John McShain was once the biggest building contractor in the US. He reconstructed the White House and built the Pentagon. He died in Killarney in 1989 and his wife Mary Horstmann McShain died there in 1998.
The couple were race horse enthusiasts and their horses won the Ascot Gold Cup, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and other major races.
Originally part of a syndicate, they bought the estate of the Earls of Kenmare in the 1950s.
From the early 1970s, the McShains began gifting many of the priceless gems which now form the Killarney National Park, including two of the lakes and the medieval monastic island of Inisfallen and the historic Ross Castle. Later, they handed over thousands of acres of woodland and pasture for a nominal sum but retained life tenancy of Killarney House. Before signing the agreement they insisted the house and lands would be incorporated into Killarney National Park in perpetuity. The last remaining 21 acres were given to the State just two years ago.
Yesterday Ms McShain said her parents would be "heartbroken" to see the house they had loved and restored so neglected. "The house meant a great deal to them. It was the home they chose to die in. They loved it greatly," she said.
Ms McShain was speaking from her home in Philadelphia on the Radio Kerry Kerry Today programme with Deirdre Walsh, after friends visiting Killarney sent her photographs of her once beautiful home.
She said she was "sad and disillusioned" with the Irish Government over the neglect of the house and to see paint peeling off the walls was a "disgrace". The family had been told by the Government the house would be restored and she was "horrified" to hear that squatters were now living in the house. "We had hoped it would be opened to the public and to tourists who also could enjoy it as we had for over 40 years," she said.
She and her friends in America were puzzled that in the age of the Celtic Tiger, when Ireland was doing so well economically, the house could not have been restored.
A statement from the Department of the Environment and the NPWS said "essential works" were under way in consultation with the Office of Public Works, to avoid any deterioration to the fabric of the building. "These works are being funded by the department and include work to treat and prevent dampness, the provision of dehumidifiers to all main rooms on the ground floor and other important trench and draining work." Works to the surrounds had already been done, the statement said.