Tuesday July 30 cont.
We have arrived in Killarney, and it looks like a busy afternoon.
First we pop down to a local lake to check out a wee Castle. Are we spotting a bit of a theme here?
Then it’s off to the local stately home. Muckross House. It’s all very “Upstairs Downstairs”.
Apparently they were famous as somewhere Queen Victoria and Prince Albert stayed when they visited Ireland. They had rooms decorated, drapes designed and woven and furniture designed and built, just for the visit. We are told it took six years and vast sums to prepare for a two day visit.
Clearly this was not the time where you could just text ahead for impromptu visits. “Hi guys, thought we’d pop in for a coffee. Hope you’re decent. LOL. Just coming up the drive. See you in a minute. Love Vic and Berty”
It seems that the owners were hoping to impress the royals so much that they would get onto the list for a peerage of some sort. Unfortunately, soon after they went home, Berty died of typhoid fever, and Victoria was too busy picking out her new black wardrobe to remember that little detail. Was it too much of a coincidence? Did Vic somehow blame Muckross for the disease? Regardless, the cost of the visit, along with managerial incompetence, led to the estate going bankrupt.
Next on the agenda was a visit to the Muckross farm. They have set it up to operate pretty much as they did 100 years ago. An interesting wee tour, followed by a locally sourced dinner. Nice.
I had my second Irish Coffee for the day. This could become a habit.
Back to the hotel, and we had a wee stroll around the nearby streets. Very vibrant, a great atmosphere if you’re not a boring old fart like me.
We have arrived in Killarney, and it looks like a busy afternoon.
First we pop down to a local lake to check out a wee Castle. Are we spotting a bit of a theme here?
Then it’s off to the local stately home. Muckross House. It’s all very “Upstairs Downstairs”.
Apparently they were famous as somewhere Queen Victoria and Prince Albert stayed when they visited Ireland. They had rooms decorated, drapes designed and woven and furniture designed and built, just for the visit. We are told it took six years and vast sums to prepare for a two day visit.
Clearly this was not the time where you could just text ahead for impromptu visits. “Hi guys, thought we’d pop in for a coffee. Hope you’re decent. LOL. Just coming up the drive. See you in a minute. Love Vic and Berty”
It seems that the owners were hoping to impress the royals so much that they would get onto the list for a peerage of some sort. Unfortunately, soon after they went home, Berty died of typhoid fever, and Victoria was too busy picking out her new black wardrobe to remember that little detail. Was it too much of a coincidence? Did Vic somehow blame Muckross for the disease? Regardless, the cost of the visit, along with managerial incompetence, led to the estate going bankrupt.
Next on the agenda was a visit to the Muckross farm. They have set it up to operate pretty much as they did 100 years ago. An interesting wee tour, followed by a locally sourced dinner. Nice.
I had my second Irish Coffee for the day. This could become a habit.
Back to the hotel, and we had a wee stroll around the nearby streets. Very vibrant, a great atmosphere if you’re not a boring old fart like me.
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