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September is a rather important month in the world of fashion. For decades, the September issue of American Vogue has been the magazine’s landmark edition, traditionally unveiling the new autumn collections and setting the tone for the season ahead. And in September 2013, a little corner of Kerry found itself within its pages. American Vogue came to Ireland for an extraordinary fashion editorial entitled Wild Irish Rose, photographed by one of the most celebrated photographer

As Kenmare prepares for another magical Samhain, the town’s much loved Halloween traditions have found their way onto the pages of a beautiful new children’s book. Every autumn, as the evenings draw in and October approaches, the town begins to transform. Shop windows change, pumpkins appear, costumes are planned and anticipation builds for the celebrations that have made Halloween in Kenmare such a wonderful occasion for generations of local families and visitors. This year,

Behind Kenmare’s beautiful streets, colourful planting and welcoming public spaces is a dedicated group of volunteers whose work reaches far beyond keeping our town tidy. At a recent meeting of Kenmare Tourism, Patricia Holbein gave a fascinating presentation on the work of Kenmare Tidy Towns. It was a timely reminder that, while many of us associate Tidy Towns with litter picking, flower beds and freshly painted streets, the reality is so much broader. Across Ireland, Tidy T

There are some people whose work becomes so closely associated with a place that it is difficult to imagine one without the other. For Kenmare, landscape photographer Norman McCloskey is one of those people. For more than three decades, Norman has been capturing the extraordinary landscapes of Kerry and the southwest of Ireland, creating images that are instantly recognisable yet somehow manage to show us familiar places in an entirely new light. Based in Kenmare, Norman firs

This day ten years ago, on 1st September 2016, a little town on Ireland’s southwest coast found itself in the pages of The Washington Post. The headline read: “On Ireland’s southwest coast, history rich Kenmare is the gateway to County Kerry.” Written by American travel writer Anne Calcagno, the article introduced readers across the Atlantic to a town many of us are lucky enough to simply call home. Ten years later, we thought it would be lovely to revisit the Kenmare she dis

If you're taking a stroll around Kenmare, keep your eyes open. You may notice something new appearing on benches and at points around the town: small QR codes with some very big stories to tell. A wonderful new QR History Trail is bringing the history of Kenmare directly to the streets, paths and public spaces where much of that history actually happened. The project features historical research and stories from the Kenmare chronicle, with the QR trail created and designed by

Kenmare Arts Festival returned from 2nd to 16th August 2026, bringing two wonderful weeks of art, literature, music, film, workshops and creativity to venues throughout Kenmare. The 2026 festival proved to be its most successful edition to date, with organisers estimating that more than 3,000 people engaged with the programme over the fortnight, including local residents, visitors, artists, writers, poets, musicians and workshop participants. Organised by John Goode of Mill C

Kenmare was delighted to recently welcome visitors from Carantec in Brittany, France, as we continue to explore an exciting new relationship between our two towns, with the hope of developing a formal town twinning partnership in the future. Gérard and Anna from Carantec spent time in Kenmare meeting members of Kenmare Tourism and discovering more about our town, its people, heritage, culture and tourism offering. A Friendship Already Rooted in Ireland Carantec already has a

As the lights begin to twinkle along our colourful heritage streets, the town comes alive with festive events, beautiful shop windows, Christmas music and the wonderful sense of community that makes Kenmare such a magical place to visit at this time of year. Christmas Markets, Shopping & Festive Treats Browse charming Christmas shops filled with local crafts, gifts and seasonal treats, or wander through Kenmare's wonderful independent boutiques and galleries in search of some

When autumn settles over the mountains and the evenings grow darker, Kenmare gets ready to celebrate Samhain, the ancient Irish festival that marks the end of summer and the beginning of winter. And in Kenmare, that means the return of our much loved Halloween Howl Parade. Kenmare will come alive for Halloween from 26th October - 1st November, and at the heart of the celebrations will be the Halloween Howl Parade through the streets of Kenmare on Saturday, 31 October, bringin

Down by the water, close to Kenmare’s suspension bridge, three silent musicians have been keeping watch over Kenmare Bay for more than 30 years. Known officially as The Music Makers, and affectionately around Kenmare as The Three Musicians, these striking limestone figures have become one of those familiar local landmarks that many of us pass regularly without necessarily knowing the story behind them. The three large carved limestone sculptures depict musicians playing three

An Irish craft with international reach The importance of preserving Kenmare Lace has perhaps never felt more timely. In July 2026, traditional Irish lacemaking found itself on one of the biggest fashion stages in the world when Carrickmacross lace featured at Paris Haute Couture Week. Irish designer Michael Stewart, founder of Standing Ground, collaborated with lacemakers in County Monaghan to create an extraordinary couture gown made entirely from Carrickmacross lace. T

Every year, on the 15th of August, something rather extraordinary happens in Kenmare. The streets fill with horses and ponies, traders set out their stalls, old acquaintances meet again and thousands of people descend on the town. For one day, the elegant heritage town we know today becomes something altogether different. This is Kenmare Fair Day, and it has been happening, in one form or another, for more than 250 years. A tradition dating back to the 1760s To understand Fai

Kenmare was delighted to welcome the cyclists of the Tour de Munster once again this August, as more than 100 riders made their way through the Kingdom as part of an incredible four day, 600km journey across all six counties of Munster. Now in its 26th year, the Tour de Munster raises vital funds for the Munster branches of Down Syndrome Ireland, supporting the services they provide to children and adults with Down syndrome and their families. Since the Tour began in 2001,

A remarkable new heritage installation has arrived at the Bell Height in Kenmare, inviting locals and visitors to stop for a while and discover the fascinating story beneath one of the town’s most familiar landmarks. Bridging Memories is the work of Simon Linnell and Tessa Dennison, created in conjunction with the Kenmare Archive and the Kenmare Chronicle. Through a series of beautifully designed large scale poster panels, the installation traces almost two centuries of histo

The spectacular Beara Peninsula has been described as one of Ireland’s overlooked coastal drives in a new feature by US travel writer and podcaster Jody Halsted of Ireland Family Vacations. We may be a little biased, but we were particularly delighted to see Kenmare highlighted as one of the best places to base yourself when exploring this very special corner of Ireland. Discovering the Beara Peninsula Sitting across Counties Kerry and Cork, the Beara Peninsula offers som

There was very welcome news for Kenmare this week following a meeting with Minister Jerry Buttimer to discuss the need for a regular daily bus service connecting Kenmare directly with Cork. The meeting brought together representatives from across the community, highlighting just how important improved public transport could be for people living, working, studying and visiting Kenmare. A huge thank you must go to Nicky Sammon and Cllr Teddy Casey for their work in progressin

Last weekend, Kenmare Bay played host to the Bull Run for Fun 2026, a remarkable gathering of powerboats that brought together boating enthusiasts from across Ireland and beyond for a spectacular day on the water. Now in its 17th year, the event began in 2009 and has grown into one of the most anticipated boating weekends on the calendar. This year's Bull Run welcomed 87 boats and approximately 350 participants, making it another fantastic success for organisers, participants