Site in Killarney National Park earmarked for bumper open-air music and food celebration
DESPITE concerns by a number of environmentalists, expected to intensify this week, it is now looking increasingly likely that a site in Killarney National Park will host this summer’s bumper Killarney Music and Food festival.
Event promoters, working in close association with the town’s business community, have earmarked the area known locally as the Half Moon Field at Knockreer which would be a major attraction given its prime town centre location.
The site is situated behind the stone boundary wall along Mission Road and it runs from Killarney House to the main entrance to Knockreer, close to the scenic river walk.
The unused field was previous utilised by Killarney Athletic FC to play their home games but the club was asked to vacate the area in the early 1980s.
Some conservationists have privately expressed the view that staging a commercial event in the park could set a very dangerous precedent and the matter is expected to be discussed at length at a meeting of the Killarney National Park Liaison Group this Wednesday.
KillarneyToday.com understands, however, that the town’s business community is very much in favour of the Half Moon Field option and they point to the fact that the site is off the beaten track and is not used for any purpose.
They also stress that the high-quality family festival could be worth as much as €9m-€10m to the local economy.
A detailed environmental impact study has already been prepared and several stringent conditions have been outlined. It is further understood that a very significant fee would be paid to Killarney National Park by the festival promoters.
The Half Moon Field was always the preferred option for the big event but a 60-acre site off the Muckross Road, close to the Cahernane Hotel driveway and the River Flesk, was also very actively considered.
The festival is expected to attract several thousand people to Killarney on the weekend of June 27/28 and well over 50 entertainment acts have been lined up, including Texas, Burt Bacharach, Jools Holland, The Undertones, The Proclaimers, Declan O’Rourke and Paddy Casey.
Several comedy acts and cooking exhibitions by celebrity chefs, in a gourmet food village, will also form part of the festival which will feature several stages in an open-air celebration.
