News
Muckross employees at risk of redundancy
JOBS RISK: The Trustees of Muckross House have implemented a number of cost saving options to ensure the survival of the organisation.
By Anne Lucey
The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is being asked to intervene in a decision to shut down the much loved Muckross Traditional Farms as the fall out from COVID-19 continues to hit tourism.
The farms are to close down indefinitely in September, and will operate on a very limited basis for the next two months, staff have been told.
Meetings are taking place to inform around 25 part-time and 12 full-time employees at the farm attraction that some redundancies are to be expected.
No seasonal staff are being taken on this year and there are cuts in pay across Muckross Farms and the restaurant and craft workshops at Muckross House, both of which are run by a Board of Trustees.
The news which emerged yesterday (Thursday), has come as a shock.
TD Danny Healy-Rae said not only were people going to lose their jobs, but the whole enterprise is the “bread and butter for Killarney” during the summer, autumn and Christmas programmes.
Substantial State money has been invested in the farms and they are a key attraction for Killarney, Mr Healy-Rae said.
“I am calling on Minister Josepha Madigan and the Department to intervene at once and defer the closure and re-look at this. This operation does not have to be profitable,” the TD said.
The 1930s style farm houses, school and organic farming practices using horses, featured strongly in the visit by Prince Charles and Camilla to Killarney in June 2018 during its 25th anniversary.
The royal couple lingered at the farm houses longer than expected and appeared to take greater interest in the traditional way of life of rural Ireland than in the grander Muckross House Museum where Charles’ ancestor Queen Victoria stayed in 1861.
Opened in May 1993, featuring replicas of the houses and crafts north of Killarney, the folk farm seasonal visitor numbers have increased to around 80,000 a year.
In a statement, the Trustees of Muckross House the charity which runs the traditional farms as well as the craft shops and restaurant at Muckross House said the board had deliberated for a long time.
The second half of the year would not be able to recover that lost since March.
'The Trustees have implemented a number of cost saving options and sadly more are required in order to ensure the survival of the organisation. Regretfully the Trustees have placed a small number of employees at risk of redundancy', a statement said.
“We are not immune to this devastating economic fall out,” the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Micheál O’Coileáin said.
It was not feasible to keep going in the current guise, he said, and there had to be serious restructuring. The Trustees were having to cut their cloth according to measure, he added.
Badly affected by the closure of the past months, the farm’s entertainment side was also affected by the downturn in corporate coach business and it may be two to three years before that business is recovered.
Around 70 staff between the restaurant and crafts in Muckross House and the traditional farms were employed. In addition 20 seasonal staff are usually taken on.
The concern was if matters were allowed to continue then all jobs would be threatened, Mr O’Coileáin said.
For July and August, because of social distancing and staff safety requirements, the farms will be free of charge (a family ticket usually cost €40) and will simply be a walk through area with the houses closed as well as the pet and playground areas.
The attraction is set to close indefinitely from September, the chairman confirmed.
It is not clear what will happen with the farm animals including the much loved Clydsdales horses and Irish Wolfhounds.
In a statement the Department of Culture Heritage and the Gaeltacht said:
'The Traditional Farms is a commercial venture run by the Trustees of Muckross House not this Department. Any queries in relation to this matter should be directed to the Trustees. The decision with regard to future operation of the Farms was a commercial decision of the Trustees and not one the Department was party to'.
Felicity’s Summer in Killarney — Chapter 6
A weekly series from Killarney Advertiser’s Jess Jukes
Felicity and Auntie Sheila went to meet Jack feeling refreshed and rejuvenated after their time at the spa. He was already sat at a table when they arrived.
“How was that?” he asked. “Oh it was lovely! Between the hiking the other day and the spa I feel like a new girl!”
They all sat and chatted quietly while they were served their tea and nibbles. There was still no news about Anthony, the hiker they had helped off Carrauntoohil. Auntie Sheila mentioned the annual garden competition in Hedgerow Place, and joked about how she would have to put Felicity and Jack to work in order to have the garden ready in time.
“Even if I don’t win anything,” she said, “Mrs Flaherty is sure to complain if my garden isn’t a pristine background for when they photograph her tulips.”
Felicity grinned and said “You talk as if she’s already won, but Mr McCarthy from No. 48 will give her a run for her money.”
The rivalry between Mrs Flaherty and Mr McCarthy was legendary within Hedgerow Place and the neighbouring estates. Mr McCarthy kept garden gnomes to decorate his lawn, and Mrs Flaherty despised them. She often loudly compared them to little devil-spawn.
