· Contract awarded to Lissadell Construction Ltd., with work to commence in early January
· Approximately 90 jobs to be created from entire Killarney House restoration project
· Project will restore historic buildings and gardens, making significant contribution to heritage and tourism
Monday, 30th December, 2013—Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, has announced the imminent commencement of the final phase of restoration, refurbishment and new works for Killarney House. The works will commence next week following the formal signing of the works contract by the Minister today. The refurbished Killarney House, in its historic and beautiful setting, will function as a National Park Visitor Centre and will provide an added attraction for visitors to the town.
The visitor centre project will contain three particular aspects. Firstly a newly built extension will house an interpretative centre for the National Park, explaining its significance and importance to the Town and region including information on the major themes of the National park; mountain, wood, water and the human impact on the environment. Secondly, as part of the new build element, the provision of exhibition space will be included to cater for temporary exhibitions, displays and cultural events. Thirdly, a number of reception rooms on the ground floor of the original house will be reinstated to accommodate original furniture currently in storage.
The former Pleasure Grounds and Gardens immediately surrounding the House will also be restored in 2014, creating spectacular landscaped areas that will merge into the natural areas of the Park and which will provide vistas linking the town to the scenery of mountain, wood and water.
It is estimated that the construction and landscaping phases of this project will create in the region of 90 jobs.
Minister Deenihan has welcomed the imminent commencement of this phase of work on Killarney House, commenting:
“Killarney House is a jewel in the built heritage of County Kerry but is also of national importance. I am delighted to announce that this final phase of work is to commence next week. When completed, Killarney House is set to become one of the top attractions in the region for visitors and locals alike. I am very pleased by the number of jobs that will be supported during construction and am confident that beyond construction, the additional tourism footfall created by this project will greatly benefit the local economy and local job creation.”