Sir,
I’m bemused by the reported remarks (Nov 1) of Ireland’s Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Martin Cullen, during hi recent London visit – “Your first contact should be with an Irish person ……friendly and with an Irish voice.”
During recent years I’ve had many opportunities to compare the friendliness of Irish hospitality professionals with those of England, Scotland, France, Belgium, Italy and other places with that of my own compatriots. I am ashamed to report that my compatriots have been the most unfriendly of the lot.
On our last Irish trip my wife and I had occasion to stay in a County Dublin hotel for a few nights. Arriving at the Reception Desk I found a Dublinman, who had been golfing in its grounds, complaining that heroin was being sold within yards of the building. This did not concern the receptionist, and the golfer advised me that we should not stay there. As we had prepaid we stayed.
Late the following morning trays laden with the detritus of meals eaten in the bedrooms the previous evening remained uncollected on the floors of the corridors. Cooked breakfasts came late and cold, and guests who had flights to catch left without eating.
We went to a hotel a few miles up the coast for lunch. During the meal a trolley, piled high with soiled bed linen was wheeled within inchesn of our table. When this was remarked to the staff, a second, similar load, followed in its wake.
Our trip previous to that we stayed briefly in a hotel in Glendalough. When my wife approached Reception to settle our bill she was kept waiting whilst the Receptionist telephoned the sleeping arrangements of the guests to a Gossip Columnist, Private Detective, nosey parker or intelligence agent. – I never did find out. She made no apology for the long delay.
Not long before that we stayed overnight in a hotel in the centre of Waterford. When we asked where we could attend Sunday Mass the Receptionist didn’t know, nor deign to try to find out. A beautiful basilica-style Cathedral was within five minutes’ walk, and had been for well over a century. A few weeks later I had occasion to be in the foyer of a London West End hotel, when a woman from San Francisco asked a similar question of an English receptionist, who answered her question instantly and politely.
A few years previously I was with my brother in Dun Caoin in the Kerry Gaeltacht. My brother addressed the landlord of a local pub in fluent and polite Irish. He was given a churlish reply in English and asked our host if he was a stranger there and unacquainted with the language. The landlord was a local man and a native speaker.
Two English friends of mine, teachers with an interest in history, on a visit to Dublin asked at a State Tourist office if there was a brochure or guide to places featured in the 1916 Rising, Rather than try to help them an official asked them why they would want to know about that.
I could give further instances to demonstrate t where Irish hospitality professionals are given to addressing their guests with attitudes where “F” does not signify “Failte.”
Donal Kennedy
London.
I spent a couple of great nights in the Gresham Hotel in Dublin over the summer. I have to say it was lovely and the staff were helpful, polite and well turned out. However not one of them were Irish, all were judging by the accents at least foreign born, possibly eastern European but I cant be sure. Its a common thing here and I have experienced it in hotels both north and south.
Now I don’t care one bit where a member of staff comes from, however I do wonder this seems to always be the case. Can hotels not recruit suitable staff locally? Perhaps its local attitudes are bad and can’t be bothered to keep that happy helpful demeanor that is needed by front of house staff.
Scott, the Gresham is excellent, as is the Shelbourne, other establishments in Ireland, whether N.E. or S.W., tend to be manned by staff whom believe, it seems, you owe them a living, I was talking about this to an Australian yesterday, mentioning how, when I am there, I am delighted being taken care of by people who speak with me, not simply stare at me seemingly questioning my presence in their workplace.
Spain, and Italy, are two other places I frequent, as you mention, there, staff in shops and hotels tend to be from the locale, fortunately, unlike Donal, I have the Church next door to me in both places but, in my experience, Spanish are a bit ‘up their own’ but the Italians are brilliant and dreadfully helpful.
Donal, I should, for the same reason as you, agree. however, if you want good food, try the Ninth Lock in Clondalkin, now known as the Waterside, and the staff are brilliant, both indigenous and Polish and portions are large but, why in God’s name should people want to come here given poor treatment by, so called, hospitality professionals?
I have spent time in bad hotels in many countries, Ireland included. The phrase “céad míle fáilte” harks back to a time when the Irish had a very different culture. ‘Fáilte’ being the Irish word for happiness. ‘Fáilte romhat’ – ‘happiness before you’ hence ‘welcome’. ‘Fearadh na fáilte’ – ‘the pouring of welcome’ (as in drink). It refered the the Irish custom of ‘fláithiúlacht’ (which means generosity today) where a ‘fláith’ (lord) was welcomed into a house in the locality, and provided with food, drink, and entertainment. Think Brú Dá Derga or Fled Briclenn, Scela Muicce Mac Datho. The remenents of this culture could be found in the local ‘céilí’ house – céilí being the Old-Irish for ‘client’.
What you are rerferring to isn’t neccessarily unfriendliness it is just bad service. Unfortunately, today’s Ireland is no different from any other European country. If you pay the price you get the better service.
It starts at the management level. Poor training all around.
The issues mentioned can and do happen everywhere and it’s a problem that can be resolved only by attentive people in charge who won’t tolerate such nonsense.