News
Concerns over future of Coffee Cup project
Support for the Killarney Coffee Cup project has fallen, raising questions about how the scheme can continue without help from the Government.
Recent figures from IBAL, published this week, show that a number of businesses are no longer taking part.
Both Irish Business Against Litter and Killarney Chamber of Commerce say a national levy on disposable coffee cups is now needed.
They want a charge similar to the plastic bag levy to encourage customers to use reusable cups.
The Coffee Cup project was started in July 2023 with the aim of making Killarney the first town in Ireland to be free of single-use coffee cups.
At the launch, 25 independent coffee shops and 21 hotels agreed to stop giving drinks in throwaway containers.
Under the scheme, anyone buying a takeaway coffee must bring their own cup or pay a €2 deposit for a reusable cup.
The deposit is returned when the cup is brought back to any business in the network.
Organisers hoped to remove more than one million cups a year from local waste systems.
The project followed complaints from residents and visitors that coffee cups were being found at lakes, car parks and walking trails.
Clean-ups in the national park reported that the cups were one of the most common items collected.
A Government ‘latte levy’ of 20 cent per cup had been promised but has still not been introduced.
Chamber President Johnny McGuire said this delay has made it hard for small operators to stay involved.
Mr McGuire recently met An Taoiseach Micheál Martin to discuss the problem and to press for the levy.
He said the Taoiseach listened carefully, but no date was given for action.
The chamber has also spoken to local TDs, Finance Minister Jack Chambers and Kerry County Council CEO Fearghal Reidy, who has expressed support.
The chamber insists the project is not finished. It hopes other towns will copy the Killarney model if a levy is brought in.
IBAL spokesperson Conor Hogan said the data shows that Coffee cups remained one of the most commonly found forms of litter and was evident in one fifth of all sites surveyed.
“A real disappointment in a generally positive year has been the likely collapse of reusable coffee cup schemes in towns such as Killarney,” said Mr Horgan.
“It is apparent that such schemes will only work with statutory backing.
As our data today bears out, without Government intervention coffee cups will remain an unsightly and entirely unnecessary blot on the landscape across our towns.
The prevarication from Government on the issue is striking, a levy was promised all of four years ago ,and sends out a worrying signal.
Weaning ourselves off single-use coffee cups should not be such a big deal.”
News
Noel O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship
Noel O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship
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.
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.
Noel O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship
Noel O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship
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