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Frank Coffey shuts up shop after four incredible decades in business

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After almost four decades in business, Frank Coffey has decided to close the doors of his shoe shop located on High Street.

It was not a decision taken lightly; the popular Killarney businessman was contemplating the huge decision for a couple of years however two weeks ago he made the final decision to reluctantly shut up shop.

A popular shop amongst locals, Mr Coffey sold many school shoes to the locals of Killarney, one being Hollywood star Michael Fassbender.

He recalled a moment when his son met Michael Fassbender while was in Cork one day. His son mentioned to the Hollywood actor that his dad owned a shoe shop in Killarney, and Michael Fassbender immediately remembered buying his school shoes from him.

When Mr Coffey announced his shop was closing down on social media, his Facebook post was flooded with tributes from customers past and present. Each comment complimented him, his customer service and the excellent experiences they had in store.

That is the legacy that Mr Coffey has left on the town.

Mr Coffey said his favourite thing about his business was the personal aspect to it. He took great satisfaction in helping and advising customers on what to buy.
He said: “I knew everyone, I knew what was going on in their lives, that is the one thing I will miss most of all. The banter, the craic, the communication.”

Mr. Coffey attributes the decline of small businesses to the rise of online shopping, and while he would never protest the online world, he does believe it is instrumental in the breakdown of small, local businesses.
“We live in a world where the personal touch is gone. You buy your stuff online. It’s abrupt. That’s just life, people have moved on.”

He said that people often don’t consider what they’re buying or where they’re buying it from.
When shoppers choose to purchase items like shoes online, it directly impacts small, retailers.

He believes that the continued closure of local businesses will result in job losses, particularly for college students who rely on part-time work to earn a few bob while studying. “Those opportunities just won’t be there for them,” he said.

He said there are no supports for small businesses from the Government and fears it will be a domino effect. He warned: “I’m one but there will be many.”

He expressed his gratitude to the people of Killarney for always supporting him throughout the past 37 years.

Frank Coffey shoes have 1,000 boots to clear at half price; the shop is set to close in around five weeks time. 

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Five local postmen retire with 185 years service

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Five local postmen retire with 185 years service

RETIREMENT NIGHT: Pictured at the retirement party held at Killarney Racecourse on Saturday, October 3, celebrating a combined 185 years of service with An Post, are Connie Brady, James Foley, Terry Potts, Pat Cronin, and D.J. Cahill.


Five well-known local postmen celebrated their retirement at a special function held at Killarney Racecourse on Saturday night, October 3.


The event brought together current and former An Post colleagues to mark the combined total of 185 years of service delivered across Killarney and surrounding areas.
Delivery Services Manager Terry Potts retired after 43 years with An Post. He began his career in Dublin, where he worked for 10 years, before moving to Killarney in 1993 for a further 33 years.
Pat Cronin completed an impressive 51 years of service between Killarney and Farranfore, spending 44 of those years delivering post on the Farranfore route.
James Foley served 35 years with An Post, delivering on routes across Killorglin throughout his entire career.
D.J. Cahill marked 32 years of service based out of Killarney post office, delivering mail across Killarney town, Killorglin, Kilcummin, and Headford.
Connie Brady retired following 24 years with the postal service, spending 17 years in Killarney town before completing his service in Killorglin.
The celebration offered local postal staff an opportunity to gather and catch up ahead of the busy Christmas rush.

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New Streetscapes murals launched at College Square

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A colourful collaboration between the Kerry Local Creative Youth Partnership (LCYP) and the Architecture Kerry Festival at Kerry County Council launched yesterday evening at College Square.

Titled Streetscapes, the open-air public art installation officially opened at 5pm on Thursday, accompanied by a performance from the Killarney Youth Drumming Band THUMP! under the guidance of Urs Wenk from Drum Dance Ireland.


The public art project features a series of wall murals depicting Killarney through the eyes of local children, exploring freedom, play, and potential future evolutions of the townscape.

The artworks reimagine Killarney’s iconic landmarks and streets, blending youthful imagination and curiosity.


Supported under the Creative Ireland Programme, the installation is mounted on the gable wall of Reen’s Life Pharmacy in College Square, where it will remain on public display until March 2027.


Speaking at the launch, Daniel O’Shea, Youth Development Officer at Kerry ETB, stated: “Streetscapes is a wonderful celebration of how children see things. Their creativity brings new perspectives to the townscape, and we are proud to support their ideas and their art through this public artwork.”


Deirdre Enright, Co-Ordinator of the Local Creative Youth Partnership at Kerry ETB, acknowledged the community support behind the initiative: “We are very grateful to Reen’s Life Pharmacy who have shared their built space with us. Huge credit is due to the artistic team from Me+The Moon whose dedication to creativity and to children’s art shine through in this work.”


The project forms part of the annual Architecture Kerry Festival and receives funding through Creative Ireland and the Department of Education and Youth via Kerry ETB and Kerry County Council.


Victoria McCarthy, Festival Organiser and Architectural Conservation Officer at Kerry County Council, welcomed the continued inter-agency project: “It’s always a great event for Architecture Kerry and we are so pleased with this collaboration between public sector organisations. It remains a key feature of the Architecture Kerry programme.”
See next week’s Killarney Advertiser for full photographic coverage of the event.

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