Latest news with #KillarneyChamberofTourismand
Irish Independent
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Kerry town set to celebrate American links this weekend
Earlier on the day, at 5pm, an 18-strong visiting choir from the Church of St Alphonsus and St Patrick, in the Archdiocese of Chicago, will perform on the steps of St Mary's Church of Ireland while, throughout the afternoon, there will be free fun activities for children on the streets of Killarney, including face painting, balloon art and cartoon characters joined by the famous man on stilts. The distinctive beat of the drum will sound on College Square with a family friendly interactive drum experience that evening with a bumper street celebration scheduled to get underway at 7pm with a spectacular street show for what promises to be a wonderful eve of Ring of Kerry Cycle party as Killarney welcomes thousands of charity champions to town. And to end the night on a high note, favourite local trad band The Rising, will perform on the Main Street stage to get everybody dancing and singing along and that will be the perfect warm-up for the big Nathan Carter Summer Spectacular concert – with special guests – at the Gleneagle INEC Arena. With the 100-year celebration of the opening of Killarney National Park – gifted to Killarney by the Bourn-Vincent and McShain families – scheduled for 2032, Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce initiated a programme in 2023 to acknowledge that landmark occasion and to celebrate past and present links and this summertime celebration will certainly achieve that. At 5pm on Friday the life and times of the great John McShain will be told in word, poetry, music and song. The free admission top class production, scripted by schoolteacher Noel P O'Sullivan and produced and narrated by performing arts school professional Fiona Crowley, will chart the life and times of the McShain family, their time in Killarney and their incredible legacy in the town. 'Killarney will always be extremely grateful to the McShain family, not only for the gift of Killarney House and Gardens but for the donation of Inisfallen Island, Ross Castle and 8,000 acres of parkland, mountains and lake, which John and Mary McShain presented to the town,' Noel P said. 'The old saying 'History will tell you what happened but a song will tell you how it felt' captures the essence of this production, which will bring the McShain story to life through a moving and powerful synergy of the arts,' he added.
Irish Examiner
12-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Killarney businesses all sharing the same pressures and issues, says retail consultant Eddie Shanahan
Businesses in Killarney should avail of every opportunity to learn from each other and work closer together given that they encounter many of the same pressures and issues, retail consultant Eddie Shanahan said at a breakfast briefing hosted by Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce. Addressing attendees, Mr Shanahan told the gathering at the Killarney Plaza Hotel that they should consider collaborations to make the town a stronger overall brand that is greater than the sum of the parts. 'When you unite with a common cause you create empowerment, engagement, impact, worthwhile benefits and a rising tide that lifts all boats – except maybe those with holes in them,' he said. He said there was a "great energy" in Killarney, adding that while it is a strong brand, there needs to be a roadmap where everyone is driving in the same direction. Mr Shanahan said the challenge is to build Killarney as a 'superbrand' where competitors become community, with agreed brand values and strong performance standards. Mr Shanahan, who specialises in the provision of enterprise development services to Irish and international clients, including state agencies, said there are both macro and micro issues to consider when the town is drafting a strategic plan for the future, with the former concerning the wider environment and reputation of Killarney and the latter relating to situations that apply on a day-to-day basis. 'In terms of the macro issues, I suggest a green approach that leverages compact development with good infrastructure." 'Give locals a reason to stay, live and work and give visitors a reason to discover and return by creating a competitive, sustainable experience that is world class and respectful of the planet,' Mr Shanahan suggested. The business expert said key requirements for Killarney going forward included more green spaces and sports facilities, adequate parking and park and ride facilities, improved healthcare, as well as more housing and an end to dereliction. The renowned retail and fashion expert acknowledged that many businesses lost good staff who moved on to other sectors or other parts of the country as a result of the pandemic and, in many instances, they have been replaced by poorly trained or untrained part-timers who are not career professionals. However, he said this was the responsibility of the manager and not those on the shop floor, the serving table or behind the hotel reception desk, and that it can only be improved by proper staff appraisal programmes and career paths.
