Arriving at Hill House Cashel, Co Tipperary, I find Francis Brennan in one of the upstairs bedrooms, feeling the cushions on the bed. He knows instinctively if they’re filled with microfibre, duck feathers or polyester. Fortunately they pass muster. He runs his hand along the headboard (checking for dust), remarks on the tiling in the bathroom, looks up and gives his approval on the ceiling rose and cornicing.
He’s here for a final inspection before the boutique-style B&B opens. Accompanying him is a crew from Waddell Media – director Mike Bluett, cameraman Ken O’Mahony and sound recordist Mark McMaster. Also present is Maggi Gibson, the series producer. She directed Francis’s casting tape for At Your Service and instantly knew he was TV gold. “Who else could talk about a plate of rashers and make it sound funny and interesting?” she says.
While O’Mahony works on wide shots and cutaway details, Francis, fluent in film lingo, tells me about the strawberry filter, code for faking a retake shoot, GVs (general views) and rushes (raw, unedited footage). He’s having a cup of tea before cutting the ribbon at the lively opening party attended by 200 guests from the local community, including Adriaan Bartels, general manager of Cashel Palace Hotel. A local band, food trucks, and some animals from Marlhill Open Farm add to the fun. Francis is in his element marshalling the crowd; he could make a fortune charging for selfies and seems unfazed by the general excitement he elicits.
The sense of jubilation belies the challenges faced by owners Ray and Veronica Vere Hunt, theirs one of the many stories of resilience and perseverance to have captivated audiences over the past 14 years of At Your Service. Consistently in the top 10 most-watched programmes on RTÉ, with audiences of up to 600,000, the programme is ideal Sunday night viewing, combining equal amounts of wit and wisdom.
The mastermind of the series is its executive producer, Janine Waddell, managing director of Waddell Media. Tapping into the global appetite for hotel documentaries, from Banjo and Ro’s Grand Island Hotel to The Hotel Inspector with Alex Polizzi, the premise is much more than a simple makeover show. It’s also a sibling double act. Francis’s obsession with details and John’s focus on finance highlights that success is rarely about one idea, rather a series of decisions with the customer at its centre. They are constantly inspiring participants to up their game and bring in new business. Advice proffered can involve staffing, catering, menus, bedrooms, decoration, pricing and the use of a property’s less obvious assets. Saving – rather than spending – money is a key message.
Francis Brennan: ‘I’ll die in Kerry – I’m not leaving Kerry’
The programme’s most compelling moments are often when the Brennans have to persuade owners to abandon their initial ideas. While the process can be uncomfortable, tension is diffused with humour, their advice gratefully received. The Brennans’ unrivalled experience owning the grande dame Park Hotel Kenmare and pristine Dromquinna Manor is complemented with an extensive little black book of contacts, which they generously share with participants.
Meeting later in The Wilder Dublin, John is adamant: “We don’t make television. By the second show we had already decided that everything we do would be real. It wouldn’t be set up. We never suggest something that we wouldn’t do if it was our own property. The television programme is the result of the visit – we don’t do something deliberately controversial.”
It’s easy to see why the Vere Hunts made the shortlist. The couple bought an 18th-century house, once visited by Daniel O’Connell on one of his many rallies, and are diversifying from dairy farming into hospitality, with limited experience. A fire, waiting for insurers to pay out, delays caused by Storm Éowyn, not to mention finessing details, all tested the couple’s resolve. It’s now a charming five-bedroom B&B with a three-bedroom self-catering lodge adjacent to the property, perfect for multigenerational stays, and features in episode one of the new series this weekend. The Brennans had plenty of critiques – the painting was a bit too slapdash, the light fittings needed to be improved, and they advised the floorboards be sanded and restained, saving a fortune on carpets.
“John and Francis came in with a vision so much bigger than anything we had imagined ourselves,” Veronica says. “They saw the character and history of the house and helped us realise what Hill House could truly become. I had always dreamed of creating a boutique-style B&B but I genuinely believe that with their guidance we were able to take it to another level. We definitely had a few differences of opinions, particularly when it came to the bathrooms and the style of tiles. I was determined to have feature walls in all the bathrooms. John wasn’t convinced, and to make a long story short, he was right. We did have plenty of laughs along the way too.” One highlight was having John show some of their Hereford bulls at the Dualla Show.
Comedic juxtapositions such as these evolve naturally. “We were always of the belief, if it happens, it happens, but if it doesn’t, it doesn’t,” Francis says. “Like, if I open a drawer and a mouse jumps out that would be great television, but it really happened!”
Over the years the duo have climbed into tanks at the Irish Military Museum, trekked into the sunset with K2 Alpacas in Wicklow, dealt with the reputedly haunted Loftus Hall and clashed with Iveta Melgaile, the indomitable co-owner of Pond Beach Resort in landlocked Co Laois. That last one was one of the most talked about episodes in series 13, winning a Royal Television Society Factual Entertainment Award in 2025.
If the original remit of At Your Service concentrated on traditional B&Bs, guest houses and small hotels, later series have included visitor attractions, campsites, golf clubs and eco villages. Tinahely Farm Shop in Co Wicklow and Sandy Feet Farm in Co Kerry were notable family favourites and triumphs.
