Diligence, a hardworking attitude, reliability and honesty over a 47-year career culminated in Joe Moriarty receiving a major accolade this week.

FINALIST: John Thompson Hannigan's Bar and Restaurant at the International Hotel and selected as a finalist for the Irish Hotel's Federation Kerry Branch Employee of the Year Awards 2022 pictured with his colleagues Barbara Starzak Ann Mangan Dara McCarthy John Thompson Mark Kerrins and General Manager Catriona White. Photo: Marie Carroll-O'Sullivan

FINALIST: Noreen McGillicuddy (Senior Front of House at Aghadoe Heights Hotel & Spa) finalist at the Irish Hotel's Federation Employee of the Year Awards at the Ballygarry Hotel on Wednesday. Pictured l-r were: Patsy O'Brien Celeste Geary Linda Kennedy Noreen McGillicuddy General Manager Ewan Plenderleith Siobhan O'Shea and Maura Moriarty. Photo: Marie Carroll-O'Sullivan

FINALIST: Darren Looney Duty Manager at the Cahernane Hotel and finalist at the IHF Kerry Branch Employee of the Year Awards pictured with Emer Corridon (General Manager) and David O'Brien (Deputy General Manager) before setting off to the Ballygarry House Hotel for the awards ceremony. Photo: Marie Carroll-O'Sullivan

With 47 years hotel experience under his belt, beginning as a waiter in the Dromhall and Randles hotels, Joe was honoured to receive this year’s Irish Hotel Federation’s Kerry Employee of the Year at the Ballygarry Hotel on Wednesday.

“The Dromhall and Randles Hotel are proud to nominate long time employee and all-rounder Joe Moriarty for this year’s IHF Employee of the Year,” Bernadette Randles, Chairperson of the Kerry branch of the IHF and Vice President of the IHF National Council, said.

“Joe has been with the hotels for over 47 years and his enthusiasm and pride in the hospitality industry is still quite evident today.”

Loyal, diligent, hardworking, reliable, honest as well as being a mentor and a team player with a positive outlook are just some of the many qualities Joe possesses. Joe kickstarted his employment with Dromhall under Kay and Neil Randles in 1974 when he commenced working part-time for the up-and-coming wedding venue. His talent and excellence were soon evident and the Randles family offered Joe a full-time position working on the weddings in 1976. Back then, when the hotel closed for the winter months, Joe would travel to various other parts of the country working in hotels always looking to develop his hospitality skills further. Joe also furthered his education in hospitality when he attended the Shannon catering school and learned to carry out the much-coveted silver service.

Joe became Abbey Restaurant Manager between 1995 and 2002, meticulously overseeing the running of the restaurant and managing up to four weddings every week at the Dromhall.

“Joe has put many a young waiter and waitress through their paces, while at the same time showing them patience and kindness as they learned the skills and work. Always with an encouraging word and listening ear, you will always be left smiling after an encounter or a chat with Joe.”

Fond Memories

Joe loves the buzz of the hospitality industry and has many fond memories of the lifelong friends and colleagues he has met over the course of this employment in Dromhall and Randles, especially remembering fondly his good friend and chef Tony Lawlor.

In 1988 he was part of a group that travelled to the Caymen Islands, waitering for the IHF banquets from November to May, a group which included Bernadette Randles. Joe recalls how he and Bernadette would play pool before dinner in the evenings and confirms Bernadette is a real pool shark!

Joe remembers it was Neily Randles many years earlier that first showed him how to paint and how to hang wallpaper, skills that have become invaluable to Joe especially when in 2002, again during the winter months, when things quietened for the hotels, Joe started in the maintenance department, and the painting and decorating hasn’t stopped since. He is also one of the few employees of the hotel to have worked all through lockdown.

Joe has the greatest of admiration for Mrs Kay Randles and says that she would cook the breakfast for all the guests and then ensure that staff all had a good breakfast before they finished their shifts. Joe is never one for the lime light, working diligently and efficiently to get the job done without fuss, and it took a call from Mrs Randles for Joe to agree to put his name forward for the Employee of the Year award.

However, the greatest gift Dromhall gave Joe was the chance of meeting his partner in 1990, when she was a waitress also working in the hotel and they have been together ever since. A real Dromhall love story!

Joe is also a keen GAA man, travelling all over the country to support the Kerry team and attending many matches of his beloved Legion.

“All in the Dromhall are delighted to nominate Joe and he is always a winner in our eyes!”