White-tailed Eagle chicks fledge in Killarney National Park

Words and photos by Valerie O’Sullivan
The resident pair of White-tailed Eagles on Lough Léin has successfully fledged two new chicks for the fifth year in a row.

The two young eagles left the nest this week and are now along the shoreline as they prepare to take flight further afield.
The successful fledging marks 19 years of conservation work led by Eamonn Meskell and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), alongside the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research. A total of 245 chicks were reintroduced to Ireland between 2007 and 2025.
There are now roughly 150 White-tailed Eagles in the wild across Ireland, creating a self-sustaining population. While the total number of wild births for 2026 is still being tracked, 17 breeding pairs have been recorded nationwide this year.
NPWS and Killarney National Park staff expressed their thanks to local anglers, boatmen, and tourism operators for keeping an “eagle eye” on the birds and supporting their ongoing protection.

Methodist church hosts summer fête

The Killarney Methodist church will hold a two-day summer fête on Friday, July 31 and Saturday, August 1 to raise funds for the church and the Adapt Kerry Women’s Refuge.

Located at the junction of Muckross Road and Countess Road, the event will run from 10.00am to 4.00pm on both days.
Stalls will offer household goods, plants, home baking, and clothes, with refreshments available on-site.
Proceeds will be shared between church upkeep and Adapt Kerry Women’s Refuge in Tralee, an organisation that provides emergency accommodation, a helpline, and outreach support for women and children escaping domestic abuse.
Methodism has operated in County Kerry since 1790, when missionary Charles Graham began preaching across the region. A Killarney congregation formed in 1796, followed by a preaching house on High Street in 1810.
The present Gothic Revival building on Countess Road was designed by architect George Francis Beckett and opened in 1911. After closing in the 1960s, weekly services resumed in 1998, and an extension was added in 2005 to serve local community groups.
Rev. Alison Gallagher said:
“Methodism actually arrived in County Kerry in 1790 when an Irish-speaking missionary, Charles Graham, began preaching in the region. By 1796, a small congregation formed in Killarney and in 1810, a ‘preaching house’ was opened on High Street. The current stone-faced Gothic Revival church on Countess Road was designed by architect George Francis Beckett and opened in 1911. Though emigration led to dwindling numbers in the mid-20th century with the church closing in the 1960s, the church was revitalized and weekly services restored in 1998.”
Emma O’Mahony of Adapt Kerry welcomed the support, stating that the charity is delighted to partner with the church to fund its countywide support service