Killarney seeks to spread the word

Long before the national ambassador programme, Killarney already had “a track record in local ambassadors”, attracting conferences worth hundreds of thousands of euro and filling the town’s hotels, restaurants, and parklands, the Kerry launch of the Fáilte Ireland national ambassador programme heard yesterday.

Ambassadors could be anyone from professionals to enthusiastic hobbyists, a lunch hosted by the Kerry Convention Bureau at the Killarney Plaza hotel heard.

Among the Killarney ambassadors over the years were local businessman Billy Daly, who had attracted the Musgraves and Supervalu conferences to the town, and teacher Lily Cronin, a leading figure in the ASTI who had been instrumental in bringing that teachers conference to Killarney “eight to 10 times”.