Killarney Town Centre

Killarney (Irish: Cill Airne, meaning "The church of the sloes") is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane which are part of Killarney National Park. The town is home to St. Mary's Cathedral, Ross Castle, Muckross Abbey, Torc Waterfall and Gap of Dunloe.

Killarney was awarded the "Best Kept Town" award for 2007 in a cross-border competition jointly organised by the Department of the Environment and the Northern Ireland Amenity Council. Owing to its natural heritage, history and proximity to the Dingle Peninsula, Skellig Michael island and its location on the Ring of Kerry, Killarney is a popular tourist destination.

Hosiery manufacturing and shoe making were major industries in the town during the last century but have since seen decline. Liebherr Cranes have had a presence in Killarney since 1958, with a combined manufacturing/research and development facility in the town. Dollinger-SPX, a filtration products firm and Killarney Plastics have production facilities in the local IDA Industrial Estate. In recent years Beocare, a healthcare company set up a manufacturing and research and development base in the town with the assistance of Enterprise Ireland. The Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism have also moved to Killarney, a key beneficiary of the decentalisation of Civil Service departments outside the capital, Dublin. Certain sections of the Department of Justice have been situated in Killarney for a number of years.

Tourism is by far the largest industry in Killarney. With the exception of Dublin, there are more hotel beds in Killarney than in any other Irish town or city. The tourist population is increasingly diverse however a significant proportion of tourists originate from the USA, Ireland, the UK, Germany and other European countries.

Killarney's tourism history goes back at least to the mid 1700s, when Thomas, fourth Viscount Kenmare, began to attract visitors and new residents to the town. The date of 1747 was used in recent 250-year celebrations to honour the history of Killarney tourism. A visit by Queen Victoria in 1861 gave the town international exposure, which it has enjoyed ever since. In the Summer months, Killarney is busy with tourists perusing the town's numerous shops and tourist attractions. Many shops are tourist oriented with many gift shops around the town. The town centre also offers a wide range of hotels, pubs and restaurants to cater for every requirement. Killarney is also famous for its jaunting cars (horse drawn carts) operated by local jarvies. Tourists can avail of jaunting car rides and a guided tour of the town's attractions offered by the jarvies.

Killarney SummerFest[4] is a highlight of the year in the town, featuring outdoor and indoor concerts from major Irish and international acts. Previous acts include Snow Patrol, The Cranberries, Bryan Adams, The Corrs, Westlife, Tom Jones, Kris Kristofferson, David Gray and Pink. In 2008, Westlife return to headline the outdoor concerts, supported by Shane Ward. Singer KT Tunstall and comedian Des Bishop are among the other acts announced. Other events scheduled for SummerFest 2008 include outdoor theatre, hot air ballooning, Riverdance, art exhibitions, children's events, and the annual SummerFest Black Tie Ball. Sporting events during the festival include the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle, the Killarney Regatta, the 5km SummerFest Fun Run and the Killarney Races.