October 21, 2023 • 37 mins
Welcome to our enchanting exploration of Ashford Castle in Ireland, a tale that blends history, luxury, and adventure. Join us as we sit down with Niall Rochford, the General Manager, and Shane Brett, the Director of Sales, and hear about their unique journeys in the hospitality industry. Niall's story encapsulates the true spirit of hard work and determination, starting out as a 16-year-old in a bar in Tipperary Town, to now overseeing one of the world's most prestigious hotels. Shane's account of how he joined the Ashford Castle team is equally captivating, and they both highlight the Tollman family's mission to make it the best hotel of its kind in the world.
Ashford Castle isn't just about grandeur, but also about the myriad of experiences and accommodations it has to offer. As we virtually tour the estate with Niall and Shane, we encounter a host of activities that cater to every guest's whims. From the soothing spa, vast wine cellar, and riveting billiards room to Ireland's first falconry school, there's something to keep every guest intrigued. Hear about the Connemara ponies, the chance to take a helicopter ride, and how the team crafts personalized itineraries to ensure that no two stays are the same at Ashford Castle.
Finally, we dive into the rich tapestry of history that is Ashford Castle and its role in making Ireland an incredible year-round destination. Learn about the castle's illustrious owners, including the Guinness family, and the impact of famous visitors such as Oscar Wilde and King George V. We discuss the iconic Quiet Man movie, filmed at the castle, and the philanthropic efforts of the Tollman family through the Treadright Foundation. So, come along on this journey to the heart of Ireland and discover the magic of Ashford Castle.
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Have you ever wondered how the pros put
together epic, tailor-madetravel adventures?
Welcome to the IntrepidTraveler Podcast.
I'm your host, robin Klein, andI'm going to explain to you
just how that is done during myconversation with today's guest.
When it comes to luxuryadventure and expedition travel,
the possibilities are endless.
(00:29):
In each episode, you'll hearfrom an expert in his or her
field about how theseexperiences, and more, are
created.
This episode of the IntrepidTraveler is brought to you by
Klein Co Travel Consultingaluxury adventure and expedition
travel planning companyspecializing in un-Googleable
experiences.
(00:49):
You can find us on the web atKleinandcoattravelcom.
On Instagram, at Klein CoTravel, we have a private
Facebook group you are welcometo join.
You can find us on LinkedIn orcatch the video version on
YouTube.
With that said, let's welcometoday's guest, and today I am so
excited to have two gentlemenwith me from Ashford Castle in
(01:13):
Kong, ireland, correct?
Yes, okay, I love the names ofthe cities and towns in Ireland.
So we've got Niall Rothschild,who is the GM, and we have got
Shane Brett, who is the directorof sales.
So welcome, gentlemen.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Thank you very much for having us, Robin.
We're thrilled to be with youtoday.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Absolutely, absolutely.
No.
I'm really excited to talkabout this.
I haven't ever had anybody onfrom Ireland before and
fortunately, neither of yousound like you're from Cork, so
I think we're going to be okay.
Not that I have anythingagainst Cork, I just have a
(01:56):
really hard time understandingthe people that are from there.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Well, that normally happens after the second glass
of whiskey for every orangeperson.
So you know, I don't thinkwe're there yet.
Maybe that was the problem.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Maybe all the people I know from Cork.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
I met in the pub.
You know I don't know, Niall,you have been there for 21 years
, you said.
So let's just be due toseniority.
Let's start with you and justtell me a little bit about your
journey, how you came to be inthis line of work, which I
always say, instead of callingthis hotels or resorts or
(02:30):
whatever.
I always call it hospitality,because it really truly is, and
obviously, if you've been doingit as long as you have, you have
a great love for it.
So just tell me a little bitabout your journey, how it began
.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Yeah, I mean, I suppose I was very lucky at a
young age, at that 16 years ofage, when I worked in my first
bar in a small town in Irelandcalled Tipperary Town.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
It's a long way to.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Tipperary and the minute I started that job I knew
this was the industry for me,so it was straightaway.
I went into college in Dublin,spent three years in college,
worked a little bit in Chicagoin Dublin, and then I met my way
to a sister property at thetime of Ashley Castle, which was
Dremolund Castle.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Oh right.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
And started there as a junior assistant manager.
And while geographically Ihaven't moved an awful lot, I've
had lots of differentexperiences because within 11
years I had various promotions,met my wife, got married, had
her first baby and became deputyGM of Dremolund Castle At the
time we had a common ownership.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
So 50% of the owners of.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Ashford also own 50% of.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Dremolund.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
And the longstanding GM at the time, ashford Rory
Murphy, who was the top GM ofthe country, decided to retire
and I think you did a lot ofluck in this life.
I was very lucky to be in theright place at the right time
and I knew a lot of the ordersin Asherd.
And, after a pretty intenseinterview process, the
(03:59):
appointment of GM in 2002.
So it's 21 years.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
It's been an incredible journey.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
At one point we had four different owners in five
years.
So it was certainly a hell of ajourney, but then, in 2013, the
Toman family of Red Car Nationhotels purchased the property
and I'd always remember thefirst of June 2013,.
Mr Toman, who unfortunately hassince passed away, stood in the
steps of the castle and we justcome out of receivership, so
(04:30):
really tough days.
And he stood in the steps ofthe castle and said number one,
everybody's job is safe.
Number two, we're debt-free.
And number three, we want tocreate the best hotel of its
kind in the world.
And that was 2013 and by 2015,.
We won Hotel of the Year at theVirtuoso Hotel.
Virtuoso showed in 2015.
(04:51):
So that is an incrediblejourney, continues to be an
amazing journey.
We continue to evolve and todevelop our property, including
people.
Shane will tell you his storyas well, which is a fascinating,
great story as well.
So that's how I'm here, yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Twenty-five years later.
So it's been amazing.
Oh my gosh, that's fantastic.
I love it and I love thelongevity I mean, and the fact
that you stuck with it throughall those changes and everything
.
My brother is in the hotel.
Well, he's more in the hotelindustry than the hospitality,
I'll say, because he's got alittle different role, but
(05:26):
there's just a lot of changesthat happen.
And so that really speakshighly of both you and of the
Coleman family, as well as thosethat you really wanted to see
it through, so I love that.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Right, so I'm just one of a certain amount.
We've got Martin Gibbons, who's49 years, with us.
We celebrated 49 years forMartin last week.
Robert Bowell 36 years.
Catherine Kenny 20.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
He must have started when he was like five or
something.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
There you go, so you know there's.
This property is full ofcharacter and characters.
We've absolutely no shortage ofthose in us, but we also have
new young generation.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Yeah Well, like yeah, perfect, perfect segue.
So, yes, Jane.
So tell us how you came to behere in your role and kind of
your story leading up to beingin the hospitality industry as
well.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Absolutely Robin.
I suppose I didn't quite knowexactly what I wanted to do at a
young age.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Imagine that I can't.
I don't know anybody else likethat.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
For some reason maybe I'd watched too many episodes
of suits or something like thatI decided I wanted to go down a
legal, a legal route and I did afour year law degree in NUI
Galway, the main university inGalway, and finished my degree
and I'm very fortunate I live 25minutes over the road from
(06:52):
Ashford and so I decided youknow what I'm going to take a
year out and figure out what I'mgoing to do with the rest of my
life.
So I applied for a front ofhouse position and, very luckily
, was successful in that.
And my first week here MrRutter mentioned Robert Bowell.
He's been here 36 years.
My first week I met Robert andhe said there's something
(07:15):
addictive about Ashford and atthe time I didn't.
I really didn't read into itall that much, but six, eight
months into it I realizedexactly what he was talking
about.
So I said you know what?
What's?
Another year?
And I spent a year in front ofhouse.
Then I went to guest services,which I absolutely fell in love
with, and progressed to guestservice manager.
(07:36):
So I spent about two and a halfyears in guest services working
in the operation, and it taughtme a huge amount about the
business and then I was very,very fortunate in 2018 to join
the sales team and work with theincredible Paula Cowell, who's
just semi-retired from her roleas director of sales and
(07:57):
marketing, and I spent four anda half five years working with
her and the amazing sales teamand then, more recently, have
become director of sales.
So it's been, you know, eightand a half years of a whirlwind
journey, but I wouldn't change aminute of it, and it's taught
me exactly where I want to be inlife.
