By Sean Moriarty

A Killarney councillor has not given up the prospect of a dedicated dog park in town.

Cllr John O’Donoghue proposed the idea at a recent Killarney Municipal District meeting.

He said: “There are a growing number of businesses around town now, from cafes to bars, which now advertise themselves as being dog friendly indicating the increasing demand for such places, and I feel it is time the Council stepped up to the mark in this regard. The beauty of dog parks is they do not require colossal infrastructure, really it is an enclosed space where dogs are free to socialise with other dogs and get their exercise”.

The Council said it had no such plans.

A spokesperson said: “While this is a meritorious proposal, Kerry County Council currently has no plans to provide such dog parks. The identification of appropriate locations, the funding of same along with the ongoing management and maintenance requirements are a number of the factors that have fed into this".

However, the Council said it would look at other external factors including placing the idea in front of the local Environmental Strategic Policy Committee (SPC).

Cllr O’Donoghue sits on the SPC. “I will pursue the matter further there,” he added.