Tragic death shocks town

Killarney is a lively place with a relaxed, holiday atmosphere at this time of year, as visitors enjoy themselves during the peak season.

But the town was strangely subdued on Saturday. A surreal stillness, punctuated only by the occasional clip clop of a jarvey’s horse or the seemingly muffled sound of passing cars, pervaded the streets.

The sense of shock that numbed local people following the tragic death of James Gleeson, a member of an old, established business family, also appeared to affect tourists who crowded around the barriers that cordoned off the town centre streets affected by the gas explosion.