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.
Thanks for joining us on today’s episode of The Intrepid Traveler podcast! If you enjoyed today’s episode, please rate and review our
show to help us reach even more aspiring travelers. Don’t forget to check out our website, visit us on Facebook, Instagram or follow
us on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on our latest epic travel adventures!
Use the following links when planning your own travel!
TRAVEL INSURED INTERNATIONAL
MEDJET
VIRTUOSO
PROJECT EXPEDITION
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.
Thanks for joining us on today’s episode of The Intrepid Traveler podcast! If you enjoyed today’s episode, please rate and review our
show to help us reach even more aspiring travelers. Don’t forget to check out our website, visit us on Facebook, Instagram or follow
us on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on our latest epic travel adventures!
Use the following links when planning your own travel!
TRAVEL INSURED INTERNATIONAL
MEDJET
VIRTUOSO
PROJECT EXPEDITION
Have you ever wondered how the pros put together epic, tailor-made travel adventures? Welcome to the Intrepid Traveler Podcast. I'm your host, robin Klein, and I'm going to explain to you just how that is done during my conversation with today's guest. When it comes to luxury adventure and expedition travel, the possibilities are endless. In each episode, you'll hear from an expert in his or her field about how these experiences, and more, are created.
Speaker 1:This episode of the Intrepid Traveler is brought to you by Klein Co Travel Consultinga luxury adventure and expedition travel planning company specializing in un-Googleable experiences. You can find us on the web at Kleinandcoattravelcom. On Instagram, at Klein Co Travel, we have a private Facebook group you are welcome to join. You can find us on LinkedIn or catch the video version on YouTube. With that said, let's welcome today's guest, and today I am so excited to have two gentlemen with me from Ashford Castle in Kong, ireland, correct? Yes, okay, I love the names of the cities and towns in Ireland. So we've got Niall Rothschild, who is the GM, and we have got Shane Brett, who is the director of sales. So welcome, gentlemen.
Speaker 2:Thank you very much for having us, Robin. We're thrilled to be with you today.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, absolutely. No. I'm really excited to talk about this. I haven't ever had anybody on from Ireland before and fortunately, neither of you sound like you're from Cork, so I think we're going to be okay. Not that I have anything against Cork, I just have a really hard time understanding the people that are from there.
Speaker 2:Well, that normally happens after the second glass of whiskey for every orange person. So you know, I don't think we're there yet. Maybe that was the problem.
Speaker 3:Maybe all the people I know from Cork.
Speaker 1:I met in the pub.
Speaker 1:You know I don't know, Niall, you have been there for 21 years, you said. So let's just be due to seniority. Let's start with you and just tell me a little bit about your journey, how you came to be in this line of work, which I always say, instead of calling this hotels or resorts or whatever. I always call it hospitality, because it really truly is, and obviously, if you've been doing it as long as you have, you have a great love for it. So just tell me a little bit about your journey, how it began.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I suppose I was very lucky at a young age, at that 16 years of age, when I worked in my first bar in a small town in Ireland called Tipperary Town.
Speaker 1:It's a long way to.
Speaker 2: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 Chicago in Dublin, and then I met my way to a sister property at the time of Ashley Castle, which was Dremolund Castle.
Speaker 1:Oh right.
Speaker 2:And started there as a junior assistant manager. And while geographically I haven't moved an awful lot, I've had lots of different experiences because within 11 years I had various promotions, met my wife, got married, had her first baby and became deputy GM of Dremolund Castle At the time we had a common ownership.
Speaker 3:So 50% of the owners of.
Speaker 2:Ashford also own 50% of.
Speaker 3:Dremolund.
Speaker 2:And the longstanding GM at the time, ashford Rory Murphy, who was the top GM of the country, decided to retire and I think you did a lot of luck in this life. I was very lucky to be in the right place at the right time and I knew a lot of the orders in Asherd. And, after a pretty intense interview process, the appointment of GM in 2002. So it's 21 years.
Speaker 3:It's been an incredible journey.
Speaker 2:At one point we had four different owners in five years. So it was certainly a hell of a journey, but then, in 2013, the Toman family of Red Car Nation hotels purchased the property and I'd always remember the first of June 2013,. Mr Toman, who unfortunately has since passed away, stood in the steps of the castle and we just come out of receivership, so really tough days. And he stood in the steps of the castle and said number one, everybody's job is safe. Number two, we're debt-free. And number three, we want to create the best hotel of its kind in the world.
