President ‘should use Killarney House as summer residence’

A STUNNING 18th-century mansion gifted to the state by a billionaire businessman should be converted into a summer residence for the President, it has been proposed.

Killarney House, a sprawling French-style chateau in the heart of the Kerry tourist town, was donated to the nation in 1998 by the family of Irish-American construction tycoon John McShain.

Now a hotelier has called for the house to be carefully restored and adapted to become the official summer residence for the President.

The initial state plan was to develop the residence, set on five acres of beautifully manicured lawns and walkways, as a visitor and tourist information centre, but the property has fallen into complete decay and is currently sealed off from the public.

There was a public outcry when plans for Killarney House were shelved and the area has now become a magnet for drug users and teenagers on open-air drinking binges.

Kerry hotelier Michael Rosney insists that developing the property as the President’s summer destination would send out a great message that Ireland is a progressive and mature country that is very much open for business.

“The Prime Minister of Britain has Chequers, the President of America has Camp David and the Pope has Castel Gandolfo, so why can’t the President of Ireland have Killarney House?” asked Mr Rosney who, with his wife, Geraldine, owns and runs the Killeen House Hotel in Killarney.

“If this was done five years ago we could have seen the Queen of England being flown into Kerry Airport and we could have had Air Force One touching down in Farranfore in the past few weeks.

“Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see ambassadors presenting their credentials to the President on the lawns of Killarney House with a splendid backdrop of the McGillycuddy Reeks, instead of having to do so in a back room in the Aras?” Mr Rosney said.

The enterprising hotelier said it was a terrible indictment on the country that such a valuable property, had been virtually allowed to rot.

He said the proposal would help counter the serious imbalance between Dublin and the rest of the country and it would be an enormous boost to promoting the value, beauty and importance of rural Ireland.

“This would add significantly to the cultural, social and economic well-being of the country and it would be a wonderful legacy to leave for future generations to be proud of.”

Mr Rosney said the proposal was a personal view rather than a campaign being pursued by the Irish hotels industry, but said he would be greatly encouraged if the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Government would give the matter some consideration.