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By Sean Moriarty

The organisers of the popular Killarney on Ice have vowed to come back next year bigger and better after being forced to cancel this year’s events as result of COVID-19 restrictions.

The news is another blow for the town’s tourism industry and the 30 part-time staff that deliver the annual event that is an integral part of Christmas in Killarney.

Despite the current restrictions lifting on December 1 – as things stand – Killarney on Ice operators felt they had no other choice but to cancel this year’s event.

Killarney on Ice usually gets underway in mid-November and is part of the build-up to the festive season in town. It is particularly popular with locals at this time.

The period between Christmas and New Year is also a busy time for Killarney on Ice with visitors flocking from all over the south west of Ireland to skate in the temporary skating rink that is built every year in the New Street car park.

“It is not possible to organise an indoor event for large amounts of people,” operator Tim O’Donoghue told the Killarney Advertiser. “I did a survey last year and presented it to the town council. Between Christmas and New Year over three-quarters of our visitors are from out of town and 70 percent of them spend further money in town. Parents leave their kids here for a few hours and go off shopping in town.”

O’Donoghue added that he and his team were looking forward to coming back bigger and better next year.

“We will be back and I look forward to being back,” he said.