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Killarney plans to turn green for St Patrick’s Day

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By Michelle Crean

Many of the town’s famous landmarks will be turning green this St Patrick’s Day - including Killarney courthouse for the first time.

An exciting weekend of activities is planned in the community as the St Patrick’s Day committee have been beavering hard behind the scenes to make it one to remember.

A family fun zone will take over the New Street car park until Monday, with bouncy castles, face painting, kiddies disco and much more.

The highlight of the weekend however will be the parade which will assemble on Mission Road. Then it will begin at 2pm up Mission Road towards the Plaza, around Kenmare Place, East Avenue Road, Fair Hill, College Street, Plunkett Street, Main Street, New Street, Beech Road, into Beech Road car park.

On the day there will also be pre-parade entertainment on Main Street with Padraig Buckley and Killarney School of Music and kids can meet the Disney characters around town. Circus workshops and Brickx Club are also available at Beech Road Lower car park.

“The festival is shaping up to be a huge community event culminating in a celebration of Killarney, the circus - ‘The Greatest Show’,” Chairperson Paul Sherry said.

“The committee are delighted that two travelling bands are registered. One marching group from our twinned town Pleinfeld will be joining the festivities and another from Ochsenhausen in Germany. This group will consist of 40 participants and some members of the group are employees of Liebherr in Germany.”

He said that they aredelighted with the level of interest and interaction with a host of community groups and sporting groups.

“We would encourage everyone to get out early on the day of the parade and join in what will be a spectacle for the whole family.”

In consultation with the County Council and the Gardai the committee have drawn up a full safety strategy and traffic management plan for the parade. The committee advise that the parade floats and vehicles have to arrive at Mission Road from Port Road and Cathedral Place side. Traffic will not be allowed to travel down Mission Road towards the cathedral.

Post-parade collection point for children is the Beech Road car park Lower at the bottle bank area. The organisers have requested that all parents and children enter the fun zone collection point area as quickly as possible from parade for safety when they reach the route end.

Extra free parking facilities have been included at Penney’s car park, Hilliard House, St Brendan’s College Secondary School and The Community College, New Road.

 

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Parnell commemorated in Beaufort on 125th Anniversary of Land League meeting

A special ceremony was held in Beaufort to mark the 125th anniversary of Charles Stewart Parnell’s historic visit to the village in 1880, when the Irish nationalist leader addressed thousands […]

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A special ceremony was held in Beaufort to mark the 125th anniversary of Charles Stewart Parnell’s historic visit to the village in 1880, when the Irish nationalist leader addressed thousands at a pivotal land reform meeting.

The commemoration, which took place beside the Beaufort Bar, honoured the legacy of the former MP and founder of the Irish National Land League.
The original meeting was held in a field belonging to Patrick O’Sullivan and attracted a crowd of approximately 3,000, defying the orders of local landlord ‘The O’Mahony’ of Dunloe Castle, who had threatened eviction to any tenant who supported the gathering.
Padruig O’Sullivan, proprietor of the Beaufort Bar and a direct descendant of Patrick O’Sullivan, addressed attendees at the unveiling of a new monument to mark the occasion.
The stone was designed by renowned uilleann piper and artist Tomás O’Sullivan, who also composed a special piece of music titled Parnell’s Blackbird to honour the occasion.
The original 1880 meeting was reported in publications such as the ‘Dundalk Democrat’, which gave a vivid account of the powerful speeches delivered that day.

Extract from the Dundalk Democrat – May 1880

The meeting, held on Sunday, May 16, 1880 in Patrick O’Sullivan’s field south of the Beaufort Hotel, was arranged in defiance of local landlord ‘The O’Mahony,’ who warned tenants they would be evicted for taking part. Nevertheless, the turnout was overwhelming.
Parnell arrived by special train and travelled by carriage from Killarney with fellow MP ‘The O’Donoghue’. The two were met by a band and a large welcoming crowd. Police and a Government reporter were present, but the atmosphere remained peaceful and spirited.
Speakers rallied against the unjust land laws of the time. ‘The O’Donoghue’ praised Parnell as the “shining star” of Irish nationalism and stated that “Kerry desired that her meeting should partake of a national character.”
When Parnell spoke, he described it as “the largest land meeting he had attended since County Mayo” and declared the movement to reclaim Irish land as one of the greatest undertakings in Irish history. He condemned the laws that allowed landlords to evict tenants and seize food as rent payment, noting that 600,000 farmers were subject to the whims of just 10,000 landlords.
He called for legislative reform, including the suspension of evictions and Government-backed tenant purchase schemes, warning that if Parliament failed to act, “the people will do for themselves what the Legislature refuses to do for them.”
He concluded by proposing the first resolution.
“That in the opinion of this meeting, the eviction of occupiers of land for non-payment of rent arbitrarily fixed by the landlord is unjust, subversive of the true interests of the country and calls for the emphatic condemnation of all lovers of justice.”

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St Pauls sign American Maisie Burnham

Killarney’s Utility Trust St Pauls women’s basketball team has announced the signing of American player Maisie Burnham for the upcoming 2025/2026 season. The club, who performed strongly in the latter […]

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Killarney’s Utility Trust St Pauls women’s basketball team has announced the signing of American player Maisie Burnham for the upcoming 2025/2026 season.

The club, who performed strongly in the latter part of the recent season and reached the league final, is looking to build on that success.
Maisie Burnham, a 24-year-old, six-foot-tall guard from Spangle City, Washington, comes to Killarney with a strong playing record. During her time at Liberty High School, where she also played volleyball, she was a high-scoring player.
She then went to Eastern Washington University, where in the 2020/2021 season, she led the team in scoring with over 14 points per game, a record for a freshman player at the university.
Burnham later moved to the University of Portland, where her scoring average continued to improve, reaching a peak of 16.3 points per game in the 2024/2025 season.
Utility Trust St Pauls say they are looking forward to welcoming Maisie to Killarney well in advance of the new season.

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