Captivated by Cabra Castle
MEET THE FINALISTS: BEST TOURISM BUSINESS
This year Cabra Castle is celebrating 35 years since it was taken over by the Corscadden family, but they have little time to rest on their laurels.
Situated on the Carrickmacross Road in Kingscourt, Cabra Castle is booked for roughly 280 weddings this year.
“It is family owned, family run hotel,” Cabra’s Brenda Sheenan explains. “There are three generations of Corscaddens here. Pappie and Mitzie purchased it back in ’91. Their children worked here, and now their grandchildren are here.
“When the family opened there were 22 bedrooms. Every year a part of the castle is renovated or redecorated, you can imagine with a castle like this there is a huge amount of up-keep and maintenance.
“They’re very good at putting back in and investing in the property,” Brenda acknowledges.
Nowadays, Cabra has over 100 bedrooms, spread across the castle, the courtyard, and a number of cottages on the grounds.
The business also serves the local community. The Courtroom Restaurant is open seven days a week, with an extensive wine list and Sunday lunch also available.
The Derby Bar is also open all week, with an Italian wood-fired oven, offering a lighter option for guests and locals.
However, the real catch is the comfort that it offers to wedding parties for their big weekend.
“The Gate Lodge is the original gatekeeper’s house. It is for the bride and her family to stay the night before. There’s a prepping area down there, breakfast is delivered.
“It is a ‘home away from home’ for the bride, so they don’t feel like they’re getting ready in a hotel.
Open to the public all year round, Cabra is a proud of the role it plays in the community and to the local economy.
“At the moment we have 243 employees- full-time and part-time. It is a huge team involved here,” Brenda began.
“Staff come from Kingscourt, Bailieborough, Shercock, and beyond. Of course, we’re also supplied by local businesses for food and materials.
“We’re constantly generating business for the community around us.”
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FULL LIST OF FINALISTS
Read about the other three finalists in this category by visiting the stories below.
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