Back to future at Killarney House and Gardens as it reopens

One of the few multi-million euro restoration projects to have gone ahead during the economic downturn has been unveiled to the public with the limited reopening of Killarney House and Gardens, yesterday.

The €7m restoration of the house and grounds, once home to the earls of Kenmare, and latterly to the American McShain family, got underway after an outcry about its condition since being left to the State in 1998.

The project, which opens the national park to the town centre, got strong support in 2011 from then minister for Arts, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht, Minister Jimmy Deenihan.