(08:18):
So you know, it's weird thatthese things happen, but they
all happen for a reason.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
I think, shane, you forgot one position that you
held as well, which was he wasIreland's not the world's first
Lego butler.
Yes, and we have, we havephotographic imagery to prove
that as well.
So, unfortunately, yes.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Say it again you were the first one.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Lego butler.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Oh, lego butler, Lego butler.
Yeah, oh interesting.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Yeah, I retired from that role, robin.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
But we still have some we still have.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
we still have a Lego butler and, I believe it, on
Disney machine as well, so it'sobviously something you need.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Keeping it, keeping it easy there.
Okay, you have to explain that.
I have some.
I have a few other questionsabout you know, kind of your
journey there, but but I we haveto go down that rabbit hole.
So tell me, exactly what does aLego butler do?
I mean, I'm conjuring things inmy mind, but I want to hear it
from you.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
You know what, robin?
It does exactly what it says onthe tin.
So when you check into yourroom and you have your children
with you, you get it.
You can request a Lego menu.
So it has eight or 10 differentLego sets on it.
So you call down and you saywe'd like this set and Lego
butlers brings into action.
So you put your white gloves on, you get your silver tray, your
(09:31):
Lego butler badge, and youknock on the door.
You announce yourself as Legobutler and it is such a simple
concept, but it is the input.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
I bet the kids just go nuts.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
They do, they do, yeah, and it, you know there
might be a few adults.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
I mean, I even know some adults that still love
their Lego.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Yeah, we've had a few adults that have gone down the
Lego butler roof, so you neverknow.
I think possibly you're Robin.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Yeah, oh my gosh, that's great, that's great.
One thing that I heard in thatand I want to kind of focus a
little bit on is that you have aunique advantage over other
people in sales because you cameup through the ranks in the
actual hotel that you're doingsales for, so you understand the
(10:17):
inner workings of it.
You actually understand theproperty probably better than
you know.
I think a lot of people comeinto their roles no disrespect,
I mean they're amazingsalespeople but it gives you a
little different perspective, Iwould say, and it probably gives
you like a real love and pride.
(10:37):
I would think too in whatyou're when you're talking to
people in that role.
I would say it makes it quote,quote, you know a little bit
easier to sell, quote, quote.
I hate the term, but anyway.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Yeah, it does, robin.
I mean you know the beauty ofhaving that, that operational
experiences, that I can go outand very confidently talk about
what we can do on the estate,but also, as well, you know, and
we reference the people in theincredible longevity of service,
it's here at the castle.
You know that, you know exactlywhy you're doing it.
(11:10):
You know it's for the people ofthe estate and the minute you
walk through the door here, youknow it's.
It's the people that make it soincredibly special, and they
just saw me.
The minute you walk through thedoor, there's no, there's no
other group of people like them.
So, yeah, it is definitely ahuge advantage and Robin.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
I think Shane is under playing.
You know, you know what he didin terms of his operational role
, because what we identifiedvery early on was Shane's
ability to build relationshipswith our guests.
Yeah, so extraordinaryabsolutely extraordinary and
even to this day we have gueststhat come back specifically
because Shane is here or he goesvisit them in New York and
different places like that.
(11:49):
So you know it's great to youknow this is a wonderful
industry, this is a phenomenalindustry and sometimes it gets a
bad rap.
But you know, if you show theright kind of attitude and
aptitude and work ethic, likeShane has and others you know
Shane, carrying in your mention,yeah, the less be these young
kids that are coming into theindustry right now and you show
(12:10):
that it's identified, you canprogress in the industry so
quickly, yeah, and get intoreally great positions.
And and I'm that's one of theone things that I'm most proud
of about, about- Astrocast aboutrecognition actually as well
and most definitely you knowthat, that you know we identify
talent very early on and we givethem a pathway to get to
(12:30):
positions like Shane has got to.
I think that's really industry.
They're really important in ourindustry.
We have a responsibility, Ithink, to do that, because it's
hard enough to to fly in greattalent, but when we do, we need
to really treat them with withwith respect and integrity and
show them the way and yeah.
And he's always starting, soonly beginning.
Speaker 3 (12:48):
Yeah, yeah right.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Yeah, a very bright, bright future.
So when you know, like I saidthe thing, that the fact that
you love it so much and love thepeople that you're working for,
and the longevity of all thepeople you're talking about,
speaks highly to, the.
You know the environment there.
You know quick side note thatmy brother's story is very
similar.
He started in high schoolparking cars back when they used
(13:12):
to let you be a valet when youwere a teenager.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
And I can't do that anymore.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
And you had said you started working in the pub when
you were 16 and I doubt they letyou do that anymore either.
But anyway, he, he started veryearly and has worked all the
way up the ranks to a GM attimes, and you know different
Things.
So it's it's definitely anindustry that does does provide
a lot of opportunities.
So let's get on to all thewonderful things about Ashford
(13:39):
Castle and for me I am One ofthose people that I look at
someplace like this and I gowhat am I gonna do?
Because I'm gonna kind of kindof be in the middle Of nowhere.
Obviously it's gonna bebeautiful.
The castle itself is beautiful,but when I look down the list
of all the things you can do,I'm like, oh my gosh, how long
can I stay?
You know, fishing, cycling,falconry, horseback, golf,
(14:03):
tennis, sporting clays I'mprobably missing plenty of
things.
It seems like there's just aplethora of things to do.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
There is Robin, there is.
The incredible thing about theestate is that if you walk out
the door, the front door of thecastle, or indeed the lodge
which is our four star propertyon the estate, you have 20 plus
activities at.
You know, six to seven minutewalk from wherever you are, as
you said, you know that includesIreland's very first school of
falconry.
(14:37):
You can go shooting, you can goout onto the lake, one of the
most beautiful, you know, one ofthe most beautiful lakes in
Ireland and fishwood Frank.
He's our estate ghillie.
He's third generation onproperty and he handcrafts his
beautiful, his beautiful boatshimself.
You can do archery.
You can pay the nine hole golfcourse.
So you know very easily, youcan spend three, four, five days
(15:00):
on the estate, never leave theproperty.
That's before you ever exploreany of the locality.
We've a spectacular four tofive star spa, we've our wine
cellar, we have the billiardsroom.
So there is so much to do andthat's the thing I think when
guests come to Ashford, and theycome for, you know, one or two
(15:22):
nights it's never enough time,right, you know it really isn't
because of the wealth of thingsto do.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Yeah, you know, today we have guests who flew in from
private jet into Naap Airportand it's their third time here
this year and this is theirthird five night stay.
And they don't leave theproperty when they're here so
you know that just shows you andgives you an understanding of
the amount of things that we cando, and it's not contrived,
though you know you feel thateverything is relevant to the
(15:50):
property as well.
That it's you know it should bepart of what we're doing.
So, yeah, it's three nightsminimum.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
I think Absolutely, and I mean one of my favorite
things to do.
I grew up riding horses.
I love horses.
Every time I go on vacation I'mkind of.
I've got the hiking,helicopters, horseback, you know
, those are all the things thatstart with age are the things
that I want to do mostly, and itlooked like you had some
(16:18):
fabulous options for horsebackriding too.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Yeah, absolutely.
We've.
You know our question centeragain, as Shane said, just
within five minutes of the frontdoor of the castle, we also
have this the woods, the localwoods and the local forest areas
.
Incredible, perfect for goingon wonderful hacks for an hour
or two hours.
And, of course, we're on theedge of Connemara and Ireland is
(16:41):
renowned for its Connemaraponies.
Yes, so we have Connemaraponies, a stable here on the
estate and you get to, you know,feed the ponies here.
About the ponies, understandwhat makes the Connemara ponies
so unique and, of course, irishdraft horses.
So, and also what we can alsoorganize for you, because we're
again, you know, near the water.
We can organize experiences onthe beach, riding your horse on
(17:05):
a beach in King Bay for instance.
And you know so so if you're ina question, if you're interested
in that, we can even helicopteryou up.
So that's two of them.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
Can helicopter?
Me off for my hike and thendrop me off for my horseback and
helicopter me back to thecastle.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
There you go.
No issue, robin, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
I love it.
Well, you know, I had theluxury one time of doing a
horseback riding trip up MountKenya and it was absolutely
fantastic.
But I definitely decided oncewe got there that maybe getting
a helicopter on the way, thatmight have been the play.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
But anyway, john Waywalk, right, right, right,
exactly.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
So well and what I'm hearing there is that you can
really craft all kinds of things.