Speaker 2:And that was 2013 and by 2015,. We won Hotel of the Year at the Virtuoso Hotel. Virtuoso showed in 2015. So that is an incredible journey, continues to be an amazing journey. We continue to evolve and to develop our property, including people. Shane will tell you his story as well, which is a fascinating, great story as well. So that's how I'm here, yeah.
Speaker 1:Twenty-five years later. So it's been amazing. Oh my gosh, that's fantastic. I love it and I love the longevity I mean, and the fact that you stuck with it through all those changes and everything. My brother is in the hotel. Well, he's more in the hotel industry than the hospitality, I'll say, because he's got a little different role, but there's just a lot of changes that happen. And so that really speaks highly of both you and of the Coleman family, as well as those that you really wanted to see it through, so I love that.
Speaker 2:Right, so I'm just one of a certain amount. We've got Martin Gibbons, who's 49 years, with us. We celebrated 49 years for Martin last week. Robert Bowell 36 years. Catherine Kenny 20.
Speaker 1:He must have started when he was like five or something.
Speaker 2:There you go, so you know there's. This property is full of character and characters. We've absolutely no shortage of those in us, but we also have new young generation.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, like yeah, perfect, perfect segue. So, yes, Jane. So tell us how you came to be here in your role and kind of your story leading up to being in the hospitality industry as well.
Speaker 3:Absolutely Robin. I suppose I didn't quite know exactly what I wanted to do at a young age.
Speaker 1:Imagine that I can't. I don't know anybody else like that.
Speaker 3:For some reason maybe I'd watched too many episodes of suits or something like that I decided I wanted to go down a legal, a legal route and I did a four year law degree in NUI Galway, the main university in Galway, and finished my degree and I'm very fortunate I live 25 minutes over the road from Ashford and so I decided you know what I'm going to take a year out and figure out what I'm going to do with the rest of my life. So I applied for a front of house position and, very luckily, was successful in that. And my first week here Mr Rutter mentioned Robert Bowell. He's been here 36 years.
Speaker 3:My first week I met Robert and he said there's something addictive about Ashford and at the time I didn't. I really didn't read into it all that much, but six, eight months into it I realized exactly what he was talking about. So I said you know what? What's? Another year? And I spent a year in front of house.
Speaker 3:Then I went to guest services, which I absolutely fell in love with, and progressed to guest service manager. So I spent about two and a half years in guest services working in the operation, and it taught me a huge amount about the business and then I was very, very fortunate in 2018 to join the sales team and work with the incredible Paula Cowell, who's just semi-retired from her role as director of sales and marketing, and I spent four and a half five years working with her and the amazing sales team and then, more recently, have become director of sales. So it's been, you know, eight and a half years of a whirlwind journey, but I wouldn't change a minute of it, and it's taught me exactly where I want to be in life. So you know, it's weird that these things happen, but they all happen for a reason.
Speaker 2:I think, shane, you forgot one position that you held as well, which was he was Ireland's not the world's first Lego butler. Yes, and we have, we have photographic imagery to prove that as well. So, unfortunately, yes.
Speaker 1:Say it again you were the first one.
Speaker 3:Lego butler.
Speaker 1:Oh, lego butler, Lego butler. Yeah, oh interesting.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I retired from that role, robin.
Speaker 2:But we still have some we still have.
Speaker 3:we still have a Lego butler and, I believe it, on Disney machine as well, so it's obviously something you need.
Speaker 1:Keeping it, keeping it easy there. Okay, you have to explain that. I have some. I have a few other questions about you know, kind of your journey there, but but I we have to go down that rabbit hole. So tell me, exactly what does a Lego butler do? I mean, I'm conjuring things in my mind, but I want to hear it from you.
Speaker 3:You know what, robin? It does exactly what it says on the tin. So when you check into your room and you have your children with you, you get it. You can request a Lego menu. So it has eight or 10 different Lego sets on it. So you call down and you say we'd like this set and Lego butlers brings into action. So you put your white gloves on, you get your silver tray, your Lego butler badge, and you knock on the door. You announce yourself as Lego butler and it is such a simple concept, but it is the input.
Speaker 1:I bet the kids just go nuts.
