The Muckross House: a colossal crib

             Just as the massive Muckross establishment appears with awe beyond measure, the Muckross house is marked with an intriguing history. The Irish Studies Program paid a visit to the storied house in order to have a guided tour through the inside as well as explore the Muckross Peninsula. The building of the Muckross House commenced in 1839 by Henry Arthur and Mary Herbert and was completed in 1843. This predates the Irish Famine by two years. The Herbert family was long associated with land in the area dating to the 1770s and it continued in this way until financial strife rendered the family unable to acquire loans. Notably, in 1861, Queen Victoria visited Ireland and stayed at this estate. Many renovations took place in order to accommodate the Queen’s party in the most paramount way possible. Perhaps, this was one of the factors leading to financial strife. Ultimately, the estate was forfeited to Standard Life Assurance Company in 1897. After passing through the hands of the Guinness family for several years, Mr. William Bowers Bourn, a wealthy American, purchased the Muckross property as a wedding gift for his daughter in 1910. Bourn’s daughter, Maud, died in 1929 and in 1932, her widowed husband, Mr. Arthur Rose Vincent, wrote to Mr. Eamon De Valera conveying that he intended to present the Muckross property to the Irish nation. Indeed, the estate was to be maintained as a national park for the enjoyment of the public for which it now serves at Killarney National Park. Being guided through the home and learning of the details and people associated with the land was a gleaning experience for all of us.

            Observing the outward appearance of the home and the land around it renders one feeling quite small and uncomprehending of how someone could live so splendidly. The outside of the home appears powerful, yet, elegant at the same time. Upon entering the inside, the story continues. An incalculable number of mounted animal heads, mainly Irish Red Deer, hovered above our heads in several rooms. Hunting was one of the Herbert’s hobbies. Chandeliers, giant doorways, high ceilings, and enormous beds complement the house. Moreover, the artistry of dressers, cabinets, woodwork, the chessboard, a game board, the pool table, tables, chairs, windows and mirrors certainly add to the elegance of the home. Many items were hand carved and are composed of special materials. For example, one of the windows is made of crystal.

            The significance of the history lies in the amount of respect that was given to Queen Victoria. Despite her stay of only a few days, major renovations took place and were a burden on the owners even amidst their wealth. The Queen’s visit in 1861 is only one of four visits to Ireland, but it seems that each visit to Ireland was quite warm and welcome despite the animosity occurring between English and Irish. Lastly, the preservation of the estate displays historically how such wealthy people lived and the contrite contrast between the wealthy and poor, which we still see today. One should be reminded that the home was finished two years prior to the potato famine, which had devastating effects on Ireland, specifically those of the lower class.

            On top of the rich history behind this estate, it has modern significance because it preserves a piece of the story of Ireland. It may not represent Ireland or the people of Ireland as a whole, but it allows us to view life through the perspective of wealthy and prominent figures. Moreover, visiting the house offers us a more keen understanding of the respect and power that the Victorian monarch possessed. And in this we can appreciate why the estate has been preserved as part of the Killarney National Park.

            Upon personal reflection, people in our group each had certain aspects that instigated some type of feeling or memory. One member felt nostalgia and a longing for the times of the Muckross house. Another underscores the size and components of each room; each room had a unique purpose or quality. For example, the billiard room was meant only for the men to socialize in. Furthermore, another room had a cabinet that kept tea locked up because tea was rare and expensive at the time. Collectively, we all saw sophistication in various ways. The servant system illustrates this well. While all the servants stayed in rooms in the basement, there was a well-engineered bell system in the basement hallway; each servant was designated a bell and each bell was linked through a wire to a specific room. Thus the servants could be summoned from anywhere in the house. It is important to note that each bell was different in size so the servants knew based on sound when they were being summoned. More sophistication is seen in the kitchen and ice storage because ice had to be imported and strategically stored.

          Many aspects contribute to the elegance, power, artistry, and sophistication of the Muckross house and its history and one cannot fathom the beauty of the land around it until he sees it. Our site visit was a good way of seeing one part of Irish history through a lens other than our own. All in all, the families that owned the land, the servants that labored there, Queen Victoria’s visit, Irish history, and our visit boils down to relationship. That is the intangible quality that this visit offered us; the significance of relationship under any circumstance. 

  Outside of Muckross house

 View looking outside behind the house

 Vestibule

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