Muckross Abbey	Muckross House	Muckross House
View from Muckross House	Muckross House	Muckross House Hall

After the Desmond rebellion in 1586, Queen Elizabeth 1st granted extensive lands around Castleisland, northeast of Killarney, to Sir William Herbert, of St.Julian's Monmouthshire in Wales. After her fathers death in 1593 his daughter Mary married Lord Edward Herbert of Chirbury. In 1625 King James 1st created him Lord Castleisland and in 1656 the third Lord Castleisland brought his cousin, Thomas Herbert, to Kerry to act as his land agent. Thomas became High Sheriff of Kerry in 1659 and settled at Kilcow, just west of Castleisland. Edward, his son, was the first to lease lands at Muckross from the McCarthys. Herbert's son also named Edward, is recorded as actually living at Muckross around the 1730s. Agnes his only daughter married Florence McCarthy Mor. Charles McCarthy Mor was their only son, he became an officer in the first regiment of Foot Guards. Charles died in 1770 following a riding accident. He left his estate to the Herbert family. Seven generations of the Herbert family were to live at Muckross over two hundred years forming part of the "Establishment" in Kerry and at the same time amassing considerable wealth.
Much of this wealth was amassed by the mining of copper on the Muckross Peninsula from 1749 to 1754 and again between 1785 and 1818. A mining adventurer named Rudolf Eric Raspe author of "The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchhausen" was employed by the Herberts as a geological advisor. In November 1794 Raspe died of a fever at Muckross and was buried in an unmarked grave at Killegy Graveyard, Muckross.
There were many notable visitors to Muckross during the 18th century viz. the writers Charles Smith 1756, William Ockenden 1760 and Arthur Young in 1776. The owner at that time was Thomas Herbert. Thomas had made great strides in reclaiming land for grazing and experiments in the growing of crops and animal husbandry. Thomas' son, the first Henry Arthur, served as an M.P. in England. He became an M.P. in Kerry from 1806 to 1813. Henry's heir Charles John Herbert died at an early age in 1823 leaving a young family of six children. Louisa, his wife, moved her family back to her old home in Bradford, Pererell in Dorchester, England, where she died 5 years later. The eldest son was the 2nd Henry Arthur, and when his father died he was only 8 years old. He was educated at Eton in England, where his younger brother Charles was killed accidentally during cricket practice in 1828. After studying in Trinity College, Cambridge he embarked on a European Tour and in Rome he met Mary Balfour the daughter of James Balfour and Lady Eleanor Maitland, a daughter of the 8th Earl of Lauderdale. Henry and Mary were married in Edinburgh on the 2nd September 1837. Returning to Muckross they lived initially at Torch Cottage, which despite its name, was quite a substantial house. The seven generations that occupied Muckross are believed to have lived in at least four different houses. The original site of the first one is uncertain but it is thought to have been located about half way along the Muckross Peninsula. According to local folklore the Herberts usually planted a walnut tree close to their residence and today an isolated walnut tree stands in the west meadow of the Muckross Peninsula. The 2nd known Herbert residence was sited about 500 metres to the north of the present Muckross House. The foundations and cellars of this 18th century house, which was demolished by Henry in the late 1830s, have recently been uncovered. Torc Cottage was probably a dower house of the estate. This house was demolished in the early 20th century. The stables however survived with part of the foundations of the house visible.
Henry Arthur eventually built the present Muckross House and it was completed in 1843 and Henry became a resident landlord. It was a 65-room mansion. The fine, elegantly furnished rooms portray the lifestyles of the landed gentry, while below stairs are revealed the working conditions of the servants.
The present House was designed by William Burn (1789-1870), a Scottish architect with a reputation for his country house designs. Muckross was built between 1839 and 1843 in the Neo-Tudor style. He designed his houses in which the comfort and privacy of the family were of the utmost importance. The result being separate corridors and staircases for the family, servants and even the children. Generally his plans were only for two story houses with an attic above and a basement below.
Burn had been involved in the building of Whittinghame near Edinburgh, Mary's fathers' residence and as a team of craftsmen and skilled labourers were already assembled there, he brought the whole team with him to Muckross. Cottages, built by the builders themselves for their families still survive today as estate cottages.
Muckross House was designed as a far more ornate building with curvilinear gables, a larger servants wing, and more ornamental details on the facades, a stable block, a summerhouse and an orangery. However in order to reduce costs Mary requested Burn to modify the plans.
At the time Burn used many innovative ideas, viz. the use of cast -iron beams to create larger floor spans over the main reception rooms, early plumbing and central heating and the use of a double wall with a ventilated space in between to eliminate damp. Muckross House was completed in 1843.
A mysterious blight (Phytophthora infestans) struck the country in August 1845; this caused the "Great Famine" because it devastated the potatoe crop, which was the staple diet of the Irish people. Henry Arthur helped his tenants through these difficult years to the best of his ability. The Herbert children were sent to England while the Famine raged. Mary Herbert was actively involved in famine relief. When an outbreak of Typhus, a disease closely associated with famine conditions spread to Killarney, Mary became ill with the disease and returned to England. She did not return to Muckross until 1849 with her children accompanying her.