Speaker 3:They do, they do, yeah, and it, you know there might be a few adults.
Speaker 1:I mean, I even know some adults that still love their Lego.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we've had a few adults that have gone down the Lego butler roof, so you never know. I think possibly you're Robin.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh my gosh, that's great, that's great. One thing that I heard in that and I want to kind of focus a little bit on is that you have a unique advantage over other people in sales because you came up through the ranks in the actual hotel that you're doing sales for, so you understand the inner workings of it. You actually understand the property probably better than you know. I think a lot of people come into their roles no disrespect, I mean they're amazing salespeople but it gives you a little different perspective, I would say, and it probably gives you like a real love and pride. I would think too in what you'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:Yeah, it does, robin. I mean you know the beauty of having that, that operational experiences, that I can go out and very confidently talk about what we can do on the estate, but also, as well, you know, and we reference the people in the incredible longevity of service, it's here at the castle. You know that, you know exactly why you're doing it.
Speaker 3:You know it's for the people of the estate and the minute you walk through the door here, you know it's. It's the people that make it so incredibly special, and they just saw me. The minute you walk through the door, there's no, there's no other group of people like them. So, yeah, it is definitely a huge advantage and Robin.
Speaker 2:I think Shane is under playing. You know, you know what he did in terms of his operational role, because what we identified very early on was Shane's ability to build relationships with our guests.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so extraordinary absolutely extraordinary and even to this day we have guests that come back specifically because Shane is here or he goes visit them in New York and different places like that. So you know it's great to you know this is a wonderful industry, this is a phenomenal industry and sometimes it gets a bad rap. But you know, if you show the right kind of attitude and aptitude and work ethic, like Shane has and others you know Shane, carrying in your mention, yeah, the less be these young kids that are coming into the industry right now and you show that it's identified, you can progress in the industry so quickly, yeah, and get into really great positions.
Speaker 2:And and I'm that's one of the one things that I'm most proud of about, about- Astrocast about recognition actually as well and most definitely you know that, that you know we identify talent very early on and we give them a pathway to get to positions like Shane has got to. I think that's really industry. They're really important in our industry. We have a responsibility, I think, to do that, because it's hard enough to to fly in great talent, but when we do, we need to really treat them with with with respect and integrity and show them the way and yeah. And he's always starting, so only beginning.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a very bright, bright future. So when you know, like I said the thing, that the fact that you love it so much and love the people that you're working for, and the longevity of all the people you're talking about, speaks highly to, the. You know the environment there. You know quick side note that my brother's story is very similar. He started in high school parking cars back when they used to let you be a valet when you were a teenager.
Speaker 2:And I can't do that anymore.
Speaker 1:And you had said you started working in the pub when you were 16 and I doubt they let you do that anymore either. But anyway, he, he started very early and has worked all the way up the ranks to a GM at times, and you know different Things. So it's it's definitely an industry that does does provide a lot of opportunities. So let's get on to all the wonderful things about Ashford Castle and for me I am One of those people that I look at someplace like this and I go what am I gonna do? Because I'm gonna kind of kind of be in the middle Of nowhere. Obviously it's gonna be beautiful. 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, tennis, sporting clays I'm probably missing plenty of things. It seems like there's just a plethora of things to do.
Speaker 3:There is Robin, there is. The incredible thing about the estate is that if you walk out the door, the front door of the castle, or indeed the lodge which is our four star property on the estate, you have 20 plus activities at. You know, six to seven minute walk from wherever you are, as you said, you know that includes Ireland's very first school of falconry. You can go shooting, you can go out onto the lake, one of the most beautiful, you know, one of the most beautiful lakes in Ireland and fishwood Frank. He's our estate ghillie. He's third generation on property and he handcrafts his beautiful, his beautiful boats himself.
Speaker 3:You can do archery. You can pay the nine hole golf course. So you know very easily, you can spend three, four, five days on the estate, never leave the property. That's before you ever explore any of the locality. We've a spectacular four to five star spa, we've our wine cellar, we have the billiards room. So there is so much to do and that's the thing I think when guests come to Ashford, and they come for, you know, one or two nights it's never enough time, right, you know it really isn't because of the wealth of things to do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, today we have guests who flew in from private jet into Naap Airport and it's their third time here this year and this is their third five night stay. And they don't leave the property when they're here so you know that just shows you and gives you an understanding of the amount of things that we can do, and it's not contrived, though you know you feel that everything is relevant to the property as well. That it's you know it should be part of what we're doing. So, yeah, it's three nights minimum.