Felicity, Jack and Auntie Sheila sent the afternoon quietly giggling and soaking up the atmosphere of the hotel. The tranquillity of Aghadoe was a marvel, especially so close to town. After enjoying the food and tea the trio made their separate ways home.
Felicity retreated up the creaky stairs to the guestroom, a small box room at the back of her aunt’s house. It was cosy inside, plush blankets covered the bed and a wardrobe stood in the corner. The lace curtained window let beams of light into the room, illuminating dust in it’s path.
Felicity was about to settle into the desk chair when she heard a loud meow. She paused, and sure enough she heard it again. After a few minutes of searching she found Socks inside her wardrobe. She had no idea how he had gotten there. She laughed as she scooped him up, giving him a cuddle and plonking herself down on her chair.
Felicity was enjoying the summer in Killarney. It was far from what she had expected, but she found that she didn’t mind. It would be a shame to leave Auntie Sheila’s when summer ended. At the start of the summer Felicity had worried over her parents banishing her to Kerry, but now she found she wouldn’t mind spending more time here in the future.
Felicity found that she greatly preferred Killarney to Dublin. Killarney was more friendly and bright. The air was cleaner and it was more relaxed.
She gently manoeuvred around Socks and opened her laptop. Talking about potential career paths to Auntie Sheila earlier today had left an impression. With how much she enjoyed Killarey, it was well worth considering basing her next steps here. Maybe she would send in that application after all.
Festival Time
A few days passed, and there was still no news in the Killarney Advertiser about Anthony. However, there were ads a-plenty. Summer was here and organisations were advertising festivals and events all over the town. One that caught Felicity’s eye in particular was Bikefest.
The hype around the event was incredible, and when she asked Jack about it he told her it was one of the best weekends of the year, as long as you weren’t trying to drive anywhere. Auntie Sheila gleefully agreed, saying she would much rather be at a tribute band concert singing her heart out than stuck in traffic orders of magnitude worse than the regular fare.
When Felicity had expressed interest in attending, Jack and Auntie Sheila had immediately pounced on the idea. They were checking the weather, looking for the line up in the Advertiser and discussing where to eat. It was decided that they were all going to go on Sunday and spend time in the sun listening to the live music. Jack and Felicity were determined to get Auntie Sheila onto some of the rides, much to her dismay.
On Sunday morning Auntie Sheila and Felicity met Jack at the bottom of the estate to watch the bike parade before retreating inside for a hearty Irish breakfast.
By the time they left the sun was shining in the sky, warm yet gentle with the light breeze that accompanied it. It felt like being hugged by the sun. As they left the estate, Jack turned around. “Sheila,” he asked, “is that your cat following us?”
Indeed, Socks was trotting behind them following them out of the estate. Auntie Sheila didn’t even glance back. “Almost definitely. Socks likes a good walk, don’t you Socks?” The cat stopped and meowed at them, as if denying any such thing.
Socks continued to slink along the pavement as far as Randles Townhouse before he disappeared into the housing sprawl.
The crowds of people at Bikefest were immense. It was hands down the busiest Felicity had ever seen. All ages could be seen around the festival. The group did a few round of the stalls, picking up little keepsakes. Auntie Sheila bought herself a new ACDC t-shirt.
They were standing near the entrance watching one of the organised ride-outs depart when Jack tilted his head. “Do you smell that?” he asked Felicity. She shook her head, but he was too busy peering over the crowd to see it. She saw his eyebrows shoot up as he left her and her aunt, making a beeline towards something Felicity could not see.
She said goodbye to her aunt, who laughed softly at her predicament. Felicity sighed in return and followed after Jack, wondering what sort of trouble they’d find themselves in next.
Herbert descendants visit Muckross House
Scott and Sandra Patterson recently visited Muckross House and Gardens to explore their family heritage, meeting with Muckross House Research Library archivist Patricia O’Hare.
The couple are the great-great-grandchildren of Charles Herbert (1842-1891), the second son of Colonel Henry Arthur Herbert and Mary Balfour. Following their marriage in 1837, Colonel Herbert and Mary Balfour moved to Killarney and began construction on the current Muckross House, which was completed in 1843.
The family, which included children Eleanor, Henry Arthur, Charles, and Blanche, spent much of the Great Famine years in England. Photo: Valerie O’Sullivan
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