JOURNALIST and author Donal Hickey has been appointed as the new chair of the Board of Trustees of Muckross House.
The Gneeveguilla native, who lives in Killarney, joined the voluntary board nine years ago and he succeeds Micheál Ó Coileáin who will remain as joint vice-chairperson along with accountant Marcus Treacy.
Donal said he is hopeful that 2021 will be a much better year for the popular Killarney attraction and he is looking forward to his new role on the board.
The Trustees of Muckross House, formed in 1965, are a registered charity, working in partnership with the State in showcasing the heritage and folklife of Muckross and the Killarney area.
Its members and directors include people from all walks of life who share a common interest in the preservation of the heritage of Muckross House and Traditional Farms, as well as the history and folklife of Kerry.
Killarney National Park
The Trustees work in partnership with the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to manage Muckross House as the focal point and main visitor attraction within Killarney National Park.
For three decades, following its acquisition by the State in 1932, Muckross House remained closed to the public and although there were many suggestions as to how the property might best be utilised, no consensus was reached until a public meeting was held in December 1963 to debate the issue.
Dr Frank M Hilliard put forward the suggestion that the house should be opened to the public as a folk museum and the idea was enthusiastically received.
As a result, a sub-committee of the Killarney Tourist Industry Co-ordinating Committee was established to explore the feasibility of the matter. Following discussions with the then Minister for Finance, Dr James Ryan, the committee was granted Muckross House for an initial trial period of five months.
The House first opened to the public on the 14 June 1964 and in that first short season, 19,500 visitors passed through its doors and in May 1965, the Trustees of Muckross House was incorporated and the then committee members became the first directors.
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