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“Cluttered street space will have negative effect” says Cllr Donal Grady

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CONCERN: Cllr Donal Grady fears temporary measures by the Council will lead to long-term pedestrianisation of Killarney town centre. Photo: Michelle Crean

By Sean Moriarty

 

A long-serving councillor has warned that the temporary footpath widening, put in place to allow social-distancing, is a covert way to extend pedestrianisation in Killarney.

In July, to allow the town centre reopen following the national shut down, Kerry County Council extended the width of footpaths in several town centre locations.

Cllr Donal Grady says he is at odds with the Council’s decision concerning the widening of footpaths and the reasons stated.

The entire project is supposed to be a temporary arrangement to allow social distancing while there is still a threat of COVID-19 in the country.

“The town will be desecrated,” he told the Killarney Advertiser. “It is OK now, we have plenty of visitors around, but mark my words, come September, when the season is over, the town centre will be dead.”

However, these ’temporary’ works have been installed in such a fashion that it would require a lot of money and work to restore them to pre-social distancing times. The restoration works would involve breaking out new tarmac and kerbing, and the streets would then need full resurfacing.

The widened footpaths have been decorated with large flower paths, effectively, reducing the width of the path to their previous size and some wider pavements are now being used as parking bays for motorcycles.

“It is a way of sneaking in pedestrianisation,” he added. “The elected councillors were not consulted. We had no say in the matter,” added Grady. “This is going to kill the town centre. Locals will go to Tralee and Castleisland to shop and we will lose everything.”

Additionally, Plunkett St has been closed to traffic since early July. The town centre street had a long-running arrangement where it is pedestrianised every day between the hours of 7pm and 7am and this scheme has divided the Council for years. This has been further extended to 24hrs – until September – to allow social distancing on the narrow street.

While some elected members are pushing to increase pedestrianisation on the streets and to other areas in the town centre, Mr O’Grady is amongst those against the idea stating that businesses are suffering due to restricted passing trade. He will bring the issue up again at next month’s Killarney Municipal District meeting.

There has been an increased level of outdoor dining in the town centre since the country started to reopen in late June and early July and while Grady welcomed this as a short-term solution to help businesses get back on their feet, he warned that long-term, the cluttered street space will have a negative effect on the town centre.

“We are not living in Portugal,” said Mr Grady, who added that the temporary arrangements have come at the cost of over 50 parking spaces in the town. “We have been shouting about parking issues for years.”
The Council have been contacted for a comment.

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Noel O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship

Noel O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship

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O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship

Muckross co-driver Noel O’Sullivan is set for a busy season as he returns to the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) while also preparing for a record-breaking attempt on home soil.

O’Sullivan and driver Callum Devine have signed with the Swedish team JC Raceteknik for a full campaign focused on asphalt events. Their season begins this week at the Andalusia Rally – Sierra Morena in Spain. O’Sullivan remains the only Killarney-based co-driver competing at this level for a full season.
He brings significant international experience to the team, having previously worked with WRC driver Jon Armstrong during his early European outings. O’Sullivan and Devine recently proved their pace against top European crews with a fifth-place finish at the 2024 Rali Ceredigion in Wales.
Devine said:
“I’m really looking forward to coming back to the ERC. It’s always great for a driver to compete against Europe’s best on some iconic events. We’ve had great success back home in Ireland over the past few seasons, winning two Irish Tarmac Rally Championships, and we feel now is the right time to come back and take on some ERC events. Starting with Rally Sierra Morena, I’m delighted to be joining JC Raceteknik. I know they are a very professional team with a wealth of experience, and I’m looking forward to working closely with them.”
The European schedule will not interfere with O’Sullivan’s local plans. Following the rally in Spain, the pair will return to Kerry for the Rally of the Lakes over the May Bank Holiday weekend. They are aiming for a fifth consecutive victory in Killarney as they look to move back into the lead of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.
The move to the European stage follows a successful week for O’Sullivan, who was recently named the International Motorsport winner at the Kerry Sports Star Awards.

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Classic Tour set to celebrate heritage roads in June

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Classic Tour set to celebrate heritage roads in June


A new heritage motoring event, the Killarney Classic Tour, has been confirmed for June 26–27, 2026. The two-day tour is designed to celebrate the iconic rally stages of Kerry and the Beara Peninsula.


Headquartered at the Gleneagle Hotel, the event is non-competitive and open to a wide range of vintage and historic cars. Organisers are placing a particular focus on period-correct rally cars and recreations that reflect the history of the Circuit of Ireland, the Circuit of Munster, and the early years of the Rally of the Lakes.
The tour is the work of two well-known figures in Irish rallying, Mike Marshall and Micheal O’Mahoney. Marshall, a founding member of the Rally of the Lakes and Clerk of the Course for over 20 years, has designed a route that allows drivers to experience famous stages like Moll’s Gap at a relaxed pace. O’Mahoney, a long-term supporter of the sport through Rentokil and a historic car owner himself, joins Marshall in the venture.

Co-Founder O’Mahoney said:
“This event is about bringing people back together – the cars, the stories, and the friendships that have always been part of rallying. It’s a chance to step away from competition and simply enjoy these roads.”



The Saturday itinerary includes a lunch stop in Castletownbere before the field returns to Killarney for a gala dinner at the Gleneagle Hotel. The evening will feature guest speakers and a focus on the shared history of the sport.
“This event is about bringing people back together — the cars, the stories, and the friendships,” added Micheal O’Mahoney.
Registrations are now open at www.KillarneyClassicTour.ie.

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