Killarney

<h3>Thousands of people enjoyed a wide range of talks, tours and exhibitions last weekend which formed part of the fifth annual Architecture Kerry Festival.</h3>
People of all ages were treated to free guided tours of public and private buildings across Kerry as well as lectures and exhibitions aimed at celebrating and showcasing the county’s architectural landscape.
&#8220;The interest and enthusiasm of everyone who attended the events over the weekend was wonderful,&#8221; said Victoria McCarthy, Architectural Conservation Officer with Kerry County Council.
&#8220;We had a full house at Killarney House on Friday for the seminar on the landscapes and demesnes of Kerry and our panel of expert speakers. The tours of the various buildings around the county were also booked out. And there was huge interest in the Lego building competition for children which was hosted by Kerry Libraries.&#8221;
Among the buildings which hosted tours and talks were Aghadoe Coach House, Fenit Lighthouse, Kerry Group, Valentia Slate Quarry and Derrynane House.
Conservation Architect Karol O&#8217;Mahony gave an insight into the restoration and conservation of the historic former Flesk Mills Hydro Works, Killarney. It was the first electric power generation plant in Ireland to provide electricity for public consumption, and operated from 1887 and boasted Killarney had electricity before London &#8211; it was bought by the ESB in 1937. Flesk Mills was originally a flour mill and later a wool and blanket weaving enterprise for the Crimean War.
Karol also gave an insight into the restoration and conservation of Aghadoe Coach House as part of the weekend. Built for Lord Headley in 1828, it has an impressive in scale and shows the design quality of buildings associated with a ‘Big House’. Aghadoe Coach House is now to be incorporated into a new whisky distillery.
Tom Allison, from Sneem, a traditional full-time blacksmith, demonstrated his artistry at Muckross Traditional Farms which hosted a series of Traditional Skills &amp; Crafts event.
Elizabeth Morgan, Landscape Conservation Architect formerly with the OPW, responsible for restoring the gardens of Killarney House, spoke at the ‘Creators, Improvers and Custodians of the Kingdom’s Picturesque Seminar&#8217;, at Killarney House. The seminar explored the designed landscapes and demesnes of Kerry: their history and conservation.
Architecture Kerry is supported by Kerry County Council and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in partnership with the Heritage Council, the OPW, the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland, the Irish Georgian Society, and the Trustees of Muckross House. The event forms part of the Creative Ireland Programme in Kerry.

Thousands fascinated by Kerry's architecture

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