Several Killarney hotels were honoured for their outstanding service at the CIÉ Tours Annual Awards of Excellence.

CIÉ Tours, the largest carrier of US visitors to Ireland every year, held its annual awards of excellence which celebrates Irish hoteliers and tourist experience operators.

The Europe Hotel & Resort was awarded gold for ‘Best 5 Star Hotel’.

The hotel is known for its elegance and luxury, and the hotel lies on the shores of Lough Lein overlooking the vast and magnificent Kerry landscape.

Great Southern Killarney received a gold award for ‘Best Hotel Service & Hospitality.

The hospitality venue was commended for its charm and warm welcome; the hotel ensures that its guests have a memorable stay.

The Plaza, International Hotel, Towers Hotel, and the Avenue received merit awards in the Munster hotel category.

Meanwhile, Killarney Horse & Carriage Tours were recipients of a merit award in the Munster visitor experience category.

Seán Canney TD, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, acknowledged the commitment of tour operators across Ireland and paid tribute to the award recipients.

He said: “These awards are a testament to the high standards of quality that each operator holds and is a well-deserved recognition of their work in welcoming CIÉ Tours visitors to Ireland, providing them with unique and unrivalled experiences”.

An exhibition which will focus on the early years of Fianna Fáil in County Kerry is set to go on display in Killarney Library next month.

This year marks the centenary of the foundation of the party in 1926 and the exhibition, presented by historian Dr Owen O’Shea, focuses on how the party developed and grew in Kerry in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

The exhibition titled Soldiers of Destiny, Fianna Fáil in Kerry 1926-1933, is supported by a Commemorations Bursary from the Royal Irish Academy.

It tells the story of Fianna Fáil in Kerry from its foundation in May 1926 to the general election of 1933 when the party’s vote in the Kerry constituency was the highest in the entire country.

New research about the establishment of party branches, the results of elections, the role of newspapers and propaganda all form part of the display as do profiles of the seven Fianna Fáil TDs who represented Kerry between 1926 and 1933.

Historian Owen O’Shea said Fianna Fáil’s foundation was a transformative moment in Irish politics.

He said: “Éamon de Valera’s party set about establishing a network of branches in Kerry with enormous speed and the Fianna Fáil vote in the constituency grew rapidly from 33% in 1927 to 68% in 1933.”

The exhibition will be on display at Tralee Library from February 16 to February 28 and at Killarney Library from March 10 to March 31 and can be viewed during library opening hours.

The seven TDs who represented Kerry during those years were Denis Daly, Fred Crowley, Tom McEllistrim, William O’Leary, Thomas O’Reilly and Jack Flynn.

Their stories are being shared for the first time as are many of the election posters, newspaper advertisements and political material from the time.