The severe accommodation pressures facing the local hospitality sector have been laid bare this week as Killarney Hotels Limited lodged a planning application for purpose-built staff housing at The Dunloe Hotel & Gardens in Beaufort.

As rental and sales properties across the Killarney region become increasingly difficult to source, providing on-site housing has become critical for recruiting and retaining hospitality workers.

The application submitted to Kerry County Council details plans for staff accommodation lodges arranged in two connected three-storey blocks around a central courtyard area.

Phase A of the development comprises 60 staff accommodation rooms and six common room areas, with an option for a Phase B expansion to add a further 18 rooms on the estate.

The proposed scheme also includes roof-mounted photovoltaic solar panels, green roof systems, a single-storey gym building with attached bicycle and bin storage, staff car parking, landscaping, and connection to local utilities.

The planning submission comes following the announcement in May of a major €100 million redevelopment project at the hotel.

Works are underway to transform the existing five-star property into an even higher-spec luxury resort destination, scheduled to reopen in the second half of 2028.

Polish hiking pilgrimage heading for Carrauntoohil

A 27-strong Polish hiking group left Dublin on Monday to begin a three-week, 500km trek across Ireland that will conclude in Killarney on September 15.

Organised by NINIWA—the youth ministry branch of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Poland—the ‘Eurotrip: West Coast Ireland’ expedition will see participants trek through the Wicklow Mountains, Mayo, Connemara, the Cliffs of Moher, and Kerry, before completing an ascent of Carrauntoohil.
The group travels “by faith”, carrying all equipment in backpacks without support vehicles or pre-booked accommodation, pitching tents wherever their daily route ends. Daily Mass is offered along the way with prayers dedicated to the young people of Europe.
Originally planned for New Zealand, the route was redirected to Ireland due to Middle East flight disruptions.
The expedition holds major personal significance for team leader Fr Dominik Ochlak OMI, who worked as a carpenter in Killarney before joining the priesthood. This trip marks his final expedition after nine years leading NINIWA’s hiking projects.
“For me, this journey is a return to my roots. I spent a very important chapter of my life in Ireland, in Killarney, where I lived and worked as a carpenter before becoming a priest. You could say that where everything once began, something is now coming to an end,” Fr Ochlak said.
“I truly believe this will be one of the most demanding—and at the same time one of the most beautiful—expeditions in NINIWA’s history,” he added.
NINIWA has run international expeditions for 20 years, with past groups covering 80,000km across 57 countries, including rides to Siberia, Norway, and Jerusalem.