Great Southern Killarney recently welcomed Nigel West of the Brontë Birthplace Tt, a descendant of Arthur Bell Nicholls, husband of Charlotte Brontë.

The Brontë Brithplace, the house where the author Charlotte Brontë was born is now an educational and cultural centre for the local community in Yorkshire. 
The visit was attended by local artist Dolores Lyne, Mayor of Killarney Martin Grady, and Great Southern General Manager Jamie Power, in an event that highlighted the strong cultural connections between the Brontë family and Killarney.
Patrick Brontë, father of Charlotte, Emily and Anne, was born in 1777 in Emdale, County Down, and grew up in the parish of Drumballyroney near Rathfriland before going on to study at St John’s College, Cambridge. His Irish upbringing shaped his outlook, and in 1818, while living in Thornton, Yorkshire, he published The Maid of Killarney, a poem that reflected the romantic interest in Ireland of the period.
The family’s link to Killarney deepened in 1854 when Charlotte Brontë and Arthur Bell Nicholls stayed at the Great Southern, just days after the hotel had opened. Their visit remains one of the earliest associations between the Brontë literary legacy and the landmark Killarney hotel.
The presence of Nigel West in Killarney served as a reminder of those ties, as well as the wider Irish roots of the Brontë family. Great Southern General Manager Jamie Power said the hotel was proud to continue celebrating its historic connections while honouring traditions that still resonate with the local community today.