The Killarney Reproduction Chess Pieces, the masterpiece from the Camaratta Pre-Staunton Signature Collection. The Chess pieces are heavily weighted with Frank Camaratta Signature Leather base pads under a single King from each army, luxurious billiard cloth base pads on the other Chess pieces and a beautiful finish.

The King stands 4-7/8″ tall with a 1-1/2” diameter base.

The black army is made from Cocobolo, a stunning, dense Central American tropical hardwood known for its vibrant colors
The white army is made of Tulipwood, a popular, beautiful hardwood used for luxury chess sets, prized for its fine grain and ability to take rich colors,.

Some History.
The original Killarney chessmen were turned from Arbutus and Yew woods. “Killarneyware” is the distinctive style of furniture and works of art produced in Killarney and the Gap of Dunloe during the mid-19th century. The use of Arbutus wood (i.e. the wood of the Strawberry Tree) is typical of Killarney. This close-grained wood had been highly valued for centuries in Ireland.

It has been suggested that the original Irish Killarney Chessmen were produced in Killarney from around 1850 until 1870. James Egan working from his workshop on Main Street in Killarney, Ireland, was known to have made the now famous Killarney chessboards. Although there is no rigorous association between his name and the Killarney chessmen, it is almost certain that he would have produced at least a few sets to complement his distinctive chessboards. Jeremiah O’Connor was a fierce rival of Egan. They both competed for and dominated the business of making Killarney Furniture in the 1860s. It is likely that O’Connor also produced a number of Killarney chessmen, although that assumption has never been proven.