The house is not all that exciting and the walk through lasted five minutes. The grounds are very nice with walking trails and water views. Be warned that road in is an Irish local road and you have to be very careful
I imagine that virtually everyone visiting this place is aware of its significance in Irish history - I have to plead ignorance here (and of history in general, not just Irish history).
Anyway, when you arrive you are encouraged towards a small movie theatre where a brief biography of Daniel O'Connell, key figure in the history of Ireland's liberation and owner of Derrynane House, runs continuously. It's kinda cheaply made and it's showing its age, but for someone like me it was an extremely useful introduction.
Thanks to the introduction, the house and artefacts were interesting if not captivating. I guess they do fill in the story of his life, However, that's my personal response - I imagine that for many people, who have grown up with the story of O'Connell, the display is exactly what they wanted to see. I certainly hope so.
A lovely house which, notably with its video, provides a good explanation of the life and work of the liberator of Ireland. Explanations in French are available upon request at reception for details about the rooms.
The supervised parking area next door is a great place to end the day in such a beautiful setting.
Be careful when coming from Waterville; avoid taking the L4014 road down through the village of Caherdaniel to arrive from the lower part of town. The road is far too narrow, and we had great difficulty passing other vehicles as there were very few places to pull over.
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