Council and NPWS reach agreement in principle for Blue Pool parking

Kerry County Council and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) have reached an agreement in principle to develop a new parking area at the popular Blue Pool amenity on the Mangerton Road.

The update was provided by the Council at Wednesday’s Killarney Municipal District meeting following a question from the Mayor of Killarney, John O’Donoghue. Cllr O'Donoghue requested an urgent update on the site, noting that he has been highlighting the issue for some time while the Blue Pool and Cloghereen Woods grow increasingly busy. He stated that the haphazard weekend parking at the site is very dangerous and regularly blocks passing traffic, and called for renewed focus on stalled negotiations between the Council, the OPW, and the NPWS.
In its official response, Kerry County Council confirmed that a structural framework for the project is now in place. Under the proposed arrangement, the NPWS will retain ownership of the parking land, while Kerry County Council will take charge of developing and maintaining the parking facility.
The project is not yet fully cleared for construction. Before work can begin, the Council must secure a final formal agreement with the NPWS, complete all required environmental assessments, and obtain necessary statutory consents. Once these steps are complete, the Council plans to submit the proposal for funding consideration under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure grant scheme.