Dear Killarney…

As mentioned in my previous post, we had a terrible time on the Ring of Kerry. Not only did we not visit Skellig Michael, but we hardly got to enjoy the famous scenery due to inclement weather. While we wouldn’t rule out a returned visit, we were happy to get to Killarney, the terminus of our Ring of Kerry adventure. Long a favored home base for generations of international visitors, Killarney is a household among Irish Americans. Before the pandemic, more than one million tourists visited this town of 15,000 annually, deriving almost half a billion dollars in revenue for the region. If accurate, that was one hell of a statistic!

To say Killarney is punching above its weight would be an understatement. After speaking to many of Brian’s aunts and uncles with Irish ancestry, many seemed to talk about Killarney like their ancestral homes. Since most of them had been to Ireland multiple times, I figured there must be something magical about this place that loomed larger than life. It seems all too logical for us to check out this place.

Just How Bad Was Killarney?

If you value Rick Steve’s guidebook and travel advice, Killarney may not be the most charming Irish town in this corner of Ireland. Though he highly recommends historical sites nearby, Killarney has positioned itself as the central hub of mass tourism at the footstep of the Ring of Kerry. According to the guidebook, Killarney’s suburban sprawl and vast tourist hotels “feels more like Nebraska than Ireland.” Such a claim seems somewhat outrageous, and I am unsure whether that is an insult or a praise for Nebraska. At the beginning of the chapter on the Ring of Kerry, he suggests skipping Killarney. You would only want to stay in Killarney if you would be taking organized bus tours for the Ring of Kerry.

With time in mind, I was pleasantly surprised when we arrived in town. While we drove through the suburban sprawls, county clubs, and condominium developments, the center of Killarney is unapologetically Irish in terms of architecture and ambiance. There are many pubs and restaurants up and down the main drag; the atmosphere here felt convivial much of the day. Having just been to Kenmare two days prior, I was surprised that I found Killarney more joyful. When I asked myself the main difference between the two, I would say it would be the relative absence of on-street parking in Killarney.

Killarney may be one of the best places to shop for typical Irish souvenirs.

After spending the previous evening in the small town of Waterville, we were pretty happy with Killarney's amenities and tourist infrastructure. We were thrilled with all the restaurant choices, so there was no need to stress about making reservations days ahead. During our visit, we tried out Harrow Killarney and Quinlan's Seafood Bar, both of which were excellent. With so many massive corporate-style hotels around town, the lodging here is comparably affordable. As we were checking in at the Dromhall Hotel, a couple of American tourists came to the reception complaining about the air conditioning in their room. The staff had to tell them there was no air conditioning in the hotel, as is usually the case in Ireland. Brian and I thought that was the most “American” encounter ever!

Killarney may be unapologetically touristic, but the type of commercial activities and retail are somewhat upmarket. It may be one of the better towns to buy your Irish souvenirs and handicrafts. Maps and prints of Irish heraldry seem especially popular. Although nothing piqued our interest, I enjoyed investigating what souvenirs are popular with American tourists. I can’t help wondering what a typical Irish person would think of these shops. I wonder if they are as ghastly as our tacky souvenir shops in New York.

Unlike other Irish cities popular with tourists, Killarney’s historic center has many major historical landmarks or sites of interest that warrant a visit. The only major landmark is the handsome Saint Mary's Cathedral, located just north of the town center. The same architect behind the cathedral in Cobh designed it, and its construction coincided with the rise of tourism during the Romantic Period. As we would discover later, Killarney’s position as a tourism hub could be attributed to Queen Victoria’s visit in 1861.

Muckross House & Farm

The number-one attraction near Killarney is Muckross House. Situated inside Killarney National Park, Muckross House is Ireland’s most magnificent Victorian mansion and a historic gem. When I asked Brian what he remembered about his first trip to Ireland as a kid, the most memorable stops for him were Ashford Castle and Muckross House. Muckross House was the favorite spot for my mother-in-law, Julie. Not only would this visit be a tribute to her, but we were also keen to see whether the magic of this place still holds in 2024.

The Tudor-style Muckross House is Ireland’s most famous Victorian mansion.

Muckross House is only a minute’s drive from central Killarney, but the scenery feels a world away. It is a large estate set among bucolic landscapes by Muckross Lake. While the Victorian mansion is the main draw, the enormous grounds include a botanical garden, traditional farms, and a craft center. For those traveling at a more relaxing pace, it is easy to spend an entire day here. It is not difficult to understand why Julie loved this place so much.

