George Ross Hotel Keeper Muckross Hotel
George Ross, son of John Ross (1763-1844), a gamekeeper on the Haddo Estate, near Tarvesand
and Isobel Rose Ross (1780 to 1841). George was a gamekeeper in the Parish of Old Deer and
married Elizabeth Cruden in the Parish of Macduff in Scotland in 1836. His parents are buried in
Tarves, Aberdeenshire together with his brothers Hugh, William and Alexander and his sister
Isabella.*
George Ross married 11.06.1836 Elizabeth Cruden
born circa 1808 Gamrie, Banffshire born circa 1815
Old Deer, Scotland Scotland Macduff, Scotland
died 08.12.1874 died 09.01.1885 (70)
at Muckross at Muckross Hotel
George brought his young family to Killarney and went to work for the Herbert family in Killarney
circa 1843.
The Prince of Wales visited Killarney in 1858 and George Ross acted as cockswain on the Prince’s
barge and accompanied the Royal party on several excursions. His Royal Highness wanted George
Ross to get a substantial gratuity for his services but Mr Ross respectfully declined. On his return
home the Prince commanded Sir Charles Phipps to forward on a silver spirit flask and goblet with
the crest of the Prince of Wales engraved “George Ross”.
In July 1870 George Ross applied for a spirit Licence for the Muckross Hotel and it seems that the
family carried on as proprietors of the Muckross Hotel until Margaret Ross wife of John Ashton Ross
died in 1946.
The Muckross Hotel at Cloghereen was one of two hotels in the village. It was originally called the
Herbert Arms and was run by Edward Roche. In 1832, his wife took over the lease which had been
demised by Peter Dumas in 1807 and it was known as Roches Hotel until 1864. The Hurleys,
relations of the Roches ran it for a number of years and in 1866 James Egan purchased the lease and
it traded as the Muckross Lake Hotel and could accommodate about 80 persons. James Egan was
the owner of the Arbutus works which turned out Killarney marquetry furniture. When the Prince of
Wales visited in 1858, he bought a chess table from James Egan who kept caged mountain eagles in
the upper room of his workshop as an attraction.
The competition was O'Sullivans Hotel known as O'Sullivan's Herbert Arms. It opened as a hotel in
1850 having been 'fitted out', up until then it had been a boarding house. This led to some devious
practices by the owners when collecting guests from the train station in Tralee. In 1868 Arthur
Herbert of Muckross Castle took a court case to eject James Egan and by 1870 the Ross family had
taken over the management of the hotel and the name reverted back to The Muckross Hotel. The
hotels were in close proximity of the entrance to Muckross Demesne and both had free access to the
Parkland.
Mary Anne Ross born circa 1802 Scotland unmarried aged 99 years was living at Muckross in 1901.
She was possibly a sister of George.
1 Mary Ann Ross born 10.03.1837 at Old Deer, Aberdeenshire, Scotland daughter of a
gamekeeper. Mary Ann was living at the hotel in 1911 and died unmarried on 24.03.1918
aged 81 years at Muckross.
2 Elizabeth Ross 2nd daughter born 22.06.1839 at Old Deer, Aberdeenshire married Thomas
William Greany on 16.10.1876 in Killarney Parish Church. Elizabeth died on 07.11.1879 aged
40 years at Muckross.
1 Louisa Greany born 06.10.1879 at Muckross.
Thomas a House & Land Agent then married Elizabeth Neill daughter of James Neill in 1884.
1 Helen Greany born 19.11.1885 at Muckross.
2 Elizabeth Greany born 13.08.1888 at Muckross.
3 William Ross born 27.02.1842 at Old Deer, Aberdeen of Lower Road Cork, Station Master of
Great Southern and Western Railway married Annie Lennie daughter of Jerome Lennie of
Cork on 13.04.1871 at the Presbyterian Church, Cork.
1 Margaret Ross born 25.01.1872 at 46 Lower Glanmore Road.
2 George Ross born circa 1874.
3 William Ross born 10.01.1875 at 46 Lower Glanmire Road.
4 Henry Ross born 29.06.1877 at 46 Lower Road.
5 Helena Ross born 31.10.1880 at 46 Lower Road.
6 Margaret Eveleen Ross born 21.07.1881 at 1 Woburn Place.
7 Percy Ross born 27.03.1883 at 46 Lower Road.
8 Isabel Ross born 17.12.1890 at Lower Road.
4 John Ross born circa 1844 married Elizabeth Ashton daughter of John Ashton on 19.04.1871
at Killarney. John died on 06.06.1887 aged 43 years at the Muckross Hotel. Informant
Thomas Greaney. Elizabeth then ran the Hotel until her son John Ashton Ross took over.
