Hey there, my name is Zuzana (feel free to pronounce it Susana ) and I work in the Killarney Court Hotel for the last…10 years!!! Yes, I am amazed myself, how the time flies…

I started to work in restaurant and after 3 years of waitressing I was trained at the front desk to be the smilliest, loveliest receptionist you can get… (I really hope my managers are not reading this J but then, if they do…all they can do is to agree)

My day at reception starts either at 7:00am or 3:00pm and lasts 8 hours…Job involves a lot of paper & computer work, cash & card handling and the phone answering…but the most important of all – are the guests/clients/patrons…YOU! Yes, your comfort, tight sleep at night (or snooze in the afternoon), stress free days …well, ensuring altogether a relaxing or activity filled stay (the choice is yours) is the most important part of my work….and honestly, that is the most interesting part of my work too…I get to meet people from all corners of the world, English as well as non -  English speaking (it did help me many times already that I am fluent speaker in more languages and that I am not shy to use my hands and feet to communicate in languages I do not speak J), short and tall, young and ..matured J… nice as well as snippy (sorry to all of you guys who aren’t snippy!!!)…single and coupled…with children or just on a short break without them (don’t we deserve it all, us parents?) and all of them come to see our lovely Killarney or better to say – Kerry….

I am originally from the Slovak Republic (Slovakia) but after 10 years spent in Killarney I am being considered by locals as one of the locals. There is no wonder why I have decided to stay in Killarney for so long – it has the feel of a small town, where people know each other and greet strangers on the streets, the famous Irish hospitality is an everyday experience, but still it is a busy, busy town…with INEC hosting world known artists performing at their best and of course the national park and beautiful golf courses…no wonder the hotel is busy and sometimes we do not get time to get that famous ‘cuppa’ J  But let’s face it, everybody knows about the park and INEC, who comes to Killarney.

So let me give you some secret tips of a receptionist and local gal on what to do when visiting our place: first of all, always check out the hotel’s own website! There is a guarantee that you get the best possible value for your stay ………….. and then when you are booked in, just leave the car in our car park-it’s free…it takes 10 min. to walk to town centre and it is safe to walk night and day…there are car parks in town, but they are not free and most of the time of the day are full…if you do not like to walk (or for ladies – if you are going on a night out and wearing the most gorgeous but most ‘uncomfy’ shoes) – just get a taxi- it is free to call from the courtesy phone and costs up to €8 (price shown valid at the time of printing ) The Muckross house and  the Ross Castle have a free car park, with plenty of space, so you can drive there and just ask me, I will point the way…

For the singles – night clubs are opened all week round! with a free entry before 11pm (I hope I am not ruining anybody’s business right now! J as well as our own bar is opened for residents until 3am…enough said

For the families with children – when visiting the Ross Castle bring some bread with you. Ross castle is on a lake and there are plenty of ducks and swans to be fed by your little ones…amazing experience for the whole family and it is free!!! And with Spring finally coming our way -  the Kennedy’s pet farm has a lot of baby animals, which can be held, fed, stroked by the brave ones…lot of it is happening under the roof, so even if it is raining, it is worth going…

For the foreign folks – Irish music in some pubs being played live all week round, with free entry. And if you would like to experience a bit of set dancing, then Wednesday night is your night – for a small fee you can get into to Grand and see it live… and the best thing of all? It is danced by locals -  you can see representatives of all generations dance together – grandsons with their grandmothers, uncles and nieces, brothers and sisters and of course couples taking part in incredible fast set dancing…if you can take part in it too -  if you dare…

And for everybody -  please do not hesitate to ask us…if something isn’t to your satisfaction or you need advice of what to do or where to go, you are not warm enough or you feel hungry, etc…all questions will be dealt with promptly…and with a smile.

