Council to monitor bus parking spaces in town centre

Kerry County Council is to monitor the use of town bus parking spaces over the summer months following calls to return specific roadside bays to regular car parking.

The issue was raised by the Mayor of Killarney, John O’Donoghue, at the Killarney Municipal District meeting.
Cllr O’Donoghue asked the Council to monitor town bus parks nightly. He proposed that if these parks are not full, the bus spaces on the Anam Centre side of Railway Road should revert back to car parking.
He said that the roadside area can fit three to four buses, which could instead provide parking spaces for around ten cars.
Cllr O’Donoghue added that town parking is under severe pressure during the summer, particularly with one main car park unavailable for over a month, meaning every extra space would help.
“I do not believe the bus parks in the town to be full very often, so do not see the need for roadside parking in the town,” Cllr O’Donoghue said.
In its official reply, Kerry County Council stated that it continues to monitor bus parking spaces throughout the town. The local authority added that the laybys provided on East Avenue are strictly for bus set-down only, and confirmed that officials will monitor these specific spaces to ensure drivers adhere to the rule.

Council and NPWS reach agreement in principle for Blue Pool parking

Kerry County Council and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) have reached an agreement in principle to develop a new parking area at the popular Blue Pool amenity on the Mangerton Road.

The update was provided by the Council at Wednesday’s Killarney Municipal District meeting following a question from the Mayor of Killarney, John O’Donoghue. Cllr O’Donoghue requested an urgent update on the site, noting that he has been highlighting the issue for some time while the Blue Pool and Cloghereen Woods grow increasingly busy. He stated that the haphazard weekend parking at the site is very dangerous and regularly blocks passing traffic, and called for renewed focus on stalled negotiations between the Council, the OPW, and the NPWS.
In its official response, Kerry County Council confirmed that a structural framework for the project is now in place. Under the proposed arrangement, the NPWS will retain ownership of the parking land, while Kerry County Council will take charge of developing and maintaining the parking facility.
The project is not yet fully cleared for construction. Before work can begin, the Council must secure a final formal agreement with the NPWS, complete all required environmental assessments, and obtain necessary statutory consents. Once these steps are complete, the Council plans to submit the proposal for funding consideration under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure grant scheme.