Original Irish Hotels Collection Raise 58,000 for The Cancer Society!

Ballyseede Castle in Tralee, Co. Kerry were delighted to welcome their hotel colleagues from various Original Irish Hotels located throughout the country on November 20th. The beautiful castle and estate grounds hosted their annual Members Meeting, where independently owned hotels within the Original Irish Hotels collection discussed the past season and the outlook for 2025. The cheque presentation from the recent Original Irish Hotels charity cycle took place at Ballyseede Castle with a representative from the Irish Cancer Society present.

Original Irish Hotels offers a collection of distinctive, owner-operated hotels situated in Ireland's most stunning locations. Stepping into an Original Irish Hotel is stepping into a world of genuine Irish hospitality with Ireland's leading group of independent hotels. The 50 Original Irish Hotels are spread across Ireland in beautiful locations such as the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s Ancient East, the Causeway Coast, Dublin and the cherished heartland of the Midlands and Lakelands.

From Monday, 30th September 2024, Original Irish Hotels’ team members, guests and local suppliers embarked on an epic eight-day charity cycle, starting at Casey’s of Baltimore in Cork and finishing on Monday, 7th October at Arnold’s Hotel in Dunfanaghy, Co. Donegal.

The 800+ km cycle challenge marked the 10-year anniversary of the Wild Atlantic Way, celebrating the impact the route has had on local communities over the last decade, with a goal of raising €50,000 for the Irish Cancer Society. Original Irish Hotels are delighted to share that the team raised €58,668! We would like to thank all of the hotels, local communities, corporate sponsors and cyclists who donated to the campaign. Over the week-long cycle, Original Irish Hotels had more than 100 cyclists from hotels within the collection taking part in the challenge.

Across the 800 km relay-style cycle, team members visited a variety of beautiful Original Irish Hotels along the spectacular and rugged Wild Atlantic Way route, with participants from each hotel taking part at various stages of the cycle. The teams were made up of hotel proprietors, hotel staff, guests, suppliers and many local heroes, with a combination of experienced and leisure cyclists.

There were eight days of cycling, covering roughly 100 km per day and visiting 24 hotels, including Randles Hotel in Killarney, Parknasilla Resort & Spa and Ballyseede Castle in Kerry, Fitzgerald Woodlands Hotel in Adare, Lough Inagh Lodge in Connemara and Mill Park Hotel in Donegal, to name a few.

Stephen Belton, Chairperson at Original Irish Hotels, commented: “When thinking about creating the challenge, we wanted to ensure whatever we did not only brought our Original Irish Hotels friends and family together, but also made a difference to our local communities. The Irish Cancer Society was the right charity to partner with, as everyone in our community and throughout Ireland has been touched by cancer in some way.”

Original Irish Hotels supported the Irish Cancer Society as their chosen charity for the challenge. These hotels are at the heart of their communities and the Irish Cancer Society provides invaluable services to those communities, including support for patients, funding cancer research projects and providing care to people throughout Ireland.

Original Irish Hotels take pride in providing guests with a unique and personal experience. The collection includes a variety of traditional and boutique hotels, castles, manor houses and country homes, all managed by locals, guaranteeing a genuine Irish welcome every time.

Original Irish Hotels would like to thank all the hotels and communities who kindly welcomed the cyclists throughout this Charity Cycle Challenge.

Original Irish Hotels Cycle Route

Start – Casey’s of Baltimore

Day 1 – Monday, 30th September

Casey's of Baltimore, Baltimore

Seaview House Hotel & Spa, Bantry

Sneem Hotel, Sneem

Day 2 – Tuesday, 1st October

Parknasilla Resort & Spa, Kerry

Arbutus Hotel, Killarney

Randles Hotel, Killarney

The Victoria, Killarney

Dingle Benners, Dingle

Day 3 – Wednesday, 2nd October

Ballyseede Castle, Tralee

Dunraven Arms Hotel, Adare

Fitzgerald Woodlands House Hotel, Adare

Day 4 – Thursday, 3rd October

Vaughan Lodge Hotel, Lahinch

Sheedy's Boutique Hotel, Lisdoonvarna

Hylands Burren Hotel, Ballyvaughan

Day 5 – Friday, 4th October

Connemara Sands Hotel, Ballyconneely

Abbeyglen Castle Hotel, Connemara

Day 6 – Saturday, 5th October

Lough Inagh Lodge Hotel, Connemara

Knockranny House Hotel, Westport

Clew Bay Hotel, Westport

Mount Falcon Estate, Mayo

Day 7 – Sunday, 6th October

Park Hotel Kiltimagh, Kiltimagh

Markree Castle, Collooney

Sandhouse Hotel, Rossnowlagh

Day 8 – Monday, 7th October

Mill Park Hotel, Mullans

Arnolds Hotel, Dunfanaghy

Image: Original Irish Hotels cheque presentation with the Irish Cancer Society at Ballyseede Castle Hotel, Co. Kerry. €58,668 was raised by the Original Irish Hotels collection during their charity cycle event from Cork to Donegal.