Muckross House is famous for Queen Victoria's third visit to Ireland in 1861. Compared to her previous two state visits, the 1861 tour was relatively understated. Her visit to County Kerry was a royal escape from the oppressive royal court in London. Muckross House served as the private residence of the Herbert family, who gained significant wealth in the 18th century from the peninsula’s copper mines. The family purchased the estate from the MacCarthy clan in 1770. In 1857, Henry Arthur Herbert was elected to parliament in 1847 and appointed the Chief Secretary for Ireland a decade later. That may explain why the queen chose to stay at Muckross House.

In preparation for the two-night royal visit, the Hubert family spared no expense to enhance their property. A special committee was formed to coordinate every detail of the visit, from the new tapestries to the staff uniforms. No detail was too trivial. The curtains in the main dining room were specially commissioned for the queen. The sixty-five-room mansion was significantly renovated to create separate living quarters for the royal family to ensure maximum privacy. Because Queen Victoria feared house fire, the royal apartment was built on the ground level without commanding lake views. The Huberts even installed a fire escape for the Queen to alleviate her fear.

The lovely view of Muckross Lake from the center of the house.

The Queen was pleased with her downtime at Muckross House and presented the Butlers with jewelry. In return, Mrs. Butler, an accomplished painter, presented the Queen with three watercolors. Although the visit was considered an enormous political success, the colossal expense put the family close to financial ruin. Coupled with several poor investments, the family had to forfeit the estate to an insurance company three decades later. The estate was auctioned off to Lord Ardilaun, a member of the Guinness family. Under his ownership, the house was only used for occasional hunting trips.

In 1910, the estate was leased to William Bower Bourn, a business magnate from California. His daughter married an Irish aristocrat, and Bourn Sr. bought the estate as a wedding gift for the newlyweds. The young couple made significant improvements to the property. After Irish independence, the family donated Muckross House to the new Irish republic. It became the first national park in Ireland and is now part of Killarney National Park. It took several decades of further restoration before opening to the public for the first time in 1964.

As a significant historical landmark, Muckross House's restored interiors are protected from UV rays with heavy drapery. As a result, the interior felt very dingy. The highlight of the collection would be the royal apartment. Queen Victoria’s bed is beautifully preserved. The rooms are surprisingly modest, but I suspect she might prefer the modesty of this apartment. Funny enough, my favorite part of the house was the servant quarter downstairs. It may not be Highclere Castle of Downton Abbey’s fame, but it was a joy to chat with OPW docents about various Victorian-age gadgets and utensils.

Muckross Abbey is in a remarkable state of preservation.

In addition to the Victorian mansion, the most famous landmark on the estate is Muckross Abbey. Dating back to the sixth century, the abbey was reputedly founded by Saint Fionan, who founded the monastery of Skellig Michael. However, the abbey we see today is a Franciscan abbey built five hundred years ago on a site where music was said to emanate from a rock. The abbey was abandoned shortly after Oliver Cromwell invaded Ireland, but the expelled monks continued to hold mass in the ruins for local parishioners. This tradition of holding mass inside the abbey continues to this day.

Even without a roof, Muckcross Abbey is remarkably well-preserved. Inside the nave, there are numerous tombs and mausoleums of notable figures. Curiously, there wasn't enough room to accommodate the congregation due to all the burials. The highlight of the complex is the multi-story abbey, one of the finest in Ireland. In the center of the cloister stands an impressive yew tree that appears “otherworldly.” Legend has it that a miraculous image of the Virgin Mary is buried beneath. Anyone who dares to damage the yew tree will drop dead immediately. To add to the intrigue, the sap of the yew tree is ruby red, resembling the blood of the Virgin Mary.

Speaking of the paranormal, many haunting legends have been associated with Muckross Abbey over the years. A religious hermit slept in a coffin here, but the most famous story is about “The Ghost of the Brown Man.” First appearing in Munster Popular Tales (1827), the tale is based on an account of a widow named Guare. Her daughter was married to a mysterious horseman nicknamed the Brown Man, and they lived in squalor. The young bride discovers that her new husband has disappeared on their wedding night and returned to bed “cold as night.” After experiencing this for three nights straight, the young lady followed her husband into the dark. To her horror, she found him feasting on a freshly buried corpse in the abbey graveyard. To state the obvious, the marriage did not last.

The “jarvey" is an integral part of the tourism heritage in Killarney.

