Meet your Hosts - Orla & Ronan
Introducing your Hosts - Orla and Ronan McCarthy
Welcome!! We are Orla and Ronan McCarthy and we own and operate Cill Bhreac House (pronounced “kill v-rack”). Both of us were born and reared on the Dingle Peninsula, are native Irish speakers, and have built up a strong reputation for ensuring our guests experience the best of authentic Irish Hospitality during their time in Dingle.
We love what we do. Traveling is a passion of ours. We have travelled throughout the world, have seen some incredible places, experienced some unforgettable adventures, BUT…for us, Dingle is simply special! We look forward to welcoming you to our home and helping you to make the most of your time exploring the national treasure that is the Dingle Peninsula – one of the most desirable places to live and visit, not only in Ireland but in the world – a place famously described by National Geographic as “one of the most beautiful places in the world”
Advice / Recommendation
Not a week goes by where we don't hear from guests who deeply regret not spending longer in Dingle. Dingle tends to be a highlight (if not ‘the’ highlight) of their Ireland vacation. Allow yourself sufficient time here. 1 day is definitely not enough - you will be able to say that you have seen some of Dingle but you will not have experienced it. 2 days is better but 3 days or more is ideal.
The Backstory...Where it all Began
Cill Bhreac House was originally started by Ronan’s parents, Angela and John. Angela (nee Kennedy), was born and reared in the heart of Dingle Town (Ashmount Terrace) while John is originally from Keel in Castlemaine, Co. Kerry (35 kilometers east of Dingle). In the late 1980s, Angela and John, who had been living in Dingle Town, purchased an elevated greenfield site with majestic views over Dingle Bay on the western side of Dingle town. John, a construction foreman but a carpenter by trade, then set about personally building their dream home.
In 1989, Angela and John, opened their doors and welcomed their first guests to Cill Bhreac House. Angela was the life and soul of Cill Bhreac House – an exceptional cook and a true people person who simply loved meeting new people. They never looked back. Cill Bhreac House’s reputation continued to grow as it became a firm favourite with travellers to Dingle.
The Second Generation
Sadly, following a short illness, Angela passed away in September 2014. Ronan and his wife Orla then officially took over the running of the family business. A lot has changed at Cill Bhreac House. The house has been completely renovated / remodelled (John has been kept busy!!) as Ronan and Orla set about putting their own stamp on the place. While the second generation of Cill Bhreac House might look slightly different, the one thing that we hope has not changed is the warm welcome that Angela and John had become renowned for during their 25 years at the helm.
Service Awards / Accolades
We have been a proud recipient of various service awards and accolades down through the years from associations such as International Travel News Magazine, Guide du Routard, Michelin Guide, 400 Best B&B’s in Ireland, Airbnb Superhosts, Booking.com, and the Denver Post, to name but a few.
A little more about Ronan...
Ronan's background is in Business / Information Technology having graduated from University College Cork with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Information Systems. Ronan spent three years working in Financial Services with Fidelity Investments in Boston, USA (living in Brighton & Davis Square in Somerville). After a brief spell travelling around the globe with Orla, Ronan then returned to Ireland in 2007 where he worked in a variety of leadership roles in the SaaS / Human Capital Management (HCM) space.
A little more about Orla...
Ronan didn't have to travel too far to find Orla - approximately 8 kilometers east of Dingle to Lispole to be precise. Orla works as a secondary school teacher (ages 12-18) at Coláiste Íde - the elegant yellow Georgian building across the water from our home. Coláiste Íde is an all girls and all Irish/Gaelic speaking boarding school which was once the former estate of Lord Ventry. Prior to joining Colaiste Íde, Orla spent 12 years teaching at Coláiste an Phiarsaigh in Glanmire, Co. Cork (another one of the country's all Irish/Gaelic speaking schools).We look forward to welcoming you to Dingle. Please do not hesitate in contacting us if you have any questions. We have an FAQ section of our website also that you may find beneficial.
Míle Buíochas,
Orla and Ronan.