Speaker 1: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'm kind of. I've got the hiking, helicopters, horseback, you know, those are all the things that start with age are the things that I want to do mostly, and it looked like you had some fabulous options for horseback riding too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. We've. You know our question center again, as Shane said, just within five minutes of the front door of the castle, we also have this the woods, the local woods and the local forest areas. Incredible, perfect for going on wonderful hacks for an hour or two hours. And, of course, we're on the edge of Connemara and Ireland is renowned for its Connemara ponies. Yes, so we have Connemara ponies, a stable here on the estate and you get to, you know, feed the ponies here. About the ponies, understand what makes the Connemara ponies so unique and, of course, irish draft horses. So, and also what we can also organize for you, because we're again, you know, near the water. We can organize experiences on the beach, riding your horse on a beach in King Bay for instance.
Speaker 2:And you know so so if you're in a question, if you're interested in that, we can even helicopter you up. So that's two of them.
Speaker 1:Can helicopter? Me off for my hike and then drop me off for my horseback and helicopter me back to the castle.
Speaker 3:There you go. No issue, robin, absolutely.
Speaker 1:I love it. Well, you know, I had the luxury one time of doing a horseback riding trip up Mount Kenya and it was absolutely fantastic. But I definitely decided once we got there that maybe getting a helicopter on the way, that might have been the play.
Speaker 2:But anyway, john Waywalk, right, right, right, exactly.
Speaker 1:So well and what I'm hearing there is that you can really craft all kinds of things. So if people have you know, it sounds to me correct me if I'm wrong that you know, instead of being this sort of menu of you can ride for one hour, you can shoot for, you know, 30 minutes, you can fish for 1.5 hours, whatever that you really can help people custom, make their experiences so that they can, you know, in my case, my husband would want to go fish, I would want to go horseback ride and I probably don't want to do a nose to trail trail ride you know, like a lot of people do.
Speaker 1:But, it sounds like you guys can really accommodate different.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. You know we are, after all, you know, 83 bedrooms. That's all we are. But you know we have we have up to 400 team members working on the estate and we try as hard as we can in advance with the estate to individualize and personalize your state. So you know, reaching out, getting as much information about you, what you like, and you know how we can tailor that experience. That's really important to us and what we're finding out is really important to our guests as well, yeah.
Speaker 2:And you know, the more interesting things you suggest you know, the better the experience is going to be for them and to them. Right, and I think you know Shane and Catherine Kenny, who's our Rooms of Vision manager. They started that concept a number of years ago and now Shane and Karigan and these team are working hard to make sure that that is continuing, that we're improving that all the way through, so that's really important to us.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, absolutely. And you know we don't want to be cookie cutter robbing. You know it's very important for us that you know when you come, as you said, if your husband wants to go fishing and you want to go horse riding, and then you both get together afterwards for lunch. I mean we will. You know, mr Archie mentioned the guest services team. We have a phenomenal concierge team as well and they will build those itineraries in advance based on what people want to do. You know, I come to mind straight away. There's a wonderful couple that stay with us twice a year for 10 nights each time, and when they come here they do absolutely nothing.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And you can do absolutely nothing here as well.
Speaker 2:but you can also be really, really busy if you want to as well, and that's the really lovely thing about Asherin is that you can have kind of both sides or somewhere between you know, yeah, and the great things that we like to drop in then is these you know, small moments of surprise and delight, things that we call tiny notices with touches, and all of our team are empowered to kind of. You know, this industry. We've got one mouth and two ears, and I think these two ears are more important than that and to listen and to understand what our guests want, so that we can really, really individualize and kind of surprise the latter guests as much as we can during their stay.
