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Know Your Rights: Local Authority home loans

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Question: I want to buy a house, but can’t get a mortgage with the bank. What other options do I have for finance?

Answer: You may be able to get a local authority home loan to buy a home if you’ve been unable to get the funds you need from a bank.

The Local Authority Home Loan is a Government-backed mortgage with reduced interest rates. The interest rates are fixed for the full term of the loan, so you have the same repayments for the lifetime of the loan. You can use the loan for new or second-hand properties, or to build a home.

How do I qualify for the loan?

To get this loan, your income must be below a certain level and you must have been in continuous employment for a set amount of time. You must also meet some other criteria.

You must:

Be a first-time buyer or ‘fresh start’ applicant
Be aged between 18 and 70
Have proof that you haven’t been able to get the mortgage funding you need from two banks or building societies
Have a deposit
Have a satisfactory credit rating
Live in the property once you have bought or built it

What is the maximum market value of a property for this loan?

The home you are buying or building must be below a certain market value (price). The maximum market value of the property depends on where the property is located.

€320,000 in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow
€250,000 in the rest of the country

You can borrow up to 90% of the market value of the property and you may be able to get the Help to Buy incentive to help with your deposit.

What are the interest rates?

The interest rates are fixed for the full term of the mortgage and are currently:

2.495% for up to 25 years
2.745% for up to 30 years

You apply to your local authority for the Local Authority Home Loan.

Read more about the Local Authority Home Loans on citizensinformation.ie or phone Kerry Citizens Information Service 0818 07 7860 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm), the national phone service on 0818 07 4000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm), or log on to www.citizensinformation.ie.

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Céilí Mór will send ‘em home sweatin’

It will be a case of all around the house but mind the dresser at a traditional Céilí Mór which will be one of the real entertainment highlights of this […]

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It will be a case of all around the house but mind the dresser at a traditional Céilí Mór which will be one of the real entertainment highlights of this year’s St Patrick’s Festival in Killarney.

It will take place on the eve of the big feast day in the Killarney Great Southern and there will be a wonderful party atmosphere guaranteed on the night.
Providing the tunes will be the very highly regarded Uí Bhriaín Céilí Band and they promise to send everybody home sweating after what will be a memorable night for locals and visitors.
The March 16 céilí will commence at 9.00pm and continue right through until midnight and the admission for a wonderful night of pure Irish trad is just €10.00.
Bookings can be made on the festival website or patrons can pay at the door on the night.

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St Brendan’s student Aodhagan O’Sullivan crowned CPR champion

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Aodhagan O’Sullivan, a student at St Brendan’s College, Killarney, has been named the 2026 School CPR Challenge Champion.

The prestigious award was presented on Thursday, 26 February, during a large-scale event at the Gleneagle Hotel, where approximately 300 students from post-primary schools across the county gathered to compete for the title of “who can compress the best.”


Now in its fourth year, the event is organised by the Killarney Cardiac Response Unit (KCRU) Community First Responders.

The KCRU is a volunteer-led group that provides vital emergency response services to Killarney, Beaufort, Killorglin, Firies, Rathmore, and Kenmare.

The challenge focused on “Quality CPR” (QCPR), combining a high-stakes competition with practical life-saving training and the chance for students to engage directly with local emergency and community services.


The competition utilised advanced QCPR technology to measure the depth and rate of compressions, ensuring that students aren’t just learning the motions, but are performing life-saving techniques to a clinical standard.

Beyond the competitive element, the day served as an educational hub, highlighting the “chain of survival” and the importance of immediate bystander intervention in the event of a cardiac arrest.


The 2026 challenge was made possible through the support of the Vodafone Foundation, The Gleneagle Hotel, and First Aid Systems Ltd, alongside a variety of local sponsors. Organisers praised the enthusiasm of the 300 participants, noting that such events are essential for building a “heart-safe” community and equipping the next generation with the skills to save a life.

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