The Brehon Killarney Wins Radio Kerry’s Kerry Business Tourism & Hospitality Award For March

The Brehon, Killarney was awarded the Kerry Business Tourism &  Hospitality Award for March from Radio Kerry on Thursday 24^th April 2013.

Gary Curran, General Manager The Brehon attended the Presentation & Luncheon at Radio Kerry Tralee.

Radio Kerry asked businesses to nominate their company for the Kerry Business Awards. Each month an independent Judging Panel chooses a company to win the award. The awards recognise the company’s achievements and contribution to business in the county.

The monthly awards will culminate in The Kerry Business Awards Gala Black Tie Ball in March 2014.

“We are thrilled to win this award and it is testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire staff and management of The Brehon.” said General Manager, Gary Curran.

The Brehon opened its doors in 2004 and since then has gone from strength to strength winning numerous awards over the year including Best Business Hotel and culminating in winning Gold at the Irish Accommodation Service Institute Awards (IASI) in January of this year.

The Brehon Laws

Welcome to The Brehon Killarney

Let us amaze you

By custom and culture, the Irish are a hospitable people. Visitors to Ireland happily testify to the warmth of the welcome. But not many realise it is a culture enshrined in ancient Irish law.

The Brehon Laws governed the ancient society of Erin in the days when an emerging Roman Empire sought to civilise mainland Europe. Under Brehon Law, it was an obligation to offer hospitality to anyone who happened upon your dwelling place. But few regarded it as an obligation; they felt it was a privilege to offer a roof, sustenance, warmth and a welcome.

My family’s ancestors were among the first to embrace those laws. We are proud to adhere to them still – and to give expression to that great tradition in a Hotel where we blend the best of the old and the new under the banner that proclaims our heritage.

The Brehon represents the pinnacle of our experience – and our pride. It is the welcome that the O’Donoghue Family have extended for generations.

It gives me great pleasure to bestow this welcome to you – Céad Míle Fáilte.

I sincerely hope you enjoy your stay with us and thank you once again for choosing The Brehon, Killarney.

Mr. Patrick O’Donoghue

Managing Director

                                                                                                                                   

Welcome

I wish to warmly welcome you to The Brehon. I trust you will have a most enjoyable stay.

At The Brehon, we offer a broad range of facilities and services, which are included in this Guest Information Directory. Should you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me or any member of my management Team.

Gary Curran

Hotel Manager

THE BREHON WAY

The O'Donoghues are a family whose ancestors were among the first to embrace the Brehon laws. Keeping true to the essence of those laws on hospitality - they welcome you to celebrate with them The Brehon Experience. 

The Brehon Laws Brehon Laws were civil laws that governed everyday life in the 15th Century and were concerned with payment of compensation for harm done and the regulation of property, inheritance and contracts. The name Brehon comes from the Irish word for 'Judge'  Passed on orally from at least the first century BC the Brehon Laws, named for Ireland's wandering jurists, were first set down on parchment in the seventh century AD, using the newly-developed, written Irish Language, and continued in use until the beginning of the seventeenth century.

The Brehon Way programme ensure both Management and Staff here in the Hotel embrace the Brehon Laws to enhance your customer experience. The Story of our Logo The Salmon depicted in The Brehon logo represents the Salmon of knowledge - from Irish Mythology. The story goes that the poet Fiegas spent 7 years fishing for this salmon, because he knew if he caught it and ate its flesh he would have all the knowledge in the world. When he caught it he asked his young apprentice Fionn to cook it. As he cooked it Fionn burned his thumb and sucked it to relieve the pain. When Fionn gave the cooked fish to his boss, Fiegas saw from the light in Fionn's eyes that he had gained all the knowledge and wisdom of the salmon. Fionn later became the leader of the Fianna famed heros of Irish myth.  The Story of Danú In Irish mythology, Danú is the mother goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann Old Irish: "The peoples of the goddess Danú "). Though primarily seen as an ancestral figure, some Victorian sources also associate her with the land. Danú was considered as the mythic mother goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the Celtic tribes that first invaded Ireland. Indeed, the Thuata Dé were the descendants of the goddess Danú, and in some local instances, the ruler of the otherworld was a goddess, rather than a god, just as some folktales represented the otherworld as 'the Land of Women'. Danú may be connected with Bridget, daughter of Kildare and of learning, culture and skills.

