Information on Killarney Town and Environs

General

• Killarney is situated in the South East of Ireland in the county of Kerry. It has a population of 13,137. Killarney is best known for its thriving tourist industry and lush scenery.
• Some distances from Killarney to other major towns and cities:

Cork: 56 miles/ 90km

Dublin: 187 miles/ 301km

Galway: 134 miles/ 216km

Tralee: 20 miles/ 32 km

• Killarney is served by Killarney Town Council, tel. 064-31023 and Kerry County Council, tel. 066-712 1111.

Transport

• Train: Killarney town is on the main Dublin to Tralee train line. Other routes serviced are Tralee-Limerick-Ennis and Tralee-Cork. The station is minutes from the town centre and staffed from 7am to 10pm daily. The car park fee is €1 per day.
• Air: Kerry International Airport is situated 15km from Killarney, at Farranfore. It is served by Aer Arann which operates four flights each way Monday to Friday, three on Saturdays and two on Sundays, also each way.
• Bus: Bus Eireann services the Dublin-Killarney route seven times daily each way (via Limerick). There are also rural and local bus services. More information from Bus Station, Killarney, tel. 064-30011.
• Taxi: At least 9 taxi companies operate out of Killarney.
• Parking facilities: There are two large pay-parking facilities in the town, one at College Street and the other at Tesco (fees at the latter are refundable with grocery bill).

Accommodation (examples)

• To buy:

Apartment: new 3 bed, overlooking golf club, walking distance town centre, private parking, landscaped gardens, fully fitted kitchen to include hob, oven, dishwasher & fridge. From €220,000.

House: 5-6 bed (5 ensuite) dormer bungalow on half acre, garage, 1 mile from town, €445,000.

House: 5 bed dormer on half acre, 2.5 miles to town centre, €350,000.

House: 3 bed detached holiday home, 1 ensuite, mountain views, 1 mile Killarney town, €190,460.

House: 4 bed (1 ensuite) detached bungalow, 1 mile Barraduff village, €220,000 (new build).

• To rent:

Apartment: 1 bed, New Street, Killarney town centre, no parking, €130/week.

House: A three-bed semi-detached house in the town ranges from €600 to €900/month.

*Information on property gathered from www.myhome.ie and www.propertypartners.com

Business Facilities

• Hotels and guest-houses

Huge range of hotels, B&Bs and guest-houses.

• Conference Facilities

There is a wide range of conference facilities in Killarney, catering for 50 to over 500 delegates. Hotels offering these facilities include the Killarney Park Hotel, the Lake Hotel, The Great Southern Hotel, The Killarney Gleneagle Hotel, Castlerosse Hotel and Leisure Centre, Hotel Europe, Hotel Dunloe Castle and more.

Education

• Primary schools:

In the town:

St. Oliver’s N.S., Ballycasheen, 064 –32047.

Gael Scoil, Cill Airne, 064-34930.

Scoil Bhride Loreto N. S, 064-32484.

Scoil Mhuire, Lissivigeen, 064-32579.

New Road, 064-31172.

Holycross National School, 064-31241.

Within five miles of town:

Fossa National School, 064-34863.

2 Mile School, Fossa, 064-33018.

Clonkeen N.S., 064-53088.

Tiernabaul N.S.

Loughguitane N.S, Muckross, 064-34756.

Further away:

Barradubh N.S., Headford, 064-54478.

Scoil Mhuire, Raheen, Headford, 064-54447.

Knockanes N.S., Headford, 064-54038.

Glenflesk N.S., 064-54624.

• Secondary Schools:

St. Brendan's College: Boys' school, 140 years old, extra activities include video and TV club, Club na Gaeilge, foreign trip each year, weekend trips to Gaeltacht, numerous sports and debating. 064-31021.

St. Brigid's Secondary School: Girls' Presentation Convent School, extra activities offered include hockey, badminton, basketball, music lessons, speech and drama, set dancing, school bank, school magazine, hill-walking. 064-32209.

Killarney Community College: Co-educational school administered by Co. Kerry VEC. 064-32164.

• Third level:

Tralee Institute of Technology, 20 miles from Killarney, provides courses in Business, Tourism, Humanities, etc.

University College Cork (U.C.C.) is 56 miles from Killarney and is the nearest national university.

