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Great Southern tractor goes home

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7 years ago

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WIN THIS TRACTOR: This Ford 2600 tractor, once owned by the Great Southern Killarney, is up for grabs in a raffle to raise funds for the Killarney Micro Track and Meningitis Ireland.

 

By Sean Moriarty

 

A tractor that once belonged to the Great Southern Hotel returned to its spiritual home for the first time in 12 years this week.

The 1979 Ford 2600 was used by the Killarney Great Southern Hotel between 1979 to 2007. It was a familiar sight around the streets of Killarney during this time as it was used to transport furniture and other equipment between the hotel and its now closed sister premises the Torc Great Southern Hotel on Park Road with well-known local gardener Con Lyne behind the wheel.

The tractor is now owned by Killarney Valley Classic and Vintage Club, and after a restoration project by the club it is being raffled to raise funds for Meningitis Ireland and the Killarney Micro Track Project.

When the hotel ownership changed hands in 2007 the tractor was sold to a vintage collector near Tralee.

The club bought it back off the collector earlier this year and it is now the centrepiece of its annual fundraising raffle. Over the years the club has raffled other tractors and a Land Rover to raise funds for local causes.

Earlier this week the club returned the tractor to the GSH. It brought back memories for PRO Tom Leslie who worked as the hotel’s leisure centre manager for 16 years.

“This is close to my heart,” he told the Killarney Advertiser. “I would have seen that tractor working every day for 16 years. It is well-known around Killarney as back then hotels would share tables and furniture, depending on who was hosting a big event, and the tractor would be seen around town pulling trailers of furniture. It also transported kegs of beer between the Great Southern and the Torc.”

The club has three more prizes as part of the fundraising raffle; second prize: Bed & Breakfast and an evening meal at the five-star Killarney Park Hotel, third prize: €400 voucher from Killarney Oils, and fourth prize: a two night pitch at Beech Grove Caravan and Camping Park, Killarney.

Tickets can be purchased from www.killarneyvintage.com or directly from the beneficiaries and are €10 each. The draw will take place on November 16 at the Innisfallen Hotel in Fossa.

 

 

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Sinn Féin to host public meeting on cost of living at Killarney Heights Hotel

Sinn Féin deputy leader Pearse Doherty will host a public meeting on the costs of living and housing crises at the Killarney Heights Hotel on Thursday, May 28 at 8pm. […]

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17 hours ago

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25 May 2026

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Sinn Féin deputy leader Pearse Doherty will host a public meeting on the costs of living and housing crises at the Killarney Heights Hotel on Thursday, May 28 at 8pm.

The Donegal TD will be joined by Kerry TD Pa Daly to discuss the economic pressures facing local households and the policy changes needed to provide financial relief. The main focus of the evening will center on the barriers preventing local people from buying their own homes, alongside broader costs of living challenges.
Speaking exclusively to the Killarney Advertiser ahead of his visit, Deputy Doherty said workers and families across Kerry are being squeezed from every direction by rising weekly shops, high energy bills, increasing insurance premiums, and substantial housing costs.
“Young people are losing hope that they will ever own a home in the county where they were raised,” Deputy Doherty said. “And while all of this is happening, the government is sitting on billions in budget surpluses while telling struggling families to wait. It is simply not good enough.”
The Sinn Féin finance spokesperson highlighted specific regional factors making the crisis acute in County Kerry, particularly regarding home heating costs.
“Almost 59% of homes in Kerry rely on home heating oil, which is nearly double the state average of 34%,” he said. “That means families across the county are far more exposed to soaring fuel costs than households in many other parts of the state. Yet the government withdrew supports that were helping households keep the lights on and heat their homes.”
Deputy Doherty noted that the housing situation in Kerry has moved beyond a social issue and is now impacting the local economy and communities. He pointed to figures showing average rents in the county have reached €1,493 per month, with exceptionally low market availability.
“At the time of writing, there were only 27 properties available online to rent across the entire county. Only 19 were below €2,000 a month and just five were available for less than €1,500. A county the size of Kerry, and only five rental properties affordable to someone on an ordinary income,” he said.
He also raised concerns for first-time buyers, noting that average house prices in Kerry have climbed to €296,000, representing an increase of €33,500 in a single year.
During the meeting, the Sinn Féin representatives will outline their party’s alternative proposals. These include a state-led program of affordable home building, a ban on excessive rent increases, enhanced protections for renters, and immediate energy credits and tax relief for workers.
“The resources exist to do this,” Deputy Doherty added. “The government’s own figures show billions in surplus funds available to the state. The issue is not a lack of money. The issue is political choice.”
The meeting is open to all members of the public, and a discussion session will follow the main presentations.

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National Park hosts weekend Bioblitz for National Biodiversity Week

Killarney National Park is taking centre stage for the final weekend of National Biodiversity Week, with the public being urged to get outdoor and explore the local environment. Today, Friday, […]

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18 hours ago

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25 May 2026

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Killarney National Park is taking centre stage for the final weekend of National Biodiversity Week, with the public being urged to get outdoor and explore the local environment.

Today, Friday, May 22, marks the UN International Day for Biological Diversity, and a series of free events will run across the park until the national celebration concludes this Sunday, May 24.
The highlight of the weekend is the Killarney National Park Bioblitz. This event brings families, nature lovers, and community volunteers together to find, identify, and record as many different plant and animal species as possible across the park’s diverse habitats over the next three days.
Christopher O’Sullivan, Minister for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, encouraged locals and visitors alike to utiliSe the final days of the festival to experience the area’s unique wildlife, referencing Killarney’s native habitats as key areas the state is working to protect.
Niall Ó Donnchú, Director General of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), noted that the week is designed to remind people that native plants, woodlands, and rivers are vital systems that make life possible. OrganiSers are encouraging anyone in the locality to head out to Killarney National Park before Sunday evening to participate in the species count and support local conservation efforts.

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