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End of an era as last two nuns leave Presentation Convent

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This week marks the end of an era as the last two remaining Sisters have departed the Presentation Convent in Killarney for the last time. 

For nearly 230 years, since the first two Sisters arrived in 1793 to establish a convent and school, the Presentation Sisters have played an important role, educating, and supporting those in need in Killarney.

It was the first community of Presentation Sisters outside of the founding community in Cork, and their mission was to expand and continue the work of their founder Nano Nagle, which was to provide education to Catholic children, which was forbidden at the time by the Penal Laws.

In 1800 a primary school was established, and by 1826 over 350 pupils were enrolled.

In 1875 the current Presentation Convent was built.

The three-storey building includes a six-bay double height Gothic Revival style chapel and is of significant historical importance and is a listed building, with many of the original features of the building both internally and externally still intact and protected.

In 1948 a secondary school was founded, with the current St Brigid’s Presentation Secondary School building commencing construction two years later. This building is still in use with a further extension added to the school in 1984.

While there is sadness with the Sisters departing, it also heralds an exciting time for St Brigid’s as land which was part of the Convent grounds, has been gifted for a proposed new school, as the demand for places has outgrown its current accommodation.

It is hoped that this generous gift will ensure that the legacy of Nano Nagle and the Presentation ethos will live on into the future in Killarney and beyond.

As the focus now is on the development of this new school, there are no immediate plans for the future of the Convent building and the remaining grounds.

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Musical Society announces ‘Sister Act’ as 2027 production

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Killarney Musical Society has announced that its 2027 musical production will be the comedy Sister Act.

The show will run at the Gleneagle Arena from Tuesday, March 2nd to Thursday, March 4th, 2027.

Based on the film, the musical tells the story of Deloris Van Cartier, a nightclub singer placed in protective custody in a convent after witnessing a crime. While there, she helps transform the parish choir.


Society Chairperson Derek O’Leary expressed excitement about the selection. “It is a show that combines humour, heart, spectacular music and an inspiring story, making it a perfect fit for Killarney Musical Society and our audiences,”

O’Leary said. He also confirmed that award-winning director Oliver Hurley and musical director Jimmy Brockie will return for the production.


The society, which draws performers, musicians, and backstage volunteers from across Kerry and neighbouring counties, will release details regarding auditions and production updates in the coming months.

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Killarney retains top ten position in national litter rankings

Killarney has maintained its position in the top ten of the latest Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) survey, securing 9th place out of 40 towns and cities surveyed nationwide. The […]

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Killarney has maintained its position in the top ten of the latest Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) survey, securing 9th place out of 40 towns and cities surveyed nationwide. The town was officially deemed to be ‘Cleaner than European Norms’.

The accompanying report by An Taisce praised Killarney for delivering a solid performance, noting that there were no heavily littered sites found within the town boundaries.
Several local areas received top marks for maintenance and presentation. Main Street was highlighted as exceptionally well-presented, while Park Road, Muckross Road, and the Knockreer Playground and environs were also singled out for praise. The report noted that the playground area was in very good order across all elements.
However, the inspectors did highlight some areas for improvement. The JYSK site showed slight progress compared to the previous survey but remained classified as moderately littered. The report warned that care must be taken to prevent the location from deteriorating further.
On a national level, IBAL representative Conor Horgan noted that entering the peak tourist season, the country has fewer littered areas than at any time in the past 25 years.
Despite the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), the survey highlighted a national rise in specific waste items. Plastic bottles were found in 19% of all surveyed sites across the country, and drinks cans were present in 22%. The prevalence of coffee cups also reached its highest level since 2023, alongside an increase in cigarette butt litter.

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