So if people have you know, itsounds to me correct me if I'm
wrong that you know, instead ofbeing this sort of menu of you
can ride for one hour, you canshoot for, you know, 30 minutes,
you can fish for 1.5 hours,whatever that you really can
help people custom, make theirexperiences so that they can,
(18:11):
you know, in my case, my husbandwould want to go fish, I would
want to go horseback ride and Iprobably don't want to do a nose
to trail trail ride you know,like a lot of people do.
But, it sounds like you guys canreally accommodate different.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Absolutely.
You know we are, after all, youknow, 83 bedrooms.
That's all we are.
But you know we have we have upto 400 team members working on
the estate and we try as hard aswe can in advance with the
estate to individualize andpersonalize your state.
So you know, reaching out,getting as much information
about you, what you like, andyou know how we can tailor that
experience.
That's really important to usand what we're finding out is
(18:48):
really important to our guestsas well, yeah.
And you know, the moreinteresting things you suggest
you know, the better theexperience is going to be for
them and to them.
Right, and I think you knowShane and Catherine Kenny, who's
our Rooms of Vision manager.
They started that concept anumber of years ago and now
Shane and Karigan and these teamare working hard to make sure
(19:11):
that that is continuing, thatwe're improving that all the way
through, so that's reallyimportant to us.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Absolutely, absolutely.
And you know we don't want tobe cookie cutter robbing.
You know it's very importantfor us that you know when you
come, as you said, if yourhusband wants to go fishing and
you want to go horse riding, andthen you both get together
afterwards for lunch.
I mean we will.
You know, mr Archie mentionedthe guest services team.
We have a phenomenal conciergeteam as well and they will build
those itineraries in advancebased on what people want to do.
(19:38):
You know, I come to mindstraight away.
There's a wonderful couple thatstay with us twice a year for
10 nights each time, and whenthey come here they do
absolutely nothing.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:50):
And you can do absolutely nothing here as well.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
but you can also be really, really busy if you want
to as well, and that's thereally lovely thing about
Asherin is that you can havekind of both sides or somewhere
between you know, yeah, and thegreat things that we like to
drop in then is these you know,small moments of surprise and
delight, things that we calltiny notices with touches, and
all of our team are empowered tokind of.
(20:12):
You know, this industry.
We've got one mouth and twoears, and I think these two ears
are more important than thatand to listen and to understand
what our guests want, so that wecan really, really
individualize and kind ofsurprise the latter guests as
much as we can during their stay.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
So oh, that's great, I love it.
A couple of things that havecome to mind while we've been
talking is one I think a lot ofpeople don't really understand
just how fabulous the culinaryscene is in Ireland.
I think that that is somethingthat I you know at least I try,
when I talk to clients aboutIreland in general, to change
their mindset on To me, myexperience and I haven't been
(20:48):
there for a long time but thateverything is really fresh, very
kind of interesting in a greatway and have some really
fabulous food.
So tell me a little bit aboutthe food on property.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Yeah, I mean, you know you're right, maybe 30
years ago and I still havenightmares about it.
You know, at home, with boiledcabbage and boiled everything,
you know, the more boil it was,the better it was.
We certainly have progressed alot over the last number of
years and certainly in my timein Asher we've seen an
involvement, and but a real,genuine involvement.
(21:22):
And when you think of wherewe're located, at our climate,
the location we're just by thesea, the green fields, it's,
it's healthy environment, youknow we do it.
Yes, so our animals are eatingoff this environment as well, in
our Fisher and the vegetablesas well.
So you know it's taking thatraw produce, that really
fantastic produce, andrespecting it, not doing too
(21:43):
much with it.
Right, creating deliciousExperiences.
So, right, a property.
I mean we have five differentdining options, so when you're
here for five nights you can diein five different areas.
But most excitingly, what we'vedone recently is that we've
Restored the Guinness Gardenswhere the Guinness family used
to grow older vegetables, andthis is something we've been
(22:05):
working on for the last coupleyears and this year in
particular is the first yearthat we have really Seen a lot
of the produce come into thekitchens and be part of the
dishes.
I tasted a new dish last nightand there was five or six
components dish and only oneComponent, which is ghost cheese
, came from off the estate.
Everything else is is on theestate and we're just about to
(22:26):
introduce garden tours whereguests can go down with the
gardener, pick vegetables, pickwhatever is there in season, go
into Squire Danaheer's which isanother new concept that we've
got and cook with the chef andeat what you just picked and and
it's all seasonal and this issomething that you've tried it
last week.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
She didn't do this.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
It really is fantastic and have a little bit
of fun, you know, interact withwith people as well and make
connections again.
So it's not all about the food,it's just about the environment
, it's about the food spot fun,yeah, and yeah, it's, it's, it's
, it really is.
So we're continuing to evolve,and foraging is something we do
on the estate all the time aswell, and everything from
(23:08):
chanterelle mushrooms to youname it.
Yeah, so what garlic?
You know it's all here on theestate with 365 acres and we're
very, very lucky.
So, yeah, so it's evolvedfantastically.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Yeah, oh my god, it sounds wonderful yeah and Robin.
Speaker 3 (23:22):
You know, I mean, you know we're so fortunate.
You know we're 45 minutes fromGalway City, which is where I
went to university, and you knowit's a small, vibrant, eclectic
city.
But my god, for what it lacksin size a packs of punch,
because you have everything from.
You know, great gastropub food,but all the way up to Michelin
star dining.
(23:43):
All in this one kind ofrelatively small it's his very
it is incredibly strong.
You know, and we're as MrAchromenshi you know, it's the
produce that the makes it youknow, makes it, so I suppose.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
And speaking and talking aboutthose experiences, that makes me
think about and the otherexperiences We've talked about
to you know, you're obviouslyvery family friendly and are
these things that kids could doas well and enjoy these
activities to very much?
Speaker 2 (24:11):
so and I think that's that's that.
I think it's Family friendly.
I think I'm ashrad is aphenomenal place for families
who want to spend time together.
You know, and sometimes youhave hotels maybe that want you
know, creche facilities, etc.
This is, this is where you wantto spend time together with
your families and and and havethose experiences, be it on
property or off property.
You know we have our ownexperiences, ambassador, on
(24:35):
Warner, and a number of yearsago we identified that a lot of
our guests were staying three,four, five, six, seven nights
and while there's so much to doon property, it was also nice to
bring them off property andshow them the lights of
Connemara and Galway and bringthem to parts of our region that
no tourists has everexperienced and give them these
experiences and they have beenIncredible and the feedback that
(24:57):
we're getting from them.
You know, so you can go to.
You know a blacksmith that youknow does these incredible and
you can.
You can use the anvil andcreate the fire.
You know you can go and and beon the farm with, with cattle
and with sheep.
What else?
I mean?
There's so so many other things.
Yeah, she, you know we'llweaving and all this kind of
thing.
Yeah, so, yeah, so from afamily perspective.
(25:21):
Absolutely, this is.
This is something special here.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
I bet, I bet it would be an awesome place for sort of
a multi-gen, like Christmas orI mean, I know Thanksgiving is
not, I'm sure there is wantThanksgiving when they come
there.
Even though it's not an Irishtradition, I'm sure you all
honor it still, um, and it seemsto me like this would be just a
great place for something likethat.
You know, if you really youknow, I have people that ask me
(25:45):
that all the time.
They're like where can I gowhere the little ones have
something to do and can beentertained, and then the older
folks that would maybe rathernot do quite as much but want
some things to.
It sounds like it'd be aperfect environment for that.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
It is it is Robin, and I suppose you know,
certainly it was evidentpre-covid.
But coming out of covert the,the, the, I suppose the
appartness of multi-generationaltravel has has just become so,
so real, and I suppose the factthat there is so much to do on
the estate and you can be asuninvolved, as involved as you
(26:17):
want into whatever, into whatthe family is doing, but you
know it lends itself soperfectly.
You mentioned Thanksgiving.
I mean, you know Thanksgivinghas become, you know, you know
the season has elongated andThanksgiving has become a very
real, a very real time of theyear for our US guests to travel
(26:37):
to us.
And then again you have, youknow, the festive season in New
Year as well.
You know which are, you knowAshford is an incredibly special
place around that time of theyear in particular.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
I can't imagine how gorgeous it is.
I am, I would.