Childcare and Children's facilities

• Bellview Woods Childcare caters for children from 4 months upwards, providing full day care, Montessori and pre-school. It is situated approximately one mile from Killarney town. Services also include dropping children at six local schools in the morning and collecting them in the evenings. The purpose-built centre is open from 8am until 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Weekly rates: €130 for full time day care (€150 for babies up to one year of age). Includes one hot meal.

Part time daily rate: €30 (€35 for babies).

Places are available. Tel: 064-36800 – Karen Breen.

Health Board registered.

• Rathmore Montessori: 064-58700.
• Boy Scouts: Enquire at Friary, Killarney. There is currently a waiting list.
• Guides/ Brownies: Contact Margaret Lynch, 064-31510.
• Majorettes: Contact Pearl O'Connell, 064-329092.
• Killarney School of Ballet: Covers the Royal Academy syllabus to professional standard. Contact Agnes Walsh, 064-32756.
• Killarney also offers a youth club, music school and a youth drama group.

Healthcare

• Killarney is served by three hospitals:
o Bon Secours, Tralee, 066-21966.
o Killarney District Hospital, 064-31076.
o Tralee General Hospital, 066-26222.
• Nursing homes

There are at least eight nursing homes within an hour of Killarney town. A selection of these is listed below. Prices on application.

o First Citizen Residential, Milltown, Co. Kerry. 066-9765100. New facility opened in March 2003. Fifty-four single and two twin bed en-suite apartments.
o Our Lady of Lourdes, Killarney. 064-43012.
o Heatherlea Nursing Home, Lawlor's Cross, Killarney. 064-33944
o Kenmare Nursing Home, 064-41315.

• Health & beauty farms

Killarney has two top-quality spas with another due to open soon.

o Innisfallen Spa at the Great Southern Hotel (Town Centre). Hydrotherapy, reflexology, monsoon shower, massage, YonKa beauty treatments. 064-31262. www.greatsouthernhotels.com
o The Spa, Killarney Park Hotel (Town Centre). Hydrotherapy, caldarium, eight treatment rooms, Eve Lom and Elemis treatments. 064-35555. www.killarneyparkhotel.ie
o The Killarney Plaza Hotel will open Ireland's first Molton Brown Spa in May 2004.

Shops and Shopping Centres

o Killarney Outlet Centre: First of its kind in Ireland, offering at least 30% discount on a wide range of branded goods.
o Wide variety of shops in the town selling clothing, shoes, books, etc.

Eating out

• There is a wide selection of cafes, coffee shops and restaurants available during working hours, including a vegetarian restaurant.
• Fully licensed restaurants open for evening meals include Indian, Chinese and Italian establishments as well as traditional fare, seafood and steakhouses.

Entertainment

• Killarney has a thriving nightlife, with pubs, restaurants and clubs.
• The multiplex cinema offers discounts to pensioners, students and members of its cine club.
• Nearby Tralee is the headquarters of the arts organisation, Siamsa Tíre, which produces nightly performances in the summer months.
• Tralee also has a greyhound track, while there is a racecourse in Killarney for horse racing enthusiasts.
• The town boasts a musical society as well as the Dochas Drama Group. Contact Raymond O'Sullivan, 087-2279657 or Anne O'Mahony, 086-3002242.

Natural Environment

• Killarney offers windsurfing, boating and surfing. There are plenty of local charter boats for hire. Local companies cater for most tastes in water activities, including Seafari, 064-83171 and Focus Windsurfing, 066-39411. Cappanalea Outdoor Education Centre also offers an extensive range of activities, water-based and otherwise.
• Fishing areas: You can fish for brown trout, sea trout, rainbow trout, salmon, perch and pike in the rivers, lakes and seas close to Killarney.
• There are plenty of walks in the countryside and mountains surrounding Killarney. Many of these are marked and include the first walk for the visually impaired in Ireland, the Cloghereen Nature Trail, which is part of the Blue Pool Trail. Directions to these walks and others requiring more stamina can be found on the www.killarney.ie website.
• Killarney National Park is one of the finest in Ireland, covering over 25,000 acres of diverse ecology. Three interlinked lakes provide the focus of the park, surrounded by oak and yew woods, home to red deer. Muckross House, the original 'big house' of the estate, is open to the public all year and the park also has an education centre. More information at http://homepage.tinet.ie/~knp/ .
• Ross Castle was built in the 15th century and is rumoured to be haunted.

