Celebrating Women, Stories and the Spirit of Kenmare

International Women’s Day at The Lansdowne

There are certain people whose presence becomes part of a house.

Long before online bookings and instant confirmations, hospitality at The Lansdowne was built on handwritten letters, ringing telephones and the quiet rhythm of a family welcoming guests into their home and at the heart of it all was Breda, Patrick’s mother.

Alongside her beloved Bobby, Breda ran The Lansdowne for 28 wonderful years, welcoming guests from around the world with warmth, humour and an extraordinary work ethic. Guests arrived as strangers and often left as friends, returning year after year to the familiar comfort of this house and the people within it.

For nearly three decades, Breda helped shape not only The Lansdowne but also the experience of Kenmare itself, at a time when the town was beginning to emerge as a destination for travellers seeking beauty, warmth and authentic Irish hospitality and many of those stories still live within these walls.

Twenty five years later, Patrick and I feel incredibly fortunate to be here caring for the same house and rediscovering so many of the memories that Breda and Bobby created.

An Afternoon of Stories

On Saturday afternoon, the eve of International Women’s Day, as part of Karen Coakley’s Kenmare Foodie Tour, Breda joined Karen and a wonderful group of women here at The Lansdowne for an informal conversation about the early days of the house.

It was a nostalgic and heartfelt afternoon as Breda shared memories of:

• How she first came to Kenmare and met Bobby

• What it was like running The Lansdowne in those early years

• The challenges and joys of hospitality in a very different era

• How the town has grown and changed over the decades

For many in the room, it was a rare opportunity to hear the story of The Lansdowne through the eyes of the woman who shaped so much of its history.

The timing also felt particularly special as Breda prepares to celebrate her birthday on 13th March, the day after Patrick’s, when she will turn 86 years young.

Inspiration Across Generations

On a personal note, I could not ask for a better inspiration as a woman. Breda has shown me what strength, resilience and generosity truly look like, both in hospitality and in family life. She has always believed that hospitality begins with people. With welcoming guests as though they were arriving into your own home. And of course, I will always be grateful to her for bringing my wonderful Patrick into the world.

Women Who Shape Kenmare

International Women’s Day is also a moment to reflect on the remarkable women who help shape this town. The women who came before us, who are shaping now and the women who will come after us.

For a small place, Kenmare quietly packs an extraordinary punch. Walk from the top of the town, around the square and down the street and you will find an incredible number of businesses led by women. Shops, cafés, galleries, hotels, restaurants and studios. The heartbeat of the town in many ways. There are also women working tirelessly behind the scenes keeping the wider Kenmare story alive.

People like Sinéad Morris O’Sullivan, who somehow manages to keep the entire community informed about everything that is happening across the town and beyond. And Tessa Denison and Anne Marie Cleary of Kenmare Guide, whose website and magazine showcase Kenmare so beautifully to the world.

Kenmare may be small, but it continues to thrive because of the people who care deeply about it and who quietly contribute to its spirit every day.

A Legacy of Hospitality

Saturday’s conversation was a lovely reminder that houses like The Lansdowne are built not only with bricks and mortar, but with the stories of the people who have lived and worked within them.

Breda’s memories are part of that story. And we feel incredibly privileged to carry the next chapter forward.

This International Women’s Day, we raise a glass to Breda and to the many women across Kenmare and beyond who continue to shape our communities with strength, generosity and spirit.