Bernard Casey: 'Francis Brennan was horrified by my Skellig Rangers gear bag' 

We talk to Lorraine Casey, owner of Waterville's Smugglers Inn, check out its interiors, consult the design team — and get the verdict from its very first post-renovation guest 

Comedian and actor Bernard Casey and his partner Laura were the first guests at the newly revamped Smugglers Inn where they met Francis Brennan. Picture: Bernard Casey Comedy, Facebook

As Francis and John Brennan touched down in South Kerry, the Star Wars puns zipped through the air like spaceships.

The dynamic At Your Service duo were on a mission to help Lorraine Casey and Henry Hunt, owners of The Smugglers Inn, make their business shine in the latest episode of the RTÉ One series.

And stars of the celeb kind were literally colliding in those newly painted and wallpapered corridors, as Lorraine’s brother, hugely popular Cork-based comedian and actor Bernard Casey (BernardCasey), encountered Francis and John Brennan when he and his partner Laura were the first guests to try the new-look accommodation. 

“It was my first time meeting Lorraine in six months due to the lockdown,” says the comedian and actor, who is currently visiting venues across Ireland on his popular Rural Pub Tour. 

Lorraine Casey and Francis Brennan.

Bernard warned his fans on social media this week to keep an eye out for an “awkward cameo” on the episode.

“Francis Brennan was horrified by my Skellig Rangers gear bag. He was so disgusted by my gear bag they cut us from the final edit,” joked the performer.

On the flipside, Bernard was super-impressed by the transformation and congratulated all involved on what he described as "a superb renovation". 

Lorraine Casey and Henry Hunt with Francis Brennan.

And there were many other stars of this show — not least the interiors as well as the indoor-outdoor living zone.

That was thanks to a rogue element introduced by Henry.

As well as creating 15 bedrooms in the refurbishment and renovation with Lorraine, Henry, a chef, decided to build a whole new patio where he planned a veritable fleet of pods for dining out.

He blithely admitted to viewers he kept this element a secret from John and Francis because he feared “they’d put me off doing it”.

The Brennans conferred at the time. “It’ll be like Star Wars in Waterville,” Francis said, while John made dire predictions that the Atlantic winds would sweep the unearthly structures into the ocean.

The colour schemes in the bedrooms reflect the Wild Atlantic Way. Picture: pawelnowak.ie

But happily, they were proved wrong. “The pods have been such a hit,” Lorraine tells me.

“Last year, it was all about outdoor dining, we had the location for it on the beach, we took the chance and get them, and they have proved very popular. We still have them.” 

The domes have proved to be a hit, says Lorraine.

As for that prophecy that the pods would be blown away? 

“Waterville wouldn’t be Waterville without the wind, even on a nice calm day, so they are sealed on to the patio, and well bolted down,” says Lorraine.

Of course, as this is the land of the Dark Sky Reserve and as the home of Star Wars, Skellig Michael, is nearby, the pods fit right in. “We have all the twinkly stars,” agrees Lorraine.

“The pods are hugely popular with people celebrating special occasions, such as anniversaries, and for outdoor dining. They are such a good addition and tick so many boxes.” 

Also ticking every box for Lorraine and Henry was the interiors revamp itself.

Edit Design Studio, co-founded by Nathalie Vos and Justina Gruzdyte in Kenmare, played a key role in the facelift.

They are the designers who were involved in the renovation of the latest of the Brennan brothers’ businesses, The Lansdowne Arms Hotel in Kenmare.

Justina Gruzdyte and Nathalie Vos, editdesignstudio.ie. Picture: pawelnowak.ie

The designers arrived to see a restored farmhouse that had been long associated with five generations of one family and were excited at “reinventing it as “chic seaside boutique inn”, says Nathalie who adds that the history behind the name was particularly intriguing: “The native Irish were banned from trading with other countries and so smuggling became the order of the day in small county coastal areas like Waterville."

Its award-winning gourmet restaurant had been local fresh produce and seafood since 1979, and rooms were added in the 1980s. “We had 15 bedrooms to work with, and so to add to the 'boutique feel' we gave every bedroom its own identity and character,” says Justina.

The colour schemes in the bedrooms reflect the Wild Atlantic Way. Picture: pawelnowak.ie

“With much of the budget needing to be put into updating structural and maintenance works (insulation, soundproofing, re-wiring, and plumbing) we had to be clever with keeping the design simple without compromising on our desire to create bedrooms that would feel like a rural and wild Irish sea-side escape! 

"We went with bold with patterns, prints, and colours and used the landscape and seascape of the Wild Irish Atlantic as our inspiration.”

They featured a mix of off-the-shelf and bespoke pieces and joinery designed by Edit Design Studio.

A revamped bedroom at The Smugglers Inn. Pictures: Pawel Nowak, pawelnowak.ie

“Using interior designers was wonderful,” says Lorraine. “They just got the vibe off the place. 

"They used all the old pieces of furniture and created mood boards, using bold colours, bold wallpapers. 

The Edit Design duo used earthy and sea-inspired tones. Picture: Pawel Nowak, pawelnowak.ie

"They made the rooms as Instagrammable as possible. They took into account the colours of the Wild Atlantic Way and tried to use them as much as possible, in cushions, wallpaper, and we have pictures of seahorses, and fish, and there was just so much attention to detail.

We are ecstatic. There’s no way we would have come up with those colour schemes ourselves. We were in good hands.” 

As for Lorraine and Henry’s happy space in the newly refurbished building?

The newly refurbished interiors at The Smugglers Inn. Pictures: Pawel Nowak, pawelnowak.ie

“The lounge upstairs is beautiful because it’s looking onto the beach,” says Lorraine. “The interiors there are relaxed, with electric blue sofas and mustard seats. You just feel you can bring your drink up there and watch the sunset.”

Works started in January 2021 and they reopened in July of last year. It was a difficult couple of months given Covid-19 restrictions, but local labour helped get the job done for Lorraine and Henry, who during the renovation were also looking after their young daughter, Catherine, and have since welcomed Lily, aged three months.

• You can see this episode of At Your Service on RTÉ Player and the series airs on RTÉ One at 9.35pm on Mondays