E40,000 facelift planned at Gap of Dunloe

Donal Hickey

Ponymen at the Gap of Dunloe, near Killarney, have come up with a E20,000 contribution towards the cost of the work, to be carried out by Kerry County Council close to Kate Kearney’s Cottage. Work will include the laying of concrete and tarmacadam in a parking area for traps and ponies that take thousands of visitors through the spectacular, seven-mile gap.

The Gap of Dunloe trip has been a key part of the Killarney tourism experience for more than 200 years and the 34 ponymen have been trying to find ways of improving the parking place for a long time, said Councillor Johnny (Porridge) O’Connor.

“It is important to go with the times. People expect a certain standard of hygiene and safety in amenity sites these days,” said Mr O’Connor, who has liaised between the ponymen and the council. He said the number of people using the gap was increasing each year, with consequent pressure on the environment especially where trips started and finished. He welcomed ‘amicable co-operation’ between ponymen and council engineers, Colm Lanigan and Paul Neary. Ponyman Pat O’Sullivan said: “This is a job that really needed to be done and has been talked about for over 30 years. There’s just a gravel surface in the parking area and the work will tidy up the place. It will also be of help to people walking through the gap as the area will be much cleaner.”

He said the trip was as popular as ever, with bookings good for this season.