The decorations must be juststunning.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
I've been known to put up a few Christmas
decorations around the placeRobin myself.
Have you some photos of me upladders.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Not only is he the Lego boxer, is also.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
Just, just don't tell me please that you hide the elf
on the shelf.
You don't do the elf on theshelf, okay, because personally,
personally, I kind of find thatelf creepy and like I mean he's
.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
Freaks me out.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
I've met Shane in person, so I'm fully comfortable
with that.
So yeah we'll leave it.
We'll.
Let's leave it at Lego.
I think that's really good.
So, speaking about Holidays,and I think that the other thing
that, along with themisconception of the food is, is
ordinary, is that I think a lotof people think that Ireland is
(27:47):
not a place that is a full yearround place to visit.
I mean, obviously, you know, inthe winter it is darker, there
are gonna be some seeds, monthsbetter, or wetter, etc.
But you know, I feel like thata lot of people discount it and
write it off due to the weatherand I kind of believe that's a
mistake.
(28:07):
do you agree?
Unfortunately so absolutely.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
You know we don't turn off the lights and close
the door in mid october.
Actually, for me, actually, midoctober onwards is probably
Some of the nicest time in our.
It's actually drier than you'dexpect, and cooler and you know
the colors and everything isstill available that you'd
expect it to be.
So it's a wonderful time and tocome visit and even even
(28:34):
january, february, march andwe're seeing that guess or you
know from North America arebeginning to discover that
Ireland is maybe a better valueand it's quieter and certainly,
okay, it's darker earlier but,you know it, you know this
raining every day.
Actually July, believe or not,in Ireland it probably rained
every day as well.
So you know, you know you don'tcome to our necessarily for the
(28:55):
weather and we've had to runbrothers, jacks.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
There's a reason it's green all the time.
Well, there you go.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
Yeah, so, and you know it's, it's.
There's a lots of great reasonswhy you know guests and
visitors should think aboutcoming from october right
through to April.
Yeah, there really are.
All the activities are thereagain.
All just needs an umbrella anda jacket and you know, when you
come out from the cold will havea hot whiskey ready for you, or
Nice glass of Guinness for pieto Guinness, and you know that
(29:22):
warm you up pretty quick, yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Yeah, sounds fabulous .
Yeah, I'm going to be lookingat what plain fair costs in
february to.
Ireland army scouting to Galway, in particular because I've
only visited the east coast soI'm like, okay, I definitely
need to be.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
This needs to be on my list for sure so, and that's
a very good point because Ithink it, and you know access
into Ireland from North Americahas never been as good year
round, you know.
So, you know it's, it's, itreally is from all many, many
cities in the US.
Speaker 3 (29:52):
Yeah, yeah, and it's only improving, robin, you know,
which is which is great and itit bounce back so much quicker
than we thought, kind of comingout of over, which was great and
definitely helped, you know.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Yeah, well, and it's a, it's a, it's a quick trip to.
I mean, yes, when we startlooking and I live in the middle
of the country in the UnitedStates, you know kind of dead
center, midwest, but anybody whois on the east coast, I mean
that's a quick flight and adirect one and a lot of.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
To get from New York to Dublin, that it is from New
York to Los Angeles.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
Yeah, I think it actually is yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
Exactly so.
You know, I think a lot oftimes we get stuck over here in
terms of oh, I don't want to doan international trip because it
you know I'm, it takes so muchtime.
But yeah actually really does.
I mean, you do have a bit of atime change, but it's not when
you're talking about somethinglike California.
It's not that significant.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
So and you know what I would say to you as well,
robin, and I don't know ifeveryone is aware of this, but
if you're flying back to the USfrom either Shannon or Dublin,
which is the two kind of maininternational airports in
Ireland, you actually pre clearborder patrol before you get on
your planes.
You come back into the US as adomestic, so it's.
Oh, takes all the queuing outof it.
(31:09):
Oh, it is.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
Well, that's a game changer too.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
I did not know that I love Another excuse.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Yeah, oh, okay.
Yeah, now I'm going to belooking at those flights even
quicker than I was five minutesago, so okay.
So before we finish up, I wantto know a little bit about the
history of the property itself.
So fill me in on when it wasbuilt.
Who built it?
(31:37):
You mentioned that the Guinnessfamily is one of the notable
owners, like you know, who'sowned it over the years.
I love to hear about the storyof a property like this.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
I'm going to pass that up to the younger guy who's
the expert.
Speaker 3 (31:52):
You know, robin it.
There's an incredible historyto Ashford.
You know the original wing ofthe castle dates back to 1228.
So there's there's nearly 800years of history.
So that was by the de Burglefamily back in the 1220, back in
1228.
But you know 1715, then theOramor Brown family bought the
(32:13):
castle and they built what isnow the French Chateau wing of
the castle.
The Guinness family then, whoyou mentioned, you know they
were probably the most thefamily that developed the estate
almost to what it is now.
So they created incredibleemployment on these days.
They built roads, they planteda lot of the woodlands on these
stages and they owned it rightup until until the early 1900s
(32:37):
and then in 1939.
It was opened by the castle,open at stores, as a hotel and
and so we've 80 plus years ofhospitality.
But there's been incrediblepeople that have walked the
corridors and have walked thethe I suppose that the grounds
of the state, oscar Wilde beingbeing one of them, and if you go
(32:59):
up to the larger which is our,as I said, our four star
property of Wilde's restaurant.
So not back to the history ofof his visit, back in the early
1900s, during the Guinnessownership, that the Prince of
Wales came to visit and that'swhere our bar bar gets its name
from.
He became King George the Fifthof England.
That's where our restaurantgets its name from.
(33:21):
So everywhere you go withAshford there's a little nod to
the history of of the estate ofthe castle.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
I love it, of course, the quiet man.
The quiet man, yes, do youremember the quiet man movie?
I?
Speaker 1 (33:33):
do I actually.
It's funny.
I was with my father yesterdayfor a while and he was talking
about John Wayne, about somesome things, and he loves old
westerns.
But then I remember I said tohim I was like, yeah, I saw, I
remember them in the quiet manand just at the time it was like
so out of what we all thought,he you know the role he we were
(33:56):
used to seeing him in, and allof that.
So I have seen that.
Yes.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
Yeah, that was filmed here in Kong.
They all stayed here in AshfordCastle and, you know, not a lot
happens in Kong, so we're stilltalking about it, right, right.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
Do you have a John Wayne room?
Speaker 2 (34:14):
Yeah, well, we do.
We know where John Wayne stayed, we know where Maureen O'Hara
stayed, and now in our cinema,because we have our own
32-seater cinema, which isphenomenal we show that quiet
man all 129 minutes of it everysingle day to our guests, and
you would be amazed by theamount of people and so
evocative to people because Iwould be in there.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
I'd watch it again in a heartbeat.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
Yeah, absolutely you know so, so, so that's fantastic
, and we've had John Wayne'sfamily back on many occasions.
We had Maureen O'Hara back onmany occasions as well to
celebrate it as well.
So it's still.
Speaker 3 (34:48):
it still resonates really with, with with guests
and Shane spoke about that.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
You know the Guinness family and how benevolent they
were as well and what goodowners they were in in the in
the just after the famine.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
Right.
But, you know when the Tomanfamily purchased the property.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
You know, I think what they have done since the
purchase of of Asherd is almostGuinness-esque.
Yeah, what they've done and howbenevolent they've been to the
local community and how they've,you know, really, at a time in
2013 when you know employmentwasn't great in the area, yeah,
and they've been in employmentto so many people and, since
then, have done the same thing.
So, you know, there's a greatlinkage there between what the
(35:24):
Guinness family did for theestate and now with the Toman
family and Recreation they'redoing as well.
So so we're very privileged,very, very happy.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
Oh, I love that.
Yeah, and I'm looking forwardto, I'm going to.
I have a podcast set up in thefuture to talk a little more to
them, the family, about theproperties and their vision and
and I think they've changed somany lives for the better and
have in terms of opportunities.
I mean not just, not justcharity, I mean, but there's
charitable you know parts ofthis to the Treadright
(35:53):
Foundation, foundation, thingslike that, which I'll get into
on the future podcast, but butyeah, it's wonderful.
I am so glad to have spent thistime with you both today.
Thank you so much for sharingall of your knowledge and
passion for this, this property,and I can't wait to get there
(36:14):
and experience it myself.