During our visit, we saw many people wandering through the overgrown graveyard of Muckross Abbey. I suspect they know about the various paranormal legends associated with it. While Muckross Abbey is considered one of the most haunted places in Ireland, the scenery around the graveyard is beautiful. The best way to explore Muckross House & Gardens is by taking one of the many horse-drawn carriages. Known locally as jaunting cars or jarveys, these carriages have been a key part of Killarney’s tourism heritage. Setting aside concerns for animal welfare, I was simply too cheap to try them.

Ross Castle

Personally, the highlight of our visit to Killarney was the tour of Ross Castle. Set along the edge of scenic Lough Leane, this castle is technically the 15th-century tower house of the chiefs of the O'Donoghue clan; it would be a misnomer to call it a castle. Ross Castle is famous in Ireland as one of the last strongholds against English royalist forces during the Irish Confederate Wars. Like most tower houses of that era, the building eventually became obsolete after the cannon was introduced into warfare. After withstanding a siege from Oliver Cromwell’s army for months, the castle surrendered after they brought a warship onto the lake via River Laune. There was actually a famous Irish prophecy claiming that Ross Calte could never be taken until a warship could swim on the lake, which was considered an impossible feat at then.

With its defensive value gone, Lord Brownes of Killarney constructed a mansion around it over the next few decades. However, Ross Castle was confiscated and turned into a military barrack for the next few centuries because of his loyalty to Catholic King James II of England. By the late 19th century, Ross Castle had become a ruin and a muse for Romantic Age tourists. It quickly became a popular stop along the Ring of Kerry. Fortunately, the castle has been fully restored by the Office of Public Works (OPW) to its former glory.

Ross Castle is an excellent place for picnicking.

Due to its tight quarters, the castle's interior was only open to the hourly guided tour. We were delighted that our trusted OPW Heritage Card covered the admission. We were lucky enough to secure one of the last spots of the day. The most paramount concern about the design is defense. The entire tower is only accessible through a singular entrance and spiral staircase. The narrowness of the staircase ensures only one enemy could be at the front of the attack. Even more amazingly, the direction of the spiral gives a further advantage to defenders, assuming wielding swords with the right hands. Like a typical castle, it has several “murder holes” at strategic positions.

The architectural model of the tower house.

Although Ross Castle is the family home of the local chief, it is far from the stately mansion that one would suspect. Consisting of six levels, it is a modest structure that looks foreboding at first glance. Since it was a defensive structure, there were very few windows, making the interior rather dark with poor ventilation. Above the ground-level storage and living quarters for servants and soldiers. A few dozen men would send the nights here. There was no furniture, so everyone slept on straw-covered floors. One could only imagine the squalid conditions back then. It would even be more crowded during the siege.

The grand reception room on the fifth level.

We have visited several tower houses over the years. Ross Castle may not be as beautiful as the tower houses of Ushguli, but it is still impressive. The next level features the kitchen and dining area for the household attendants. The quality of architectural finishes increases with each floor; the OPW did a fantastic job restoring many of the original features. Like many historical tower houses in Ireland, Ross Castle was abandoned when its defensive features became obsolete. Wealthy landowners no longer valued tower houses with few windows and cramped floor plans. To avoid paying taxes on the tower houses, they removed the roofs. Unfortunately, this has resulted in only a few Irish tower houses surviving.

The fifth level is the grandest room in the tower, featuring a beautiful vaulted oak ceiling. This space served as the private living quarters for the chieftain and his family, where he would receive guests. Being higher up, the windows are of decent size and provide commanding views of the lake. According to popular Irish legend, Lord O'Donoghue, who built the castle, jumped from this window into the lake. Allegedly, he hibernates at the bottom of the lake and would awake every seven years on May 1st. He would circle the lake on a white horse and inspect his castle. Those who glimpse him on the special day could enjoy great fortune in life.

This legend makes boat trips on the lake very popular. Lough Leane is much larger than it seems, and Ross Castle is the most popular departure point for cruises. Even though we did not get to experience the lake cruise, Ross Castle is an excellent spot for outdoor picnics and enjoying the beautiful scenery. This part of Ireland resembles the Scottish Highlands; it is no wonder Queen Victoria fell in love with this area. Although I would not be rushing back to Killarney for our next trip to Ireland, it is a convenient home base for exploring this corner of the country.

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Just How Bad Was Killarney?

Muckross House & Farm

Ross Castle

Homecoming at Dingle Peninsula

The Modern Montreal