The general manager of Ashford Castle in Co Mayo has warned that if you don’t have your helicopter already booked for the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor Hotel in Limerick next September “you are not going to get it”.
Niall Rochford made his comment on Friday as accounts filed at the Companies Office for Ashford Castle Ltd show pretax profit last year tripled to €3.93 million.
The luxury resort firm tripled its pretax profit as revenue rose 9 per cent from €32 million to a record €34.9 million.
Commenting on bookings at the resort for the Ryder Cup, Rochford said: “We are pretty much there but we have some availability left.”
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“The big issue and big concern at the moment is trying to secure helicopters or general transport because I think if you don’t have that booked now, you are not going to get it. That is the challenge we are seeing.”
Ashford Castle was on course for another record year at the hotel.
“2026 will be a record year for the hotel and 2025 was a record year,” Rochford said.
“We have seen an uptake in exclusive events where for weddings, birthdays, special events, clients take the entire property over for a number of days and there has been a significant increase in that business this year.”
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Rochford said the potential bill for guests making such bookings run to hundreds of thousands of euro.
Irish, US and UK clients have booked out the property this year with most bookings coming from the US, he said.
Rochford noted Ashford Castle had greatly benefited from the college and NFL American football games that have taken place in Dublin over the past couple of years.
The hotel’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation last year increased by €1.36 million to €7.9 million.
The company last year enjoyed operating profit of €5 million. Finance costs of €1.12 million reduced pretax profit to €3.93 million.
Staff numbers at Ashford last year increased from 327 to 353 with costs rising from €11.4 million to €12.29 million.
Cash funds at the firm last year increased from €3.97 million to €15.49 million.
