Council and NPWS reach agreement in principle for Blue Pool parking

Kerry County Council and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) have reached an agreement in principle to develop a new parking area at the popular Blue Pool amenity on the Mangerton Road.

The update was provided by the Council at Wednesday’s Killarney Municipal District meeting following a question from the Mayor of Killarney, John O’Donoghue. Cllr O’Donoghue requested an urgent update on the site, noting that he has been highlighting the issue for some time while the Blue Pool and Cloghereen Woods grow increasingly busy. He stated that the haphazard weekend parking at the site is very dangerous and regularly blocks passing traffic, and called for renewed focus on stalled negotiations between the Council, the OPW, and the NPWS.
In its official response, Kerry County Council confirmed that a structural framework for the project is now in place. Under the proposed arrangement, the NPWS will retain ownership of the parking land, while Kerry County Council will take charge of developing and maintaining the parking facility.
The project is not yet fully cleared for construction. Before work can begin, the Council must secure a final formal agreement with the NPWS, complete all required environmental assessments, and obtain necessary statutory consents. Once these steps are complete, the Council plans to submit the proposal for funding consideration under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure grant scheme.

Gardaí appeal for witnesses after woman’s body found on Muckross Road

Gardaí have launched a witness appeal following the discovery of a woman’s body at a residential property in Killarney on Tuesday afternoon, July 7.

Gardaí and emergency services responded to an incident at a domestic residence on the Muckross Road, where the woman, aged in her 40s, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The property has been preserved for a technical examination, and the State Pathologist has been notified. A post-mortem examination will be arranged in due course.

A Senior Investigating Officer has been appointed to lead the case, and an incident room has been established at Killarney Garda Station.

Investigating Gardaí are appealing for anyone who was in the Muckross Road area of Killarney between the evening of Monday, July 6 and the afternoon of Tuesday, July 7 to come forward. They are particularly asking anyone with camera footage, including CCTV or dashcam from the area during this timeframe, to make it available to them.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Killarney Garda Station on 064 667 1160, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.