1. Where are you from and a bit about your background?
I live about a mile and a half from Killeavy Castle in Dromintee, where I have lived since 2009 when my partner Gervase and I moved from England. I was born and raised in Manchester to Irish parents (both Dubs!) and I have 3 sisters, 4 children and 2 grandchildren. At an early age, I developed a passion for horses and from the age of 9, I owned a number of ponies and horses. It was more than just a hobby, an amazing experience that taught me life lessons about hard work and responsibility. Sadly, I no longer have the time to devote to keeping horses.
2. What exactly does your position at Killeavy Castle Estate entail?
I am the Housekeeping Supervisor and report to the Accommodation Manager, Cristian. On a daily basis, I organise the accommodation team, and clean and check the rooms and public areas of the Castle, Hotel and Gatelodge. This involves liaising with the Reception team to understand how many rooms are needed for guest reservations and includes checking the accommodation teamwork and ensuring the rooms are cleaned, sanitised and set up to the Killeavy standard that our guests expect. As Supervisor, I am also the management point of contact on my manager's day off.
3. What do you enjoy most about your job?
Can I answer everything? Lol. Seriously though, I really do enjoy everything. The people I work with are fantastic, so professional. The buildings of both the Castle and the Hotel are amazing and the setting is just stunningly beautiful. The fact it is a five-minute drive from home, means I am able to work in a job that I love and pick up my youngest daughter from Primary School at 3pm which is the icing on the cake! Lol
4. What do you love most about Killeavy Castle Estate?
I love the whole story behind the creation of the Estate and business. I love that one of the owners (Mick Boyle) originally came from the area and made a (very successful) life on the other side of the world in Australia, but never forgot his roots. I love the fact that the Castle was saved from dereliction and turned into a thriving business. I love the fact that the Estate employs local people and service businesses and only uses local produce and suppliers. I love the fact that it is environmentally friendly and has a very strong sustainability ethos. My last job before here was at The Body Shop and working there really opened my eyes to the fact that being environmentally friendly and successful in business can go hand in hand. Having met Robin (Mick's wife) on a number of occasions, I love that these concepts are not just gimmicks and that both Mick and Robin believe passionately in them. I love that this passion in turn feeds down through all the teams that work at Killeavy. Finally, I love that I (reputedly) descend from Hugh De Lacy, Lord of Meath so have in a sense returned to spend so much time in a Castle …lol.