School project to honour owner who donated Muckross House to State

A project to honour a man whose family presented Muckross House and 11,000 acres, which are now make up a large part of Killarney National Park, to the nation has been launched in Killarney.

The Billy Vincent Award is described as a challenge scheme for second-year students in three Killarney schools and is supported by the trustees of Muckross House.

In 1933, Mr Vincent’s father, Arthur Rose Vincent, and grandfather, William Bowers Bourn, donated Muckross House and surrounding lands to the people of Ireland. Muckross then became the Bourn Vincent Memorial Park, Ireland’s first national park.

The project offers an opportunity for three schools to direct their students towards a number of positive educational, sporting, philanthropic and community activities.

There will be a literacy challenge, a numeracy challenge and a philanthropy challenge. The students will fundraise for a local charity and this year’s beneficiary will be South West Counselling Service, Killarney.

There will also be an outdoor challenge in the form of a mountain hike in Killarney National Park. Students will also participate in an environmental event, focused on a targeted clean-up in the park.

As a reward for the successful achievement of the award challenges, each student will receive a certificate in a ceremony to be held in the Old School House, at Muckross House.

Mr Vincent, who died last year, inherited the benevolent and philanthropic heritage of his parents and grandparents. He became a director of The American Irish Foundation in 1972 (later the American Irish Fund).

Also, he was founder of The Ireland Fund of Monaco and served as its president until 2005. He also played a central role in the establishment of The Ireland Fund of France and Germany.

Muckross House trustees chairman Michael Larkin said: “This is a very exciting project for the Trustees and it will greatly enhance our outreach and educational programmes.”