Killarney to elect new Mayor on Monday morning

Killarney will have a new mayor by Monday morning as the annual general meetings for the local municipal districts and Kerry County Council take place on Monday.

The Killarney Municipal District AGM is scheduled for 10.00am in the Council Chamber, followed by the full Kerry County Council annual meeting at 12.30pm. The sole business to be conducted at these sessions is the election of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Cathaoirleach, and Leas-Cathaoirleach.
This transition marks the third year of the current council cycle since the local elections in the summer of 2024, following Councillor Maura Healy-Rae’s term in year one and Councillor Martin Grady’s recently completed term.

Grady described his year in the chair as a memorable honour. The term carried personal significance for Grady, following a family tradition in the role previously held by his grandfather John Grady in 1972, his father Donal Grady in 2010, and his uncle Seán Grady on five separate occasions.

Reflecting on the past 12 months, Grady highlighted key council decisions and district developments, including the retention of

A double launch held on Thursday officially introduced two free summer music programmes for Killarney.

Both initiatives are directed and produced by local folk musician Tim O’Shea, highlighting a new acoustic music venture alongside the return of a long-running youth traditional arts showcase.

Following a successful pilot scheme last year, “The Anam Sessions” have been officially launched for the summer months.

This new series will feature early evening concerts showcasing local Kerry folk, traditional, singer-songwriter, and Afro-Irish acoustic music.

The sessions will run for five nights only, taking place every second Wednesday from 7pm to 9pm at ANAM on East Avenue Road.

The performance dates are 1 July, 15 July, 29 July, 12 August, and 26 August. Curated by Tim O’Shea, who will also perform alongside the guests each night, the line-up includes Fiona Doyle from Beaufort, Samuel Kiwanuka from Tralee, Mike Walsh from Knocknagoshel, and Philip Crickard from Ardfert. The series is sponsored by the Kerry Arts Office of Kerry County Council.

The launch also marked the return of “Spraoi Chiarraí” for its 21st season. This performance collective provides a mentorship platform for young local Kerry talent to gain experience in high-profile concert settings and develop their performance skills.

The Spraoi Chiarraí concerts will take place across five Saturdays at 8pm inside St. Mary’s Church of Ireland, opposite the Town Hall.

The scheduled dates are 4 July, 25 July, 1 August, 15 August, and 22 August. The opening concert on 4 July will feature accordionist Maighréad Ní Lúasa from Coolea, Ballyvourney, alongside her students from the Fermoy area. The group has also been invited to perform at Puck Fair this August.

The youth traditional arts programme is supported by Kerry County Council Killarney Municipal District, the Arts and Community Offices, Kerry Gems, the Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce, and the St. Mary’s Church of Ireland Vestry Committee.

Admission to all events across both festival bills is free, and families are welcome to attend. For more details, the public can contact Tim O’Shea at 087 2814550, email timoshea99@hotmail.com, or visit timosheaandfriends.com.