Seasoned hospitality professional Andrew Phelan has been appointed General Manager at the 5-Star Lyrath Estate in Kilkenny. Andrew has enjoyed a stellar career of more than thirty years and has held senior positions in some of Europe’s finest hotels and resorts including Mount Juliet, the Old Course St Andrews and Castlemartyr Resort. He now joins the Xavier McAuliffe owned, Lyrath Estate from the world-famous Ashford Castle Estate, Cong, Co. Mayo.

Speaking about his appointment Andrew Phelan said, “I am delighted to be returning to Kilkenny, my hometown at such an exciting time for Lyrath Estate. Following Xavier McAuliffe’s very significant investment in refurbishment and new product during the pandemic, the estate is now primed for a renewed focus on the guest experience. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some truly super teams and believe that when a hotel becomes a great place to work it tends to follow that it’s also a great place to stay. Great hospitality is the essence of a memorable guest experience and we’re excited to deliver that at the wonderful Lyrath Estate”.

Xavier McAuliffe said, “We are looking forward to working with Andrew at Lyrath Estate, he has all the skills and experience we need to continue to offer the highest levels of service to our guests. We pride ourselves in offering classic Irish hospitality and look forward to not just meeting our guest’s expectations but to exceed them. We have made significant investments in the property over the last two years and have completely renovated all the bedrooms, built a brand-new bedroom block and created a luxurious drawing room for afternoon tea. All these additions are part of our ambitious capital programme which will continue over the next few months. I wish Andrew well and know he will be a great inspiration to our hard-working team.”