Local historian as his say on the canacelation of the 4th of July celebration

By Damien Switzer
Killarney is wrapped in a national park. One half was gifted to us by Americans and, oh yes, the other half was gifted to us by Americans too.
That might sound like a line made for an argument in a pub, but it is not far from the truth.
So when Killarney marks the Fourth of July, it is not saluting a White House administration. It is remembering who helped make the town what it is.
This was never about endorsing a US president, a foreign policy, or any government of the day. In Killarney, the Fourth of July has a local meaning. It is a thank-you to the American people, and especially to Irish-America, for helping shape the town we know.
GENEROSITY
Few towns in the world owe more to American generosity.
The Bourn Vincent gift created Ireland’s first national park in 1932. This was also an American story. William Bowers Bourn was a wealthy Californian businessman who bought Muckross House and its estate, then gave it to his daughter Maud and her husband Arthur Rose Vincent. After Maud’s death, the Bourn and Vincent families presented Muckross House and thousands of acres to the Irish State in her memory. That gift became the Bourn Vincent Memorial Park, the foundation of Killarney National Park.
Later, John McShain and his family added another act of generosity on a scale Killarney still has not fully honoured.
McShain was born in Philadelphia to Irish parents. He became one of the great builders of America. His company worked on the White House restoration, the Jefferson Memorial, the Pentagon, Washington National Airport, the Kennedy Centre and other major projects. He was known as “the man who built Washington.”
He also loved Ireland, lived in Killarney, and gave to this town in ways few private citizens ever have. He acquired Killarney House and the Kenmare Estate, including Ross Castle and Innisfallen Island, then gave Innisfallen to the nation in 1973 and later transferred the estate for a nominal sum so it would become part of Killarney National Park.
Think about that.
Ross Castle. Innisfallen Island. The lakes. Killarney House and Gardens. Thousands of acres of parkland, mountain and shoreline.
Now picture Killarney without them. Picture Ross Castle behind private gates. Picture Innisfallen closed off. Picture the lakes treated as private assets. Picture Killarney House hidden away. Picture no monastery, no house, no gardens, no walks. Would Killarney have become the same town? I do not think so.

HOTELS AND INNS

Killarney had visitors before America arrived in force. A handful of British and European travellers came for the scenery, the lakes, the fishing, the jaunting cars and the romance of the place. Queen Victoria’s visit in 1861 helped put Killarney on the map, and the railway, small inns, hotels and guides helped the industry grow.
But America changed the scale of everything.
In the twentieth century, Ireland became part of American popular culture, wrapped in songs, films, family memory and longing. Bing Crosby’s 1949 song “How Can You Buy Killarney?” captured that romantic image perfectly. Americans came in their thousands, then their hundreds of thousands. They filled the hotels, took the tours, hired the jarveys, drank in the pubs, traced their roots, and carried Killarney’s name back across the Atlantic.
American visitors did not merely arrive after Killarney became famous. They helped make it famous.
The figures tell the same story. Killarney National Park had 1,395,402 visitors in 2024. Muckross House had 983,481. Killarney House and Gardens had 369,492. Together, that gives 2,748,375 visits to NPWS-managed Killarney sites in 2024 alone.
Tourism in Killarney has been valued at more than €400 million a year to the town and surrounding area. It directly employs more than 3,400 people. Those figures mean wages, mortgages, jobs, suppliers, music sessions, small businesses, and full streets.
But this is not only about the mighty dollar.
American tourists come to Killarney to experience something unique. They come for the lakes, the mountains, the Céad Míle Fáilte, the stories, the music, the craic, the park, the town, and the feeling that Ireland and America are tied by something deeper than a transaction. That friendship has been forged over generations.
Whether some like it or not, Ireland has more in common with America than with most nations. Our families crossed the Atlantic. Our songs, surnames, parishes, politics, churches, unions, sports clubs and memories crossed with them. Irish people visit America and are often welcomed with warmth simply because they are Irish. In return, Americans come here and feel at home before they ever unpack a bag.
That is not politics. That is respect. That is friendship.
Yes, people have views on Gaza, Israel, America, and world politics. They are entitled to them. But Killarney’s Fourth of July should not be reduced to a protest. The rebrand came after local pressure over Gaza. Killarney for Palestine objected to the Fourth of July celebration because of American support for Israel, and Killarney Chamber later reframed the event as “A Celebration of Irish and American Friendship.” Chamber said it was not political and had no political affiliations.
That context should be stated fairly. But the question remains: what has that got to do with American tourists?
A family from Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia or California visiting Killarney is not the US government. A retired couple tracing Irish roots is not the Pentagon. A student wearing a stars-and-stripes hat is not writing foreign policy. Ordinary Americans should not be made to answer for Washington, any more than Irish people abroad should be made to answer for every decision made in Dublin.
If every cultural celebration must answer for every government action, where does it end? Ireland marks Africa Day, Lunar New Year, Diwali and many other cultural celebrations without asking ordinary people to answer for every government, conflict or controversy connected to their heritage. That way lies the end of people-to-people friendship.
Americans celebrate St Patrick’s Day across their country. From Manhattan to Los Angeles, from small towns to whole city centres, they give Ireland a day. They wear green, march, play Irish music, claim old family names, drink, dance, and celebrate our small island with affection.

ONE DAY

So what is wrong with Killarney giving them one day?
McShain was not some distant benefactor signing papers from abroad. He lived here. People in Killarney still remember a time when he was in residence and both the Irish tricolour and the Stars and Stripes flew over Killarney House. That image matters. It said, without speeches, what McShain represented: love of Ireland, loyalty to Killarney, and friendship with America.
The Fourth of July in Killarney should be proud, local, and rooted in history. Not crude flag-waving. Not politics. Gratitude.
Killarney should celebrate America because America, and Irish-America in particular, helped make Killarney what it is.