St. Mary's Church of Ireland
About
The Church was built in 1870s on the site of former churches. It is thought to be the ancient site of the early churches from which the town gets its name "Church of the Sloes" in Irish is Cill Airne (Killarney). This church is noted for its matching set of vibrant stained glass windows, its organ (the church's acoustic is fabulous) and its decoration. It is situated between the Hotel sector and the main shopping area. Many visitors pop in to see the beautiful interior, to pray and light a candle, or for our free concerts which take place in the summer season. The concert programme features visiting choirs and orchestras from around the world. These concerts are free; we invite donations after the concert for our Restoration Appeal. Occasionally there is a ticketed concert (available on the door) to raise money for other causes. All concerts are advertised on the notice board (and our Facebook page) and all start at 8pm. We are especially proud to host each year the Spraoi Chiarrai concerts that feature local young Irish musicians who are being given their first taste of public performance. They play traditional Irish music on traditional instruments. The local Schools of music and dance also have concerts; it can be quite never wracking for these young people as it is their first time in public. This is the Church of Ireland building (not to be confused with the Roman Catholic Cathedral also called St Mary's on the other side of town).
At a glance
- Typical visit: about 30 minutes