As Errigal Country House Hotel celebrates its 10th anniversary, we asked owners Pat and Bernie Kelly to share their views on just what makes this beautiful wedding venue in the North-West so special…
When the Kelly family opened the doors of their beautifully restored 18th Century mansion house in 2004, they never dreamed that a decade later it would become one of the most popular wedding venues in Ulster. Errigal Country House Hotel, set amongst the undulating knolls of Cootehill in Co Cavan, is a wholly different destination to its original conception. The house started out as a modest 23-bed boutique style setting – a destination for a short romantic break in a spectacular Irish setting. After word of both the glorious surroundings and the hotel’s intimate and personal service spread throughout the country, Errigal eventually became the go-to venue for family functions and weddings. To keep up with demand the hotel had doubled in size by 2009, adding more modern facilities to ensure the comfort of their guests in a luxurious country house setting.
“Arrive as customers, leave as ambassadors…”
One thing that hasn’t changed since Errigal’s modest beginnings in 2004 is the focus on customer service, which Pat insists is one of the primary reasons for the hotel’s continued success. “The most important thing you can do for any business is to look after your customers,” he says, “and it’s the staff more than anything else that gives the hotel its warmth and personality. We can create the best physical product but it’s really the staff that brings people back again and again.”
Errigal exemplifies genuine Irish hospitality, where attention-to-detail and simple personal touches make every guest’s experience an intimate one. Both Pat and Bernie believe that it is these individual contacts each day between staff and customers that make all the difference. “I repeatedly remind the team that it’s the customers who keep us all in jobs,” says Pat, “when everyone understands that, it changes the way they think and act towards our guests. We strive to ensure that people arrive as customers but leave as ambassadors.”
The Kelly family are hands-on when it comes to every aspect of the hotel, and the staff is continually supported by Pat and Bernie which they say helps to create a team of people who are passionate about what they do. Restaurant and bar staff are encouraged to call on owners or managers when they need help, whether it’s to help clear a table or to get drinks for a customer, “It’s how it has to work,” says Pat, “that way, everyone understands that the focus is entirely on making sure that the customer has a good experience throughout their stay.”
Weddings at Errigal Country House Hotel
Despite the venue’s popularity Pat and Bernie insist on a one-wedding-a-day policy, which allows them to dedicate all their attention to the special couple and their guests. Up to 420 people can be comfortably accommodated in the hotel’s main banqueting suite which, with the help of the hotel’s dedicated wedding coordinator Niall, can be decorated to reflect the couple’s personality and style with ease. Music and welcome drinks in the bright and comfortable foyer perfectly set the tone for a relaxed and carefree day before guests are invited into the beautiful banqueting suite where a glorious wedding meal awaits. After hours on the dancefloor, the old-world style Brewery Bar is the perfect place for the more ‘enduring’ guests to finish the night out with a few drinks before retiring to their comfy beds.
Beyond the exceptional facilities and service Errigal offers their wedding couples, a wide range of wedding packages is available to suit a variety of budgets. Pat and Bernie have thought of everything when it comes to their packages, from sparkling backdrops to late-night bar extensions. To make planning for their couples even easier, Errigal works with some of Ireland’s top wedding suppliers, and Niall can personally recommend anything from car hire to videographers to suit any style and budget.
To the next 10 years
Despite their position as one of the country’s top wedding venues, Pat and Bernie aren’t content to rest on their laurels and are always to seeking to improve. Bedrooms were refurbished as recently as February this year (2014) and facilities are constantly being upgraded to ensure all their guests enjoy a quality experience whether it’s indulging in a massage in the hotel’s Riverside Spa, enjoying a sumptuous meal in Reynard’s Restaurant or relaxing with a glass of wine in the bar.
Pat, Bernie, Niall and all the Kelly family sincerely thank all their customers for their continued support and are looking forward to many more years of continued growth. For further information please contact the wedding team on 049-5556901, by emailing [email protected] or visiting the website www.errigalhotel.com
