BREAKING: Move finally underway at new Killarney Community Nursing Unit

The HSE has confirmed to the Killarney Advertiser that the long-awaited move to the new Killarney Community Nursing Unit is officially underway.

Earlier today, HSE staff began transferring resident belongings and medical equipment into the newly built multimillion-euro facility on Lewis Road. The phased relocation of residents from St Columbanus Home and Killarney District Hospital will take place over the coming days, with the first residents expected to be settled into the new hospital by the end of this week.

This development marks a major step forward for the facility after a long series of false starts, including a recently missed target date of Monday, August 10.

In a statement issued today, the HSE confirmed the commencement of the transfer and outlined the scale of the operation.

“HSE South West is this week beginning the process of moving to Killarney Community Nursing Unit, on a phased basis,” the statement read. “This is a significant logistical operation, involving the move of a significant number of residents with varying levels of needs. There are a number of factors which will affect how long the move will take, however we are working to move all residents safely and in the shortest possible timeframe.”

22 nominations for 2026 Hugh O’Flaherty Humanitarian Award

The Hugh O’Flaherty Memorial Society has announced that 22 nominations have been submitted for the 2026 Hugh O’Flaherty International Humanitarian Award.

The announcement marks a key milestone in the return of the prestigious award following a six-year absence. The annual programme was suspended due to resource constraints after its 2019 presentation to Ireland’s UN Peacekeepers, with a further delay caused by the pandemic. Its return this autumn has been made possible through funding from the Kerry County Council Community Support Programme, Killarney Chamber of Tourism & Commerce, and local sponsors.
Society Chairperson Jerry O’Grady highlighted the global reach of this year’s nominees.
“The 22 nominations represent a wide spread of individuals and NGOs operating across six continents, catering for the humanitarian needs of deprived, oppressed and exploited people in famine-riven, poor and war-torn countries,” O’Grady said. “The Award Selection Panel will be assessing the nominations over the coming weeks, and the identity of the 2026 Award Recipient should be known by the end of August.”
O’Grady expressed the society’s gratitude to Kerry County Council and the Killarney Chamber of Tourism & Commerce for providing the essential support needed to resume the award programme.
The 12th annual award ceremony will take place in Killarney on the evening of Friday, October 30, with detailed arrangements to be announced in due course.