It's just moved far up on mylist, I will say so.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
Oh good, that's what we're hoping to do, because it's
easy to be passionate about aproperty like this when you see
what it's about the people thatwe have working here.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
So so thank you again for the opportunity.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
Really appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
Yeah, lovely, lovely to talk to you, robin, thank you
.
Speaker 1 (36:35):
That wraps up today's episode of the Intrepid
Traveler.
Thank you for tuning in andthank you to today's guests for
joining me.
I'll be back again in two weekswith another exciting episode
featuring another guest with astory that is sure to pique your
interest.
Please subscribe to theIntrepid Traveler on your
favorite listening channel andgive us a review.
(36:55):
Once again, today's episode hasbeen brought to you by Clining
Co Travel Consulting, a luxuryadventure and expedition travel
planning company specializing inungoogleable experiences.
Have you ever wondered how the pros put
together epic, tailor-madetravel adventures?
Welcome to the IntrepidTraveler Podcast.
I'm your host, robin Klein, andI'm going to explain to you
just how that is done during myconversation with today's guest.
When it comes to luxuryadventure and expedition travel,
the possibilities are endless.
(00:29):
In each episode, you'll hearfrom an expert in his or her
field about how theseexperiences, and more, are
created.
This episode of the IntrepidTraveler is brought to you by
Klein Co Travel Consultingaluxury adventure and expedition
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(00:49):
You can find us on the web atKleinandcoattravelcom.
On Instagram, at Klein CoTravel, we have a private
Facebook group you are welcometo join.
You can find us on LinkedIn orcatch the video version on
YouTube.
With that said, let's welcometoday's guest, and today I am so
excited to have two gentlemenwith me from Ashford Castle in
(01:13):
Kong, ireland, correct?
Yes, okay, I love the names ofthe cities and towns in Ireland.
So we've got Niall Rothschild,who is the GM, and we have got
Shane Brett, who is the directorof sales.
So welcome, gentlemen.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Thank you very much for having us, Robin.
We're thrilled to be with youtoday.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Absolutely, absolutely.
No.
I'm really excited to talkabout this.
I haven't ever had anybody onfrom Ireland before and
fortunately, neither of yousound like you're from Cork, so
I think we're going to be okay.
Not that I have anythingagainst Cork, I just have a
(01:56):
really hard time understandingthe people that are from there.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Well, that normally happens after the second glass
of whiskey for every orangeperson.
So you know, I don't thinkwe're there yet.
Maybe that was the problem.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Maybe all the people I know from Cork.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
I met in the pub.
You know I don't know, Niall,you have been there for 21 years
, you said.
So let's just be due toseniority.
Let's start with you and justtell me a little bit about your
journey, how you came to be inthis line of work, which I
always say, instead of callingthis hotels or resorts or
(02:30):
whatever.
I always call it hospitality,because it really truly is, and
obviously, if you've been doingit as long as you have, you have
a great love for it.
So just tell me a little bitabout your journey, how it began
.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Yeah, I mean, I suppose I was very lucky at a
young age, at that 16 years ofage, when I worked in my first
bar in a small town in Irelandcalled Tipperary Town.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
It's a long way to.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Tipperary and the minute I started that job I knew
this was the industry for me,so it was straightaway.
I went into college in Dublin,spent three years in college,
worked a little bit in Chicagoin Dublin, and then I met my way
to a sister property at thetime of Ashley Castle, which was
Dremolund Castle.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Oh right.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
And started there as a junior assistant manager.
And while geographically Ihaven't moved an awful lot, I've
had lots of differentexperiences because within 11
years I had various promotions,met my wife, got married, had
her first baby and became deputyGM of Dremolund Castle At the
time we had a common ownership.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
So 50% of the owners of.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Ashford also own 50% of.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Dremolund.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
And the longstanding GM at the time, ashford Rory
Murphy, who was the top GM ofthe country, decided to retire
and I think you did a lot ofluck in this life.
I was very lucky to be in theright place at the right time
and I knew a lot of the ordersin Asherd.
And, after a pretty intenseinterview process, the
(03:59):
appointment of GM in 2002.
So it's 21 years.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
It's been an incredible journey.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
At one point we had four different owners in five
years.
So it was certainly a hell of ajourney, but then, in 2013, the
Toman family of Red Car Nationhotels purchased the property
and I'd always remember thefirst of June 2013,.
Mr Toman, who unfortunately hassince passed away, stood in the
steps of the castle and we justcome out of receivership, so
(04:30):
really tough days.
And he stood in the steps ofthe castle and said number one,
everybody's job is safe.
Number two, we're debt-free.
And number three, we want tocreate the best hotel of its
kind in the world.
And that was 2013 and by 2015,.
We won Hotel of the Year at theVirtuoso Hotel.
Virtuoso showed in 2015.
(04:51):
So that is an incrediblejourney, continues to be an
amazing journey.
We continue to evolve and todevelop our property, including
people.
Shane will tell you his storyas well, which is a fascinating,
great story as well.
So that's how I'm here, yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Twenty-five years later.
So it's been amazing.
Oh my gosh, that's fantastic.
I love it and I love thelongevity I mean, and the fact
that you stuck with it throughall those changes and everything
.
My brother is in the hotel.
Well, he's more in the hotelindustry than the hospitality,
I'll say, because he's got alittle different role, but
(05:26):
there's just a lot of changesthat happen.
And so that really speakshighly of both you and of the
Coleman family, as well as thosethat you really wanted to see
it through, so I love that.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Right, so I'm just one of a certain amount.
We've got Martin Gibbons, who's49 years, with us.
We celebrated 49 years forMartin last week.
Robert Bowell 36 years.
Catherine Kenny 20.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
He must have started when he was like five or
something.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
There you go, so you know there's.
This property is full ofcharacter and characters.
We've absolutely no shortage ofthose in us, but we also have
new young generation.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Yeah Well, like yeah, perfect, perfect segue.
So, yes, Jane.
So tell us how you came to behere in your role and kind of
your story leading up to beingin the hospitality industry as
well.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Absolutely Robin.
I suppose I didn't quite knowexactly what I wanted to do at a
young age.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Imagine that I can't.
I don't know anybody else likethat.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
For some reason maybe I'd watched too many episodes
of suits or something like thatI decided I wanted to go down a
legal, a legal route and I did afour year law degree in NUI
Galway, the main university inGalway, and finished my degree
and I'm very fortunate I live 25minutes over the road from
(06:52):
Ashford and so I decided youknow what I'm going to take a
year out and figure out what I'mgoing to do with the rest of my
life.
So I applied for a front ofhouse position and, very luckily
, was successful in that.
And my first week here MrRutter mentioned Robert Bowell.
He's been here 36 years.
My first week I met Robert andhe said there's something
(07:15):
addictive about Ashford and atthe time I didn't.
I really didn't read into itall that much, but six, eight
months into it I realizedexactly what he was talking
about.
So I said you know what?
What's?
Another year?
And I spent a year in front ofhouse.
Then I went to guest services,which I absolutely fell in love
with, and progressed to guestservice manager.
(07:36):
So I spent about two and a halfyears in guest services working
in the operation, and it taughtme a huge amount about the
business and then I was very,very fortunate in 2018 to join
the sales team and work with theincredible Paula Cowell, who's
just semi-retired from her roleas director of sales and
(07:57):
marketing, and I spent four anda half five years working with
her and the amazing sales teamand then, more recently, have
become director of sales.
So it's been, you know, eightand a half years of a whirlwind
journey, but I wouldn't change aminute of it, and it's taught
me exactly where I want to be inlife.
(08:18):
So you know, it's weird thatthese things happen, but they
all happen for a reason.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
I think, shane, you forgot one position that you
held as well, which was he wasIreland's not the world's first
Lego butler.
Yes, and we have, we havephotographic imagery to prove
that as well.
So, unfortunately, yes.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Say it again you were the first one.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Lego butler.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Oh, lego butler, Lego butler.
Yeah, oh interesting.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Yeah, I retired from that role, robin.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
But we still have some we still have.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
we still have a Lego butler and, I believe it, on
Disney machine as well, so it'sobviously something you need.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Keeping it, keeping it easy there.
Okay, you have to explain that.
I have some.
I have a few other questionsabout you know, kind of your
journey there, but but I we haveto go down that rabbit hole.
So tell me, exactly what does aLego butler do?
I mean, I'm conjuring things inmy mind, but I want to hear it
from you.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
You know what, robin?
