Muckross House

Location

Killarney , Co. Kerry

History

The Muckross Estate forms the core of the fabulous Killarney National Park and at the heart of this is Muckross House, a fabulous Victorian country mansion set amid the wonderful scenery of Killarney's lakes. Muckross House was built between 1839 and 1843 for Henry Arthur Herbert and designed by the eminent architect of the day William Burns in the Neo-Tudor style with characteristic stepped gables and chimney pots. Tours of the house take you though the Entrance Hall decked out with various hunting trophies, the grand Dining Room with fabulous antique furnishings and silverware, richly decorated Drawing Room, fascinating Kitchen restored to its Victorian glory, Bedrooms laid out for a visit from Queen Victoria of Britain and in the basement is a museum to local life.

The Gardens benefit richly from the mild climate of the area and shelter of the grounds with a fine collection of rhododendrons and azaleas, an outstanding rock garden, arboretum and beautiful tree fringed lawns. Also within the Muckross Estate are the Traditional Farms , reconstructions of Kerry farms from the 1930s exhibiting traditional farming practices and crafts.

For over 200 years, seven generations of the Herbert Family were to live at Muckross amassing a fortune from copper mining and becoming established among the upper echelons of Irish society. In 1861 Muckross House played host to the British Monarch Queen Victoria, an event of great pride for the Herberts. However in later years their financial situation was to deteriorate and in 1898 the estate was forfeited. Muckross estate was briefly owned by Lord Ardilaun, a member of the Guinness family before it was purchased by a wealthy Californian businessman William Bowers Bourn for GBP 60,000 as a wedding gift for his daughter Maud. It is her husband Arthur Rose Vincent who is largely credited with the lavish developments of Muckross House and the landscaping of the gardens. In 1932, Vincent bequeathed Muckross to the State, saying "Muckross Estate would make a public park such as any country might be proud of."

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Admission

Adult EUR 5.00 Child EUR 2.00 Student EUR 2.00 Senior EUR 3.80 Family EUR 12.70 Group EUR 3.80

Information

Leaflets: Yes Guided Tours: Yes Audio Visual: Yes Exhibition: Yes