Hear the story behind the restoration of Killarney’s €10m jewel

Former Minister Jimmy Deenihan, who played a big part in securing funding for the restoration of Killarney House and Gardens, visiting the facility just before it officially reopened with manager Pat Dawson of the National Parks and Wildlife Service and craftsman Seamus Morrissey.
Pictures: Valerie O’Sullivan

THE story behind the restoration of Killarney House and Gardens, at an estimated cost of €10 million, will be told at what promises to be an engaging lecture at the venue itself this Thursday night.

Niall Parsons, a senior architect at the Office of Public Works., will be the guest speaker at the Autumn Talk Series in the Garden Room of Killarney House, commencing at 8.00pm.

Niall was the project architect on the restoration of the former summer home of the McShain family who gifted the 26,000-hectare Killarney National Park to the people of Ireland.

One of the magnificently restored rooms in Killarney House

The massive restoration project, began in 2011, with the beautiful gardens opening in August 2016, followed by the house in 2017, and a hugely impressive interpretative centre in September of this year.

‘’Within the OPW we deal with a wide range of types of building and I have worked on the provision of state accommodation for a wide range of people, from prisoners to presidents,’’ said Niall.

Having a particular interest in historic buildings, he had responsibility for and has carried out works in many notable state-owned historic buildings such as Áras an Uachtaráín, Dublin Castle and the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham.

Niall was the project architect on award winning projects, including, the Irish Architectural Archive, Merrion Square, Dublin and The Hunt Museum in Limerick.

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