Community and Sporting facilities

• Citizens Information Centre, 064-32297, Mon-Fri 10am – 1pm.
• Youth Information Centre, 064-31748.
• Killarney Library, 064-32972.
• Aqua Dome, Tralee – aqua adventure centre. 066-7128899.
• There are five indoor swimming pools in Killarney, all of which are open to the public.
• Killarney Racecourse is half a mile from the town centre on the Kenmare Road. 064-31125.
• Ten-pin bowling is available in Tralee, as is go-karting.

Sports Clubs

• Dr. Croke's GAA Club, Lewis Road, Killarney (www.drcrokes.com)
• Fossa GAA Club, Killarney ( www.fossagaa.com )
• Spa GAA Club ( www.spagaa.com )
• Killarney Rugby Football Club. Contact club secretary Paul Hughes, c/o A.l.B. Church Place, Killarney. 31922,

Golf Clubs (Other membership options other than full are available.)

• Beaufort Golf Club. Full membership subscription: €600 per year, plus €4900 once-off joining fee.

064-44440.

• Killarney Golf and Fishing Club. Full membership subscription €560/year with €15,000 once-off joining fee. 064-31034.
• Dunloe Golf Club (9-hole course). Full membership €337/year and once-off fee of €1270. Discount available on once-off fee for group joining together. Also pay-to-play - €17 for nine holes, €25 for 18.

064-44578.

• Deerpark Pitch & Putt Club, Killarney. Contact Bernard Bresnan, Upper Lewis Rd. Phone: 064-33480
• The following gyms and fitness centres serve Killarney:
o Aquila Club, Gleneagle Hotel, 064-34063
o Castle Ross Hotel Leisure Complex, 064-31290.
o Physique Fitness Studio, 064-35455
• Cappanalea Outdoor Education Centre, Killorglin - 28kms from Killarney. Offers orienteering, rock-climbing, wind-surfing, canoeing, bouldering, hill-walking, swanaborie (following a stream). Limited availability, booking necessary. Cost (includes equipment, instruction & insurance): Adults €33 full day, €17 half-day, Children €20 full day, €10 half-day. Lunch available (€5 approx). Open 10.00am-1.00pm, 2.00pm-5.00pm, 7 days. Tel: 066-9769244 Fax: 066-9769266.
• Killarney Mountaineering Club. Contact Mr. Louis O'Toole, 8 Riverside Drive, Woodlawn.
• Killarney Riding Stables: 1 mile from the town, offers trekking, beach gallops or riding in Killarney National Park. 064-31686.

Churches and places of worship

• Roman Catholic

Church of the Resurrection, Park Road, 064-31014.

Fossa Church, 064-31996.

Franciscan Friary, Fair Hill, 064-31066

Muckross Church, 064-31014.

St. Mary's Cathedral, Port Road, 064-31014 (Killarney Presbytery).

• Christian Bible Fellowship, (Evangelical), Killarney Cultural Centre, East Avenue Road, Larry O' Mahony, 064-34959.
• Hosanna Christian Fellowship, Old Monastery, 064-36334.
• Methodist Church, Rev. S. Kenneth Todd, 021-292 503.
• Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, Aghadoe, 066-68555/ 064-36576

Festivals and other Events

• Killarney250: 2004 marks 250 years of Killarney. The festivities begin on March 17th, St. Patrick's Day and continue for the rest of the year, encompassing everything from literary and musical events to walking tours and sports activities of all kinds. For more information go to www.killarney250.com .
• Easter Folk Festival: Music festival held over Easter. Contact Barry Hurley, 064-33544.
• Roaring 1920s Festival: Held in March.
• Killarney Summerfest: Includes busking competition, Ring of Kerry Cycle, teddy bears' picnic for children and much more. In 2004, Bryan Adams and the Corrs will perform concerts. www.killarneysummerfest.com
• Horse Racing Festivals: Killarney Spring and Summer Festivals, from 11th –13th May and 14th – 17th July respectively. Killarney Racecourse is half a mile from the town centre on the Kenmare Road. 064-31125.