The Killarney Women’s Shed has teamed up with local nurse Chandra Arias to host a major charity auction of upcycled furniture on Tuesday, March 10.

The event, held at the Spa GAA Club in Tiernaboul, aims to raise vital funds for residents in the Philippines still struggling in the aftermath of the devastating Typhoon Tino.

The fundraiser follows a series of natural disasters that hit the Philippines late last year. On September 30, 2025, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake, the strongest ever recorded in northern Cebu, struck the region, followed weeks later on November 4 by Typhoon Tino. The typhoon brought winds of 185km/h, resulting in 269 deaths and displacing over 700,000 people.

Many families remain in temporary tents or schools as infrastructure and agricultural lands were decimated.

Chandra Arias, a native of Mandaue City in the Philippines, has lived and worked in Killarney for 25 years, primarily as a nurse at St Columbanus Community Hospital.

An accomplished artist, Chandra is donating several unique pieces of furniture she has personally upcycled for the auction.

Support for the project has come from across the community.

The Killarney Men’s Shed donated three pieces of furniture for the project, while local Arbutus furniture expert James Flynn personally donated four contemporary pieces for Chandra to transform.

The event, which runs from 10.30am to 2.00pm, will include an upcycling demonstration by Chandra, the furniture auction, and a raffle.

Attendees will also be served traditional Filipino finger food prepared on-site by professional caterer Nympha Tacaza.

Entry to the fundraiser is €3, with all proceeds going directly to help those affected in the Philippines.

Hoteliers from across the country gathered at the Gleneagle Hotel this week for the Irish Hotels Federation’s (IHF) 88th Annual Conference.

The event comes at a time when the industry is grappling with mounting business costs and significant global economic concerns.

New research released by the IHF at the conference highlights the level of anxiety within the sector.

According to the data, 92% of hoteliers are worried about the global economy and political uncertainty in key markets.

Additionally, 76% expressed concern regarding the Irish economy over the coming year as consumer finances remain under pressure.

Despite these pressures, the industry is maintaining a cautiously optimistic outlook for 2026.

A slight majority of hoteliers (51%) reported a positive outlook for trading conditions over the next 12 months, while 36% described their outlook as neutral.

Only 13% of those surveyed reported a negative outlook for the year ahead.

The conference follows a strong performance for the sector in 2025. National hotel occupancy averaged 76% for the year, a 1% increase on 2024 levels.

However, IHF members noted that regional disparities continue to be a challenge, with occupancy levels varying from 70% in border regions to 83% in Dublin.