Indeed, if ever there might be a measure of a town’s decline, one might be the fact that while once Caherciveen had 52 pubs, it now only boasts about 10 functioning bars, maybe 12 at a stretch depending on the situation post-Covid. What his plans are is anybody’s guess but there is a feeling locally that its purchase can only be good for the town and might even see the place being reopened.Ī number of other empty properties are, tellingly, reminders of the various small businesses in the town that have died over the past 15 to 20 years. Badly damaged by fire a few years ago, the impressive three-storey stone townhouse was recently purchased by a local businessman.

One of the most significant empty buildings in the town is the Daniel O’Connell bar and restaurant. Some are also owned by people who either live abroad or elsewhere in Ireland and only come back to the town for a few weeks every now and again. Most are owned by either one individual who inherited it or a family that either doesn’t know what to do with it or hasn’t the means to do anything with it. There is more to this than just closed doors and boarded up windows. It’s hardly a surprise that not only is the Simon Community due to start offering services in Kerry, but the Peter McVerry Trust is also operating in the Kingdom from its new base in Cork City. The remaining 22 applications were recommended to be declined. Of these, 72 were recommended to be approved and the remaining 105 were recommended to be declined.įor the first quarter of this year, a further 29 applications for Kerry County Council were assessed, with the Housing Agency recommending approval in seven cases. While we have a rough idea of how many Government-backed Rebuilding Ireland home loans for first-time buyers via Kerry County Council have been approved, how many have actually been drawn down is not clear.Īccording to the Housing Agency, which assesses all applications, 177 applications were assessed between 2018 (when the scheme started) and June 2020. But you’ll also need at least another €100,000 or so to be able to live in it.ĭepressingly for anybody wanting to rent in any of these towns, or within a 10km radius, the highest number of rental properties on Daft was around 30.Īccording to a report in February 2020, just 39 social houses were built in South Kerry in five years. Sure, you can probably still purchase a derelict cottage for around €50,000 in Caherciveen. They are the people who fall below the radar of official statistics, and who are sofa surfing with pals, or living in cramped family accommodation because they have nowhere else to go.Īs with just about everywhere else in Ireland at the moment, it is not only virtually impossible to rent in any of these Kerry towns, it’s also very difficult to buy.

While many think a homeless person is someone who lives in a sleeping bag in a doorway, the reality is that they are more likely to be the so-called hidden homeless, and they are everywhere in rural Ireland. There is, however, another aspect of life in Kerry that can also be deceptive: homelessness. SEE: 'Tralee getting its house in order' below.

There are rumours that a deal is being finalised to buy the long-vacant former Dunnes Stores on Bridge St in Tralee. With the South Kerry Greenway coming down the tracks, there is a feeling that more of the currently vacant properties will be made available for renting. And while they may not be occupied all year round, they do indeed see forms of life - albeit briefly - in the summer months. Further south, it’s not hard to reach a tally of around 40 derelict or seemingly vacant properties within a short stroll of the centre of Caherciveen.īut on closer inspection, it turns out many of these properties are actually owned.

Independent.ie watermarque caherciveen