Muckross House is a Victorian Mansion set against the panoramic beauty of Killarney National Park. We suggest vising here before you go on your guided tour of Dingle rather than on your guided tour of The Ring of Kerry. The house stands close to the shores of Muckross Lake, one of Killarney's three famous lakes.
The Mansion was built for Henry Arthur Herbert and his wife, the artist Mary Balfour Herbert. Many of her lovely watercolors are on display in the house. This was the fourth house that successive generations of the Herberts had occupied at Muckross over a period of nearly two centuries. The well-known Scottish architect, William Burn, was responsible for the design of the building. Construction commenced in 1839 and was completed six years later. Originally it was intended that Muckross House should be a bigger, more ornate building. The drawings for bigger servants' quarters, stables, orangery, and summer house are believed to have been altered at Mary's request. Today the main rooms are furnished in period style and portray the elegant lifestyle of the nineteenth-century wealthy. In the basement, one can imagine the hustle and bustle of servants and housekeepers as they went about their daily tasks. Many visitors draw parallels and similarities between Muckross House and Downton Abbey
The house is surrounded by extensive and beautiful gardens which were undertaken in preparation for Queen Victoria's visit in 1861. The Sunken Garden, Rock Garden, and Stream Garden were developed later on.
