Educational Media Reviews Online

Killarney has long been considered a place of enchantment. Tourism is an industry in Killarney, with a history of over 250 years. Initially, there were no decent roads and no proper inns to encourage visitors, until two prominent local families built up accommodations. This was followed by the use of jaunting cars to take travelers to the nearby lake, followed swiftly by places to supply meals and shops to provide goods for purchase. Killarney was subsequently featured in a travel book as early as the 1830s, which outlined the local sites and described the variety of vegetation - the woods with oaks, junipers, and the Killarney fern. Romance writers such as Lady Chatterton, MacCauley, and W.M. Thackeray wrote of the beauty and charm of the region. Lord Alfred Tennyson honeymooned there and wrote of it in his poetry. Nestled between mountains and lakes, the area was described as a "region of enchantment." In 1853, the speed and regularity of rail travel made the journey to Killarney possible for many people. In 1861, Queen Victoria's 4-day stay boosted the area's popularity by the media coverage that accompanied her visit. Visiting Killarney became the ideal Victorian holiday, for it offered activity and exhaustive sight seeing, considered essential in any family vacation. As more was written about Killarney, misconceptions held by Englanders were dispelled. A souvenir trade grew up to meet the expanding pool of visitors, including wood inlaid furniture, which was a featured craft. In 1895, the first package tour from the United States arrived, due in large part to Tom Cook's Travel brochure. This was followed by an organized advertising campaign achieved through the production of pictorial cards. Frenchman Louis Anthony used a team of photographers who peddled on bicycles, carrying their cameras and tripods, nine miles to the lakes to take scenic pictures, which were then sold to tourists. The power of the pictorial postcards, and later color post cards, was enormous and greatly increased tourism to Killarney.

The Victorian holiday era ended with World War I, and the decline of Killarney's tourist trade was further exacerbated by the Irish rebellion, followed by martial rule. In the 1920s, the touring car revolutionized travel, which started up tourism to Killarney once again - until the global depression of the 1930s, and then World War II. In 1932, the Bourne-Vincent family left 11,000 acres of land to the state, which became the Killarney National Park, which conserves the native plants and animals and provides access to the public. A resurgence of tourism came in the 1950s with radio trains and the concept of "day trips," since not everyone had their own cars, which brought people to Killarney 3 times a week. This mode of transportation brought 400-500 people each week to shop, eat, and see the sights. A marketing campaign was launched using colorful advertisements and post cards to once again promote the beauty of this region.

This is not so much a travelogue, but, as the title states, a history of tourism to one of the loveliest areas in the world: a little bit of heaven named Killarney. Highly recommended. Audience level: Int. - Adult.