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Muckross Abbey and the strange story of John Drake

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By Sean Moriarty

The Mayor of Killarney, Cllr Michael Gleeson, is asking for the public’s help as he tries to piece together the mystery of man who came to live in the Muckross area in the 18th century.

When Muckross Abbey was unoccupied during the mid-18th century, a man known as John Drake made the abandoned building his home. He slept in a bed made from old coffin boards, in the recess of the Abbey’s fireplace, and wind-proofed the nearby window with earth and rubbish.

He never revealed his business, where he came from, or why he chose to live as his did and was met with equal amounts of curiosity and respect by locals.

“He was said to be under 40 years of age, refined in nature and 'scholarly' in appearance. He never discussed his past, his plans or his reasons for adopting this unusual abode,” Mayor Gleeson told the Killarney Advertiser. “He never asked for alms and was never known to eat in any dwelling other than his own. He had enough money to buy some food and indeed was known to give a halfpenny and his prayers to any person who seemed more destitute than himself.”

He lived in the Abbey for 11 years until one day he disappeared without trace.

“One day in late springtime, John was nowhere to be seen. Just as suddenly as he had arrived to the Abbey he had now disappeared. His 'bed' lay unruffled, but nothing else remained. John had gone quietly into the dark night and was never again seen in Muckross or heard of elsewhere,” added Cllr Gleeson. “The mystery of the unusual life of John Drake in Muckross remains just that - a mystery of a quiet and gentle man who arrived unannounced and departed without trace.”

Some years later a young woman arrived to Killarney looking for the man. Very little is known of the woman, she was reputed to be a foreigner and visited the Abbey and seen to be weeping at Darke’s fireside bed.

If any of our readers have information about John Drake or other curious stories send to them to sean@thekillarneyadvertiser.ie and we will publish some of the more quirky stories as well as pass any clues onto Mayor Gleeson.

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New Streetscapes murals launched at College Square

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A colourful collaboration between the Kerry Local Creative Youth Partnership (LCYP) and the Architecture Kerry Festival at Kerry County Council launched yesterday evening at College Square.

Titled Streetscapes, the open-air public art installation officially opened at 5pm on Thursday, accompanied by a performance from the Killarney Youth Drumming Band THUMP! under the guidance of Urs Wenk from Drum Dance Ireland.


The public art project features a series of wall murals depicting Killarney through the eyes of local children, exploring freedom, play, and potential future evolutions of the townscape.

The artworks reimagine Killarney’s iconic landmarks and streets, blending youthful imagination and curiosity.


Supported under the Creative Ireland Programme, the installation is mounted on the gable wall of Reen’s Life Pharmacy in College Square, where it will remain on public display until March 2027.


Speaking at the launch, Daniel O’Shea, Youth Development Officer at Kerry ETB, stated: “Streetscapes is a wonderful celebration of how children see things. Their creativity brings new perspectives to the townscape, and we are proud to support their ideas and their art through this public artwork.”


Deirdre Enright, Co-Ordinator of the Local Creative Youth Partnership at Kerry ETB, acknowledged the community support behind the initiative: “We are very grateful to Reen’s Life Pharmacy who have shared their built space with us. Huge credit is due to the artistic team from Me+The Moon whose dedication to creativity and to children’s art shine through in this work.”


The project forms part of the annual Architecture Kerry Festival and receives funding through Creative Ireland and the Department of Education and Youth via Kerry ETB and Kerry County Council.


Victoria McCarthy, Festival Organiser and Architectural Conservation Officer at Kerry County Council, welcomed the continued inter-agency project: “It’s always a great event for Architecture Kerry and we are so pleased with this collaboration between public sector organisations. It remains a key feature of the Architecture Kerry programme.”
See next week’s Killarney Advertiser for full photographic coverage of the event.

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Dr Crokes stalwarts enjoy lake cruise

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Dr Crokes stalwarts enjoy lake cruise

Dr Crokes stalwarts enjoy lake cruise

Dr Crokes GAA Club hosted a special day out for its senior members on Monday, this week, taking a group aged between 70 and 90 on a cruise across the Lakes of Killarney.

Organised by the Dr Crokes Healthy Club committee under its Crokes Cruisers initiative, the event was held to recognise the lifetime contribution made by long-standing members who continue to support club activities behind the scenes.
The group travelled on two vessels, including An Cathal, an open boat operated by local brothers Tony and Mike Fleming. Built to preserve the traditional Killarney lake boat style, it is the only purpose-built, fully accessible boat on the lakes, allowing members with mobility issues and wheelchair users to safely join the two-hour trip.
Following the lake tour, the party gathered on shore for coffee and refreshments provided by Derric McMahon and Harry Clifton of the Ross Castle Garden Cafe.
The initiative forms part of the club’s ongoing community work as a Gold Award winner in the GAA Healthy Club programme.

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