Killarney Civic Arts Group held its first Annual General Meeting at the Dromhall Hotel just before Christmas, marking an important milestone for the newly formed organisation.

The group was established to promote cultural awareness and encourage participation in the arts in Killarney and the wider Munster region.
Members and supporters attended the meeting to discuss the group’s aims, future plans and the role of the arts in civic life. The AGM also provided an opportunity for artists and arts workers to share ideas and experiences about cultural development in the town.
Cllr Marie Moloney attended the meeting and welcomed the initiative.
Those present included Ciara Ní Shúilleabháin, Joanne McCarthy, Paul Byrne, Tomás O’Sullivan, Eileen Sheehan, Longina Wentrys, Dolores Lyne and Tim O’Shea. The group thanked everyone who attended and expressed particular appreciation to the Randles family for their continued support of the arts.
Anyone interested in engaging with Killarney Civic Arts Group can contact them at doloreslyneartist@gmail.com.

Killarney Water Rescue Search and Recovery will be one of the driving forces behind a new national initiative launching in 2026, Ireland’s first dedicated Cadaver Water Search Dog Training Programme.

The programme will train specialist dogs to detect human remains under water, supporting missing person searches and recovery operations where time is critical.

Training will take place on the Killarney Lakes within Killarney National Park, using both shoreline and boat based search environments.

The project is a collaboration between Hounds and Helis, Ireland’s Specialist Search and Rescue Dogs (ISSARD), and Killarney Water Rescue Search and Recovery.

The initiative aims to strengthen Ireland’s search and rescue capability by providing highly trained canine teams to assist emergency services during complex water searches.