IRELAND ~ Muckross House - Killarney National Park - County Kerry ~

... This postcard shows a beautifully maintained 19thC Victorian mansion set against the stunning beauty of the Park... the present and recently restored Killarney House is now known as the gateway to Killarney National Park... visitors can tour the home, gardens, and working farms all year long... rooms contain elegant period furniture to reflect the lifestyle of its previous inhabitants... Killarney National Park is one of the most beautiful spots in Ireland, a lush swath of hills, ancient forests, shimmering lakes, waterfalls, imposing castles, abbeys  and walking trails... home of the native red deer... and oldest National Park in the country... one of those places you really must see while in Ireland💚... Thanks a lot Andrene! ♥(ˆ⌣ˆԅ)

Killarney National Park is located  near the town of Killarney in the heart of County Kerry in the southwest of Ireland. It was established in 1932 when Arthur Vincent and his parents-in-law donated the Muckross Estate, the core of the park, to the Irish Republic in memory of Arthur’s wife Maude. Sadly, she’d died of pneumonia three years before. Today, it covers 26,000 acres.

The Killarney Lakes; Lough Leane (the Lower Lake), Muckross (or Middle) Lake and the Upper Lake, make up about a quarter of the park, and are surrounded by natural oak and yew woodland, and overlooked by the high crags and moors of Purple Mountain (832m) to the west and Knockrower (552m) to the south. 

Muckross House was built in 1843 by the British architect William Burn for the wealthy Herbert family and polished up – at a massive cost – in preparation for Queen Victoria’s visit in 1861.

The park was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1981.

 

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Culture Night 

(Issued 05-09-2019)