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Fires now under control – but crews on standby for next 24 hours

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By Michelle Crean
The fires which tore through Killarney National Park this weekend are finally under control with the worst of the danger over following further extensive work this morning (Monday) by fire crews and the Air Corps.
However, the next 24 hours will be critical with helicopter crews and the fire service on standby in case any fires re-ignite.
Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage Malcolm Noonan, and Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O'Brien are due to visit Killarney today to assess the severity of the damage - and plan to meet with NPWS and Fire Service staff who have worked through the weekend to try to bring the fire under control.
Up to one third of the Park - approx. 2,000 hectares - has been scorched with flora and fauna wiped out and last night's fires came as close as 10 metres to a church and school in the Black Valley area.
Most of the fires are now under control including near Tomies Wood as fire crews from five different districts concentrated on the area which also saw properties under threat. Fires also became a real threat for The Oak Woods but fire fighters managed to avert danger.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated but it's believed to have begun on the Kenmare Road area at approximately 11pm on Friday night - escalated by the strong winds.
Firefighters and the emergency services as well as volunteers have gone to heroic efforts over the past few days in a bid to bring the blaze under control.
According to former Park Ranger Peter O'Toole, "it's the worst fire in the National Park in living memory".
"Without a doubt it's the worst fire in the Park in living memory," he told the Killarney Advertiser, comparing it to the 1984 fire which destroyed a large part of the Park.
"It's devastating," he said, speaking about the impact the fire has had on the ecology. "Some will never survive again I imagine. There's a lot of work to be done."
Cllr Donal Grady said the true scale of what has happened is hard for people to comprehend.
"It's heartbreaking to see the birds, all the flora and fauna, the eggs devastated. Their habitats are absolutely ruined and people really don't understand how bad it is."
There's also huge concern about carbon from the fires entering lakes in the coming days and weeks which will have another significant impact on the local environment.
People are being asked to continue to stay away from the Tomies Woods and the Muckross areas in particular.
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Young entrepreneurs spot match-day business opportunity

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Two young local girls showed great business initiative on Saturday ahead of the Kerry v Donegal match at Fitzgerald Stadium.

Erin McSweeney and Jessie Doolin set up a sweet stall outside a house on Lewis Road, catching the thousands of football fans walking towards the grounds.

The enterprising pair did a busy trade selling soft drinks, sweets, and chocolates to the passing crowds before throw-in.

Their match-day venture also caught the attention of the national sports media, with a photograph of the girls at their stall captured by Sportsfile photographer Stephen McCarthy ahead of the game.

23 May 2026; Local vendors Erin McSweeney and Jessie Doolin, right, before the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Round 1 match between Kerry and Donegal at Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney, Kerry. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

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Conor Pass photo captures top spot in Camera Club competition

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Noel O’Neill has claimed first place in the Unrestricted category of the latest Killarney Camera Club competition, which focused on the theme of the ‘Kerry Landscape’.

His winning photograph, titled ‘Conor Pass Lake and the Three Sisters’, features a detailed study of Mullaghveal located beneath the Conor Pass.

The image captures the wide sweep of the valley, utilizing an elevated viewpoint that allows the glacial landscape to unfold toward the Atlantic horizon. The composition highlights the quiet lakes in the foreground against the dark, rocky slopes of the valley, with the distant outline of the Three Sisters adding further depth and scale to the scene.

The judges praised the photograph as an outstanding example of landscape work, noting its effective balance of composition, light, and perspective to capture the vastness of the West Kerry terrain.

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