Wedding showcase at Glenside on 28th Sept
AOGÁN and Karen Dunne are extremely excited to have recently become proud new owners of the Glenside Hotel, Dublin Road, Drogheda. They took over the hotel at the end of April this year and have since been very busy not only with the daily operations of the hotel but also with actioning their overall plan for the hotel going forward. With over twenty years’ experience in the Hospitality Industry, this local couple are no strangers to the hotel business and are said to be thrilled with their new purchase. The Glenside Hotel is a long established hotel operating since 1968. This 17 bedroom hotel has a strong reputation for its food and warm family welcome. The couple are looking forward with pride and excitement at the prospect of developing the Glenside into a boutique style hotel that will be a major player in the wedding and leisure market in East Meath, Drogheda and North County Dublin. Karen and Aogán are well known in the locality having opened their first business at theSpire Restaurant in Duleek in August 2013. Since it’s opening theSpire has become increasingly popular in the area as a restaurant and a venue for special occasions. They also own and manage a café, The Franklyn Café in Dunleer, Co. Louth. Aogán has managed many prestigious hotels in recent years in County Monaghan, Meath and Dublin. He served as Chairperson of the Mourne Boyne Lakes Branch of the IHF, secretary of the Chamber of Commerce in Balbriggan and a board member of the Drogheda Chamber of Commerce. Karen qualified with a Masters Degree in International Marketing from the University of Limerick in 2002 after finishing her BA in Business Management. She worked in Front of House and Sales & Marketing for many established hotels in Leinster. Karen has been at the forefront of marketing and running of theSpire Restaurant in Duleek since August 2013. The couple got married in 2009 and have four little boys. The new owners of the Glenside have kept all existing staff members and are honouring all bookings and vouchers. “From the first time we heard the Glenside was up for grabs we were excited about the opportunity. It is in a fantastic location just minutes outside the town of Drogheda and in the heart of the Boyne Valley Region” said Aogán. The Glenside name has been around for a long time and has always been the place to go for special occasions and gatherings. Karen, herself even celebrated her own Confirmation here amongst many other family occasions! Having visited the hotel in the early days of the purchase Karen and Aogán got a real sense of a warm welcome and can do attitude from the staff. This is a priceless quality in hospitality and an essential ingredient in delivery of an exceptional service in our industry. They would like to thank the management and staff for the warm welcome they received and their patience with the changeover of ownership. The couple are confident that they can develop the Glenside name even further and with investment and their hospitality experience they believe the Glenside will become a flagship property in the local hotel industry. The couple will invest heavily in the Glenside over the next 10 years and have already begun refurbishments on the bedrooms. They are in the process of implementing a brand new boutique look to the bedrooms and have added a unique Sales Suite which will be used exclusively for meeting with potential wedding couples. They have also launched their brand new website with details of their new and exciting wedding and party packages. They are hosting their wedding showcase evening on Thursday 28th September. Don’t forget to check out their Facebook page for upcoming events and special offers.