Killorglin

On Ballykissane Pier is a monument to commemorate the deaths of several Irish Volunteers, the first casualties of the Easter Rising in 1916. They were in a car that plunged off the pier into the River Laine while on the way to Cahirsiveen to set up radio communications with Sir Roger Casement and a German arms ship masquerading as the Aud.

On Good Friday 21 April 1916, a total of six Irish Volunteers set off from Dublin by train to Killarney. From there, they were to travel by car to Cahirciveen in order to seize control of the wireless station on Valentia Island. Thomas McInerney, who drove a car carrying three of the men, become lost just outside Killorglin, and turned onto the road which led to the quay. The front wheels of the car initially went over the unprotected edge of the quay, and the car became unbalanced and fell into the River Laune. McInerney was the only one to escape the car and swim to shore. The other three occupants of the car were trapped in the vehicle and drowned.[4]

K-FEST, which was founded in 2013, is a festival of culture, music and the arts. It includes spoken word events, children's workshops presents, and other activities and shows the work of artists in disused buildings in Killorglin town.[6] The Screaming Pope Prize, a prize named after the colloquial name for a Francis Bacon painting, was founded in 2014 and is run in association with K-FEST.[7]

Biddy's Day is another local festival, held every February in the mid-Kerry region. Biddy groups wearing traditional dress visit rural and public houses carrying a Brídeóg or Biddy effigy. This event mixes both Christianity (St Bridgid Day) and ancient Celtic traditions (Imbolc). Traditionally, a visit from the Biddy was said to guarantee good luck, fertility and prosperity, and not receiving a visit was considered a slight.[8] In 2019, the Mid Kerry Biddy was one of 30 unique practices of Irish "living cultural heritage" given official recognition by the state.[9]

Other local festivals include the annual St. Patrick's Day parade (in March), and the Christmas in Killorglin celebrations (in December).

King Puck Statue

Killorglin is known for the large bronze King Puck statue on the edge of town as you cross the town bridge to enter Killorglin. The striking statue was commissioned by the Killorglin Millennium Committee and designed by Valentia Island Sculptor Alan Ryan Hall. The King Puck Statue and Puck Garden was completed in 2001 and officially unveiled by Killorglin Lord Mayor Paudie Cronin and the Killorglin Millennium Committee.

In 2011, The Puck Poet plaques were added to the Puck Garden to recall some of the writers, poets and poems who have written about Killorglin. These include Edso Crowley, Sigerson Clifford, Peter Joy and Johnny Patterson.

The town has a number of large murals by street artists including Pawel Wrobelski, Lorraine McDonnell, Dan leo and Solus.

A number of books of local and national interest have been written about Killorglin and by Killorglin natives:

• "Things My Mother Never Told Me" by Blake Morrison (Vintage 2003 ISBN 0-09-944072-5) tells the story of the author's mother who was from Killorglin who emigrated to England.
• "Cast A Laune Shadow" (1997) by local historian Patrick (Pa) Houlihan (1918-2010) is a history of the town in story.
• "Puck Fair" by Pa's eldest son Michael Houlihan, is about the annual festival in August.
• "St James and Fr Tom" by Terence Houlihan and Billy Browne details the funding, construction and historical relevance of St James's, the large Catholic church in the town centre built by Fr Tom Lawlor.
• "The Civil War in Kerry" by local historian Tom Doyle details the part Kerry and Killorglin played in the Irish Civil War.
• "The Man With No Libido" (2011) by Jason Browne is an award-winning graphic novel.
• "Puck Poets" (2015) compiled and edited by Conor Browne is a collection spanning three centuries of poetry, songs and images about and by Killorglin natives.

The father of Hollywood actor Ed Begley (1901–1970) was born in Laharn, Killorglin. Begley won an Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his role of Boss Finley in Tennessee Williams's Sweet Bird of Youth (1962).

The Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film-nominated short film The Shoe, directed by Dublin filmmaker Nick Kelly, was shot on Killorglin's Iron Bridge. The short film starred Irish actor Peter Coonan, best known for playing Fran in RTÉ One series Love/Hate (2010–2014).

The Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film-nominated the stop-motion film Head Over Heels (2012) which was produced by Cromane film maker Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly. Cronin O'Reilly attended secondary school in The Intermediate School Killorglin.

As of 2015, Áine Moriarty from Killorglin is head of IFTA (Irish Film and Television Awards).

Killorglin actor Muiris Crowley starred in the IFTA-winning film Pilgrim Hill (2013). Directed by fellow Kerryman Gerard Barrett.

Both Killorglin and Puck Fair feature in a number of traditional Irish ballads and songs, including Bridget Donohue written by Johnny Patterson, King Puck by Christy Moore, and Wildflower of the Laune by Peter Joy.

An annual pantomime is produced each January. It has been directed for the past 50 years by local actor Declan Mangan.

Killorglin host a number of live music venues, including the BarN, Bunkers Bar, Kingstons Beer Garden and Sol Y Sombra.

Some of the town's restaurants and cafes serve traditional Irish cuisine or seafood and fish dishes sourced locally from the River Laune or nearby fishing village Cromane. There are also a number of national artisan food merchants that sell locally produced foods, including fresh fish, meats, fruit and vegetables, eggs and artisan cheeses and bread.

Laune Rangers, the local Gaelic Athletic Association club, are former All Ireland Club Football Champions after beating Eire Óg in 1996. The manager is John Evans.

Killorglin Golf Course is 3 km (1.9 mi) outside the town. Founded in 1992, the 18-hole course was designed by Irish golf architect Eddie Hackett. The club were Jimmy Bruen All Ireland Champions in 2013.

Killorglin Rugby Club[10] Under-16 team won the West Munster Trophy in 2006 and went on to the final of the Munster Championship, which they lost. In 2008 the Under-18 squad won the West Munster Trophy against Tralee R.F.C.

Killorglin AFC is a local association football club.[11] Former players include Shane McLoughlin, who went on to play with Ipswich Town F.C.[12][13] and AFC Wimbledon. He has also played with the Republic of Ireland U16 and U18 teams.

Killorglin Rowing Club (KRC) was founded in the early 1990s. The River Laune is used for training when the tides are right. A new boat house, completed in 2004, is used for land-based training. KRC is affiliated to Rowing Ireland. Killorglin-trained rower Monika Dukarska represents Ireland in the Women's Double Scull category.

Killorglin is the home of Cappanalea Outdoor Education Centre, which has been run by Kerry Education Service since 1981. Activities include: kayaking, rock climbing, camping, canoeing, hill walking, orienteering, sailing, mountaineering, sea kayaking and abseiling.

Killorglin is approximately 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the base of Carrauntoohil, Ireland's highest mountain, and 50 kilometres (31 mi) from Mount Brandon, Ireland's 2nd highest mountain. Both mountains are centres for hillwalking and mountaineering.