THE NEW JET SET
How the children of Ireland’s millionaires are spending their summer holidays
WHILE most people are happy to nab a cut-price European package holiday — the picture-perfect offspring of Ireland’s uberwealthy have been taking summer holidays to a whole new level. The children of Ireland’s wealthy elite have been busy unapologetically showing off their luxury getaways on social media to an army of followers.
From luxury Parisian masquerade balls to lounging on an inflatable unicorn in their private pool, the Sunday Independent welcomes you to the weird and wonderful world of Ireland’s rich kids on tour.
First up, king of Ireland’s young privileged: Alexander Smurfit.
Heir to the packaging fortune and based in the superyacht mecca of Monaco, in spring Alexander flew from his gilded lifestyle on the Mediterranean coast to the haven of the five-star Gstaad Palace in Switzerland (whose lineup of A-list residents have included Julie Andrews, Roger Moore, Kofi Annan and Madonna).
From there he jetted to Paris, taking in the bright lights of the Grande Roue before dressing up as a smouldering Mr Grey — complete with mask and whip — for a black-tie ball in The City of Light.
He also took time out for a few days in St Barts — known as the playground to the world’s rich and famous — thanks to its array of stunning beaches, luxury yachts and designer boutiques.
But most recently he has been spotted hanging out in Marbella, kicking back in Portofino, Italy, and when spending some down time at home — at Hotel De Paris, Monaco and the Four Seasons Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat.
Friends of Smurfit have also been treated to his health rituals, including beach massages, upsidedown pull-ups aboard a luxury yacht and an IV vitamin drip that gives him a much-needed health boost before he’s on the road again.
Another young heiress who has been busy sharing photos of her travels with friends and acquaintances is Ashley Doyle, daughter of David Doyle — second son of hotelier PV.
The pretty blonde kicked off her summer on the first day of June in Marbella. Pictured floating in a private pool on a giant inflatable unicorn, the honey-skinned Instagrammer has become the envy of friends who constantly hound her for information on where they can purchase her designer wardrobe of bathing suits, sunglasses and exotic feather-plumed sandals.
Last month, the Dubliner enjoyed the first days of summer by hanging out with her dad David and enjoying cocktails at the trendy local Spanish haunts — the Ocean Club and Trocadero Playa restaurant on Marbella’s golden mile.
She toasted the end of her holiday before flying home to take in a few hours at the Taste of Dublin festival and cocktails in the sun at Dublin’s Marker Hotel.
But don’t feel too sorry for her that she might have spent all the vacation time too early in the season, because within days Ashley was doing a quick repack and jetting away for the July leg of her summer getaway.
With the luxury escape still well under way, the business school graduate began the vacation on June 24, attending a sports game in the Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, before “touching down in paradise” at the five-star W Bali hotel in Indonesia on June 26.
After hanging out in the luxury Motel Mexicola, she went on to the uber-chic Le Pirate beach club in the luxury Gili Islands.
One of Trawangan’s most Instagramable locations, and the most-visited beach club on the island, those in the know say a trip to Trawangan isn’t complete until you have hung out at Le Pirate. Here she spent her mornings snorkelling with tropical fish and evenings watching the sun go down on the paradise islands’ romantic water swings.
Ashley must be well clued up on luxury escapes because the magic of these quiet, seductive islands are a well-kept secret away from the typical tourist choke spots — and their beauty is so serene they are said to make Bali look unappealing. As a close friend of the south Dubliner said: “Ashley takes it to a whole new level.”
From there it was fun with monkeys at a sanctuary in Ubud, a frolic in the Tegenungan waterfall, swimming in the jungle at the Alaya Resort Jembawan, and a stroll through the coffee plantations of Bali.
Elsewhere, Alanna O’Reilly — the beautiful daughter of Gavin O’Reilly and Alison Doody — has been letting her hair down at the Coachella music festival. She has also set up life as a professional makeup artist, hanging out with the young movers and shakers of Beverly Hills, Los Angeles.
Another elite Instagrammer, Nicole Kidney, from the prominent business family originally of Shrewsbury Road and partowners of Jurys, has been spending her time on the French Riviera in Cannes and partying in Brooklyn, New York.
Elsewhere, Indy Power, the successful internet food blogger of The Little Green Spoon and daughter of Robert Power, the magazine publisher who grossed an estimated €14m from the sale of insurance broker Cornmarket to Irish Life & Permanent in 2008, has been spending the first part of her summer in Les Signes, France, just outside Bordeaux — at the start of the year she stayed in South Africa’s Phinda Private Game Reserve and at a paradise hangout in Franschhoek on the Western Cape.
Meanwhile, Zak Jordan, son of Formula One legend Eddie, has been keeping followers up-to-date with his fun-loving adventures. Pictured earlier in the year in a hot tub on board a yacht in Monaco, relaxing in an infinity pool and on the ski lifts of Avoriaz.
More recently the young racing heir has entertained friends by posting a video strutting through the crowd at a Justin Bieber concert, raising magnums in the exclusive ski resort of Sotogrande, hanging out on a yacht at the Monaco Grand Prix, holidaying in Montenegro and enjoying his favoured pastimes of water skiing and wakeboarding in the Liquid Leisure Park in the UK.
Perhaps he summed up all our feelings looking over his posts when he cheekily asked his followers: ‘‘What’s work?’’
Touche!
‘He dressed as Mr Grey complete with masks and whips’