News
Street sanitisation to be discussed at a special council meeting
STREET CLEAN: Glenflesk firm EasyClean already provides a commercial street cleaning service in the locality.
EXCLUSIVE
By Sean Moriarty
A special meeting of Killarney Municipal District will take place today (Friday) at Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre where elected councillors and Kerry County Officials will, among other topics, discuss the road map for reopening society and businesses after weeks of COVID-19 restrictions.
Many councillors are calling a sanitisation programme to be introduced where street-staff from the Council would power wash public facilities on a regular basis.
SANITISE
“I believe there needs to be hand sanitiser stations readily available. Hand sanitiser must be made available in all of our public toilets with increased scheduled cleaning. Disinfection daily of streets, footpaths, benches, public bins and railings, needs to form part of the existing schedule of works,” Cllr Maura Healy-Rae told the Killarney Advertiser.
“Furthermore, I think signage reminding people to adhere to social distancing needs to be erected. All of these measures combined would ensure public confidence with returning to what will be the 'new normal' for some time.”
Her thoughts were echoed by Cllr Marie Moloney.
“It is all about instilling confidence in people. They need to have the confidence to come back into town and do their shopping,” she said. “At the very least the town should be sanitised every day with disinfectant.”
Cllr Moloney, who cannot attend the meeting as a household family member falls into the vulnerable category and she needs to limit her contacts, is also calling on the National Parks and Wildlife Service to play its part.
“A simple thing like making the walks and cycle tracks in the park one-way would avoid close-contact,” she added. “People are living in fear and visual actions need to be seen to be taken to instil that confidence.”
RATES
Business rates will be another hot topic, with several councillors calling for Council action and rate deferrals or exemptions.
Such a request may not be so easy at municipal level, any change to the rates policy would have to go before a full Council meeting and there are budgetary ramifications to be taken into consideration too as any loss of income for the Council would have a knock-on effect on services it provides to the county.
Killarney’s vital tourism and hospitality sectors have taken a massive hit in the last few weeks and efforts are needed to get these businesses and employers back on track.
“Both are vitally important for business and employment in the greater Killarney area. I will be asking for a relaxation of rate bills to allow businesses to recover following their sudden closure due to COVID-19,” Cllr Brendan Cronin told the Killarney Advertiser. “I will be asking the Kerry County Council tourism unit, along with the Chamber of Commerce in our county to work together on the focus of selling our tourism product nationally, with the goal of increasing 'holidaying at home', with the potential of attractive holiday packages in an effort to boost the tourism sector in the latter end of 2020.”
News
Noel O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship
Noel O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship
O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship
Muckross co-driver Noel O’Sullivan is set for a busy season as he returns to the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) while also preparing for a record-breaking attempt on home soil.
O’Sullivan and driver Callum Devine have signed with the Swedish team JC Raceteknik for a full campaign focused on asphalt events. Their season begins this week at the Andalusia Rally – Sierra Morena in Spain. O’Sullivan remains the only Killarney-based co-driver competing at this level for a full season.
He brings significant international experience to the team, having previously worked with WRC driver Jon Armstrong during his early European outings. O’Sullivan and Devine recently proved their pace against top European crews with a fifth-place finish at the 2024 Rali Ceredigion in Wales.
Devine said:
“I’m really looking forward to coming back to the ERC. It’s always great for a driver to compete against Europe’s best on some iconic events. We’ve had great success back home in Ireland over the past few seasons, winning two Irish Tarmac Rally Championships, and we feel now is the right time to come back and take on some ERC events. Starting with Rally Sierra Morena, I’m delighted to be joining JC Raceteknik. I know they are a very professional team with a wealth of experience, and I’m looking forward to working closely with them.”
The European schedule will not interfere with O’Sullivan’s local plans. Following the rally in Spain, the pair will return to Kerry for the Rally of the Lakes over the May Bank Holiday weekend. They are aiming for a fifth consecutive victory in Killarney as they look to move back into the lead of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.
The move to the European stage follows a successful week for O’Sullivan, who was recently named the International Motorsport winner at the Kerry Sports Star Awards.
Classic Tour set to celebrate heritage roads in June
A new heritage motoring event, the Killarney Classic Tour, has been confirmed for June 26–27, 2026. The two-day tour is designed to celebrate the iconic rally stages of Kerry and the Beara Peninsula.
Headquartered at the Gleneagle Hotel, the event is non-competitive and open to a wide range of vintage and historic cars. Organisers are placing a particular focus on period-correct rally cars and recreations that reflect the history of the Circuit of Ireland, the Circuit of Munster, and the early years of the Rally of the Lakes.
The tour is the work of two well-known figures in Irish rallying, Mike Marshall and Micheal O’Mahoney. Marshall, a founding member of the Rally of the Lakes and Clerk of the Course for over 20 years, has designed a route that allows drivers to experience famous stages like Moll’s Gap at a relaxed pace. O’Mahoney, a long-term supporter of the sport through Rentokil and a historic car owner himself, joins Marshall in the venture.
Co-Founder O’Mahoney said:
“This event is about bringing people back together – the cars, the stories, and the friendships that have always been part of rallying. It’s a chance to step away from competition and simply enjoy these roads.”
The Saturday itinerary includes a lunch stop in Castletownbere before the field returns to Killarney for a gala dinner at the Gleneagle Hotel. The evening will feature guest speakers and a focus on the shared history of the sport.
“This event is about bringing people back together — the cars, the stories, and the friendships,” added Micheal O’Mahoney.
Registrations are now open at www.KillarneyClassicTour.ie.
Noel O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship
Noel O’Sullivan returns to European Rally Championship
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