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Go green to support spectacular Paddy’s Day return

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The town in the park will leave all others green with envy as it prepares to illuminate in emerald shades for the upcoming St Patrick’s Day celebrations.

A colourful and gala parade is being lined up for March 17 but that’s not where the fun will begin and end as the St Patrick’s Festival committee is planning a truly spectacular return of the national day celebrations.

Plans are underway to turn many of the town’s iconic buildings a fabulous shade of green in the days leading up to and for the week after St Patrick’s Day and the spotlight will fall on Ross Castle, St Mary’s Cathedral, the Franciscan Friary, Killarney Courthouse, Killarney’s Methodist Church, St Mary’s Church of Ireland and the town’s feature statues and monuments.

Many of the local shops, hotels and business premises will all join in the fun by lighting up their buildings and workplaces in the most amazing shades of green while, this year, private households are also planning to turn green as Killarney well and truly emerges from two years of lockdown.

Festival Chairman, Paul Sherry, is encouraging everybody to play a part in celebrating the big occasion and he said businesses that don’t already own colour changing lighting systems can hire the equipment locally for a small fee.

The theme for this year’s parade is Earth/An Chré and it will be a celebration of the planet we occupy, the ground that sustains us and the world we live in.

“We are putting the call out to everybody to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in Killarney like we have never done before,” Paul Sherry said.

“Let’s make sure that if there is life in outer space, they can see Killarney shining bright and green on planet Earth.

“It is so amazing to be back and after having to endure so much yellow with COVID signs for the last two years, what a difference it will make to be able to embrace the green once again,” he added.

The people of Killarney are being encouraged to light up their windows, doors, buildings or premises and post a photograph on social media using the hashtag #letsgogreenkillarney.

There is a special competition to find the best greened building and the judges will be out night after night to monitor progress and to see the effort that is being made.

Mr Sherry said the committee is very grateful for the ongoing support from sponsors locally and for the continued commitment of Kerry County Council, Fáilte Ireland and Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce.

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Strong connections made at tourism tradeshow 

Many significant business deals were signed at this year’s Meitheal – Ireland’s largest and most important trade event for the tourism industry. Held in the INEC, 450 Irish businesses pitched to over 230 international […]

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Many significant business deals were signed at this year’s Meitheal – Ireland’s largest and most important trade event for the tourism industry.

Held in the INEC, 450 Irish businesses pitched to over 230 international buyers from 17 countries at Fáilte Ireland’s flagship trade event. 

Running since 1975, Meitheal is organised in partnership with Tourism Ireland to provide Irish tourism businesses with the opportunity to sell directly to top international buyers and tour operators.

The best of what is on offer across Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands, Ireland’s Ancient East, the Wild Atlantic Way and Dublin, were showcased with the aim of being scheduled on the itineraries of the global tour operators.

Key themes and trends emerging this year are sustainable travel options, immersive outdoor experiences and festivals.

Speaking about the importance of developing a future pipeline of tourism business, Paul Kelly, CEO of Fáilte Ireland, said that “creating a strong pipeline of future business is key for the recovery of tourism”.

“Seeing the demand for the Irish tourism product with international buyers at Meitheal is fantastic. Each international buyer represents tens of thousands of possible visitors to Ireland, and their business will be hugely important for tourism and hospitality businesses, communities, and destination Ireland as we continue to work towards recovery,” he said. 

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Outdoor dining area officially opens in town

A new outdoor dining space at Kenmare Place was officially opened today (Wednesday). The project, which was supported with €605,000 in funding from Fáilte Ireland under the Local Authority Weatherproofing and […]

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A new outdoor dining space at Kenmare Place was officially opened today (Wednesday).

The project, which was supported with €605,000 in funding from Fáilte Ireland under the Local Authority Weatherproofing and Outdoor Dining Infrastructure Scheme, provides an attractive outdoor dining option for locals and visitors to Killarney.

“This is a really wonderful addition to Killarney’s tourism infrastructure and will prove a great asset throughout the year and particularly during the forthcoming tourist season,” said Cllr Kelleher, Cathaoirleach of the Killarney Municipal District, who did the honours.

“One of the effects of the recent pandemic was the need to utilise and maximise outdoor dining options and this infrastructure shows what can be achieved in an imaginative way. It will greatly enhance Killarney’s reputation as a destination for top quality tourism experiences.”

The project has been operational since last October but the official opening was timed to coincide with the Meitheal 2023 tourism industry showcase that was organised by Fáilte Ireland at the INEC this week.

“It is fantastic to see Killarney’s outdoor dining infrastructure being so well received by trade and visitors alike,” Miriam Kennedy, Head of Wild Atlantic Way at Fáilte Ireland, said.

Councillors in the Killarney Municipal District approved planning permission for the infrastructure which was completed by Daniel Canty Construction.

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