Fourth of July Festivities and More!

The Lads of Hermitage Green

                                        

Orla, Sarah, and the only Yank in town for the 4th

  Hello Blog Readers, I hope everyone had a lovely Fourth of July! Although it was quite the homesick-holiday, the Fourth of July Barbeque at the Manor was wonderful. Over four-hundred guests attended our outdoor celebration complete with bales of hay, hamburgers and hot dogs, and an ice cream van; all very American!
 
   I began planning for this Barbeque on my first day at the Manor so it has been a project near and dear to my heart since my arrival. Therefore, it was especially nice to see the hard work pay off. Hermitage Green, a local, Limerick band, whose popularity and fame has skyrocketed in the last year, played a wonderful show and created quite the outdoor dance floor. Both children and adults enjoyed our renound falconry displays and my lovely roomates conducted a putting competition for all who dared to take them on.

                                      

                         

  As the night progressed, the Barbeque morphed into a staff celebration that lasted quite late! However, it was a great chance to relax with everyone. We have all become so close these past couple months. I can't even begin to think about how hard it is going to be to say goodbye to everyone here. Ahhh! Moving on...

Dave, Gary, Mark, and a few of our international members at the Barbeque

Three lovely ladies from my office: Orla, Gillian, and Sarah

Mark and Gary, two of our Golf Pros, enjoying Hermitage Green

                           

 Alan, Orla, and Gilian 

Eoin, Rob, Mark and Cathy keeping the 4th of July party going strong late-night

Rob, Jen and Eoin 

Bryan and Rob at an outdoor beer garden in Limerick for my brithday

    The heat wave continues over here! I am not exaggerating when I say it has not rained in almost three weeks. The 80 degree temperatures are nearly melting the Irish and the tar on the roads is bubbling, but this American not complaining. I wouldn't have it any other way in July!

  This past Sunday, The Bentley Boys, a group of retired Bentley collecting gentleman, drove their prized cars from Liverpool to Adare Manor. The road trip was created to raise awareness for local charities. The Boys spent two nights in the Manor, during which their cars were on display for the public. It was a great publicity opportunity for the Manor and a really unique experience for staff and locals alike. The cars were amazing and it was a great way to spend a gorgeous Sunday.

                       

   Finally, just incase you were concerned, we are all still golfing more than ever. The lads are playing far better golf than I am but I guess I'll let them slide. Afterall, it is what they're studying.

                         

Rob pretending not to see me on the 15th tee box

 And again... Dave and Eoin hiding from my camera on the 18th green

Castle Touring, Staff Parties and Lots of Golf

                     

                                             Meet two of my co-workers Liz and Deidre!

 

                                                                    teeing off on 18

   Please excuse the randomness of this blog post but there are lots happening at the Manor recently...



   The Manor, as usual, is bustling at the moment and so is our Sales/Marketing and Events office. The office ladies myself have been very busy this past week. Last Friday, our office was invited to attend the grand opening of King John's Castle in Limerick. The castle is over eight hundred years old and is located in the heart of Limerick City. For the past ten years, the castle has been closed for renovations that transformed the historic site into a tourist attraction. The renovations include an interactive museam, underground passage ways, and a medieval market that is meant to re-create daily life of the 13th century. The renovations to King John's Castle were stunning and it was a great way to learn more about Limerick City. I am so happy I was able to attend!

                             

                                                         touring inside the castle walls

                          

                                              Liz, Deidre and myself at the grand opening

                             

                                       

            

                        

                                a view of Limerick and the football stadium from the Castle turret

  This past week, Fairy Trails were installed in one of the woodland walking trails on the Manor grounds. Personally, I love these woodland trails. They are a perfect place to run or walk any afternoon and the addition of the Fairy Trails have made them even more desirable. Now let me guess your next question, what in god's name is a fairy trail? Yea, my thought's exactly when I first heard the concept. The Fairy Trails are tiny "fairy" sized houses that now line most of the trees in the wooded paths. They are simply adorable and perfect for kids to play with when they are roaming the manor grounds. All of the houses are hand-made by a woman in Kerry and I think it is a great concept that has great potential. Below are pictures of a few of the houses located on the trails.

                             

                         

                           

                                                                  the Manor fair house!





   On a non-work note, this Monday was our Summer Staff Party in one of the local pubs in Adare Village. In typical rainy Ireland fashion, it was a beach themed bash complete with a blow up pool and sand. Ha! Overall, it was a great night and most of the staff at the Manor the next morning were not up to the usual five-star standard. Oh well, what's one day? Below are a few of the pictures from our staff night.

                                         Julia, Graham, Robert, and David (not too happy with my photos)

                         

                                                                    Manor wait staff

                                                    Who knew you could bring a beach to a pub

                   

                                        Rob and one of our bell men 

                        

                                                   Colum on the grill sporting the beach shorts

  In conclusion, it has been a very busy week here in Adare. However, we always manage to fit in lots of golf in the evening. More to come from the Manor...

                          

                                                 Rob, Eoin, and Dave on the 18th green

                                     

                          

                                                                   Eoin on the 9th fairway

                        

                                                        Rob ignoring my endless photos

P.S. a very big thank you to my dear family friends Celia and Sean for surprising me at work one day last week. It easily made my week and I can't begin to explain how nice it was to see someone from home. Thanks again, love you guys!

       

   

Time for Tea

                     

    Well, the big event I have been working towards since my arrival went off without a hitch. The annual Garden Party was a stunning event and all went according to plan. The sun even managed to shine for the entire party and you can't get much better than that when planning outdoor events in Irish weather.

   Over one hundred people attended the afternoon tea in the walled gardens on the manor grounds this past Sunday. Falconry displays, live classical music, and delicious confections from the Manor's renound pastry chefs created an elegant atmosphere that visibly wow-ed our guests. It was so nice to see all of our hard work and planning sucessfully set in motion. Lace table cloths, antique china, and an abundance of roses made the setting very formal and gorgeously delicate. Many of our guests chose to dress in period costume for the occasion. It was great to see how enthusiastic the guests were in regards to embracing the Victorian theme.

  Overall, it was a great afternoon and a successful event that the Manor will definitely continue in the future. For now, it is busy again at work. The upcoming Fourth of July Barbeque will keep us hard at work for the next few days. The Manor is expecting close to four hundred guests and hopefully this Yank can show them a thing or two about throwing a proper American cookout.

                      

                                                  Lots of preperation on the morning of the event

                      

                                                              Our gorgeous centerpieces!

                  

                  

                                                       Good sports in Victorian costumes