by Frances Stanford

Created on: June 15, 2010

Located just on the edge of Killarney National Park and only a half hour’s drive from Killarney you will find Muckross House, the greatest Victorian stately home in Ireland. This house was built in 1843 and is within close proximity to a fascinating open-air farm museum.

Muckross House is a regular stop for tour buses. However, if you are not part of a tour group, you will need to either have your own vehicle or hire a taxi to reach this destination. A Heritage Card will cover the admission cost for the house, but not the farm. A combo-ticket, though, will give you admission to both locations.

This tourist destination consists of several sights for visitors – the mansion itself, a set of farms that give you a great look at what rural life was like in the 1930’s, an information center about Killarney National Park and a garden that provides an idyllic place to sit back and relax. The location also provides visitors with an insight into the differences that existed between the lifestyles of the rich and the poor of the country in the past.

Travel back to the Victorian era when you step inside Muckross House. It exhibits the way in which the rich landowners lived when the majority of the people were starving and having to leave the country for America. It still has that lived –in feel and appearance with the furniture around the fireplace. Queen Victoria’s bedroom is located on the ground floor due to her fear of being trapped upstairs in a fire.

The information center offers a 15-minute video on the history of the national park and those with an interest in gardening will want to spend a lot of time in the garden. There is also a cafeteria offering views of the garden where you can have a slight snack or a full meal. Shop for antique weaving and pottery gifts in the craft stores.

Muckross Farms features six different farms, some of which offer home-cooked meals. The farms are strung out along the road for about a mile and for those who do not want to or cannot walk, there is a shuttle bus to take them from one farm to the other. The best way to enjoy the experience of visiting these farms is to talk to the guides and ask questions. Most of the people are the original owners who can entertain you with delightful stories of the past.

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