Francis and John Brennan on working with family
The hotel and catering business can be difficult and working with a family member comes with its
own range of challenges. But, as expert hoteliers Francis and John Brennan tell Jessica Thompson, it
can be a good way to get to know each other better.
The bond between brothers is not one that Francis and John Brennan experienced growing up. With
an 11-year gap between them, they weren’t close until they became adults and started working
together both on and off the small screen.
Famous for their RTE One programme, At Your Service, and well-known across the country for their
expertise in the hotel industry, John and Francis have spent the past seven years or so travelling the
country with a camera crew in tow, offering expert advice and tips to hotels and B&Bs in urgent
need of help.
And while Ireland was getting to know the lovable pair on At Your Service, to John and Francis
working together proved to be a very valuable experience.
“There are no difficulties of working together really as we have different roles at the Park Hotel
Kenmare. I do the sales and marketing and John looks after the budget, etc. The best thing about
working together is that when I left home, John was only 11 years old, so we only got to know each
other when we started working together,” Francis explains.
“John and I get on fine. He spends more time now at Dromquinna, his wedding and glamping venue,
which is three miles outside Kenmare. When we went into business together, John had been
working in Sligo Park Hotel, but due to changes there he came to work with us here at the Park Hotel
Kenmare.”
The Park Hotel Kenmare has been in the family since 1986 when Francis purchased the hotel from a
Swiss consortium, though he had been working as the hotel manager before the purchase. Under his
direction, the hotel quickly gained a reputation for providing the highest of international standards,
establishing it as one of Ireland’s premier hotels.
Under the direction of Mr Brennan, the Park Hotel Kenmare continued to go from strength to
strength, and with business booming, Francis decided to ask his brother to take on the role of
General Manager in 1994.
“Well actually I was fired from my job in Sligo and business in Kenmare was booming, so Francis
asked me to join him,” says John, revealing the ‘changes’ to which Francis had referred. “I delight in
the day I came to work at the Park Hotel Kenmare because, as a family, we love Kenmare.”
The television show has increased the profile of both brothers immensely, with At Your Service
attracting hundreds of thousands of viewers every episode, making John and Francis one of Ireland’s
most popular double acts.
Recently, however, the news broke that John would no longer be working with his brother on the
show. And while this news came as a disappointment to many fans across the country, the show still
goes on with Francis taking on the responsibility himself.
“Francis is well able to cope with At Your Service on his own. Actually, his first year was without me,
so it’s back to the start so to speak. I do have a cameo appearance though,” John explains. And his
older brother agrees that things are still running smoothly without him.
“Since John left, we are doing fine on At Your Service as I have been able to pull in guests from the
industry who would be experts in the required job. We did call him in for a camping issue as he has
vast knowledge of glamping in Dromquinna,” says Francis.
Dromquinna Manor, situated just outside Kenmare, has been growing in popularity under John’s
direction, and has proven to be a very popular wedding destination, with luxury camping facilities,
motorhome pitches and the Boathouse Bistro available to wedding parties.
With luxury camping (‘glamping’) facilities that feature all the creature comforts of home, but in a
setting that is surrounded by nature, Dromquinna Manor has exceeded all expectations this year
under John’s direction and the younger of the duo is looking forward to continued success off the
television screen – something that his big brother is very proud of.
“I admire what John has created in Dromquinna in just three years. He has 88 weddings booked this
year… extraordinary.”
For more information on Dromquinna wedding and luxury camping venue, visit Dromquinnamanor.com. Or to find out more about the Park Hotel Kenmare, visit parkkenmare.com.