It does exactly what it says onthe tin.
So when you check into yourroom and you have your children
with you, you get it.
You can request a Lego menu.
So it has eight or 10 differentLego sets on it.
So you call down and you saywe'd like this set and Lego
butlers brings into action.
So you put your white gloves on, you get your silver tray, your
(09:31):
Lego butler badge, and youknock on the door.
You announce yourself as Legobutler and it is such a simple
concept, but it is the input.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
I bet the kids just go nuts.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
They do, they do, yeah, and it, you know there
might be a few adults.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
I mean, I even know some adults that still love
their Lego.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Yeah, we've had a few adults that have gone down the
Lego butler roof, so you neverknow.
I think possibly you're Robin.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Yeah, oh my gosh, that's great, that's great.
One thing that I heard in thatand I want to kind of focus a
little bit on is that you have aunique advantage over other
people in sales because you cameup through the ranks in the
actual hotel that you're doingsales for, so you understand the
(10:17):
inner workings of it.
You actually understand theproperty probably better than
you know.
I think a lot of people comeinto their roles no disrespect,
I mean they're amazingsalespeople but it gives you a
little different perspective, Iwould say, and it probably gives
you like a real love and pride.
(10:37):
I would think too in whatyou're when you're talking to
people in that role.
I would say it makes it quote,quote, you know a little bit
easier to sell, quote, quote.
I hate the term, but anyway.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Yeah, it does, robin.
I mean you know the beauty ofhaving that, that operational
experiences, that I can go outand very confidently talk about
what we can do on the estate,but also, as well, you know, and
we reference the people in theincredible longevity of service,
it's here at the castle.
You know that, you know exactlywhy you're doing it.
(11:10):
You know it's for the people ofthe estate and the minute you
walk through the door here, youknow it's.
It's the people that make it soincredibly special, and they
just saw me.
The minute you walk through thedoor, there's no, there's no
other group of people like them.
So, yeah, it is definitely ahuge advantage and Robin.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
I think Shane is under playing.
You know, you know what he didin terms of his operational role
, because what we identifiedvery early on was Shane's
ability to build relationshipswith our guests.
Yeah, so extraordinaryabsolutely extraordinary and
even to this day we have gueststhat come back specifically
because Shane is here or he goesvisit them in New York and
different places like that.
(11:49):
So you know it's great to youknow this is a wonderful
industry, this is a phenomenalindustry and sometimes it gets a
bad rap.
But you know, if you show theright kind of attitude and
aptitude and work ethic, likeShane has and others you know
Shane, carrying in your mention,yeah, the less be these young
kids that are coming into theindustry right now and you show
(12:10):
that it's identified, you canprogress in the industry so
quickly, yeah, and get intoreally great positions.
And and I'm that's one of theone things that I'm most proud
of about, about- Astrocast aboutrecognition actually as well
and most definitely you knowthat, that you know we identify
talent very early on and we givethem a pathway to get to
(12:30):
positions like Shane has got to.
I think that's really industry.
They're really important in ourindustry.
We have a responsibility, Ithink, to do that, because it's
hard enough to to fly in greattalent, but when we do, we need
to really treat them with withwith respect and integrity and
show them the way and yeah.
And he's always starting, soonly beginning.
Speaker 3 (12:48):
Yeah, yeah right.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Yeah, a very bright, bright future.
So when you know, like I saidthe thing, that the fact that
you love it so much and love thepeople that you're working for,
and the longevity of all thepeople you're talking about,
speaks highly to, the.
You know the environment there.
You know quick side note thatmy brother's story is very
similar.
He started in high schoolparking cars back when they used
(13:12):
to let you be a valet when youwere a teenager.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
And I can't do that anymore.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
And you had said you started working in the pub when
you were 16 and I doubt they letyou do that anymore either.
But anyway, he, he started veryearly and has worked all the
way up the ranks to a GM attimes, and you know different
Things.
So it's it's definitely anindustry that does does provide
a lot of opportunities.
So let's get on to all thewonderful things about Ashford
(13:39):
Castle and for me I am One ofthose people that I look at
someplace like this and I gowhat am I gonna do?
Because I'm gonna kind of kindof be in the middle Of nowhere.
Obviously it's gonna bebeautiful.
The castle itself is beautiful,but when I look down the list
of all the things you can do,I'm like, oh my gosh, how long
can I stay?
You know, fishing, cycling,falconry, horseback, golf,
(14:03):
tennis, sporting clays I'mprobably missing plenty of
things.
It seems like there's just aplethora of things to do.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
There is Robin, there is.
The incredible thing about theestate is that if you walk out
the door, the front door of thecastle, or indeed the lodge
which is our four star propertyon the estate, you have 20 plus
activities at.
You know, six to seven minutewalk from wherever you are, as
you said, you know that includesIreland's very first school of
falconry.
(14:37):
You can go shooting, you can goout onto the lake, one of the
most beautiful, you know, one ofthe most beautiful lakes in
Ireland and fishwood Frank.
He's our estate ghillie.
He's third generation onproperty and he handcrafts his
beautiful, his beautiful boatshimself.
You can do archery.
You can pay the nine hole golfcourse.
So you know very easily, youcan spend three, four, five days
(15:00):
on the estate, never leave theproperty.
That's before you ever exploreany of the locality.
We've a spectacular four tofive star spa, we've our wine
cellar, we have the billiardsroom.
So there is so much to do andthat's the thing I think when
guests come to Ashford, and theycome for, you know, one or two
(15:22):
nights it's never enough time,right, you know it really isn't
because of the wealth of thingsto do.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Yeah, you know, today we have guests who flew in from
private jet into Naap Airportand it's their third time here
this year and this is theirthird five night stay.
And they don't leave theproperty when they're here so
you know that just shows you andgives you an understanding of
the amount of things that we cando, and it's not contrived,
though you know you feel thateverything is relevant to the
(15:50):
property as well.
That it's you know it should bepart of what we're doing.
So, yeah, it's three nightsminimum.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
I think Absolutely, and I mean one of my favorite
things to do.
I grew up riding horses.
I love horses.
Every time I go on vacation I'mkind of.
I've got the hiking,helicopters, horseback, you know
, those are all the things thatstart with age are the things
that I want to do mostly, and itlooked like you had some
(16:18):
fabulous options for horsebackriding too.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Yeah, absolutely.
We've.
You know our question centeragain, as Shane said, just
within five minutes of the frontdoor of the castle, we also
have this the woods, the localwoods and the local forest areas
.
Incredible, perfect for goingon wonderful hacks for an hour
or two hours.
And, of course, we're on theedge of Connemara and Ireland is
(16:41):
renowned for its Connemaraponies.
Yes, so we have Connemaraponies, a stable here on the
estate and you get to, you know,feed the ponies here.
About the ponies, understandwhat makes the Connemara ponies
so unique and, of course, irishdraft horses.
So, and also what we can alsoorganize for you, because we're
again, you know, near the water.
We can organize experiences onthe beach, riding your horse on
(17:05):
a beach in King Bay for instance.
And you know so so if you're ina question, if you're interested
in that, we can even helicopteryou up.
So that's two of them.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
Can helicopter?
Me off for my hike and thendrop me off for my horseback and
helicopter me back to thecastle.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
There you go.
No issue, robin, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
I love it.
Well, you know, I had theluxury one time of doing a
horseback riding trip up MountKenya and it was absolutely
fantastic.
But I definitely decided oncewe got there that maybe getting
a helicopter on the way, thatmight have been the play.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
But anyway, john Waywalk, right, right, right,
exactly.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
So well and what I'm hearing there is that you can
really craft all kinds of things.
So if people have you know, itsounds to me correct me if I'm
wrong that you know, instead ofbeing this sort of menu of you
can ride for one hour, you canshoot for, you know, 30 minutes,
you can fish for 1.5 hours,whatever that you really can
help people custom, make theirexperiences so that they can,
(18:11):
you know, in my case, my husbandwould want to go fish, I would
want to go horseback ride and Iprobably don't want to do a nose
to trail trail ride you know,like a lot of people do.
But, it sounds like you guys canreally accommodate different.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Absolutely.
You know we are, after all, youknow, 83 bedrooms.
That's all we are.
But you know we have we have upto 400 team members working on
the estate and we try as hard aswe can in advance with the
estate to individualize andpersonalize your state.
