Get to know Events Manager, Mairèad

Meet Mairèad, the Everglade’s fairy-god mother who waves her magic wand creating dream weddings, dazzling gala dinners, and fabulous functions.

Name

Mairéad Kelly

How long have you worked for Hastings Hotels/Everglades Hotel: 

I have been at the Everglades for 20 years & 8 months, but it feels like I’m only here a few months! The years have flown in.

Favourite part of your job:

I love seeing the function diary on my screen with lots of green cubes filled in each day, as that means we have lots of bookings in our meeting rooms! Sometimes more than one booking per room, per day! No day is ever the same, and I enjoy making people’s visions come to life whether it be for their wedding or event. 

Reason for joining the team at the Everglades Hotel: 

I studied Hospitality Management at Ulster University, Jordanstown and spent my placement year in Boston as a trainee manager at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers. It was a 960-bedroom hotel and I worked in the room service department for 6 months and then moved to the sales department for 6 months. That was an experience I would recommend to anyone. The experience I gained and the friendships I made have lasted a lifetime. 

When I returned home from Boston, I worked in Galgorm Manor for 18 months as a trainee manager, and then duty manager. I worked in food and beverage and reception during my time there and then decided I was ready to move back home to the North West. This position came up and I was fortunate to begin my career with Hastings Hotels in the Everglades.  

After secondary school, I studied Hotel and Catering at Omagh College and I remember doing a project on Hastings Hotels, never for one minute thinking that I’d be part of the team a few years later.  The Hastings brand is synonymous with providing the finest in Irish hospitality with style and excellence and that’s why I love working with the team here at the Everglades hotel, which has become like a second family to me over the years.

If you’re searching for a role in hospitality, we would be delighted to hear from you! For further information regarding current vacancies please click here