Niamh Darcy - holiday park manager
MY FATHER bought the land here 43 years ago and developed it as a campsite. As kids we spent term time in Ballinteer and school holidays down here. We just loved it, and even now some of my best friends are people I met as a child at the campsite. Today my brother, Hugh, and I run it.
During the summer season, we live on site in the manager’s house and work a seven-day week. I’m up at 7.30am and into reception to put on the bread, the croissants and the coffee machine, ready for when doors open at 9am.
I’ll then spend the rest of the morning meeting and greeting guests as well as looking after deliveries for the shop and takeaway.
We have 150 mobile homes here which are privately-owned and not rented out. Then we have a further 150 sites for visitors, whether in tents, camper vans or caravans.
In the past couple of years staycationing has taken off, so our Irish visitor numbers have surged, which balances out the fact that UK visitor numbers have fallen off dramatically. People seem to be staying in their own country more. We’re 30 metres from the beach here, which is a huge attraction.
In the last couple of years, we’ve had loads of families from places like Foxrock or Dublin 4 who are camping for the first time. They’re the ones asking if there’s anyone in the campsite who can help them pitch a tent, which of course we can. They’re a bit unsure when they arrive but they always end up loving it.
The job is very full on in summer but I love it. I don’t think you could do it if you didn’t. I’ve a team of people working with me and I’ll be in and around the reception building for most of the day, helping campers find the right spaces.
For lunch I’ll grab a sandwich on the go. I rarely get off site at all between mid-July and mid-August.
In the afternoon I’ll help out with the kids’ clubs. It’s very much a family-oriented campsite, so we run a load of events for children.
By 4pm I’ll help start prepping for the takeaway, which opens from 5pm to 10pm, and if that’s busy I’ll help out serving there too, or I might be running music nights, table quizzes or the teen discos.
We have cheese and wine evenings on Sundays and all proceeds from all our events go to charity.
Reception closes at 10pm but by the time I’ve cashed up and finished it will be 10.45pm. At that stage I’ll be looking forward to a glass of wine.
I’m very lucky though, it’s only mad busy in summer and we’re only open six months of the year, so I get loads of time off. It’s a great life.
- Niamh Darcy is manager of Morriscastle Strand Holiday Park, Kilmuckridge, Co Wexford, morriscastlestrand.com
- In conversation with SANDRA O'CONNELLl