‘Closure will undermine confidence in tourism’
year and the year after. We have some resources but if they are not adequate we would be broke and have to close all the premises – 75 per cent of our income is gone. It would be reckless and not prudent to run it like always.
He said that trustees hope to open in the future under a different model.
While the Government provided significant funding to develop the tourist attraction alongside Muckross House – and is still the main source of funding for any capital works – trustees said they run the business and like any business must examine the books.
The wage costs according to the board of trustees is €2.5m annually for approximately 90 staff. The current reserves available to the trustees is €2.3m but Mr Ó Coileáin said that this will be depleted this year which is why the decision is being taken. Reserves are also used for capital projects at the Muckross complex including the house, he added.
Mr Ó Coileáin said that of the €7.5m income generated last year on the site, approximately €500,000 of this was profit.
“Wages along with day-to-day running of the farm and crafts and maintenance costs drain much of the funds raised,” he added.
Meanwhile, on Monday Junior Minister Brendan Griffin, who was not informed of the closure directly and only heard of the move through the media, said that the Department cannot step in and help as the trustees are a separate entity. However, he said the state can assist in other ways. “I see this as a very important attraction and I am keen to see how the state can assist,” he said.
However, Mr Ó Coileáin claimed that it is not possible to seek direct support from the State as the trustees do have reserves.
“The arrangement allows the trustees to run the business with the permission of the state. If the company became insolvent the state could step in and take over. We have reserves for one year but next year we would have poor reserves ... Our plan is to stabilise the company financially ... we cannot leave it too late.”
He added that the financial implications of Covid will not just be felt this season but for the forseeable future and argued that the board was being ‘prudent’ in making the decision now.
MUCKROSS Traditional Farms are part of the world famous Muckross visitor attraction in the heart of Killarney National Park. Muckross House, however, is run by the Department of Heritage and Culture and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and no job losses will come into effect at the house.
The trustees are responsible for the Muckross Traditional Farm which includes the old schoolhouse and traditional craft industries at Muckross, including the book-binding and blacksmith, the shop and restaurant. The project was set up originally as an all-encompassing experience, one that would ultimately keep tourists in the Killarney region for an extra half a day.
This agreement was put in place in the 1960s when the Department granted a license to the Trustees of Muckross House (Killarney) ltd, a charitable and voluntary organisation, to run the Muckross tourist attraction.
The trust is responsible for all wages as well as maintenance costs and for funding of projects at the Muckross tourist attraction.
There are up to 90 wages being paid by the trustees which include full-time, part-time and seasonal staff. There are around 30 full-time and part-time staff. The trustees have begun talks this week with affected staff. While there could be as many as 10 full-time job losses, a number of part-time and/or seasonal employees will also be affected.
According to Fáilte Ireland’s list of popular visitor attractions in Ireland Muckross House, Gardens and Traditional Farm boasts more than 550,000 visitors a year.
However, many of those only visit the gardens for free. The official visitors figures for the farm is around 70,000 to 80,000 annually.
Opened in May 1993, Muckross Farm features a number of old-style farm-houses featuring various crafts like bread-making.
The size of these houses is one of the reasons why the farm cannot open fully this year and also why, it was claimed, the decision was made to close as social distancing cannot be maintained in these attractions.
THE potential closure of one of Killarney’s top tourist attractions, Muckross Traditional Farms, undermines confidence in the local tourism industry at a time when it is already under huge strain due to the fall-out from Covid -19.
Local hotelier Patrick O’Donoghue said he is concerned over the wider picture following what trustees say is the ‘indefinite’ closure of the internationally famous farms from September 1 and with it up to 10 job potential losses announced by trustees last week.
“It sends out the wrong message overall,” the Gleneagle Group MD said, adding, “We need tourism infrastructure so this is disappointing”
While he said he understood the trustees’ decision, he warned that Killarney needs people to have the confidence to book essential tours.
“This undermines Killarney’s offerings and creates an uncertainty in consumer minds.”
Disappointment was also expressed by Niall Huggard of the The Lake Hotel who said Killarney needs to be able to offer as many attractions as possible.
“It is a shame to see it closed. It is another attraction that brings people to Killarney .. We need as much tourism infrastructure as we can get.”