The red brick mansion built during the 1870s, by the Browne family Earls of Kenmare, was destroyed by fire in 1913. The family’s earlier, eighteenth century, house had been demolished during the 1870s. However, its stable block had survived and this was remodelled as the family’s residence and was known as Killarney House.

In 1952 Beatrice Grosvenor inherited the remains of the once great Kenmare Estate from her uncle Gerald, the 7th and last Earl of Kenmare. In the mid-1950s she sold Killarney House with portion of the estate, including Innisfallen island and Ross Castle, to an American syndicate.

In 1960 Mr John McShain of Philadelphia acquired the property for around $300,000.

Earlier History of the Kenmare Estate can be view here.