The People Who Helped Shape Kenmare

Patrick’s father, Bobby Hanley, is remembered by many as the man who, alongside his wife Breda, welcomed guests to The Lansdowne Arms for almost three decades. But Bobby’s contribution to Kenmare extended well beyond the hotel. He was also involved in the town’s tourism and development efforts at a time when a dedicated group of local people were working to protect Kenmare’s heritage, celebrate its history and create opportunities for its future.

Their work helped lay foundations that are still part of the town we know and love today and these stories remind us what a community can achieve when people come together with a shared vision. For our family, this is one of those stories.

Bringing the history of Kerry to life

Bobby’s love of local history was not confined to meetings, committees or heritage projects. For many years, he also shared that knowledge directly with the visitors who came through the doors of The Lansdowne.

Long before the modern language of 'experiential tourism', Bobby understood that visitors wanted more than beautiful scenery. They wanted to know the stories behind the landscape, the people who had lived there and the events that had shaped this extraordinary corner of Ireland.

From The Lansdowne, Bobby and Breda helped organise tours throughout Kenmare and the surrounding region, and Bobby became known for sharing the history of the places along the way.

The routes themselves read almost like a map of the cultural history of South Kerry and West Cork.

There were journeys around the Beara Peninsula, travelling through some of the most dramatic landscapes in Ireland, along with excursions through the Healy Pass, Glengarriff and the Caha Mountains.

Visitors could explore the Ring of Kerry, with its extraordinary combination of mountains, Atlantic coastline, villages and ancient history, while other excursions travelled towards Derrynane, the ancestral home of Daniel O’Connell.

Tours also took guests to Killarney and Muckross, to Bantry House, and towards Gougane Barra, with its association with St Finbarr and its famous oratory.

Older Lansdowne material even advertised tours that could be booked directly through the hotel to Glengarriff, Killarney and the Ring of Kerry.

For Bobby, however, these were never simply sightseeing trips.

The landscape provided the backdrop, but the stories were what made the journeys memorable.

He understood the history of the towns and villages, the great houses, the political figures, the old roads, the families and the traditions that connected one place to another. Visitors were not simply shown Kerry and West Cork. They were given a sense of why these places mattered.

Tourism before the phrase 'local experience'

It is interesting, looking back now, to realise how instinctively Bobby understood something that has become central to tourism today.

Modern visitors increasingly look for authentic experiences, local knowledge and a deeper connection with the destination they are visiting. Bobby was doing exactly that decades ago.

The tours operated from The Lansdowne were rooted in place. They introduced visitors not only to the famous scenery of the Ring of Kerry and Beara Peninsula but also to the history, folklore and personalities of the region.

That tradition of storytelling is an important part of The Lansdowne’s history in its own right.

It also explains why Bobby’s involvement in Kenmare’s heritage and tourism organisations was such a natural extension of his work at the hotel. He had seen first hand how interested visitors were in the history of the area and how valuable it was to preserve and share that knowledge.

For Bobby, heritage was never something that belonged solely in an archive.

It belonged in the landscape, in conversation, in the stories told on a journey around the Beara Peninsula or the Ring of Kerry, and in the memories visitors carried home with them.

A day out, the Lansdowne way

The tours were also a wonderful example of Bobby and Breda working together, each bringing their own talents to the experience.

While Bobby shared the history and stories of the places they visited, Breda made sure that the guests were beautifully looked after throughout the day.

She would prepare delicious cold plate lunches for the guests to take with them on their excursions. There was something very special about enjoying a carefully prepared lunch in the middle of a day exploring the Beara Peninsula, the Ring of Kerry or the beautiful countryside surrounding Kenmare.

And the hospitality did not end when the tour returned to the hotel.

Guests would arrive back at The Lansdowne to enjoy cream tea, before later sitting down to a beautifully cooked evening meal prepared by Breda.

It was a complete day of Irish hospitality, from the moment guests set off in the morning until they returned to the comfort of the hotel that evening.

Bobby provided the stories, the history and the sense of adventure. Breda provided the food, the warmth and the welcome that made guests feel so well cared for.

Together, they created experiences that were about much more than sightseeing. They gave visitors a genuine connection with Kenmare and the surrounding region, while making The Lansdowne feel like a home from home.

Looking back, it is easy to see why so many guests returned year after year. The scenery may have brought them to Kerry, but it was the people, the stories and the hospitality that made the memories last.

A vision for Kenmare

In the years before Kenmare became the internationally recognised destination it is today, much of the work of promoting the town was carried out by local people who gave their time, energy and expertise voluntarily.

Bobby was among those involved in that earlier generation of tourism and development work. Together with his colleagues, he understood that Kenmare’s appeal was about much more than its beautiful scenery. Its history, architecture, traditions, crafts and community were equally important parts of its identity.

The group’s commitment to heritage and history was extraordinary. They recognised that preserving the past was not simply about looking backwards. It was about giving Kenmare a stronger future, creating reasons for visitors to explore the town and ensuring that local traditions would not be lost.

One of the most important examples of that spirit can be seen in the story of the Carnegie.