Speaker 1:So oh, that's great, I love it. A couple of things that have come to mind while we've been talking is one I think a lot of people don't really understand just how fabulous the culinary scene is in Ireland. I think that that is something that I you know at least I try, when I talk to clients about Ireland in general, to change their mindset on To me, my experience and I haven't been there for a long time but that everything is really fresh, very kind of interesting in a great way and have some really fabulous food. So tell me a little bit about the food on property.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, you know you're right, maybe 30 years ago and I still have nightmares about it. You know, at home, with boiled cabbage and boiled everything, you know, the more boil it was, the better it was. We certainly have progressed a lot over the last number of years and certainly in my time in Asher we've seen an involvement, and but a real, genuine involvement. And when you think of where we're located, at our climate, the location we're just by the sea, the green fields, it's, it's healthy environment, you know we do it. Yes, so our animals are eating off this environment as well, in our Fisher and the vegetables as well. So you know it's taking that raw produce, that really fantastic produce, and respecting it, not doing too much with it. Right, creating delicious Experiences. So, right, a property. I mean we have five different dining options, so when you're here for five nights you can die in five different areas.
Speaker 2:But most excitingly, what we've done recently is that we've Restored the Guinness Gardens where the Guinness family used to grow older vegetables, and this is something we've been working on for the last couple years and this year in particular is the first year that we have really Seen a lot of the produce come into the kitchens and be part of the dishes. I tasted a new dish last night and there was five or six components dish and only one Component, which is ghost cheese, came from off the estate. Everything else is is on the estate and we're just about to introduce garden tours where guests can go down with the gardener, pick vegetables, pick whatever is there in season, go into Squire Danaheer's which is another new concept that we've got and cook with the chef and eat what you just picked and and it's all seasonal and this is something that you've tried it last week.
Speaker 3:She didn't do this.
Speaker 2:It really is fantastic and have a little bit of fun, you know, interact with with 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 as well, and everything from chanterelle mushrooms to you name it. Yeah, so what garlic? You know it's all here on the estate with 365 acres and we're very, very lucky. So, yeah, so it's evolved fantastically.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh my god, it sounds wonderful yeah and Robin.
Speaker 3:You know, I mean, you know we're so fortunate. You know we're 45 minutes from Galway City, which is where I went to university, and you know it's a small, vibrant, eclectic city. But my god, for what it lacks in size a packs of punch, because you have everything from. You know, great gastropub food, but all the way up to Michelin star dining. All in this one kind of relatively small it's his very it is incredibly strong. You know, and we're as Mr Achromenshi you know, it's the produce that the makes it you know, makes it, so I suppose.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And speaking and talking about those experiences, that makes me think about and the other experiences We've talked about to you know, you're obviously very family friendly and are these things that kids could do as well and enjoy these activities to very much?
Speaker 2:so and I think that's that's that. I think it's Family friendly. I think I'm ashrad is a phenomenal place for families who want to spend time together. You know, and sometimes you have hotels maybe that want you know, creche facilities, etc. This is, this is where you want to spend time together with your families and and and have those experiences, be it on property or off property. You know we have our own experiences, ambassador, on Warner, and a number of years ago we identified that a lot of our guests were staying three, four, five, six, seven nights and while there's so much to do on property, it was also nice to bring them off property and show them the lights of Connemara and Galway and bring them to parts of our region that no tourists has ever experienced and give them these experiences and they have been Incredible and the feedback that we're getting from them.
Speaker 2:You know, so you can go to. You know a blacksmith that you know does these incredible and you can. You can use the anvil and create the fire. You know you can go and and be on the farm with, with cattle and with sheep. What else? I mean? There's so so many other things. Yeah, she, you know we'll weaving and all this kind of thing. Yeah, so, yeah, so from a family perspective.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, this is. This is something special here.
Speaker 1:I bet, I bet it would be an awesome place for sort of a multi-gen, like Christmas or I mean, I know Thanksgiving is not, I'm sure there is want Thanksgiving when they come there. Even though it's not an Irish tradition, I'm sure you all honor it still, um, and it seems to me like this would be just a great place for something like that. You know, if you really you know, I have people that ask me that all the time.
Speaker 1:They're like where can I go where the little ones have something to do and can be entertained, and then the older folks that would maybe rather not do quite as much but want some things to. It sounds like it'd be a perfect environment for that.
Speaker 3:It is it is Robin, and I suppose you know, certainly it was evident pre-covid. But coming out of covert the, the, the, I suppose the appartness of multi-generational travel has has just become so, so real, and I suppose the fact that there is so much to do on the estate and you can be as uninvolved, as involved as you want into whatever, into what the family is doing, but you know it lends itself so perfectly. You mentioned Thanksgiving. I mean, you know Thanksgiving has become, you know, you know the season has elongated and Thanksgiving has become a very real, a very real time of the year for our US guests to travel to us. And then again you have, you know, the festive season in New Year as well. You know which are, you know Ashford is an incredibly special place around that time of the year in particular.
