News
Sadness at the death of popular local man
NEILIE GRIFFIN: Former Gleneagle Lakers team manager Neilie Griffin with his wife Mary and grandson Kai Tangney at a Scotts Lakers match in Killarney Sports Centre earlier this season. Picture: Eamonn Keogh
By Eamonn Keogh
Killarney bid a fond farewell to popular local man Neilie Griffin, who passed away last weekend after a brave battle with illness. Neilie, from Pinewood Estate and formerly of Moulagh, Fossa, Killarney, was a familiar face in Killarney town through his dedicated work with the local Council.
Since the sad news of Neilie's death last Friday, there have been many warm tributes to the popular man on social media. The words 'True Gentleman' feature prominently by several people recalling their fond memories of Neilie.
At Neilie's Funeral Mass on Monday, Fr Jim Linehan described him as a great family man and recalled his outstanding work with the Council and his wonderful commitment to St Paul's Basketball Club.
Neilie's former work colleagues in Killarney Town Council and members of St Paul's Basketball Club provided guards of honour as they escorted the funeral cortege from O'Shea's Funeral Home through Killarney town on Sunday evening, and at The Church Of The Resurrection on Monday.
Neilie was also well-known in sporting circles where he gave tremendous service to St Paul's Basketball Club for several years. During the ‘90s and noughties, Neilie was the team manager with the St Paul's Senior Men’s National League teams that played under the Kerry Spring and Gleneagle Lakers banner. He travelled the length and breadth of the country with the team and was a popular and respected figure among the players and officials. Always reliable and obliging, no job was ever too big or small for Neilie, who was also very instrumental in spearheading various fundraising initiatives for the club.
Neilie, and all the Griffin family, have given St Paul's excellent service on and off the court over the years. His wife Mary was a very active member of the club's juvenile committee for many years and one of their proudest moments in basketball was to witness their daughter Diane representing Ireland on the international stage. Their son John was also an outstanding player winning an U19 national cup with St Paul's in 1997 and played in the SuperLeague for several years with Gleneagle Lakers. Their other daughters, Siobhan and Aislinn, also represented St Paul's at various levels.
Neilie's interest in basketball never waned and he was delighted to see the return of national league basketball to Killarney two years ago after an absence of nearly a decade. Despite battling an unfortunate illness, he was a regular at Scotts Lakers home games in Killarney Sports Centre and always had a kind word for everyone.
Neilie is survived by his wife Mary, son John and daughters Diane, Siobhán and Aislinn, and extended family.
[caption id="attachment_26250" align="aligncenter" width="2000"]
St Paul's Basketball Club and staff from Killarney Town Council providing guards of honour for the funeral cortege of popular local man Neilie Griffin through Killarney town on Sunday evening. Picture: Eamonn Keogh[/caption]
KWD Recycling shortlisted for national environmental awards
Killarney-based KWD Recycling has been announced as a finalist in the 2026 Repak Resource Awards, securing a spot on the national shortlist for environmental achievement.
The local waste management company has been nominated in the Best Recovery Operator Innovation category, sponsored by DNV, for its state-of-the-art residual waste recovery system.
The Killarney facility utilizes optical sorting, screening, and mechanical processing to extract recyclable plastics and organic material from municipal waste. In its first year of operation, the technology recovered more than 10 per cent of plastic packaging from residual waste for recycling and diverted almost 50 per cent of organic material toward composting.
KWD Recycling will compete alongside Dublin operators Panda and Thorntons Recycling for the category title.
Repak CEO Zoe Kavanagh commended the Kerry firm for demonstrating environmental leadership and bringing local ambition to the national awards.
Category winners will be announced at a black-tie ceremony at the Mansion House in Dublin on Friday, October 23, where each winner will also compete for the Overall Repak Resource Award.
Local businesses have a strong track record at the national event, with Killarney town venue The Killarney Park and The Ross previously taking home the overall title in 2023.
Drivers warned as deer rutting season begins
Motorists in Killarney are being urged to exercise extreme caution as the annual deer rutting season gets underway, causing animals to stray far beyond their usual habitats inside Killarney National Park.
The autumn mating season sees deer becoming highly active and unpredictable, leading to increased sightings and collisions on local roads outside traditional park boundaries.
Two separate incidents highlighted the growing hazard on local routes this week. A reader contacted the Killarney Advertiser to warn drivers after spotting a deer roaming near Tiernaboul towards the school on Sunday afternoon around 7.30pm.
Later that same night, in the early hours of Monday morning, a local driver collided with a deer near Kerry Airport around 1am while returning home from an event.
Despite attempting evasive action, the motorist struck the animal, which died at the scene and temporarily blocked the road before local Gardaí were alerted to clear the obstruction.
The driver sustained substantial vehicle damage, requiring repairs to the bumper, headlamp, and internal components, leaving her facing significant garage costs and time off the road.
Gardaí and road safety advocates advise motorists travelLing during early morning and late evening and remain vigilant along tree-lined routes.
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