Fourteen families in Killarney are at risk of homelessness after eviction notices were issued.
The termination letters were sent by Xerico Ltd., a foreign landlord registered in Cyprus.

Every home in the Loreto Convent Estate has been served with a Notice of Termination which will make more than 40 people homeless. This includes infants, schoolchildren and people with disabilities.

The residents have set up a petition on change.org to fight against the eviction. ( Petition · Prevent a Mass Eviction by a Foreign Landlord – Protect Families and Killarney’s Heritage - Ireland · Change.org)

13 children currently attend the local national school, some of those students require additional supports.

Three of those students are looking to apply to secondary schools, however now they don’t know where to go.

For years, the neighbours have built a small, supportive community which is now under threat due to the eviction notices.

If the families are forced to move elsewhere, local businesses will lose also their employees.
Dorota Kowalczyk has lived in the estate for ten years and she described the situation as “very hard”.

“It’s a terrible thing to happen. We worry about it every day, especially for our children. We have loved living here; we love our neighbours. We looked after each other during Covid, we have barbecues, we celebrate birthdays, it’s our home.” She told the Killarney Advertiser.

The neighbours received their letters in stages, some in June and July. Dorota’s letter arrived in the mailbox at the end of September.

Ms Kowalczyk explained her life is in Killarney and she doesn’t want to go elsewhere, however it’s impossible to find a place to rent in the town.

In the current housing climate, Killarney faces a huge crisis, with limited stock available and soaring rents.

The residents say that forcing dozens more people into homelessness is not just unethical, it damages the towns stability and economy.

The families are calling on Kerry County Council and Killarney authorities to act immediately.

They believe the situation can be resolved by a Tenant-in-Situ purchase, an Approved Housing Body partnership or any other available mechanism.

They are urging the council to protect their families, safeguard their community, support local businesses and preserve Killarney’s heritage.

It is not the first time that the Cypriot property company has evicted several tenants.

The Dublin Inquirer reported last October that RTB figures revealed that tenants of Xerico Ltd. were issued eviction notices at a much higher rate than other landlords.

They also found that 191 eviction notices were issued in 2023, with a chunk of them cited as Part 4 tenancy ending.

The Killarney Advertiser has contacted the Home Club and Xerico Ltd. for comment.