The Carnegie: From a forgotten hall to a cultural landmark

Today, the Carnegie Arts Centre is one of Kenmare’s most treasured cultural spaces. It is difficult to imagine the town without its theatre, concerts, exhibitions, cinema and community events. Yet its future was once far from certain.

The original Carnegie Library and community hall opened in 1916, following a grant from the Scottish American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. In its early years, it was a place of learning and gathering, hosting Irish language classes, first aid sessions, concerts and dances.

The building suffered greatly during the turbulent years of the early twentieth century. It was occupied by the British Army in 1921 and burned during the Civil War in September 1922. Reconstructed in 1924, it returned to community use, but over the following decades its role gradually diminished and the hall eventually fell into disrepair.

By the late 1990s, a small group of local visionaries recognised that Kenmare needed a dedicated theatre and arts facility. They set about turning the old Carnegie Hall into a place where music, drama, dance, art and Irish culture could flourish once again.

It was an ambitious undertaking, requiring determination, fundraising, planning and the support of the wider community.

Garrett Power and the drive to make it happenBobby Hanley

One of the people who deserves particular recognition is Garrett Power, the former principal of Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine.

The Kenmare Chronicle 2024 records that Garrett spearheaded the drive for funding to realise the Carnegie Arts Centre. His leadership was fundamental in helping transform the vision into reality, and the project finally came to fruition in 2008.

The centre was officially launched in November of that year, giving Kenmare a purpose built cultural venue within one of its most historic buildings.

It was a remarkable achievement, but like so many successful community projects, it was the result of many people working together over a number of years. The vision, persistence and voluntary commitment of that generation deserve to be remembered.

Preserving more than buildings

The same spirit of community development can be seen in the revival of Kenmare Lace, another extraordinary part of our town’s heritage.

By the late twentieth century, the traditional craft was in danger of disappearing. In 1989, Nora Finnegan became involved through a local development association and approached the Poor Clare sisters to learn the techniques.

Sr Frances agreed to teach Nora, who in turn passed the skills on to other local women. From those lessons, a cooperative was established with the aim of reviving Kenmare Lace, creating employment and developing the craft as a visitor attraction.

It is a wonderful example of what heritage preservation can mean in practice. A tradition was not simply recorded in a book or placed behind glass. It was taught, shared and brought back into everyday life.

Today, Kenmare Lace remains an important part of the town’s cultural identity, and its survival is a tribute to the people who recognised its value and worked to protect it.

A personal connection to The Lansdowne

Bobby and Breda purchased The Lansdowne Arms in 1972 and ran the hotel until 2000. Patrick grew up here, surrounded by the people, stories and traditions of Kenmare.

For Bobby, hospitality and community were closely connected. Welcoming visitors to the hotel was one part of the story, but so too was helping to promote the town and supporting the people and projects that made Kenmare special.

That connection is particularly meaningful to us now that Patrick and I have returned to The Lansdowne. We are fortunate to be custodians of a building with such a long history, but we are equally conscious that the town around it has been shaped by generations of people who cared deeply about its future.

Bobby’s involvement in that earlier chapter of Kenmare’s development is something of which our family is very proud.

Looking back through the RTÉ archives

We were delighted to come across an RTÉ archive feature entitled Plans for Kenmare,

which offers a fascinating glimpse into an earlier period of the town’s development.

The footage is a reminder of the people who were willing to put themselves forward, share ideas and work together to improve Kenmare. It is particularly special for our family to have this connection to Bobby and to hear the voices of that generation again.

We have included the archive feature below for anyone who would like to take a look.

Watch the RTÉ Archives feature: Plans for Kenmare https://www.rte.ie/archives/2025/0624/1520089-plans-for-kenmare/

A legacy that continues

The Carnegie Arts Centre, the preservation of Kenmare Lace and the many other heritage and community initiatives that have developed over the years are reminders that a town is shaped not only by its buildings, but by the people who believe in it.

Bobby Hanley, Garrett Power and their fellow volunteers were part of a generation that gave generously of their time and worked with a genuine sense of purpose. Their contribution deserves recognition, as does the work of the many others whose names may not always appear in the history books.

Today, Kenmare continues to benefit from that same spirit of volunteerism. Whether through tourism, the arts, heritage, festivals, community organisations or local businesses, people are still coming together to protect what makes the town special and to create opportunities for the generations who follow.

At The Lansdowne, we are proud to have a personal connection to that story. We hope that by sharing it, we can help ensure that the work of Bobby and his colleagues is remembered and that the remarkable legacy of community effort in Kenmare continues to be celebrated.

Because the Kenmare we enjoy today did not happen by accident. It was built, protected and nurtured by people who cared.

And that is a history worth telling.

Further reading

The Carnegie Arts Centre’s official history provides a detailed account of the building and its restoration. The Kenmare Chronicle 2024 includes a history of the Carnegie and records Garrett Power’s role in the funding campaign. The Kenmare Lace and Design Centre also shares the story of the craft’s revival and the local cooperative that helped preserve it.