April 13 – 14

As mentioned in the prior post, our drive to Kenmare would be another relatively short one and so we stopped about an hour in at Muckross House, located on the Muckross Peninsula between Muckross Lake and Lough Leane, two of the lakes of Killarney.  In 1932 it was presented by William Bowers Bourn and Arthur Rose Vincent to the Irish nation and became the first National Park in the Irish Free State (now Republic of Ireland) and formed the basis of the present-day Killarney National Park.

The house is part of a larger complex that also includes a research library and a traditional farm (with costumed performers recreating farms of the 1930’s and 40s that was closed when we were there.  It’s a shame as the juxtaposition between the luxury of the house contrasted against the dreary lives lived on the farms would have been an interesting study in contrasts. 

With sixty-five rooms, the house was commissioned by Henry Arthur Herbert and built between 1839 and 1843 in the Tudor style.  Extensive improvements were undertaken in the 1850s in preparation for the visit of Queen Victoria in 1861 and it is said that these improvements for the Queen’s visit were a contributory factor in the financial difficulties suffered by the Herbert family which resulted in the sale of the estate.

In 1899 it was bought by Arthur Guinness, 1st Baron Ardilaun who wanted to preserve the dramatic landscape.  He did not live in the house but rented it out to wealthy groups as a hunting lodge.  In 1911, it was again sold to William Bowers Bourn, a wealthy Californian mining magnate and his wife who passed it to their daughter Maud and her husband Arthur Rose Vincent as a wedding present.  

The couple lived there until Maud’s death from pneumonia in 1929.  In 1932 her parents and their son-in-law Arthur Vincent decided to present Muckross House and its 11,000 Irish acre estate to the Irish nation.  Likely the motivation, particularly during the depression era, was to unload the burden of maintaining an estate of this size and complexity on the government as we so often witness. 

The tour we did was self-guided with audio and quite comprehensive.  Along the way we encountered any number of staff members who were more than willing to engage in conversation, both about the house and their own personal interests.  One gentleman in particular who lived locally entertained us with descriptions of his fishing adventures in the national park.  It was an added bonus. 

Finished with the tour Joanna walked out to Torc Waterfall, and I took up residence in the park’s Garden Restaurant where I whiled away the time reading and enjoying a nice cup of coffee.  Once she rejoined me, we grabbed a quite good, packaged BLT, a scone and a coffee apiece from the bountiful line of food options to fortify ourselves for the final leg of our journey to Kenmare.  On the way we stopped at Ladies View (the name stems from the admiration of the view given by Queen Victoria’s ladies-in-waiting during Victoria’s 1861 visit to Ireland) where the view of the lakes is indeed stunning. 

Not long after we rolled into Kenmare and conveniently found parking in front of the Coachmen’s Townhouse Hotel, our home for the next two nights.  Generally speaking, we were very happy with all of the places we stayed at and here was not exception, featuring a large and nicely furnished room, modern bathroom and excellent pub and restaurant downstairs.  At a 135 Euros ($161) a night including breakfast, it was well worth the expense.  I picked up a couple of drinks at the bar and took them upstairs while we unpacked and relaxed before dinner, after what a been a full and fun day. 

Later we took in dinner as the menu looked interesting and we were prepared to enjoy some live music to accompany it.  We started with a drink apiece, a Dingle Gin and Tonic for Joanna and a Smithwick’s Red ale for me.  She had a nice Grilled Kenmare Salmon fillet with chives and a white wine sauce while I had one of the best Cottage pies (Minced Kerry beef, peas and seasonal veg cooked in chef’s gravy with a glazed potato crust) of the trip, both accompanied by sauteed carrots, beans and yellow bell peppers. 

During the meal, the advertised music for the evening started, a couple of accordion players who ran through many Irish tunes, the downside being that without vocals, each song begins to sound like the ones that came before it.  I indulged in an Irish whiskey, not the first nor last of the trip, a Redbreast 15 Year, a 92-proof that was smooth and satisfying.  Our tab came to 83.50 Euros ($98) with tip, again about what we would spend at home for a nice meal with drinks.  After an hour or so of the music we made our way back to our room for a good night’s sleep as we looked forward to driving around the Ring of Kerry the next day. 

Breakfast the next morning was what we would encounter for the rest of the trip, that is not the typical buffet one finds at chain hotels, but like the one we had in Limerick, a menu you ordered from.  Always included is an Full or Mini Irish (pork sausages, thick-cut back bacon (rashers), fried eggs, grilled tomato, slices of both black and white pudding, and a serving of traditional Irish soda bread or brown bread).  From there it could include oatmeal (porridge), some kind of an egg dish, and perhaps pancakes or some version of French toast.  The only downside of the included breakfast was that nearby was an excellent bakery that offered delicious looking things to eat.  More on that to follow in the next post. 

Links

Muckross House: https://muckross-house.ie/

Coachmen’s Townhouse Hotel: https://thecoachmans.com/

Redbreast 15 Year: https://www.redbreastwhiskey.com/en-us/whiskey-collections/redbreast-15-year-old/

Ring of Kerry: https://www.ireland.com/en-us/destinations/regions/ring-of-kerry/