Speaker 1:I can't imagine how gorgeous it is. I am, I would. The decorations must be just stunning.
Speaker 3:I've been known to put up a few Christmas decorations around the place Robin myself. Have you some photos of me up ladders.
Speaker 2:Not only is he the Lego boxer, is also.
Speaker 1:Just, just don't tell me please that you hide the elf on the shelf. You don't do the elf on the shelf, okay, because personally, personally, I kind of find that elf creepy and like I mean he's.
Speaker 2:Freaks me out.
Speaker 1:I've met Shane in person, so I'm fully comfortable with that.
Speaker 1: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 the misconception of the food is, is ordinary, is that I think a lot of people think that Ireland is not a place that is a full year round place to visit. I mean, obviously, you know, in the winter it is darker, there are gonna be some seeds, months better, or wetter, etc. But you know, I feel like that a lot of people discount it and write it off due to the weather and I kind of believe that's a mistake.
Speaker 1:do you agree? Unfortunately so absolutely.
Speaker 2:You know we don't turn off the lights and close the door in mid october. Actually, for me, actually, mid october onwards is probably Some of the nicest time in our.
Speaker 2:It's actually drier than you'd expect, and cooler and you know the colors and everything is still available that you'd expect it to be. So it's a wonderful time and to come visit and even even january, february, march and we're seeing that guess or you know from North America are beginning to discover that Ireland is maybe a better value and it's quieter and certainly, okay, it's darker earlier but, you know it, you know this raining every day.
Speaker 2:Actually July, believe or not, in Ireland it probably rained every day as well. So you know, you know you don't come to our necessarily for the weather and we've had to run brothers, jacks.
Speaker 1:There's a reason it's green all the time. Well, there you go.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so, and you know it's, it's. There's a lots of great reasons why you know guests and visitors should think about coming from october right through to April. Yeah, there really are. All the activities are there again. All just needs an umbrella and a jacket and you know, when you come out from the cold will have a hot whiskey ready for you, or Nice glass of Guinness for pie to Guinness, and you know that warm you up pretty quick, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sounds fabulous. Yeah, I'm going to be looking at what plain fair costs in february to. Ireland army scouting to Galway, in particular because I've only visited the east coast so I'm like, okay, I definitely need to be.
Speaker 2:This needs to be on my list for sure so, and that's a very good point because I think it, and you know access into Ireland from North America has never been as good year round, you know. So, you know it's, it's, it really is from all many, many cities in the US.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, and it's only improving, robin, you know, which is which is great and it it bounce back so much quicker than we thought, kind of coming out of over, which was great and definitely helped, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, and it's a, it's a, it's a quick trip to. I mean, yes, when we start looking and I live in the middle of the country in the United States, you know kind of dead center, midwest, but anybody who is on the east coast, I mean that's a quick flight and a direct one and a lot of.
Speaker 2:To get from New York to Dublin, that it is from New York to Los Angeles.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think it actually is yeah.
Speaker 1:Exactly so. You know, I think a lot of times we get stuck over here in terms of oh, I don't want to do an international trip because it you know I'm, it takes so much time. But yeah actually really does. I mean, you do have a bit of a time change, but it's not when you're talking about something like California. It's not that significant.
Speaker 3:So and you know what I would say to you as well, robin, and I don't know if everyone is aware of this, but if you're flying back to the US from either Shannon or Dublin, which is the two kind of main international airports in Ireland, you actually pre clear border patrol before you get on your planes. You come back into the US as a domestic, so it's. Oh, takes all the queuing out of it. Oh, it is.
Speaker 1:Well, that's a game changer too.
Speaker 3:I did not know that I love Another excuse.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh, okay. Yeah, now I'm going to be looking at those flights even quicker than I was five minutes ago, so okay. So before we finish up, I want to know a little bit about the history of the property itself. So fill me in on when it was built. Who built it? You mentioned that the Guinness family is one of the notable owners, like you know, who's owned it over the years. I love to hear about the story of a property like this.
Speaker 2:I'm going to pass that up to the younger guy who's the expert.