Elizabeth died on 26.05.1916 aged 70 years at Muckross Hotel.
1 Isabel Ross born 08.12.1874 at Cloghereen married Robert A Williams a Constable in
the RIC son of Robert Williams on 17.10.1900 at Killarney. Isabel visiting with her
sister Emily in 1911.
1 Dorothy Emily Williams born 28.09.1901 at Muckross.
2 Emily Mary Ross born 19.01.1872 at Muckross married James Jacques RIC
constable son of John Charles Jacques on 25.09.1894 at Killarney.
1 Catherine Isabel Jacques born 16.02.1896 at Muckross.
2 Henry Ross Jacques born 12.12.1897 at Muckross.
3 Elizabeth Alice Jacques born 30.04.1900 at Annemount.
4 Hilda Jacques born 15.04.1903 at Glouthane.
5 Emily Mary Jacques born 03.11.1906 at 48 Quaker Road, Cork.
6 James Jacques born 10.08.1908 at 3 College Road, Cork.
3 John Ashton Ross born 07.08.1878 at Cloghereen a Hotel Keeper married Margaret
Joy of Parknasilla daughter of Maurice Joy a Hotel Proprietor on 27.01.1921 at the
Roman Catholic Church in Sneem. John died on 27.11.1921 aged 43 years at the
Muckross Hotel. Margaret continued running the hotel until her death on 14.01.1946
aged 63 years at the Muckross Hotel.
4 George Steele Ross born 02.09.1876 at Cloghereen a Bank Clerk married Elizabeth
White daughter of Joseph White MD on 19.11.1919 at the Roman Catholic Church at
Corbally, Woodstown.
5 Isabella Ross born circa 1851 living at Cedarmount, Dundrum at the time of her marriage with
the Dickie Family married John Gaffikin of Belfast on 08.11.1887 at Taney Church. John a
butcher died 24.10.1907 at Muckross House, Mytlefield, Belfast. Isabella died on 28.10.1934
at 46 Tinto Road, Newland, Glasgow.
* Additional Information supplied courtesy of Steve Smythe, a descendant of the family.
©June Bow & Karen Poff – May 2020, updated August 2020.
George Ross, son of John Ross (1763-1844), a gamekeeper on the Haddo Estate, near Tarvesand
and Isobel Rose Ross (1780 to 1841). George was a gamekeeper in the Parish of Old Deer and
married Elizabeth Cruden in the Parish of Macduff in Scotland in 1836. His parents are buried in
Tarves, Aberdeenshire together with his brothers Hugh, William and Alexander and his sister
Isabella.*
George Ross married 11.06.1836 Elizabeth Cruden
born circa 1808 Gamrie, Banffshire born circa 1815
Old Deer, Scotland Scotland Macduff, Scotland
died 08.12.1874 died 09.01.1885 (70)
at Muckross at Muckross Hotel
George brought his young family to Killarney and went to work for the Herbert family in Killarney
circa 1843.
The Prince of Wales visited Killarney in 1858 and George Ross acted as cockswain on the Prince’s
barge and accompanied the Royal party on several excursions. His Royal Highness wanted George
Ross to get a substantial gratuity for his services but Mr Ross respectfully declined. On his return
home the Prince commanded Sir Charles Phipps to forward on a silver spirit flask and goblet with
the crest of the Prince of Wales engraved “George Ross”.
In July 1870 George Ross applied for a spirit Licence for the Muckross Hotel and it seems that the
family carried on as proprietors of the Muckross Hotel until Margaret Ross wife of John Ashton Ross
died in 1946.
The Muckross Hotel at Cloghereen was one of two hotels in the village. It was originally called the
Herbert Arms and was run by Edward Roche. In 1832, his wife took over the lease which had been
demised by Peter Dumas in 1807 and it was known as Roches Hotel until 1864. The Hurleys,
relations of the Roches ran it for a number of years and in 1866 James Egan purchased the lease and
it traded as the Muckross Lake Hotel and could accommodate about 80 persons. James Egan was
the owner of the Arbutus works which turned out Killarney marquetry furniture. When the Prince of
Wales visited in 1858, he bought a chess table from James Egan who kept caged mountain eagles in
the upper room of his workshop as an attraction.
