“The love bug of hospitality and tourism, and the buzz that went with it, hit me from an early age.

It began as a summer job, many moons ago at the Three Lakes Hotel run by the King family, a hotel with a unique family atmosphere which we all enjoyed. We worked breakfast, lunch and dinner and a wedding too if it was on the cards. I then moved to Cork to Hayfield Manor, still owned by the lovely Scally family. This was a game changer in fine-tuning attention to detail and the standards that go with the efficiency and personalised touch of maintaining the five-star standard. It was a personal goal to deliver the 'Wow' factor and premium service to each guest that walked through the doors of Hayfield Manor”.

“In 2004, 20 years ago, I moved back to my hometown Killarney, where Pat and Marie Chawke gave me the opportunity of working as Food and Beverage Lounge Supervisor at the five-star Aghadoe Heights Hotel,: Maura explained.

It was clearly visible from simply looking out the window how one would feel 'the wow' ever before experiencing the relaxation of premium and personalised comfort, not to mind the extravagance of the surroundings before a guest's anticipated needs might be met.

A panoramic, therapeutic view of Killarney's beautiful lakes and mountains where nature really lives its best life in all weather!

“At the Heights Bar and Lounge, I'm at home Marie. A casual lunch, an evening meal, a family get-together or a wedding day, I've been blessed to work in these surroundings for the past 20 years with great staff and management down through the years, some of which I consider extended family members. Working as a team is key and I particularly enjoy welcoming new staff to this team, showing them the ropes. I love to see them excel”. Maura siad.

 “Surely you've seen lots of changes in those ropes over the last 20 years Maura”? I asked.

“Yes, it sure has, but in general, it will always be maintaining a high standard, and consistency and giving each guest the five-star personalised touch,” Maura explained.

Maura experienced a flip in the magic of this five-star wand when she married Padraig (affectionately known as PC - head concierge at the Killarney Park Hotel) at the penthouse in Aghadoe.

“The staff awaited my arrival with a guard of honour as I entered. It was a wonderful feeling to be on the receiving end of a product I put my heart and soul into. Many celebrities such as Meat Loaf, Cold Play, The Cranberries, Mary McAleese, Morrissey, Westlife have passed through this door but we treat everyone the same. Something I can vouch for personally.” Maura  said.

I needed to ask Maura, about the helter-skelter nature and ever-changing schedule of a busy hotel, and how she copes with achieving a healthy work/life balance over a lengthy 20 years delivering a five-star service at Aghadoe, all the while raising a family and balancing shifts with her hospitality husband PC.

“I have 3 children – Daniel is in construction and Eimear is studying Business in Cork and Aoibheann is in fifth class at Lissivigeen National School. The balancing of it all is down to my parents Mary and Donie Moriarty.

They have always been the backbone to me and all my siblings since the day we were born. They are the biggest cog in the wheel of making family life work. I've been offered managerial promotions down through the years and the hotel has been fantastic in facilitating family life, but my friends and family are everything to me and balancing that is my priority.

“I thoroughly enjoy delivering five-star standard to guests for 40 hours of my working week but giving five stars to my nearest and dearest is of equal importance too. I love the simple things in life like walking my dog Toby in the National Park. We love Kerry and its beaches especially Cromane, Inch, and Valentia as an extended family, making memories and spending quality time together. It's the little things.” Maura added.