Superstition sees drop in 2013 weddings

Superstitious couples looking to avoid getting married in 2013 has resulted in a drop in wedding business this year at the hotel where Brian O’Driscoll and Amy Huberman tied the knot three years ago.

Yesterday, the five-star Lough Rynn Castle hotel in Co Leitrim confirmed that the business returned to profit last year to record a profit of €89,236 after two years of losses.

Lough Rynn and its sister hotel, Kilronan Castle last year played host to 220 weddings and hotel director with the Hanly Castle Hotel Group, Clement Gaffney said that the tremendous exposure realised from the Brian and Amy 2010 wedding for Lough Rynn “brought the hotel to a whole new level in terms of exposure and has been a significant contribution to the overall performance of the hotels”.

However, Mr Gaffney said that the hotels has played host to less weddings this year on 2012 to host around 200 in all and he attributed the drop of 20 bookings “to a small bit of superstition from couples not wanting to get married in 2013”.

Mr Gaffney said that the hotels will not lose out on any business as the couples have seamlessly booked 2014 instead “and 2014 is on course to being our busiest ever year for weddings”.

The two hotels are favourites for high profile Irish sports-stars to get married with Dublin’s Alan Brogan and Mayo’s Andy Moran marrying their spouses at Kilronan

He said that the businesses have employed an additional 27 staff this year that follows 36 staff taken on last year employed last year to bring to over 210 staff employed.

He said that revenues at Lough Rynn last year increased by 18.6% “reflecting an increase in both international revenues and domestic revenues”.

He said: “The Hotel reported a trading profit in 2012 of €383,000; however, after deducting rents paid to the hotel owners of €235,000 in addition to depreciation of €59,000, a net profit of €89,000 was reported.”

Mr Gaffney said: “While 2012 was a difficult time for all businesses operating within the hospitality sector with the domestic market continuing to be price sensitive, the property traded well during this time.”

According to Mr Gaffney, the two hotels bring in excess of 66,000 visitors to the region annually.

On Kilronan Castle, Mr Gaffney said: “The hotel results for 2012 show a trading profit of €568,000; however after deducting rents paid to the hotel owners of €684,000 in addition to depreciation of €144,000, a net loss of €260,000 was reported.