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Game on: Crokes collapse blows championship wide open 

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This time last week they were odds-on favourites to win a third consecutive county title but Dr Crokes’ 2018 championship aspirations were dealt a crushing blow on Sunday when they fell to a shock defeat to Kerins O’Rahilly’s in the Park.

It was the Crokes’ first loss in the competition since October 2015 and not many people saw this one coming, especially not at half time when the Killarney side led by 10.

Rahilly’s still trailed by eight heading into the final quarter but they showed tremendous heart to stage one of the most unlikely comebacks you’re ever likely to see. In fact, many of the crowd in attendance missed the thrilling finale because they had long since left the stadium. To be honest, I was nearly gone myself.

Guys like David Moran, Barry John Keane and Tommy Walsh really came to the fore as Strand Road outscored the reigning champions 3-7 to 0-3 in the final 15 minutes plus additional time. Mike Quirke’s men were rampant down the stretch and if they can replicate this kind of intensity moving forward, they could go a long way.

Crokes, meanwhile, will be left to wonder what went wrong. There were murmurs around town that they weren’t exactly firing on all cylinders but it was still a huge upset by anyone’s standards. I can’t recall ever seeing a Crokes team capitulating in such emphatic fashion and it’s bound to dent the players’ confidence. They wouldn’t be human if it didn’t.

Their performance in the opening round against St Kieran’s was below par (they actually trailed with five minutes to play) but that was dismissed as an anomaly. In light of last weekend’s disastrous result, there are now serious doubts about their form. And form isn’t something that can be turned on or off with the flick of a switch.

Having said that, no one in Kerry will be writing Crokes’ obituary just yet. They’re not out of the competition and you would expect them to defeat An Ghaeltacht tomorrow in Round 3 to advance to the quarters. This team have been utterly dominant in recent years and, despite what happened last Sunday, it’s still hard to envisage them not being a factor in the latter stages of this year’s championship.

East Kerry are now the bookies’ favourites to lift the Bishop Moynihan Cup following another comprehensive victory in Killarney, this time against Dingle. The East were actually down two at the interval but they eventually racked up 6-15 en route to a handy 17-point win. David Clifford, who bagged a brace, showed his class once again and in Evan Cronin, Kevin McCarthy, Dara Moynihan, Paudie Clifford and Jack Sherwood they have a forward line that can torment any defence in the county.

The Killarney Legion are also safely through to the quarters after a fine win against Mid Kerry in Killorglin. Conditions were tough and the hosts raced into an early lead thanks to two quick-fire goals, but the lads responded well and I thought we were good value for the win in the end. Damien O’Sullivan was excellent at full back and I was also really impressed with Aidan Slattery who put in a serious shift at half forward.

It has been a good start and it’s nice to take the direct route to the last eight but there’s a long way to go yet.

Austin Stacks defeated South Kerry by a point in the other winners’ round game so they will join Rahilly’s, East Kerry and Legion in the hat for the quarter-final draw, which will take place after the last Round 3 game on Sunday.

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Paralympic legend Jason Smyth visits St Brendan’s

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Paralympic legend Jason Smyth visits St Brendan’s


World renowned Paralympian and world record holder Jason Smyth paid a visit to St Brendan’s College on Wednesday afternoon as part of a high profile visit to Killarney.


The six time Paralympic gold medallist spoke to second year students from St Brendan’s College, alongside students from neighbouring schools St Brigid’s Presentation Secondary School and Killarney Community College.
The interactive talk and interview took place ahead of World Sight Day, with the legendary sprinter sharing his personal journey with Stargardt disease, a genetic eye condition that left him legally blind at eight years old.
The Derry native, who holds the world record as the fastest Paralympian on earth over 100 metres, offered inspiring insights into overcoming physical adversity and achieving success at the highest level of world sport.
The school visit formed the opening leg of his Killarney schedule before he took centre stage later on Wednesday evening at The Killarney Plaza Hotel & Spa.
Smyth headlined An Evening with Paralympian Jason Smyth, an event organised by the Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce as part of its winter schedule, sponsored by AIB.

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Deerpark Retail Park placed on market for fifteen million euro

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Deerpark Retail Park in Killarney has officially been placed on the market with a guide price in excess of 15.4 million euro, excluding VAT.

International real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield has been appointed as the sole sales agent to handle the high-profile commercial property sale on behalf of its current owner, Investcorp.

Investcorp, a global investment management firm headquartered in Bahrain, had previously acquired the prominent shopping complex.


The sale represents one of the largest commercial property offerings to launch in County Kerry this year.

Located roughly 1.3 kilometres west of Killarney town centre, the scheme enjoys strong regional connectivity and sits adjacent to independently owned operations including a Tesco Extra store, a Tesco petrol filling station, JYSK, and Aldi.


Constructed in 2006, the development extends across approximately 10,482 square metres, or 112,835 square feet.

The scheme comprises a mix of modern retail warehouse units and a complementary neighbourhood centre, offering 13 individual units in total with Part Open and Part Bulky Use planning permission.

The units range in size from 94.6 square metres up to 1,994.9 square metres. Visitors have access to approximately 248 customer parking spaces across the commercial grounds.

The park is currently 100 per cent occupied by a strong line-up of established national and international brands.

Key retail tenants include Marks & Spencer, Boots, DID Electrical, Maxi Zoo, and Mountain Warehouse.

The neighbourhood centre element accommodates service and convenience operators such as Costa Coffee, Card Factory, and Salon B.

The first-floor accommodation is fully let to Peak Performance Academy, which provides additional rental diversification.

Additionally, the scheme benefits from an agreement with Tesla to operate eight electric vehicle charging bays within the customer car park.


Commercial figures show that the property generates a total current rental income of 1,326,458 euro per annum, with a weighted average unexpired lease term of 4.45 years to break options and 6.46 years to lease expiry.

Cushman & Wakefield noted that the quoted guide price of 15.4 million euro reflects a net initial yield of 7.83 per cent, assuming standard purchaser costs of 9.96 per cent.

The selling agents highlighted that the fully occupied asset offers investors an attractive income profile alongside scope for additional income generation through parking commercialisation.

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