It was August 1974 when Galway man Martin Gibbons stepped through the doors of Ashford Castle for the very first time, starting his first ‘proper’ job as a commis waiter at the hotel’s historic George V restaurant.
50 years later and Martin is still walking through those famous castle doors, where he is now maître d’ in the very same restaurant, meeting, greeting and seating guests, as he says himself.
Martin’s golden anniversary was this week marked by colleagues with a surprise celebration at Ashford Castle as Martin recounted golden moments and memories from the years gone.
From Ronald Reagan to Rod Stewart, Fred Astaire and Pierce Brosnan, Martin has met them all. And, given he has no plans to retire any time soon, he hopes to continue meeting and greeting guests for many more years to come.
Family legacy
The Gibbons’ family association with the Ashford Castle estate dates back to the time of his grandfather, also Martin, who worked as a gamekeeper for the then owners, the Guinness family. His father was a ghillie, fishing Lough Corrib with guests of the castle from the 1940s through to the 1960s.
Three of Martin’s five children have also worked on the estate and the castle is where he met his wife Breege, when she was working there as a chef in the 1980s.
“The Ashford estate has been part of our family for more than 120 years and for me, while I have never stayed in the castle, it feels like a home from home. There’s nowhere like it in the world and I would really miss both the place and of course the people, if I ever decide to retire.”
In addition to the stars and celebrities, Martin loves to see returning guests, many of whom made their first trip to Ashford Castle as children.
“We’ve had the same families visiting us every year and it’s wonderful to see the different generations getting the same enjoyment that their parents and grandparents got from a visit to this very special place. We treat every guest in the same way - everyone is important to us and we want to ensure that each stay is both memorable and special. It’s not uncommon to be greeted by guests with a hug, it’s just that kind of place,” says Martin.
Niall Rochford, Managing Director of the Ashford Estate said: “We have colleagues who have worked with us for twenty, thirty and even forty years but this is a celebration for a colleague and a friend who marks an astonishing 50 years at Ashford Castle.
“This is a remarkable milestone and I don’t believe there are many people in the hospitality industry, nor indeed any industry who can make that claim. Martin’s professionalism, his stories and good humour and the way in which he looks after guests make him, in my view, the finest maître d’s in the country, if not in Europe. He is loved by colleagues and guests alike and quite frankly, he’s an absolute legend.
“On behalf of everyone on the Ashford Estate I want to thank Martin for his 50 years of service and acknowledge the huge contribution he has made not just to the reputation but also the warmth and the personality for which the castle is recognised.”
For fifty years Martin has lived by his father’s advice to always be on time, the same advice he has passed on not only to his children but to colleagues starting out. And today, as Ashford Castle marks 50 years of Martin Gibbons, it’s his time.
