County Kerry- Killarney - Inisfallen - The lakes of Killarney c.1840

A marvellous illustration by William H. Bartlett of Innisfallen Island which is a beautiful island set in the middle of Lough Leane, just 1.5km from Ross Castle in Killarney which we see in the background.

This enchanting island  in the middle of what is now known as Killarney National Park was once home to a monastery dating back to 640 AD. The island was a place of solitude for the monks to reflect and pray. It was founded by Saint Finian ' The Leper". The monks were great scholars, the High King of Ireland Brian Boru was said to have studied on Innisfallen island. Over 300 years, 39 of the Monks wrote what is known now as the Annals of Innisfallen, a history of early Ireland written in Irish and Latin. The Annals of Innisfallen are of major importance for historians. The Annals are currently housed in Oxford, but there is hope that they will soon return to Killarney. The history of Innisfallen Island dates to the same time as the monastery on Skellig Michael and Innisfallen Abbey was occupied for more than 900 years
In this illustration you see ruins of a 12th century Augustinian Priory as well as a Romanesque Church which are remarkable remains of the early Christian period. In the middle distance, between the jetty and Ross Castle, we see a large rock at the entrance to Ross Bay is named "Prison Island" or "O'Donoghue's Prison". According to local folklore, The chieftain who ruled at Ross Castle, O'Donoghue, would chain his political prisoners, or serious wrong-doers, to it. This island rock is now covered in dense trees and shrubbery. While in the foreground some aristocratic well-dressed visitors , in the company of a dog (see close-up detail inset below), are seen taking in the sights of the island on a calm day.

Please note the Pine Green mount board is not as quite dark as it appears in the frame image and the colour of the final print is closer to the detail sample from the picture inset below. 

A beautifully framed reproduction set behind glass with a choice of a pale palm green or pine green suede inner surrounds with a choice of two fine antique style wooden frames;  gold leaf or gold and mahogony gold leaf. Prints are available in A3, A2 and A1 sizes with proportionately larger frames to suit all decor and wall space.

 To see which one you prefer simply select the frame type choice and it will appear in the larger picture above.