No decision on July 4 festival

NO definitive decision has yet been made on whether this year’s July 4 Festival will proceed in Killarney or what exact format the Independence Day celebrations might take in the town that has a long and mutually beneficial relationship with the American people.

An exciting and colourful celebration was being planned for the big day – which falls perfectly on a Saturday this year – but the organising committee will now go back to the drawing board following the government’s decision to prohibit mass gatherings of over 5,000 people, until September 1, due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The decision means that all major outdoor events will have to be cancelled or rearranged and that will impact on the traditional format of the July 4 Festival, which sees thousands of people lining the streets to watch and join in the spectacular Independence Day carnival parade.

Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce will now consider if other aspects of the festival can proceed as more intimate events, including an open-air cinema in the national park, flag-raising national anthem ceremonies and a spectacular fireworks display, which have all been integral partS of the annual celebration since it was initiated in 2013.

“At the moment, nothing has been decided, but we will be meeting very shortly to discuss the matter,” Chamber President Paul Sherry said.

“We will, of course, be guided by best-practice advice from the Government and the health authorities, and public health and safety will obviously be the main priority,” he said.

Mr Sherry acknowledged that, given the new restrictions on the number of people that gather outdoors, it is extremely unlikely that the festival parade could go ahead in its usual format, but other options will be looked at.