Six dancers from the Áine Murphy Dance Academy in Gneeveguilla have returned from Chicago following a massive haul of medals and titles at the World Irish Dance Championships.

The highlight of the trip saw Marcus O’Sullivan from Milltown crowned World Champion in the Under 13 Boys category.

This is Marcus’s third consecutive world title, a feat that follows his All-Ireland win in Killarney earlier this spring.

His year has been further marked by a personal invitation from Michael Flatley to perform at the 30th-anniversary opening of Lord of the Dance.

In the Under 19 competition, Kilcummin’s Caoimhe O’Halloran secured a podium finish, bringing a coveted World Globe back to Kerry.

Her success is particularly notable as she missed last year’s event due to injury and is currently preparing for her Leaving Certificate.

Eleven-year-old Isabelle O’Sullivan from Rathmore also reached the world stage podium, finishing 6th in the Under 12 category.

Her sister, Grace O’Sullivan, and Kayla Fleming from Brosna both successfully made the final recall in their divisions, while Killarney’s Grace O’Leary achieved a personal best in her first-ever World Championship appearance.

The Academy expressed their gratitude to the local businesses, families, and communities whose fundraising efforts made the trip to the United States possible.

Killarney Outlet Centre has secured planning permission to transform six vacant retail units into an eight-lane bowling alley and entertainment hub.

The development will occupy units 43 to 48, a section of the building that has remained empty since the shopping centre first opened in 1999.

Alongside the bowling lanes, the new facility is set to include an interactive games area, significantly expanding the town’s indoor leisure options.

This approval follows a separate planning grant last year which cleared the way for a major redevelopment of another part of the centre.

Those plans involve converting units 63 to 68 into a dining area, while unit 69 is earmarked for a dedicated events space focused on Irish music, dancing, and craft fairs.

The overall project also includes the redevelopment of the main concourse to incorporate a bar and seating area.

Kerry County Council has given the green light for the latest expansion with eight conditions attached to the permission.

Once completed, the combined leisure, dining, and event spaces represent a shift in strategy for the Outlet Centre, moving towards a night-time entertainment and social destination.