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.
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