News
St Mary’s of the Angels faces underhanded closure threat

Kerry TD Michael Healy Rae believes the government and the HSE are using underhanded tactics to force the closure of St Mary’s of the Angels.
The Beaufort-based care facility is home to around 76 people with physical and intellectual disabilities ranging from moderate to profound.
Many residents have been living here for most of their lives.
However, Healy-Rae says that new residents are not being invited to take up rooms at the facility. If one resident passes away or moves to another location a new client is not being offered their room.
He believes that this is an underhand way of forcing the closure of the facility.
“Sadly people who are residents here when they pass on there are no new residents moving in so it is effectively being closed in a slow but sure fashion,” he said.
“It has over the years provided an excellent friendly happy place for people to live their lives. I appreciate some people’s disability and care requirements might mean they could live in a de-congregated setting. My point throughout all of the years has been that one shoe does not fit all sizes.
“I have again raised this matter with the Government and the HSE to try and ensure that St Mary the Angels will be not allowed to close but I have again being told no that the policy is that all people living in congregated settings will be moved to dispersed housing in ordinary communities and will have the same entitlement as any other citizen.
“I believe that in time all politicians will wake up to this fact and realise that this was an error but it will be too late at that stage. Continuous Minister’s for Health have failed to fully appreciate the appreciation of families for the services of St Mary the Angels. It will be a loss beyond belief to see it eventually closing down.”
News
Massive Park Road housing development given green light
A private developer has been given planning permission to build 249 new residential units at Upper Park Road. The development, which will be built on a recently cleared site near […]

A private developer has been given planning permission to build 249 new residential units at Upper Park Road.
The development, which will be built on a recently cleared site near An Post’s sorting office, will include a variety of properties from five-bed houses to single apartments, along with a crèche and over 500 car spaces and over 300 bike spaces.
The development has been welcomed by local councillor Martin Grady.
“Killarney has a massive housing shortage so this is very positive. It will retain young families in the area, stimulating economic growth,” he said. “After 17 years of different planning applications it’s finally coming to fruition.”
News
Ballydribeen residents living in fear due to anti-social behaviour
Residents in the Ballydribeen are living in fear as a result of increased anti-social behaviour in the estate. Several serious incidents in the estate have resulted in several Garda visits […]

Residents in the Ballydribeen are living in fear as a result of increased anti-social behaviour in the estate.
Several serious incidents in the estate have resulted in several Garda visits in the last week.
Local councillor Martin Grady told the Killarney Advertiser that residents are “living in fear” as a result of very serious incidents in the last week alone.
One house in the estate was badly damaged when fire crackers were placed inside a letter box.
Another house had its windows smashed in over the weekend.
“It’s a major problem,” added Grady after meeting residents there earlier this week.
One of the most serious incidents occurred on Tuesday night.
A passing motorists had rocks thrown at his car while driving along the bypass whch is adjacent to the estate.
Taking to social media, local primary-school teacher Pádraig O’Sullivan posted:
“Travelling home tonight, at 11.05pm on the Killarney side of the bypass our car was hit by a rock – not a pebble – from the Ballydribben side , which hit the passenger door.
“It was centimetres away from hitting the window where my father, who is visually impaired, was sitting.
“This could have caused catastrophic permanent injury to him.
“The Killarney Garda were on the scene within three minutes.
“They can’t be patrolling the bypass all night.
“It comes down to parenting. You should know where your children are at this hour and be able to teach them what’s funny and what ruin a person’s life or cause a fatal crash.“