Errigal Country House awarded four-star status

The Errigal Country House Hotel is an example of the growth of Co. Cavan and the central Border region in the last decade. An hotel of distinctive splendour set in beautiful wooded countryside near the Annalee river on the edge of Cootehill, the Errigal has now crossed new frontiers with its bestowal of the prestigious four-star status by Fáilte Ireland and AA Ireland. It was originally designed and built as a country house hotel by Pat and Bernie Kelly in 2004, and in order to meet the needs of the discerning customer, the couple have further developed the Errigal in strategic fashion to the point where it is today one of the top hotels to be found anywhere in Ireland. The recent expansion and refurbishment is a tremendous success and the new spacious foyer and entrance add to the charm of the hotel. The new foyer benefits from a full complement of natural lighting and generates a definite wow factor, especially for weddings. While now a contemporary four-star hotel with 41 luxurious bedrooms and the latest in conference facilities, the Errigal Country House Hotel retains its natural beauty. Indeed the hotel's architectural design fits perfectly on the site of one of the area's stately homes. This aura of stateliness is very much part of the hotel's fascinating appeal. The Errigal Country House Hotel is offering a special deal on weddings in 2010. It is providing an all inclusive wedding package with wedding meal, supper and wines, bar extension and complimentary rooms on the night starting from €44 per person - a real bargain for the couple who want to calculate what their big day will cost them. Also anyone who books a wedding in the hotel during 2010 and 2011 is entered to a draw for a honeymoon package to a tropical destination, worth €5,000, which will be announced at the wedding fayre in February 2010 and again at the fayre in 2011. Midweek and weekend breaks are now a popular feature of Irish life. A few days away in pleasant surroundings is seen as a great way to chill out and relax from the stresses and strains of life. The Errigal Country House Hotel is a popular choice for short holiday breaks. People from all over Ireland come to the hotel to savour the fine food in Reynard's Restaurant or to be stimulated by a visit to the Eden Health and Wellness suite. The hotel has expanded its accommodation and its facilities in this sphere are a tremendous boost to the tourism sector in these counties. Reynard's Restaurant has a high reputation with quality and service being paramount. The Errigal Country House Hotel is equally appreciative of its strong local trade and families, couples and individual customers come during the week and at weekends to savour the good food and the wonderful ambience that weddings, birthday parties and anniversary events are all part of the hotel's daily workload. The Sunday carvery is a big attraction, even more since the managerial decision in June to allow children under 12 to partake of the Sunday carvery lunch free of charge - an inspired move that has eased the cost of families eating out. The Errigal Country House Hotel is conscious that people have less money to spend in these recessionary times and this is reflected in its prices. It recognises that families still like to go out for Sunday lunch, a social event for many people. "The Errigal have a professional and friendly team of staff, mostly from the local area, working with them giving the highest quality of service, that will continue to be the case as it is a family run hotel," says Anne O'Grady sales and marketing manager. Conscious of the need to give value for money, the hotel is offering a special price of €30 per person for Christmas party nights on December 11 and 12 and December 18 and 19 - tremendous value at this peak time of year. The key factor that has stayed constant at the Errigal Country House hotel is the high standard of food served, both in Reynard's Restaurant and in the Brewery Bar. Head chef Des Nugent and his team always serve quality. They have been part of the Errigal set-up since the hotel opened six years ago. Once again to meet the needs of the discerning customer, the hotel has a special Friday night steak menu in the restaurant with a three-course meal for €25 New dishes have been added to the bar menu to meet the needs of customers and to provide good value for money. The Errigal Country House Hotel is also the perfect conference centre; state agencies and organisations representing the different facets of Irish business, civic and sporting life choose to hold important conferences and meetings. The Skeffington Suite and the Annalee Suite along with the new Corick Suite are ideal settings in which to host special business or social events. The hotel is noted for having the latest technology in terms of conference equipment such as wi-fi and audio visual technology. With Cootehill right on the border of Cavan and Monaghan, it is an ideal halfway house for both counties. As a result the Errigal Country House Hotel is a much sought after venue for meetings of a wide spectrum of locally based organisations and the three conference rooms cater for smallish groups right up to large gatherings of 300. Pat and Bernie Kelly are natives of Cootehill and decided to expand into the hotel sector in their own area because they have a commitment to their part of Cavan and are confident there is further scope for business development in this part of Ireland. Being awarded four-star status is an important boost to them and a just reward for their business initiative.