The team and cast involved are incredible, and we cannot wait to sprinkle Christmas panto magic all over Killarney and Kerry this year. The laughs are like no other – it’s made for your child and your granny, with a joke and a dance for everyone. On a personal note, it’s fantastic to offer a pre-Christmas show where families can come together and really get into the festive spirit.”
Tickets go on sale today (Friday, October 9), at 9am via the Killarney Racecourse website, priced at €17 for children, €20 for adults, and €66 for a family ticket.

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