Francis Brennan interview

Hotelier Francis Brennan had explored the stunning west coast of Ireland long before it was ever known as the Wild Atlantic Way.

As a director of the country’s national tourism body - Fáilte Ireland - the proprietor of a five-star hotel and a TV star, he has visited some of the nation’s prettiest locations. So, when he divulged his Wild Atlantic Way must-see list, I was all ears.

Be it horse riding on the beach, cliff-walking, or nightkayaking, Francis believes the best of what Ireland has to offer can be experienced along the Wild Atlantic Way.

“Ireland has five-star hotels, it has cottages, it has everything everything from A to Z of tourism is on the Wild Atlantic Way.

“It starts in Kinsale (County Cork), which is great for the food.

“There are some lovely restaurants there and what’s really nice about Ireland is that a lot of the restaurants are family businesses, so they have a longevity. Kinsale is really nice, but I like the rural places; off the beaten track.”

Francis lives by the sea in Kenmare, County Kerry - one of nine counties along the WAW’s 2,500 kilometre stretch. He and his brother John run the five-star Park Hotel Kenmare which, next year, marks 40 years in business. “We’re a family-run hotel and we offer a warm Irish-style welcome. The hotel is like a cup on a saucer; the saucer is the garden and the cup is the hotel, so when you walk through the garden, you’re in the town.”

“In Kerry, there are two places I always tell people to go. One is Gleninchaquin - it’s a lovely walking amenity here, looking right out over the Atlantic Way on the Ring of Beara. There’s a waterfall there that’s outstanding - you walk up one side of the mountain, you cross a bridge over this waterfall and it’s like you’re ‘in’ the waterfall!

“Another is a looped walk in

Valentia - it’s about seven kilometres and I send people all summer long down there and they love it. It’s right out to the old lighthouse looking out to the Skelligs - like, you could touch them!

“You’re out in the countryside sheep on one side of you and the sea at the other side and that’s it.”

Another of his tried and tested recommendations is Emerald Outdoors - a relatively new business venture in Kenmare making waves on TripAdvisor for paddleboarding, kayaking and bioluminescent night tours.

“There’s also horse-riding down on the beaches in Derrynane and then of course we have the Dark Sky Reserve.”

A stargazer’s dream, the reserve stretches from Kells Bay to Caherdaniel; it’s protected from light pollution and is the only gold tier Dark Sky Reserve in the northern hemisphere.

But, enough about Kerry; Sligo is also somewhere Francis spends a lot of his time.

“Up around Strandhill and Ross’ Point in Sligo is beautiful - there are two lovely bays and there’s always someone surfing, morning, noon and night which is great to watch.”

Further north in Co. Mayo are the Céide Fields - an archaeological site that’s home to Ireland’s most extensive Neolithic site and the world’s oldest known field systems.

“I’ve never been there, but my brother John went and said they are outstanding,” said Francis. “A little bit inland from that, on the must-see list is the National Museum of Ireland, near Castlebar. I’ve been there a few times and I’ve brought my mother. They have all old Irish things, like old transistor radios, old buckets they’d use for milking the cows and all that; it’s a really great place to go.” When filming the hit TV show ‘At Your Service’ - which sees Francis and John come to the rescue of struggling businesses within the hospitality industry Francis became fond of Bundoran, a seaside town in Donegal.

“It’s a lively town and kids love it - there are hurdy gurdys and bumper cars, it’s like a playground for children and there’s the beach, so it’s great for a family holiday.”

According to statistics, Ireland’s tourism revenue set a new record last year - in the first half of 2018 it increased by 8.5% on the same period of the previous year.

“It’s definitely a great time to come to Ireland; the country is in positive mode. Certainly, last year was very buoyant and we got great weather, which gives everyone a boost. Ireland is a great place to holiday, even on a wet day.”