Glenlo Abbey is a 5 Star hotel in Galway and it was my first ever tax paying job. I started work as a kitchen porter on my summer holidays from school aged fifteen. Over the next five years, I worked as a hall porter, waiter, barman and night porter. I pretty much did it all.
It was a great place to work as a teenager and I made some great friends. It also made me realise that I definitely didnt want to work in hotel management, with split shifts and unsociable hours, no thank you!
The pullman restaurant above had a brilliant French chef at this time, and it was well known in Galway as a great place to eat.
Years later, when I no longer worked thrre, I brought my wife's (then girlfriend's) parents there when they visited and they were well impressed.
The views, the food, the funkiness of dining on board a train carriage from the Orient Express, the staff all added up to a great night.
The hotel also boasts a great golf course which is how I got into golf. During my time working in Glenlo Abbey between 15 and 20, I was able to play free golf here, which I took advantage of.
There is a long par 5 with a huge carry over water and I got just off the green in two the last time I played. Not too shabby.
The hotel was owned by the Burke family in those days, but these days it is owned by a rich American called John Malone, who also owns Liberty Global, Virgin Media Communications, among other things.
I'm not sure what the Burkes are up to now. Hopefully they are doing ok.
Mind you I dont miss Peggy asking us hall porters to move everything around in the Ffrench room for hours, only to put everything back where it was originally in the end!!
I was curious to know how much a night costs there these days. You're looking at €500 per night, so definitely not cheap anyways, that's for sure!
The images used are all my own
