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Chamber to tackle low off-season occupancy

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Killarney Chamber of Commerce and Tourism has said that low off-season hotel occupancy is a challenge for its members but one that can be transformed into an opportunity if the right solutions are put in place.

Addressing members last night at the final phase of a consultation process for the Killarney Tourism Economic Impact Review (TEIR 1) report, which is being compiled by W2 Consulting, Chamber President Paul O’Neill said that one of the most surprising aspects of the initial findings was that Killarney trails the national and even regional average in terms of off-season occupancy.

Over 100 members attended the event in the Killarney Avenue Hotel, which finished with members giving their recommendations for growing the economy through tourism and industry generally in Kerry.

“We will be publishing full details of the report in the very near future but suffice to say that our event was a very positive engagement,” O’Neill said. “The key findings were relayed to members and this led to a very positive discussion around how we can take Kerry forward. We’ve not had a report like this done on Killarney before and that was very much evidenced by the energy in the room. With regard to the report itself, while we knew we had off-season challenges, we didn’t quite realise that occupancy rates compared in the way they do with national and regional averages.

“Now that we know where we are, there’s nothing for us to do but treat this an opportunity. Clearly the status quo isn’t working and we’ve already set about addressing it with innovative ways of bringing people in. These include festivals such as the Christmas Festival just gone and the recently announced Killarney Mountain Festival, which takes place on 9th, 10th and 11th of March.

“But there’s also an opportunity here for us to challenge central government and various agencies involved in tourism and industrial promotion to look again at Killarney and match our determination to ensure that the economy of this town and county grows in the shoulder periods of the year.”

Conor Hennigan, Development Manager with the Killarney Chamber, said that there are many assuring aspects from the findings, not least that the report had confirmed tourists’ satisfaction rating with the Killarney experience.

“Ultimately, the research conducted for this report, including interviews with tourists, delivered huge approval ratings in terms of visitor satisfaction levels,” he said. “So we clearly have the product, the service and the capacity. The issues we have are effectively seasonality and regionality and our meeting tonight was about getting the opinion of our members as to what the solutions may be. We got some very interesting insights and they will now become part of the report.”

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Women’s Aid highlights rising femicide figures following Killarney death

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Women’s Aid highlights rising femicide figures following Killarney death

Following the violent death of Jamey Carney in Killarney on Tuesday, national charity Women’s Aid has released a stark update regarding violence against women in Ireland.

According to the Women’s Aid Femicide Watch for the Republic of Ireland, eight women have died in violent circumstances so far this year.

This figure already exceeds the total of seven women recorded during the entirety of 2025.

Sarah Benson, CEO of Women’s Aid, said:

“Violence, abuse, and even at its extremes, death, are still a reality for many women living in Ireland. After the devastating murder of Ashling Murphy in 2022, Ireland said never again. But Ireland has not lived up to that promise.

“Since then, 40 women have died violently in Ireland. That is 40 women with lives, dreams, family, friends and communities.

“Since we started the Women’s Aid Femicide Watch in 1996, 286 women have died violently in Ireland. Every death is an outrage. An absolute tragic loss of life resulting in utter heartache and trauma for those left behind.

“We are thinking today of those who will be deeply impacted by the loss of life in Killarney. Prevention of all domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is crucial and urgent.”

“The Women’s Aid Femicide Watch shows that 87% of women (where the case has been resolved) were killed by a man known to them. We also know that in Ireland, one in three women has been subjected to domestic abuse of some kind.

“Every woman has the right to be safe in her home and in her community, and this is just not the case. We must do the work required to achieve equality and safety for all, to make Ireland a country that truly has zero tolerance for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.”

Support is available on the Women’s Aid 24-Hour National Freephone Helpline on 1800 341 900, or go to womensaid.ie to use the Instant Message Service or for more information on domestic violence and abuse.”

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Killarney Gardaí await post-mortem results as Muckross Road scene remains cordoned off

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Killarney Gardaí await post-mortem results as Muckross Road scene remains cordoned off

Gardaí investigating the discovery of a woman’s body at a residence on Muckross Road in Killarney are awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination to determine the direction of their inquiries.

It is understood that a full murder investigation is expected to be launched.

The deceased has been named locally as Jamey Carney, an American national in her 40s and the mother of a 13-year-old girl.

The scene at the domestic residence remains cordoned off today for a full technical examination, with a visible Garda presence continuing at the location.

An incident room has been established at Killarney Garda Station under a Senior Investigating Officer. Local businesses in the area have already begun supplying CCTV footage to assisting officers.

Speaking to the Killarney Advertiser, local councillor Martin Grady expressed the deep sense of shock in the area.

“I want to offer my condolences to the family,” Cllr Grady said. “This is an awful shock to the local community. I encourage anyone to come forward with any information they may have to An Garda Síochána. Whoever committed such a crime is a cowardly person and should get the maximum penalty.”

Gardaí continue to appeal to anyone who was in the Muckross Road area between the evening of Monday, July 6 and the afternoon of Tuesday, July 7 to come forward. They are particularly appealing to road users and business owners who may have dashcam or CCTV footage from the area during those times.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Killarney Garda Station on 064 667 1160, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.

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