Laois woman wins ‘Employee of the Year’ at hotel awards
Employee of the Year title winner Catherine Phelan, Ballyfin Demesne, pictured with Matt O'Connor, vice president of the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF), Aidan O'Sullivan, IHF midlands branch chair and Michael Magner, IHF national president. Photo: Joe Conroy
A LAOIS woman has been named ‘Employee of the Year’ at an Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) midlands branch awards lunch.
Catherine Phelan, senior accommodation assistant at Ballyfin Demesne, won the accolade in the company of her peers at the Radison Blu Hotel, Athlone, on 28 January.
The event acknowledged 12 nominees in total from hotels and guesthouses across the region.
Speaking at the event, IHF Midlands branch chair Aidan O’Sullivan said judges noted Catherine’s “high level” service, attention to detail and determination to “offer guests the best experience possible”.
Catherine has held the role at Ballyfin Demesne for 16 years and is one of the longest serving members of the team. She now goes on to represent the IHF Midlands Branch at the upcoming National IHF Employee of the Year Awards, held at the IHF’s Annual Conference in the Gleneagle Hotel, Killarney, on 23 and 24 February.
IHF President Michael Magner congratulated all nominees, stating that they “represent the very best of our profession”.
He continued: “There has never been a better time to start a career in tourism and hospitality in a sector that supports 270,000 livelihoods across the country, including over 24,000 throughout the midlands.”
Other presentations included the ‘Highly Commended’ award, which was won by Collette Fitzpatrick, sous chef at the Clanard Court Hotel in Athy, Co Kildare. Aoife Browne, reception supervisor at the Osprey Hotel in Naas, Co Kildare, won the ‘Rising Star’ award.
The IHF Midlands Branch said in a statement that it extends gratitude to the judging panel of Bernice McLaughlin from Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board, and Daniel McCarthy, general manager at the Talbot Hotel, Carlow.