The competition was O'Sullivans Hotel known as O'Sullivan's Herbert Arms. It opened as a hotel in
1850 having been 'fitted out', up until then it had been a boarding house. This led to some devious
practices by the owners when collecting guests from the train station in Tralee. In 1868 Arthur
Herbert of Muckross Castle took a court case to eject James Egan and by 1870 the Ross family had
taken over the management of the hotel and the name reverted back to The Muckross Hotel. The
hotels were in close proximity of the entrance to Muckross Demesne and both had free access to the
Parkland.
Mary Anne Ross born circa 1802 Scotland unmarried aged 99 years was living at Muckross in 1901.
She was possibly a sister of George.
1 Mary Ann Ross born 10.03.1837 at Old Deer, Aberdeenshire, Scotland daughter of a
gamekeeper. Mary Ann was living at the hotel in 1911 and died unmarried on 24.03.1918
aged 81 years at Muckross.
2 Elizabeth Ross 2nd daughter born 22.06.1839 at Old Deer, Aberdeenshire married Thomas
William Greany on 16.10.1876 in Killarney Parish Church. Elizabeth died on 07.11.1879 aged
40 years at Muckross.
1 Louisa Greany born 06.10.1879 at Muckross.
Thomas a House & Land Agent then married Elizabeth Neill daughter of James Neill in 1884.
1 Helen Greany born 19.11.1885 at Muckross.
2 Elizabeth Greany born 13.08.1888 at Muckross.
3 William Ross born 27.02.1842 at Old Deer, Aberdeen of Lower Road Cork, Station Master of
Great Southern and Western Railway married Annie Lennie daughter of Jerome Lennie of
Cork on 13.04.1871 at the Presbyterian Church, Cork.
1 Margaret Ross born 25.01.1872 at 46 Lower Glanmore Road.
2 George Ross born circa 1874.
3 William Ross born 10.01.1875 at 46 Lower Glanmire Road.
4 Henry Ross born 29.06.1877 at 46 Lower Road.
5 Helena Ross born 31.10.1880 at 46 Lower Road.
6 Margaret Eveleen Ross born 21.07.1881 at 1 Woburn Place.
7 Percy Ross born 27.03.1883 at 46 Lower Road.
8 Isabel Ross born 17.12.1890 at Lower Road.
4 John Ross born circa 1844 married Elizabeth Ashton daughter of John Ashton on 19.04.1871
at Killarney. John died on 06.06.1887 aged 43 years at the Muckross Hotel. Informant
Thomas Greaney. Elizabeth then ran the Hotel until her son John Ashton Ross took over.
Elizabeth died on 26.05.1916 aged 70 years at Muckross Hotel.
1 Isabel Ross born 08.12.1874 at Cloghereen married Robert A Williams a Constable in
the RIC son of Robert Williams on 17.10.1900 at Killarney. Isabel visiting with her
sister Emily in 1911.
1 Dorothy Emily Williams born 28.09.1901 at Muckross.
2 Emily Mary Ross born 19.01.1872 at Muckross married James Jacques RIC
constable son of John Charles Jacques on 25.09.1894 at Killarney.
1 Catherine Isabel Jacques born 16.02.1896 at Muckross.
2 Henry Ross Jacques born 12.12.1897 at Muckross.
3 Elizabeth Alice Jacques born 30.04.1900 at Annemount.
4 Hilda Jacques born 15.04.1903 at Glouthane.
5 Emily Mary Jacques born 03.11.1906 at 48 Quaker Road, Cork.
6 James Jacques born 10.08.1908 at 3 College Road, Cork.
3 John Ashton Ross born 07.08.1878 at Cloghereen a Hotel Keeper married Margaret
Joy of Parknasilla daughter of Maurice Joy a Hotel Proprietor on 27.01.1921 at the
Roman Catholic Church in Sneem. John died on 27.11.1921 aged 43 years at the
Muckross Hotel. Margaret continued running the hotel until her death on 14.01.1946
aged 63 years at the Muckross Hotel.
4 George Steele Ross born 02.09.1876 at Cloghereen a Bank Clerk married Elizabeth
White daughter of Joseph White MD on 19.11.1919 at the Roman Catholic Church at
Corbally, Woodstown.
5 Isabella Ross born circa 1851 living at Cedarmount, Dundrum at the time of her marriage with
the Dickie Family married John Gaffikin of Belfast on 08.11.1887 at Taney Church. John a
butcher died 24.10.1907 at Muckross House, Mytlefield, Belfast. Isabella died on 28.10.1934
at 46 Tinto Road, Newland, Glasgow.
* Additional Information supplied courtesy of Steve Smythe, a descendant of the family.
©June Bow & Karen Poff – May 2020, updated August 2020.