An end of an era at Muckross

MUCKROSS HEAD GUIDE AND RESIDENT SEÁN LOONEY STEPS ASIDE AFTER 45 YEARS

IT WAS with some delight that Muckross House head guide and resident Seán Looney heard on the radio five years ago that public-sector workers could continue in their jobs until they were 70. He went from preparing for retirement to jumping back on for another five years. He worked, literally, right up to his 70th birthday, which fell on Friday last, April 12.

That day brought the curtain down on a career stretching back to March 1979, when he originally worked under the House’s trustees. The time since has seen the trustees partner with the Office of Public Works (OPW), he spent time working on both the tourism and educational aspects of the house, and he even became a resident caretaker in 1988. The one constant? The joy of meeting people and working with countless great colleagues: “I went full-time with the guide service in 1987 and became head guide some time after that,” he told The Kerryman. “Among the highlights were the visit of the Queen of Sweden in 1989, and the more recent visit of [the UK’s] Prince Charles, now King Charles.

“But when the ordinary person enjoys their day in Muckross, that’s even more important. “The variety and huge number of people I’ve worked with and met, including students and seasonal workers, it’s difficult to put a number on it, but it’s lots and lots.”

His retirement party on Friday brought National Park and trustee staff together, and the day included a group photo on the grounds of Muckross and tea, coffee, or a glass of wine at a reception in the Great Hall. Seán is now ready and looking forward to retirement even if he has no specific plan as of yet. He does, however, hope to get to some Kerry games, travel a little, and indulge his interest in history with some research over the winter.