May 2005, twenty years ago, Brian and I took a leap of faith, followed our dream, and opened our brand-new business Castlewood House in the beautiful town of Dingle, Co Kerry on the Wild Atlantic Way. We were welcomed with open arms by all the businesses in town, and we always have been incredibly grateful for that support.
When you open the door on a new business, there is a huge amount of trepidation, fear and lots and lots of hard work. There is fear that you won’t be able to fill your rooms or that something will go wrong, but you must learn to disregard that and believe in yourself and your own ability. Most of all you must do your best, because at the end of the day that’s all you can do.
We are both very lucky to have been brought up by strong, hardworking and very supportive parents who always encouraged us to follow our dreams. We miss Brian’s dad, Cameron, his mum Nuala, and Helen’s dad, Liam (who sadly passed away just at the end of January). Their loss has been huge in our lives, but their ethos lives on. Irene, Helen’s mum, continues to be a strong and steadying influence in our lives. We are proud of our little family and count ourselves to be lucky to have three great children.
Over the past twenty years we have built up very important and much cherished friendships with people from all over the world and from all walks of life. We are so grateful for the support from all our loyal guests over the years, many of whom have become multiple repeat visitors. It is our guests who have enabled us to keep the doors of Castlewood House open.
We are so proud of our wonderful team that we have built up over the years and are extremely grateful for the 110% effort they put in every single day just by being themselves.
Castlewood House is something that Brian and I are incredibly proud of. It has enabled us to become ambassadors for Dingle and Kerry as a whole. We are honoured to work with all our fellow enterprises in Dingle. This allows us to offer our visitors an unforgettable snapshot of Dingle, Kerry, and the very best of what Ireland has to offer. In Dingle we really know how to do hospitality!
Thank you to all the friends we have made over the past twenty years. We could not have achieved this milestone without your support. We look forward to what the coming years bring to Castlewood House, and our family and friends.
Helen & Brian Heaton – Proprietors Castlewood House
