Interview With Niall Rochford From Ashford Castle
Niall Rochford is the General Manager of both the 5-star Ashford Castle and the 4-star Lodge at Ashford and responsible for the lives of over 425 people employed on the Ashford Estate.
Niall knew from a very early age he wanted to pursue a career in hotels and on leaving school, attended the Dublin College of Catering – better known as Cathal Brugha Street, to complete his Hotel Management and degree in Business Studies.
Destined for a career in the 5-star hotel business, Niall started his ‘castle career’ at Dromoland Castle – where he worked for 11 years rising to become Deputy General Manager. In 2002 the General Manager of the other legendary Irish castle – Ashford Castle, retired and at the very young age of 32 Niall was promoted by the then board to the position of General Manager of Ashford Castle.
Under Niall’s skilful management for 18 years, he has presided over some of the most extraordinary times at Ashford, including the sale of the castle in 2013 to Red Carnation Hotel Collection, the multi-million euro restoration and the opening of the 64 bedroom 4-star Lodge at Ashford.
Niall’s caring and passionate professionalism has helped team Ashford win a number of leading industry awards including – the first Irish hotel to be awarded Virtuoso Best Hotel in the World in 2015, Travel + Leisure Best Hotel Resort in UK & Ireland 2016.
Recognised as an Unique Lodge by National Geographic, Niall has pushed his team to think above and beyond in terms of sustainability. The estate has eliminated single-use plastics and is the first hotel in Ireland to receive a Plastic Smart award from Green Hospitality. The 9-hole golf course is the first in Southern Ireland to be geo golf certified and The Spa at Ashford was recipient of an award for its sustainability endeavours. A hotel surrounded by water and now looking into rainwater harvesting and hydroelectricity.
in 2020 Ashford Castle is looking to extend their luxury concierge experience, which is not just about information for guests, it is about delivering knowledge and experiences and giving guests an opportunity to immerse themselves in the life of the west of Ireland.