Welcome from Our Chief Executive, Michael Kearney
As Chief Executive of Carlton Hotel Group, I'd like to welcome you to the Carlton Hotel Group blog. The Carlton Hotel Group was established in 2004 and since then has developed as one of the premier Hotel Groups in Ireland. In the past 7 years Carlton has grown substantially from operating one hotel to having a presence in many locations throughout Ireland.
Through this blog it is my aim to give you an insight into what's going on in all of our hotels plus my opinions on current affairs, sports news, general activities and events. I will also occassionally invite some of my colleagues to write on the blog giving you more opinions and insights into what's going on at Carlton. If you have any questions or queries on any of the posts please leave a comment and I will respond at my earliest convenience. Enjoy reading.............
Posted: 2012-08-24 10:30:00
What a week it has been! Each year the Rose of Tralee Festival seems to get bigger and more popular and also somehow manages to get better. It is a really busy week for me as not only am I a Rose of Tralee judge but being CEO of the Carlton Group means there are a few events I need to attend during the Rose Tour before my judging duties begin. I can’t complain though because I enjoy every minute of it but I know I’ll definitely be taking it easy this weekend to try get back to normal!Another benefit of being a judge is the amazing people I get to meet every year, some old friends and some new acquaintances. This year I was delighted to meet Ronan O’Gara who I have met briefly before at other events and I was lucky enough to get my photo taken with him. As a rugb ...
Posted: 2012-08-22 12:00:00
Tuesday was another busy day for me as I prepared for another round of Rose of Tralee live interviews that night. The Roses on the first night did so well that I wasn’t sure if myself and my fellow judges were going to be able to choose a winner. I was looking forward to seeing what night two would bring but I was also nervous about making my final decision on who should be crowned the new Rose of Tralee.That evening we were all seated in the Dome and ready for the start of the show and even at that stage you could feel the amazing atmosphere. The support for all the Roses was amazing but there were definitely a few fans that were louder than others! As with the previous night all the Roses did exceptionally well in their interviews and showcasing their talents. Also, D&aac ...
Posted: 2012-08-21 12:45:00
As one of the Rose of Tralee judges I was up and about early preparing for the first round of live interviews in the Dome last night. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes to prepare for this event along with interviews, practice rounds, sound checks and light testing. The Rose of Tralee committee work very hard each year to ensure the shows go on without a hitch!Myself and my fellow judges headed into the Dome in plenty of time for the start of the show at 8pm and we took our seats in the front row. Some of my fellow Carlton Group colleagues were there also and we all agreed it was a fantastic show. Dáithí did a great job presenting, he even tried out some Zumba moves and a bit of line dancing and all of the Roses managed to hide the nerves and entertained ...
Posted: 2012-08-20 11:00:00
Tralee was definitely the place to be this weekend as the Rose of Tralee International Festival was in full swing. The festivities kicked off with the Rose Ball in the Dome on Friday night and I must say it gets better every year. The Dome looked amazing, the food was outstanding and the entertainment was brilliant. It is definitely one of the biggest events of the week and it never disappoints. I had a few judging duties to do on Saturday as I prepared for the Selection Nights but I did manage to find the time to catch the parade through the town and I’m delighted I did. It was great to see such support for the Roses with people travelling from all over the world to cheer on their Rose. I know the Roses themselves felt very overwhelmed by it all and were surprised to see s ...
Posted: 2012-08-17 16:00:00
When I last updated the blog on Wednesday I was making the journey over to Westport to welcome the 32 Roses to the Carlton Atlantic Coast Hotel. On their way over to Westport the Roses made a quick stop at the Carlton Shearwater Hotel in Ballinasloe for lunch. They were treated to a very different lunch than what they’ve had so far on the tour as the hotel pulled out all the stops and served a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party complete with characters in full costume. From what I’ve seen of the images the hotel looked great and according to the hotel’s general manager, Martin Daly, all the hotel residents and children had a ball getting photographed with the Roses and the Mad Hatter.After Ballinasloe it was onto Westport where it looked like the whole town came out t ...
Posted: 2012-08-16 12:00:00
On their journey from the Carlton Hotel Blanchardstown to Westport, the Roses stopped for lunch at the Carlton Shearwater Hotel where they were treated to a Mad Hatter's Tea Party! They then made the journey to the West Coast and all of us at the Carlton Atlantic Coast Hotel were delighted to welcome the 32 Rose of Tralee participants to the official welcoming party on Westport Quay. A great crowd turned out to welcome all 32 Roses to Westport for the first time. For a period it looked as if the weather was going to play havoc, but as always Westport pulled out all stops and the sun appeared as soon as the Roses arrived by Garda escort at the Quay. There was 44 “mini escorts” there to welcome all roses and each was presented with a rose flower. A lively crowd were del ...
Posted: 2012-08-15 14:00:00
The Rose of Tralee Festival is a very busy time for me but definitely something I look forward to every year. This year’s Rose Tour kicked off on Sunday as the Roses arrived at the Carlton Hotel Blanchardstown where they were due to stay until Wednesday morning. From what I’ve heard there was great excitement around the hotel for their arrival but I know our guest blogger Eveanna Ryan has been filling you in on all those details!I met the Roses with my fellow judges on Monday as we all had lunch together at the Carlton Blanchardstown. This is the first year we have all met for lunch at the start of the week and it was great to get the chance to meet all the girls so early on. The Roses travelled to Newbridge Silverware on Monday evening before heading back to the Carl ...