Head Chef Chad Byrne brings you King Scallops with Monkfish ,Courgette and Lemon Thyme Sauce

Head Chef Chad Byrne brings you King Scallops with Monkfish ,Courgette and Lemon thyme Sauce

Serves 4

8 Large King Scallops

4 x Monkfish at approx 180g each

6 x Shallots

2 x cloves garlic

8 x caraway seeds

5 Podded cardamom seeds

2 x courgettes grated

500ml of fish stock

8 Sprigs of lemon thyme

8 very thinly Sliced pickled Beetroot

50g of Spinach Washed

1x lemon

80g of butter

150 ml of a good fruity olive oil

Sliced carrots for garnish

Sprigs of chervil

Remove the Roe from the scallops. (Here at The Brehon we would usually dry these out and grind them into a powder and add to celery salt this makes a great seasoning for fish.)

Ask your Fish monger to trim of any sinew from the monkfish, this is done for 2 purposes, if its not removed when frying your monkfish will curl and get tough .

To make the courgette sauce;  on a low heat gently cook shallots, lemon thyme, seeds and garlic in ½ the olive oil without colouring for 20 mins , add the fish stock and bring to the boil to this add the grated courgette and spinach, cook out for 2mins blend to a fine puree with 50g of butter and seasoning, your sauce should be velety and bright green. This sauce can easily be made in advance and kept for 2days

Season the monkfish and cook on a medium heat pan with olive oil.  Usually for a 180g fish I would cook one side until the fish has changed colour to opaque, then I would turn the fish and finish with butter, let the butter go brown to get a nutty flavour and finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon.  This process should not take longer than five minutes

Whilst doing this also start the Scallops in exactly the same manner in the same pan as the fish, just add them when the monkfish is about 2 minutes off.

Serve garnished with Slices of pickled beetroot, just folding of the scallops and russet carrots nicely put around the monkfish with chervil

Head Chef Chad Byrne’s Grilled Sole with Fennel, Crayfish, Grape and Celery leaf Salsa

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 x sides of sole weighing approx 300g each

Olive oil to brush

Salt and lemon thyme

Salsa

Fennel head x 1.

Seedless red grapes x 1 bunch =150g grapes.

Handful of crayfish

Plum tomato x 2

Sherry vinegar x50g

Chopped chives x 1 bunch

Chopped celery leaves x 1 heart

Good quality olive oil x 100mls

Zest and juice of half a lemon.

1.      Ask your fish monger to skin and prepare the sole for grilling.

2.      Brush  the sole with olive oil and season with salt and lemon thyme

3.      Grill for 7 minutes on the  bone on a medium heat 

Mean while when the fish is cooking start to prepare the salsa

4.      Peel off the fennel layer by layer and dice, cook in boiling salted water for 1min and leave to cool.

5.      Peel and deseed tomato and dice

6.      Using a sharp knife peel the seedless grape and ¼ 

7.      In a bowl mix the fennel, crayfish, grape and tomato with the chopped herbs, zest and juice of lemon with a good glug of olive oil season with freshly ground pepper and salt.

8.      Note if all diced ingredients are of an equal size as this will go a long way in presentation purposes when serving

9.      Put sole on plate and serve with the fennel salsa on top with a wedge of lime and rocket leaves. Add some boiled new potato’s sprinkled with mint and olive oil for an amazing fresh summer fish course.

Our Sommelier, Andras Toth would recommend a nice Oveja Negra Savignon Blanc- Carmenere wine to go with the Grilled Sole. This wine is a bright,  pale, greenish- yellow color. Fresh aromas of grapefruit and passion fruit with mineral notes and a herbal touch from the Carmenere.

Singing Sensation Daniel O’Donnell Attracts Thousands to Killarney

Irish singing sensation, Daniel O’Donnell travelled to Killarney last week for a series of sold-out gigs at the INEC.

Over 10,000 tickets were sold across the five night run (August 14, 15, 17, 18 and 19)and fans in their thousands descended on the town bringing a much welcomed boost to business in what has proved to be a difficult season to date.

“Daniel O’Donnell’s popularity is unfaltering,” says Patrick O’Donoghue Managing Director of the INEC and Gleneagle Hotel, “and once you have attended one of his shows, it is easy to understand why.”

“We have guests booked in from as far away as the US and Australia and they are coming to Killarney especially to see Daniel perform.”

The fact that the five INEC gigs are Daniel’s only concert dates this summer has meant that the demand for tickets has been phenomenal and all five shows are sold out.  

“I’m really looking forward to heading down to Killarney,” says Daniel, “I am absolutely thrilled and amazed at the amount of people who are coming to see the shows.”

“I’m delighted to be performing at the INEC and I’ll be joined by my full band and touring partner Mary Duff. You can expect to hear all the hits and songs that have become big show favourites through the decades including Stand Beside Me, My Donegal Show, I Just Want To Dance With You and I Need You.”

Daniel O’Donnell performed at the INEC, Killarney on August 14, 15, 17, 18 and 19. For more information visit www.inec.ie