Only € 99pps for 2 Nights B&B and Dinner on 1 Evening
Includes Chocolates & Glass of Bubbly with Dinner

Call 1890 930 033 or Email: sales@rlynehotels.com

Subject to Availability / Valid weekends of 10/11 February and 17/18 February

Remember, if you do decide to visit, that our own website, www.killarneycourthotel.com will give you the best value available, or you can LoCall us on 1890 93 00 33. Ho Ho Ho!

Yours Sincerely,

Derek Carroll
General Manager
Killarney Court Hotel

www.killarneycourthotel.com

 After the bad , cold weather during December and January, things are looking better now and we are looking forward to the next couple of months with a SPRING in our step still smiling all the way to the Summer.

 In the last couple of weeks, Eileen, Sheila and Mairead have been very busy welcoming our new guests at our Daily Carvery, that have made the long journey all the way across the road from the new ,Primary Care Facility at The Reeks. Nearly all the Doctors in town have moved to this location and are combining facilities etc to make it a one stop shop for all your medical needs. Hopefully we won’t need them but if we do, there only 1 minute away!!

 With the General Election over, you deserve  a break from all the Canvasers and Doom and Gloom. We have great value and always throw in a complimentary smile and a chat; Come on down, the price IS right.!!

 Derek Carroll

General Manager.

1 vegetable stock cube
800ml warm water
2 medium Courgettes (zucchini), sliced
1 x chopped Red Pepper
1 x chopped onion( medium)
1 x clove of crushed garlic
Salt and black pepper, to taste
250ml Cream
Snipped parsley

Method:
In a 2l saucepan dissolve the stock cube with warm water, add the garlic, courgette, Red Pepper and onion. Cover and bring to a simmer then cook for about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow the soup to cool then purée in food processor or blender until smooth. Add to a pan, bring to serving temperature, stir-in the cream and serve garnished with parsley and crusty bread rolls.

The magnificent scenery is what draws the huge crowds to Killarney and the mountains and lakes that cradle the racecourse make it arguably the most beautiful in the country.

The Racecoure is located 1 km outside Killarney town just off the Muckross Road. Within walking distance of the town center.

The Killarney Races are one of the premier Race meetings of the year, where the Craic is mighty and the stakes are high!

The Killarney Court  Hotel is is the ideal venue to stay when attending the races, get the best rates online www.killarneycourthotel.com

We hope to see you all here for one of the meeting in 2010.

for more info on the upcoming race meeting go to http://www.goracing.ie/Content/HRI/hriracecourses.aspx?id=592

Ingredients – serves 4 -6

• 2 Spring onions, chopped
• 1 lemon grass, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup chopped fresh Coriander
• 1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 cup lime juice
• 1/3 cup fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 pounds (1 inch thick) steak fillet
• 1 head of lettuce – rinsed, dried and torn into chunks
• 1/2  cucumber, diced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes

We are looking forward to a good busy season here at the Court with great value to be had for all. We have recently installed the Wii console in our playroom which will be available to children who are on our Kiddies club activities. These clubs are available (with prior booking) from 6-9 each evening and also on Saturdays when from 2-4 we do a trip to Buddies Soft Play centre which is only 5 minutes away from us and really great fun for all the youngsters. I’ll be back again with a more detailed Blog next week and will fill you in on all the local news here from the Court.

Derek Carroll

1 Large Pineapple

2 teaspoons Butter

 ¼ cup Brown Sugar

¼ cup Whiskey  / Brandy / Rum

Vanilla Ice Cream

Method:

Cut the top and bottom off of the pineapple, peel and cut it crosswise into 8 rings.

Use a spoon or apple corer to carve out the center core of each ring.

Heat a Griddle pan or a Frying pan over a medium heat, brush the pan with a little vegetable oil to prevent the pineapple from sticking.

Grill / Pan fry the pineapple, in 2 or 3 batches, for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until it is nicely brown and grill marks have appeared.

While the last batch of pineapple cooks, heat the butter, sugar and rum in a small saucepan over a low heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat.

Place a pineapple ring on each plate, scoop 1/4 cup of ice cream into the center of the ring, and drizzle about 2 teaspoons of sauce on top.