News
Hero of 1921 War of Independence remembered
By Sean Moriarty
The 100th anniversary of the death of Patrick McCarthy who died in the War of Independence was celebrated at the bridge that bears his name on Tuesday last.
McCarthy of College St was a member of the Killarney-based Fourth Battalion of the Kerry No. 2 Brigade of the Irish Republican Army.
He died on June 29, 1921 while on an active IRA mission, when a weapon was accidently discharged. At the time ammunition was being transported from a remote area near Barraduff to an ambush site at the Blank Banks near Brosna.
McCarthy’s brother Neilus and sister Hannah-Mary were also local Volunteers during the war. Their family ran a grocery and drapery store on College St.
The bridge over the River Flesk, known officially as the McCarthy O'Leary Bridge on the Muckross Road, is named after him and his IRA colleague Sean O’Leary who was killed a few months earlier in Moneygall, on the Tipperary and Offaly border.
“These are the people who gave their lives so we can have the freedoms we enjoy today,” said John Buckley, the regional administrator of the Killarney Sinn Féin Cumann.
Local hospitality nominated for Good Food Ireland awards
Several Killarney hotels and restaurants have been shortlisted for the Good Food Ireland 20th Anniversary Awards 2026.
The annual awards recognise businesses that feature Irish food and drink as part of their visitor service.
In the luxury accommodation categories, Muckross Park Hotel and The Europe Hotel and Resort have both received nominations for 5 Star Irish Hospitality Experience of the Year and Hotel Restaurant Experience of the Year.
In the town centre, The Mad Monk has been shortlisted for Best Irish Seafood Experience.
The Brehon Hotel has been named a finalist in the Wild Atlantic Way category.
And the Kerry Creamery Experience has also been nominated for the Irish Culinary Tourism Innovation Award for its work showcasing local dairy heritage.
The winners will be announced at a gala ceremony at the InterContinental Dublin on Monday, November 16
Holy Cross Mercy announces return of Memory Tree initiative
Holy Cross Mercy National School has announced details for its 2026 Killarney Memory Tree, the annual Christmas fundraising hosted at the New Road school.
The initiative offers local residents the opportunity to purchase lights on the tree to commemorate loved ones over the festive season.
The official switch-on ceremony takes place at the school on Wednesday, December 9 at 7pm. Fr Seán Murphy will lead prayers, accompanied by festive carols by candlelight.
A special mass for all those commemorated on the tree will be celebrated in St Mary’s Cathedral on Thursday, December 17 at 1pm. The service will be open to the public and streamed online via the Killarney Parish website.
The Memory Tree will remain lit each evening until January 6, the feast of the Epiphany.
Lights can be purchased directly from the pupils, staff, or the school office at Holy Cross Mercy National School on New Road, with all proceeds going towards school development.
Local hospitality nominated for Good Food Ireland awards
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