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Outdoor dining opens in Killarney

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By Sean Moriarty

Both the International Hotel and Lir Café welcomed the first guests to the new outdoor dining area in Kenmare Place on Wednesday.

AL FRESCO: The new outdoor dining area at the International Hotel. Photo: Sean Moriarty

AL FRESCO: The new outdoor dining area at the International Hotel. Photo: Sean Moriarty

READY: How the outdoor dining area looked before the furniture was installed. Photo: Sean Moriarty

COFFEE: Eleanor Daly and Rachel Snook of Lír Cafe working at the new outdoor dining area on Wednesday. Photo: Sean Moriarty

FIRST: The first visitor to the new outdoor dining area on Wednesday morning was none other than Sam Maguire.

The Fáilte Ireland Weatherproofing and Outdoor Dining Scheme, costing €604,505, partially opened to the public this week.

The first two premises to use the facility were the International Hotel and Lir Café but as an interim measure they used their own outdoor furniture while they awaited the delivery of the public furniture later the same day.

The 620 square-metre outdoor dining area consists of paving, landscaping and lighting, of which 210 square-metres will be a covered dining area.

The structure will have a total of seven outdoor dining areas – two of which were furnished and open by lunchtime Wednesday.

While local businesses will be invited to apply for licences to serve food and drinks in the dining areas, exactly half the outdoor seating will remain open to the public and consumers are free to buy products in other premises around the town.

Two smaller dining areas will bookend the project, a 21.3 metre square area near of the Ross Hotel and another one of 14.6 metres squared will be positioned outside the offices of Spillane’s Auctioneers and close to Lir Café.

The site will open between 8.30am and 10.30pm every day, and the Council staff will take charge of putting out chairs each morning and stacking them each evening.

Retractable pergolas will be in place during these hours also.

The outdoor dining areas are likely to cause divided opinion in the town. Business operators in other areas of the town centre will feel disadvantaged that others have a publicly funded facility on their door step.

Business owners in Kenmare Place are concerned about anti-social behaviour in the area especially late at night. Council employees will take charge of opening and closing the new facility each day but will expect support from businesses who are benefiting from the new facility.

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Network Ireland Kerry discuss sustainable success

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Network Ireland Kerry held their third annual collaboration event last Wednesday at the Rose Hotel, Tralee. The theme was: “The Journey to Sustainable Success” which brought three industry experts together to talk about their own journey to sustainable successful.

Business professionals, entrepreneurs, and financial leaders came together for this highly anticipated event to learn about the journey from becoming a start-up, to a small-to-medium enterprise (SME), and a large SME.

The event was opened by AIB Branch Liaison for Network Ireland Kerry and AIB Castleisland Branch Manager, Colleen Shannon. It was MC’d by AIB Tralee Branch Manager, Stephen Stack.

Sarah Farrar of AINMHÌ, Garrett Dillon of Mr. Binman and Dillon Waste Ltd. and Susan Quirke-Crowley of Mounthawk Montessori School Group were among the speakers at the event.

These leaders spoke about their challenges, milestones, and breakthroughs they encountered, from launching an idea to scaling operations nationally.

Tara Elzingre of Tara Elzingre Consultancy, Zaneta Labuz-Czerwein of Rustic Boowa and Sharon Hartnett of U Coaching promoted their businesses for ‘Minute on the Mic’

Emily Reen, Network Ireland Kerry President, described the event as a testament to the power of partnership. She said: “The event underscored a powerful message: sustainable business success is not a solo journey. With the right partnerships, teams and financial tools, businesses of all sizes can grow with purpose, resilience, and long-term impact.”

Network Ireland Kerry will host their next monthly event on November 12 in Killarney and in collaboration with the Kerry Local Enterprise Office, titled: “Gain Competitive Advantage in Your Business”. This event will be MC’d by Karen Ronan, 2025 National Vice President of Network Ireland and CEO of Galway Chamber. This event is open to non-members and members, and everyone is welcome from 6 pm for networking and refreshments, with the event taking place from 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm.

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Minor injury clinic to open by this time next year

The Killarney Local Injury Clinic is expected to be open by Q3 2026, according to the HSE. The proposed unit will be located on the grounds of St Columbanus Home. […]

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The Killarney Local Injury Clinic is expected to be open by Q3 2026, according to the HSE. The proposed unit will be located on the grounds of St Columbanus Home.

The timeline was confirmed in response to a Parliamentary Question from Fianna Fáil TD Michael Cahill, who said the project will follow the relocation of the Community Nursing Unit from its current site to the grounds of the old St Finan’s Hospital. Once the transfer is complete, construction of the injury clinic can proceed.
Deputy Cahill described the two new health facilities as “a fantastic addition for Killarney and the wider East, Mid, and South Kerry regions” and noted they will help reduce waiting times at University Hospital Kerry A&E.
“I will continue to push for enhanced health services for our people,” added the Fianna Fáil Spokesperson for Older People.
The new clinic is expected to provide urgent care services for local residents, easing pressure on hospital emergency departments and improving access to timely treatment in the Killarney area.

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