A Glimpse of The Lansdowne in 1895

Sometimes the best way to understand the history of a building is to see it in miniature.

We recently spent some time looking at this wonderful model of Kenmare as it appeared in 1895, on display at the Kenmare Heritage Centre, and naturally our eyes went straight to The Lansdowne. And what a fascinating glimpse it gives us.

By 1895, The Lansdowne had already been part of life in Kenmare for around a century. Originally established as an inn in the 1790s, the building became known as The Lansdowne Arms and played an important role in the growing tourist route between Bantry, Glengarriff, Kenmare and Killarney.

Look closely at the model and one feature in particular stands out.

You can clearly see the large entrance archway leading through from the street into the courtyard behind The Lansdowne. Long before guests arrived by car, this was a world of horses, carriages and coaches, with travellers arriving in Kenmare after journeys that were considerably longer and more adventurous than they are today.

The archway allowed horses and carriages to pass directly from the street into the hotel yard, where horses could be tended to and travellers welcomed into the inn and it's wonderful to imagine the scene.

Carriages pulling in from Glengarriff or Killarney. Horses being watered and rested in the courtyard. Luggage being carried inside. Guests stepping through the doors of The Lansdowne after a long journey through the mountains.

And all of this was happening at an extraordinary moment in Kenmare's history.

The railway had arrived in Kenmare in 1893, just two years before the town depicted in this model. Across the road from The Lansdowne, the Great Southern Hotel, today's Park Hotel Kenmare, had yet to be built. It would open in 1897.

So this tiny model captures Kenmare right on the cusp of enormous change, when the horse drawn coach was still an essential part of travel but the railway was beginning to transform tourism in Kerry.

More than 130 years later, The Lansdowne is still standing in the same place, still welcoming travellers into the heart of Kenmare.

The horses and carriages may be gone, but there is something very special about knowing that generations of visitors have been arriving through these doors for more than two centuries.

If you are visiting Kenmare, we would highly recommend a visit to the Kenmare Heritage Centre. The 1895 model alone is worth stopping to study, and you may find yourself spotting buildings and streets you recognise today.

It is a wonderful reminder that when we walk through Kenmare, we are walking through layers of history.

And for us, seeing our old house sitting proudly there in 1895 is very special indeed.