Speaker 3:You know, robin it. There's an incredible history to Ashford. You know the original wing of the castle dates back to 1228. So there's there's nearly 800 years of history. So that was by the de Burgle family back in the 1220, back in 1228. But you know 1715, then the Oramor Brown family bought the castle and they built what is now the French Chateau wing of the castle.
Speaker 3:The Guinness family then, who you mentioned, you know they were probably the most the family that developed the estate almost to what it is now. So they created incredible employment on these days. They built roads, they planted a lot of the woodlands on these stages and they owned it right up until until the early 1900s and then in 1939. It was opened by the castle, open at stores, as a hotel and and so we've 80 plus years of hospitality.
Speaker 3:But there's been incredible people that have walked the corridors and have walked the the I suppose that the grounds of the state, oscar Wilde being being one of them, and if you go up to the larger which is our, as I said, our four star property of Wilde's restaurant. So not back to the history of of his visit, back in the early 1900s, during the Guinness ownership, that the Prince of Wales came to visit and that's where our bar bar gets its name from. He became King George the Fifth of England. That's where our restaurant gets its name from. So everywhere you go with Ashford there's a little nod to the history of of the estate of the castle.
Speaker 2:I love it, of course, the quiet man. The quiet man, yes, do you remember the quiet man movie? I?
Speaker 1:do I actually. It's funny. I was with my father yesterday for a while and he was talking about John Wayne, about some some things, and he loves old westerns. But then I remember I said to him I was like, yeah, I saw, I remember them in the quiet man and just at the time it was like so out of what we all thought, he you know the role he we were used to seeing him in, and all of that. So I have seen that. Yes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was filmed here in Kong. They all stayed here in Ashford Castle and, you know, not a lot happens in Kong, so we're still talking about it, right, right.
Speaker 1:Do you have a John Wayne room?
Speaker 2: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 is phenomenal we show that quiet man all 129 minutes of it every single day to our guests, and you would be amazed by the amount of people and so evocative to people because I would be in there.
Speaker 1:I'd watch it again in a heartbeat.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely you know so, so, so that's fantastic, and we've had John Wayne's family back on many occasions. We had Maureen O'Hara back on many occasions as well to celebrate it as well. So it's still.
Speaker 3:it still resonates really with, with with guests and Shane spoke about that.
Speaker 2:You know the Guinness family and how benevolent they were as well and what good owners they were in in the in the just after the famine.
Speaker 3:Right. But, you know when the Toman family purchased the property.
Speaker 2:You know, I think what they have done since the purchase of of Asherd is almost Guinness-esque. Yeah, what they've done and how benevolent they've been to the local community and how they've, you know, really, at a time in 2013 when you know employment wasn't great in the area, yeah, and they've been in employment to so many people and, since then, have done the same thing.
Speaker 2:So, you know, there's a great linkage there between what the Guinness family did for the estate and now with the Toman family and Recreation they're doing as well. So so we're very privileged, very, very happy.
Speaker 1:Oh, I love that. Yeah, and I'm looking forward to, I'm going to. I have a podcast set up in the future to talk a little more to them, the family, about the properties and their vision and and I think they've changed so many lives for the better and have in terms of opportunities.
Speaker 1:I mean not just, not just charity, I mean, but there's charitable you know parts of this to the Treadright Foundation, foundation, things like that, which I'll get into on the future podcast, but but yeah, it's wonderful. I am so glad to have spent this time with you both today. Thank you so much for sharing all of your knowledge and passion for this, this property, and I can't wait to get there and experience it myself. It's just moved far up on my list, I will say so.
Speaker 2:Oh good, that's what we're hoping to do, because it's easy to be passionate about a property like this when you see what it's about the people that we have working here.
Speaker 1:So so thank you again for the opportunity.
Speaker 2:Really appreciate it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, lovely, lovely to talk to you, robin, thank you.
Speaker 1:That wraps up today's episode of the Intrepid Traveler. Thank you for tuning in and thank you to today's guests for joining me. I'll be back again in two weeks with another exciting episode featuring another guest with a story that is sure to pique your interest. Please subscribe to the Intrepid Traveler on your favorite listening channel and give us a review. Once again, today's episode has been brought to you by Clining Co Travel Consulting, a luxury adventure and expedition travel planning company specializing in ungoogleable experiences.