Trustees of Muckross House
he
Trustees of Muckross House (Killarney) Ltd., is a voluntary and
not-for-profit organisation and is registered as a charitable
trust.
The
Trustees of Muckross House (Killarney) Ltd., is a Company limited
by guarantee. The Members and Directors of the Company include
people from all walks of life. They share a common interest in
the preservation of the heritage of Muckross House in particular,
as well as the folklife and history of Kerry.
The
Trustees work in partnership with the State, (through the National
Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Environment, Heritage
and Local Government), to manage Muckross House as the focal point
and main visitor attraction within Killarney National Park.
Mission
Statement
The
Trustees of Muckross House resolve :
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To continue to act, in conjunction with the State, as guardians
of the heritage of Muckross House, Killarney House and of the
Traditional Farms, in their setting within the History and Folklife
of Kerry.
-
To work in partnership and harmony with the State in the management
and presentation of an attractive visitor product within the
National Park so that both local and other visitors gain an
understanding of our heritage and environment.
Trustees
of Muckross House - A Brief History
For
three decades, following its acquisition by the State in 1932,
Muckross House remained closed to the public. Throughout these
years, there were many suggestions as to how the House might best
be utilized, but no consensus was ever reached.
A
public meeting was held in Killarney in December 1963 to debate
the issue. There, Dr Frank M. Hilliard put forward the suggestion
that the House should be opened to the public as a folk museum.
This idea was enthusiastically received. As a result, a sub-committee
of the Killarney Tourist Industry Coordinating Committee was established
to explore the feasibility of the matter. Following discussions
with the then Minister for Finance, Dr James Ryan, the committee
were granted Muckross House for an initial trial period of five
months.
The
House first opened to the public on the 14th June 1964. In that
first short season, 19,500 visitors passed through its doors.
Having thus demonstrated that they could successfully manage the
House, the committee were granted a further ten-year lease.
One
of the conditions attached to the lease was that the committee
should become a limited company, In May 1965, the Trustees of
Muckross House (Killarney) Ltd., was incorporated and the existing
committee members became the first directors.
The
present Trustees are ever mindful of their responsibility to remain
true to the hopes and aspirations of their predecessors. From
the beginning, the Trustees have worked in close cooperation with
the State. This spirit of cooperation is still reflected in their
Mission Statement today.
Members
The
Trustees' Company is comprised of over 200 Ordinary Members, who
share an interest in the preservation of the folklife and history
of Kerry. Most Members are from Kerry, but there are members throughout
the whole of Ireland, the UK, the US, Germany and Monaco.
Honorary
Members: Some Honorary Members include:
Mr
A. W. B. (Billy) Vincent, whose father, Senator Arthur Rose
Vincent, presented the Muckross Estate, with his parents-in-law
Mr and Mrs Bowers Bourn, to the people of Ireland in 1932.
Ms
Fleur Melville-Gardner, whose mother Rosie Vincent was
a daughter of Maud Bowers Bourn and Senator Arthur Rose Vincent.
Mr
Richard Herbert Finnegan, a direct American descendant of
the Herbert family.
Mrs
Mary Balfour, whose late husband Michael was a descendant
of the Scottish Balfour family. The 19th century water-colourist,
Mary Balfour Herbert, was married to Henry Arthur Herbert. Together
they were responsible for building the present Muckross House,
completed in 1843.
How
to become a Member
Applications for membership are considered by the Trustees
at their meetings, which are held once a month. Application forms
may be had by contacting Mr Pat Dawson, Chief Executive, at Muckross
House.
Email: pdawson@muckross-house.ie
