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‘Homelessness is not caused by asylum seekers or immigrants,’ say Barraduff sisters

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FIVE sisters have set up a petition as a reaction to the recent protest at Linden House in Killarney.

The protest, which took place in December as the first of 55 male asylum seekers moved into the former guesthouse on New Road, saw picketers call for solutions to the homelessness crisis.

Concerns were also raised about an absence of consultation between the Department of Justice and the community on the decision as to the use of Linden House.

Augustine, Mala, Martina, Julianna and Ava O'Donoghue, originally from Barraduff, said they found the image of the protest “very disturbing” and felt it targeted “a vulnerable group living in Killarney”. “Asylum seekers, like those in Killarney, have fled war, persecution and torture. The idea that they are in some way privileged or favoured over the so-called ‘native’ Irish is completely false,” they stated.

They added: “Homelessness is not caused by or exacerbated by asylum seekers or immigrants.”

Focusing on one house in Killarney where asylum seekers are seeking refuge “is outrageous and complete flawed”, added the sisters. “The solution to the housing crisis is to build more social housing and utilise the existing 180,000 homes that currently lie empty," said Mala.

The sisters set up the petition at Change.org

At the protest, Independent councillor Donal Grady addressed the gathering, before handing in a petition stating the concerns of the protesters, outlining the lack of consultation with the community. “Firstly, to make clear we believe that people from war-torn areas like Iraq and Syria should be accepted in our country,” Cllr Grady said before outlining concerns about the lack of consultation."

Days ahead of the confirmation that Linden House would be used as an accommodation centre for asylum seekers, Kerry County Council member Donal Grady had called for the property to open its doors to homeless people in Killarney.
 


 
Above: Ava and Martina O'Donoghue with their petition.

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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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