So you know, reaching out,getting as much information
about you, what you like, andyou know how we can tailor that
experience.
That's really important to usand what we're finding out is
(18:48):
really important to our guestsas well, yeah.
And you know, the moreinteresting things you suggest
you know, the better theexperience is going to be for
them and to them.
Right, and I think you knowShane and Catherine Kenny, who's
our Rooms of Vision manager.
They started that concept anumber of years ago and now
Shane and Karigan and these teamare working hard to make sure
(19:11):
that that is continuing, thatwe're improving that all the way
through, so that's reallyimportant to us.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Absolutely, absolutely.
And you know we don't want tobe cookie cutter robbing.
You know it's very importantfor us that you know when you
come, as you said, if yourhusband wants to go fishing and
you want to go horse riding, andthen you both get together
afterwards for lunch.
I mean we will.
You know, mr Archie mentionedthe guest services team.
We have a phenomenal conciergeteam as well and they will build
those itineraries in advancebased on what people want to do.
(19:38):
You know, I come to mindstraight away.
There's a wonderful couple thatstay with us twice a year for
10 nights each time, and whenthey come here they do
absolutely nothing.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:50):
And you can do absolutely nothing here as well.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
but you can also be really, really busy if you want
to as well, and that's thereally lovely thing about
Asherin is that you can havekind of both sides or somewhere
between you know, yeah, and thegreat things that we like to
drop in then is these you know,small moments of surprise and
delight, things that we calltiny notices with touches, and
all of our team are empowered tokind of.
(20:12):
You know, this industry.
We've got one mouth and twoears, and I think these two ears
are more important than thatand to listen and to understand
what our guests want, so that wecan really, really
individualize and kind ofsurprise the latter guests as
much as we can during their stay.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
So oh, that's great, I love it.
A couple of things that havecome to mind while we've been
talking is one I think a lot ofpeople don't really understand
just how fabulous the culinaryscene is in Ireland.
I think that that is somethingthat I you know at least I try,
when I talk to clients aboutIreland in general, to change
their mindset on To me, myexperience and I haven't been
(20:48):
there for a long time but thateverything is really fresh, very
kind of interesting in a greatway and have some really
fabulous food.
So tell me a little bit aboutthe food on property.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Yeah, I mean, you know you're right, maybe 30
years ago and I still havenightmares about it.
You know, at home, with boiledcabbage and boiled everything,
you know, the more boil it was,the better it was.
We certainly have progressed alot over the last number of
years and certainly in my timein Asher we've seen an
involvement, and but a real,genuine involvement.
(21:22):
And when you think of wherewe're located, at our climate,
the location we're just by thesea, the green fields, it's,
it's healthy environment, youknow we do it.
Yes, so our animals are eatingoff this environment as well, in
our Fisher and the vegetablesas well.
So you know it's taking thatraw produce, that really
fantastic produce, andrespecting it, not doing too
(21:43):
much with it.
Right, creating deliciousExperiences.
So, right, a property.
I mean we have five differentdining options, so when you're
here for five nights you can diein five different areas.
But most excitingly, what we'vedone recently is that we've
Restored the Guinness Gardenswhere the Guinness family used
to grow older vegetables, andthis is something we've been
(22:05):
working on for the last coupleyears and this year in
particular is the first yearthat we have really Seen a lot
of the produce come into thekitchens and be part of the
dishes.
I tasted a new dish last nightand there was five or six
components dish and only oneComponent, which is ghost cheese
, came from off the estate.
Everything else is is on theestate and we're just about to
(22:26):
introduce garden tours whereguests can go down with the
gardener, pick vegetables, pickwhatever is there in season, go
into Squire Danaheer's which isanother new concept that we've
got and cook with the chef andeat what you just picked and and
it's all seasonal and this issomething that you've tried it
last week.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
She didn't do this.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
It really is fantastic and have a little bit
of fun, you know, interact withwith people as well and make
connections again.
So it's not all about the food,it's just about the environment
, it's about the food spot fun,yeah, and yeah, it's, it's, it's
, it really is.
So we're continuing to evolve,and foraging is something we do
on the estate all the time aswell, and everything from
(23:08):
chanterelle mushrooms to youname it.
Yeah, so what garlic?
You know it's all here on theestate with 365 acres and we're
very, very lucky.
So, yeah, so it's evolvedfantastically.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Yeah, oh my god, it sounds wonderful yeah and Robin.
Speaker 3 (23:22):
You know, I mean, you know we're so fortunate.
You know we're 45 minutes fromGalway City, which is where I
went to university, and you knowit's a small, vibrant, eclectic
city.
But my god, for what it lacksin size a packs of punch,
because you have everything from.
You know, great gastropub food,but all the way up to Michelin
star dining.
(23:43):
All in this one kind ofrelatively small it's his very
it is incredibly strong.
You know, and we're as MrAchromenshi you know, it's the
produce that the makes it youknow, makes it, so I suppose.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
And speaking and talking aboutthose experiences, that makes me
think about and the otherexperiences We've talked about
to you know, you're obviouslyvery family friendly and are
these things that kids could doas well and enjoy these
activities to very much?
Speaker 2 (24:11):
so and I think that's that's that.
I think it's Family friendly.
I think I'm ashrad is aphenomenal place for families
who want to spend time together.
You know, and sometimes youhave hotels maybe that want you
know, creche facilities, etc.
This is, this is where you wantto spend time together with
your families and and and havethose experiences, be it on
property or off property.
You know we have our ownexperiences, ambassador, on
(24:35):
Warner, and a number of yearsago we identified that a lot of
our guests were staying three,four, five, six, seven nights
and while there's so much to doon property, it was also nice to
bring them off property andshow them the lights of
Connemara and Galway and bringthem to parts of our region that
no tourists has everexperienced and give them these
experiences and they have beenIncredible and the feedback that
(24:57):
we're getting from them.
You know, so you can go to.
You know a blacksmith that youknow does these incredible and
you can.
You can use the anvil andcreate the fire.
You know you can go and and beon the farm with, with cattle
and with sheep.
What else?
I mean?
There's so so many other things.
Yeah, she, you know we'llweaving and all this kind of
thing.
Yeah, so, yeah, so from afamily perspective.
(25:21):
Absolutely, this is.
This is something special here.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
I bet, I bet it would be an awesome place for sort of
a multi-gen, like Christmas orI mean, I know Thanksgiving is
not, I'm sure there is wantThanksgiving when they come
there.
Even though it's not an Irishtradition, I'm sure you all
honor it still, um, and it seemsto me like this would be just a
great place for something likethat.
You know, if you really youknow, I have people that ask me
(25:45):
that all the time.
They're like where can I gowhere the little ones have
something to do and can beentertained, and then the older
folks that would maybe rathernot do quite as much but want
some things to.
It sounds like it'd be aperfect environment for that.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
It is it is Robin, and I suppose you know,
certainly it was evidentpre-covid.
But coming out of covert the,the, the, I suppose the
appartness of multi-generationaltravel has has just become so,
so real, and I suppose the factthat there is so much to do on
the estate and you can be asuninvolved, as involved as you
(26:17):
want into whatever, into whatthe family is doing, but you
know it lends itself soperfectly.
You mentioned Thanksgiving.
I mean, you know Thanksgivinghas become, you know, you know
the season has elongated andThanksgiving has become a very
real, a very real time of theyear for our US guests to travel
(26:37):
to us.
And then again you have, youknow, the festive season in New
Year as well.
You know which are, you knowAshford is an incredibly special
place around that time of theyear in particular.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
I can't imagine how gorgeous it is.
I am, I would.
The decorations must be juststunning.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
I've been known to put up a few Christmas
decorations around the placeRobin myself.
Have you some photos of me upladders.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Not only is he the Lego boxer, is also.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
Just, just don't tell me please that you hide the elf
on the shelf.
You don't do the elf on theshelf, okay, because personally,
personally, I kind of find thatelf creepy and like I mean he's
.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
Freaks me out.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
I've met Shane in person, so I'm fully comfortable
with that.
So yeah we'll leave it.
We'll.
Let's leave it at Lego.
I think that's really good.
So, speaking about Holidays,and I think that the other thing
that, along with themisconception of the food is, is
ordinary, is that I think a lotof people think that Ireland is
(27:47):
not a place that is a full yearround place to visit.
I mean, obviously, you know, inthe winter it is darker, there
are gonna be some seeds, monthsbetter, or wetter, etc.
