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Michael Healy-Rae calls for urgent revision of short-term letting rules

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Minister of State for Forestry, Horticulture and Farm Safety, Michael Healy-Rae TD, has called for urgent action to amend Government proposals on short-term letting (STL), warning that current plans could severely damage the rural tourism sector.

Speaking on Tuesday as he opened the Irish Self-Catering Federation (ISCF) Conference in Spanish Point, Co. Clare, Minister Healy-Rae highlighted his "deep concern" that the proposed regulations could "undo decades of good work and destroy viable family-run businesses."
The Minister stressed the importance of the sector, noting that the self-catering industry provides over 40% of Ireland’s tourism beds, most of which are located in rural towns and villages, according to Fáilte Ireland.
Minister Healy-Rae specifically reiterated his strong opposition to the proposal that would require all STL operators to apply for full planning permission and would effectively block new permissions in towns with populations over 10,000.
“This one-size-fits-all approach makes no sense," he stated. "Places like Killarney, Dungarvan, Ballina and Tramore will be hit hard and the reality is that these properties will not return to the long-term rental market. They were never part of it to begin with.”
“We have a housing crisis, but you are not the problem and neither are you the solution,” the Minister said, adding that the self-catering industry is “under-valued by politicians and the general public” and that there remains “a serious lack of awareness within government about the importance of this issue.”

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Joey Sheehan wins historic sixth Dr Crokes Captain’s Prize

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Accomplished golfer Joey Sheehan scooped the Dr Crokes GAA Club Golf Society Captain’s Prize for the sixth time following the outing at The Killeen Course at Killarney Golf Club on Friday.

Society Captain Niall Botty O’Callaghan and his mother Eileen O’Callaghan hosted the prizegiving function in The Failte Hotel, where Joey was presented with a painting of the fourth hole at Killeen by local artist and Dr Crokes member Paul Downey.


Joey Sheehan won his first Dr Crokes Captain’s prize back in 1997, which was the start of an historic four-in-a-row.

He collected his fifth Captain’s prize in 2006 before adding his sixth with the 2026 title last Friday.

Over the years, he has also won two Dr Crokes Presidents prizes, numerous other society outings, and the Eddie Barry Memorial Cup three times as player of the year.


The prize giving function in The Failte featured speeches from society officer Brendan Keogh, Captain Niall Botty O’Callaghan, and overall winner Joey Sheehan.

During the speeches, a number of recently deceased local people and others from recent years associated with the Dr Crokes Golf Society were remembered.

Among those fondly remembered were Brian O’Regan, John O’Mahony, Ewan MacIndoe, Gerry Collins, Paudie O’Callaghan, Malachy Walsh, and Seani McCarthy.


The Dr Crokes Captains Prize was once again sponsored by Mike Buckley of Kerry Coaches. Following overall winner Joey Sheehan, the full list of prize winners included John Lynch in second, Finian Moran in third, and Liam Hartnett in fourth. Sean Brosnan took fifth place, followed by Maurice O’Donoghue in sixth, John O’Leary in seventh, Paudie Sheahan in eighth, Colm Galvin in ninth, and Eamonn Fitzgerald in tenth.

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Discussion on Irish-American literary voices

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The second series of talks for the new ‘Summer in Killarney’ festival took place at Killarney House in Killarney National Park, focusing on the lives and work of literary figures F. Scott Fitzgerald and Mary Lavin.

The event, titled ‘The Great Irish-American Voices of F. Scott Fitzgerald & Mary Lavin’, featured presentations by authors Gráinne Hurley, writer of Gratefully and Affectionately: Mary Lavin and The New Yorker, and Killarney native Patrick O’Sullivan Greene, author of Gatsby: Death of an Irishman.

Following their presentations, both authors joined Irish Times journalist Ronan McGreevy for a panel conversation exploring the impact of both writers on American literature.

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