The Christmas Shoebox Appeal is well underway and the Killarney team are appealing to locals to get involved.

Team Hope’s Christmas Shoebox Appeal is an annual campaign that delivers gifts straight in to the hands of children affected by poverty. Often these shoebox gifts are the only thing that a child will receive at Christmas and the joy that they bring is incredible. Since 2010 Team Hope have delivered over 2.1 million shoebox gifts to vulnerable children across the world.

The initiative is being supported once again by ‘Your Favourite Read’ the Killarney Advertiser, with Chris Davies coordinating the Killarney area, and he is appealing for locals to support this year’s collection.

“After being cancelled last year, the Shoebox Appeal is back and we are calling on everyone in Killarney to get involved and support this fantastic charity,” he said.

“There are a number of local schools getting their pupils involved again which is fantastic but we are appealing to the whole community to get behind this year’s appeal. Whether you are eight or 80 years old, this is a small but meaningful way to spread a bit of happiness this Christmas.”

The Killarney Advertiser office is a designated drop-off point this year and is taking shoeboxes right up until November 8, he added.

Team Hope have put together a great video on how to get involved, but if anyone has any questions they can email Chris at sales@killarneyadvertiser.ie.”

There’s a whole lot to explore in Killarney – and it’s even easier now for locals and visitors to the town – with the launch of a new App driven by the Killarney Advertiser.

From shopping and local attractions to visit – including self-guided tours, as well as places to eat, and the best local news from “Your Favourite Friday Read” – the Killarney Advertiser – the Xplore App is now available and ready to be downloaded to your smartphone from the Apple Store and the Google Play Store.


Developed by Galway based company, Booniverse Limited, the platform’s simplistic design allows users to interact with a variety of towns without having to download multiple Apps or websites. Users enable location services or select a region to stay local.

Killarney is the latest town to become part of Xplore’s growing network which extends from Galway to Kerry, and Cork to Carlow. The launch is indicative of a wider movement in towns across the country, where enterprising locals are seeking out new and efficient ways to boost their local economies, attract tourists and promote their towns’ amenities.

General Manager of the Killarney Advertiser Aidan Quirke, and the team have been working tirelessly over the past number of months to get the App ready for release.

“Xplore Killarney aims to better serve the needs of locals and tourists alike – especially in times like these when shopping and exploring locally has never been more important,” Aidan said.

“With retailers fully reopened, local businesses are sure to be delighted with the e-commerce features of the App that are coming very soon. Hospitality won’t be forgotten either, with access to features that highlight their services, people and community impact.”

Commenting on the launch, Xplore COO James Finan said that they are “delighted to be in partnership with Killarney”.

“The response has been amazing and it shows how valuable and needed something like the Xplore Killarney App is. We are working with the communities in Galway, Fermoy, Tralee, Clonakilty, Gort, Portumna, Bagenalstown and Youghal to keep them up to date and are currently preparing Killarney for rollout. We want Xplore to matter – to our clients, to our people, and in our communities – both here in Ireland and other communities around the world, wherever we do business.”