Killarney to be rebranded as hub for spiritual tourism

A new "brand" of tourism is being launched in Killarney, Co Kerry – that of spiritual tourism.

The promotion is the brainchild of the town’s chamber of commerce, and aims to capitalise on Killarney’s long spiritual tradition, the launch meeting at St Mary’s Church of Ireland was told yesterday.

The town which means “Church of the Sloes” was named after an ancient church and holy well complex on the site of St Mary’s and the adjacent town hall.

The idea is “to make visible to the tourist the historical and present spirituality of this place”, according to the “spiritual heritage: spiritual tourism” plan circulated at the launch.

Pagan past

The medieval monastic island of Inisfallen, where

Brian Boru

studied, the town’s Pugin cathedral, the 15th century Franscisan abbey at Muckross, as well as the ancient church and round tower of Aghadoe are set to be on a spiritual trail.

According to one leading guesthouse owner, Killarney already attracts groups seeking “Celtic spirituality”.

The town and its mountainous surroundings have a strong pagan past, with monuments to the goddess Ana on the Paps mountains and cairns and standing stones associated with Mangerton mountain.