But you know, I feel like thata lot of people discount it and
write it off due to the weatherand I kind of believe that's a
mistake.
(28:07):
do you agree?
Unfortunately so absolutely.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
You know we don't turn off the lights and close
the door in mid october.
Actually, for me, actually, midoctober onwards is probably
Some of the nicest time in our.
It's actually drier than you'dexpect, and cooler and you know
the colors and everything isstill available that you'd
expect it to be.
So it's a wonderful time and tocome visit and even even
(28:34):
january, february, march andwe're seeing that guess or you
know from North America arebeginning to discover that
Ireland is maybe a better valueand it's quieter and certainly,
okay, it's darker earlier but,you know it, you know this
raining every day.
Actually July, believe or not,in Ireland it probably rained
every day as well.
So you know, you know you don'tcome to our necessarily for the
(28:55):
weather and we've had to runbrothers, jacks.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
There's a reason it's green all the time.
Well, there you go.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
Yeah, so, and you know it's, it's.
There's a lots of great reasonswhy you know guests and
visitors should think aboutcoming from october right
through to April.
Yeah, there really are.
All the activities are thereagain.
All just needs an umbrella anda jacket and you know, when you
come out from the cold will havea hot whiskey ready for you, or
Nice glass of Guinness for pieto Guinness, and you know that
(29:22):
warm you up pretty quick, yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Yeah, sounds fabulous .
Yeah, I'm going to be lookingat what plain fair costs in
february to.
Ireland army scouting to Galway, in particular because I've
only visited the east coast soI'm like, okay, I definitely
need to be.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
This needs to be on my list for sure so, and that's
a very good point because Ithink it, and you know access
into Ireland from North Americahas never been as good year
round, you know.
So, you know it's, it's, itreally is from all many, many
cities in the US.
Speaker 3 (29:52):
Yeah, yeah, and it's only improving, robin, you know,
which is which is great and itit bounce back so much quicker
than we thought, kind of comingout of over, which was great and
definitely helped, you know.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Yeah, well, and it's a, it's a, it's a quick trip to.
I mean, yes, when we startlooking and I live in the middle
of the country in the UnitedStates, you know kind of dead
center, midwest, but anybody whois on the east coast, I mean
that's a quick flight and adirect one and a lot of.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
To get from New York to Dublin, that it is from New
York to Los Angeles.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
Yeah, I think it actually is yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
Exactly so.
You know, I think a lot oftimes we get stuck over here in
terms of oh, I don't want to doan international trip because it
you know I'm, it takes so muchtime.
But yeah actually really does.
I mean, you do have a bit of atime change, but it's not when
you're talking about somethinglike California.
It's not that significant.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
So and you know what I would say to you as well,
robin, and I don't know ifeveryone is aware of this, but
if you're flying back to the USfrom either Shannon or Dublin,
which is the two kind of maininternational airports in
Ireland, you actually pre clearborder patrol before you get on
your planes.
You come back into the US as adomestic, so it's.
Oh, takes all the queuing outof it.
(31:09):
Oh, it is.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
Well, that's a game changer too.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
I did not know that I love Another excuse.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Yeah, oh, okay.
Yeah, now I'm going to belooking at those flights even
quicker than I was five minutesago, so okay.
So before we finish up, I wantto know a little bit about the
history of the property itself.
So fill me in on when it wasbuilt.
Who built it?
(31:37):
You mentioned that the Guinnessfamily is one of the notable
owners, like you know, who'sowned it over the years.
I love to hear about the storyof a property like this.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
I'm going to pass that up to the younger guy who's
the expert.
Speaker 3 (31:52):
You know, robin it.
There's an incredible historyto Ashford.
You know the original wing ofthe castle dates back to 1228.
So there's there's nearly 800years of history.
So that was by the de Burglefamily back in the 1220, back in
1228.
But you know 1715, then theOramor Brown family bought the
(32:13):
castle and they built what isnow the French Chateau wing of
the castle.
The Guinness family then, whoyou mentioned, you know they
were probably the most thefamily that developed the estate
almost to what it is now.
So they created incredibleemployment on these days.
They built roads, they planteda lot of the woodlands on these
stages and they owned it rightup until until the early 1900s
(32:37):
and then in 1939.
It was opened by the castle,open at stores, as a hotel and
and so we've 80 plus years ofhospitality.
But there's been incrediblepeople that have walked the
corridors and have walked thethe I suppose that the grounds
of the state, oscar Wilde beingbeing one of them, and if you go
(32:59):
up to the larger which is our,as I said, our four star
property of Wilde's restaurant.
So not back to the history ofof his visit, back in the early
1900s, during the Guinnessownership, that the Prince of
Wales came to visit and that'swhere our bar bar gets its name
from.
He became King George the Fifthof England.
That's where our restaurantgets its name from.
(33:21):
So everywhere you go withAshford there's a little nod to
the history of of the estate ofthe castle.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
I love it, of course, the quiet man.
The quiet man, yes, do youremember the quiet man movie?
I?
Speaker 1 (33:33):
do I actually.
It's funny.
I was with my father yesterdayfor a while and he was talking
about John Wayne, about somesome things, and he loves old
westerns.
But then I remember I said tohim I was like, yeah, I saw, I
remember them in the quiet manand just at the time it was like
so out of what we all thought,he you know the role he we were
(33:56):
used to seeing him in, and allof that.
So I have seen that.
Yes.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
Yeah, that was filmed here in Kong.
They all stayed here in AshfordCastle and, you know, not a lot
happens in Kong, so we're stilltalking about it, right, right.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
Do you have a John Wayne room?
Speaker 2 (34:14):
Yeah, well, we do.
We know where John Wayne stayed, we know where Maureen O'Hara
stayed, and now in our cinema,because we have our own
32-seater cinema, which isphenomenal we show that quiet
man all 129 minutes of it everysingle day to our guests, and
you would be amazed by theamount of people and so
evocative to people because Iwould be in there.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
I'd watch it again in a heartbeat.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
Yeah, absolutely you know so, so, so that's fantastic
, and we've had John Wayne'sfamily back on many occasions.
We had Maureen O'Hara back onmany occasions as well to
celebrate it as well.
So it's still.
Speaker 3 (34:48):
it still resonates really with, with with guests
and Shane spoke about that.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
You know the Guinness family and how benevolent they
were as well and what goodowners they were in in the in
the just after the famine.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
Right.
But, you know when the Tomanfamily purchased the property.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
You know, I think what they have done since the
purchase of of Asherd is almostGuinness-esque.
Yeah, what they've done and howbenevolent they've been to the
local community and how they've,you know, really, at a time in
2013 when you know employmentwasn't great in the area, yeah,
and they've been in employmentto so many people and, since
then, have done the same thing.
So, you know, there's a greatlinkage there between what the
(35:24):
Guinness family did for theestate and now with the Toman
family and Recreation they'redoing as well.
So so we're very privileged,very, very happy.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
Oh, I love that.
Yeah, and I'm looking forwardto, I'm going to.
I have a podcast set up in thefuture to talk a little more to
them, the family, about theproperties and their vision and
and I think they've changed somany lives for the better and
have in terms of opportunities.
I mean not just, not justcharity, I mean, but there's
charitable you know parts ofthis to the Treadright
(35:53):
Foundation, foundation, thingslike that, which I'll get into
on the future podcast, but butyeah, it's wonderful.
I am so glad to have spent thistime with you both today.
Thank you so much for sharingall of your knowledge and
passion for this, this property,and I can't wait to get there
(36:14):
and experience it myself.
It's just moved far up on mylist, I will say so.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
Oh good, that's what we're hoping to do, because it's
easy to be passionate about aproperty like this when you see
what it's about the people thatwe have working here.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
So so thank you again for the opportunity.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
Really appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
Yeah, lovely, lovely to talk to you, robin, thank you
.
Speaker 1 (36:35):
That wraps up today's episode of the Intrepid
Traveler.
Thank you for tuning in andthank you to today's guests for
joining me.
I'll be back again in two weekswith another exciting episode
featuring another guest with astory that is sure to pique your
interest.
Please subscribe to theIntrepid Traveler on your
favorite listening channel andgive us a review.
(36:55):
Once again, today's episode hasbeen brought to you by Clining
Co Travel Consulting, a luxuryadventure and expedition travel
planning company specializing inungoogleable experiences.
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