Henry was an ardent supporter of Sir Robert Peel (founder of the English Police) and was elected to Parliament in August 1847. In 1853 he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of County Kerry and in 1854 Colonel of the Kerry Militia. He remained an M.P. for Kerry until his death in 1866.
The Herbert's enjoyed a very high social profile in Kerry but now it was to be further enhanced, when in 1855 it was confirmed that Queen Victoria of England and her family would visit Killarney in 1861. This was her third visit to Ireland, her first being in 1849 and her second in 1853. She had not visited Kerry before and this time it was included in her itinerary. During their time in Killarney the royal family would stay at Killarney House, seat of the Earl of Kenmare and the owner of the other large Killarney Estate, and also at Muckross House with the Herberts. Preparations for the royal visit were very extensive. Muckross House was completely modified and decorated. New tapestries, silverware, mirrors, linen, musical instruments, china and servants uniforms were purchased. In the Dining Room the curtains, which are still there, were probably woven in Paris. New driveways to the House were built, late summer flowering shrubs and flowers were planted, seats erected at strategic viewing points and new pathways opened up.
In 1861 on Monday 26th August the Queen and her entourage arrived by train in Killarney at 6.30pm. At the station to greet her were Henry Arthur Herbert and Lord Castlerosse of the Kenmare family. Her first night was spent at Killarney House. The next day after a boat trip on the lakes the Queen was escorted by a troop of 1st Royal Dragoons to Muckross. The Queen arrived at Muckross at 6.30 in the evening to be greeted by the Herbert's and a select gathering of ladies and gentlemen, who were admitted to the grounds by ticket only. In a letter dated Friday 30th August, Eleanor one of the Herbert's daughters wrote a letter to her Aunt Jane (her fathers sister who had married William Henry Hare Hedges-White, Earl of Bantry) at Bantry House County Cork and described the Queens arrival as follows: "It was a glorious evening and the finest sunset I ever saw… the steps were covered with red cloth and Mama went to the carriage door with Papa to receive the Queen… after standing a few minutes admiring the view from the Library window the Queen expressed a wish to go to her rooms which were Mama's." An entire section of Muckross House was allocated to the royal party for their private use during their two-night stay.
The Killarney House visit was a state occasion while her stay at Muckross House was a private one. She took a sight seeing tour to Dinis Island, to the top of Torc Waterfall (along a newly constructed road, still known as "The Queen's Drive) and Muckross Abbey, as well as a stag hunt on the lakes. At noon on Thursday 29th of August the Queen left Muckross House and once again was escorted by the 1st Royal Dragoons back to Killarney Railway Station. Before departing the Queen thanked her hosts and hostesses declaring that she would cherish the memory for many years to come.
While the visit by the royal family had been very successful the financial situation of the Herbert's was rather unstable due to the high cost of the visit. Around this time Henry became ill and on the 24th February 1866 was buried in nearby Killegy graveyard. Local folklore said that on his deathbed he requested his son to bury him standing up, as the views from Killegy graveyard over the Lakes had to be more beautiful than Heaven. If one visited his tomb at Killegy it might strengthen this tale, as the vault while not very long or wide is definitely very high.
Henry's son also called Henry Arthur inherited the estate after his father's death; he married the Hon. Emily Julia Charlotte Keane from Cappoquin House County Waterford. Mary Herbert took up residence in London with her two daughters. Mary died in 1893 and was buried in Killegy.
In 1891 Henry Arthur purchased a private railway and steamer and machinery in an effort to chop down the Birch Trees on his estate and turn them into cotton reels. However this never materialized as the mountains were to steep for the railway and the Lake and river to shallow for the steamer. He also borrowed money to re-open the Copper Mines at Muckross again, but in vain. In 1898 Standard Life Assurance Company foreclosed on the Estate. The seven-generation association of the Herbert's with Muckross House ended.
In 1899 the Standard Life sold Muckross House to the first and last baron Ardilaun who was in fact Sir Arthur Guinness. Sir Arthur Guinness had married Lady Olivia Hedges-White whose father was Earl of Bantry and mother was Lady Bantry ie. Jane Herbert sister of the second Henry Arthur Herbert. The property was bought as an investment, letting it out on an annual basis as a shooting and fishing lodge; family connections may have influenced its purchase.
A wealthy Californian named Mr. William Bowers Bourn, owner of the Empire Gold Mine and the Spring Valley Water Co. of Northern California leased the property in 1910. Shortly after that he bought the property for £60,000 and gave it to his daughter Maud (1882-1929) as a wedding gift. Maud married a Mr. Arthur Rose Vincent (1876-1956) of Summerhill, Cloonlara, Co. Clare. He had previously served as a judge in the British Colonial Service. When Mr. William Bowers Bourn built his Californian Home "Filoli" (1916-1919) a site was chosen like the area surrounding the Lakes of Killarney. Here the gardens contained Irish Yew trees, which were brought as cuttings from Muckross, also cuttings of Holly and Myrtle, while the walls of the ballroom were decorated with murals depicting scenes around Muckross.

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