The format has also changed. John uses a music analogy: “It’s like a band – when a band starts they produce albums no problem, then it becomes more difficult for different reasons. We did eight shows a year initially. For the past two years, we’ve done four shows, which are now an hour long, rather than the initial half hour. That format allows for more detail and also reflects realistic challenges from gaining planning permission to financial issues and builders’ availability.”
The broader approach mirrors significant changes in Irish tourism. “When we think back on the start of the series in 2008 to today, the quality is chalk and cheese. The standard of product has increased dramatically – not because of us, I hasten to add. The market has changed and with it the business. The domestic and the corporate markets are much stronger than they were back in the 1980s and 1990s. Overall it has turned from flagship brands like the Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton to an emphasis on individual private properties that offer something different.”
He reminisces about “hopscotch” tourism, the late Myrtle Allen and the beginnings of Ireland’s Blue Book and of connecting guests, helping them plot itineraries by picking up the phone to other hoteliers. “That connection has gone now, as have many of the hotels.” Portfinn Lodge and Hayden’s Hotel, both in Galway, are two properties featured in early series of At Your Service that have since closed.
Francis also sees the bigger picture and has often lamented the decline in genuine empathy and friendliness within the hospitality industry. “It’s something we should be very careful of, because that was the thing we sold Ireland on – the 100,000 welcomes. From a hospitality point of view, it’s now a very generic product – often accountants have the final say. Airbnb is hugely successful, but it’s cold, impersonal hospitality to match market expectation and demand. The under-35s want to arrive and check in at a destination as quickly as possible without talking to receptionists.” Anathema to the Brennans.
“For me, there’s nothing worse than seeing the top of a receptionist’s head when I check in,” says Francis, who was impressed with the consistent staff engagement on a recent visit to Culloden Estate & Spa in Co Antrim.
John recalls a stay at Unplugged, off-grid cabins in Devon near Exmoor National Park, a present from Francis when they sold the Park. “The cabin was gorgeous and everything was fine, but it was hospitality-less. We stayed three days and saw no one. I would love to have had a chat with the farmer on whose land we stayed to hear how he was doing.”
Attentive, charismatic service was part of the alchemy they created at Park Hotel Kenmare. After 40 years at the helm, they sold the property in 2023. John pops in regularly, most recently to see its new Landscape spa and suites, and is delighted that the hotel is a family-owned business. “Bryan and Tara Meehan have not only invested significantly in cosmetic changes such as the art collection, but also behind the scenes in the plumbing, air conditioning, wiring, piping – things that you don’t see but eat money.”
Francis is forthright: “The Park is the Park; it’s moving along. Friends of ours stayed last week and loved it. For us, it’s changed, changed utterly. However, if you were never there before and you visited now, you wouldn’t know the difference and would be delighted. I don’t obsess over the Park. All I wish is that the Meehans do as well as they possibly can.”
Selling the Park Hotel Kenmare: ‘It was always for sale, if somebody wrote a cheque’
There’s no sense of regret, let alone void. At Your Service is just the start of a busy autumn for the siblings whose diaries are filled with multiple projects. Francis is celebrating 10 years of his collaboration with Dunnes Stores, a runaway success story in itself, with a series of in-store events in Dublin, Cork and Galway stores in October (look out for the pretty cut-glass table decorations as part of the forthcoming Christmas collection). Then there’s an appearance at the PTSB Ideal Home Show (October 16th-18th at the RDS), a series of Age Friendly Ireland events, and his ongoing support of the St Vincent de Paul Christmas appeal. Heaven forbid you mention slowing down, much less retirement.
Meanwhile, gutters, downpipes and windowsills have been on John’s mind as he discusses a sympathetic renovation of the Gate Lodge at Dromquinna Manor with acclaimed architect Des Ewing. This will further augment the Manor’s choice and calibre of accommodation, which includes posh safari-style tents, potting sheds and lodges. He’s delighted the new glasshouse has given the estate an additional dimension, attracting gardening groups who have enjoyed tours, talks and botanical-themed menus in the Boathouse Bistro. “Our head gardener Holly [McQuillan] has done a fantastic job, and the new planting has matured already. It’s not complete, by any means, but it’s progressing. We want the estate to resemble how it would have been in the early 1900s.”
Looking ahead, 2027 is busy with Irish and international wedding bookings. “Thanks be to God, people are still getting married,” he says, laughing. Bookings were helped no doubt by the wedding of Derry Girls actor Saoirse-Monica Jackson to Scottish DJ Hector Barbour, as featured in Vogue. “We didn’t expect the wedding to be such a viral moment, least of all the bride and groom. They partied for three days and there wasn’t one broken glass,” notes John.
Derry Girls’ Saoirse-Monica Jackson: ‘Dyslexia shaped me. I’m always thinking two steps ahead’
The Brennans take frequent holidays to recharge. “Business runs on adrenaline but it eats you up,” John says. Francis is heading to Spain, while John will be cruising around Montenegro and Croatia in his new Nordhavn boat, Julia II. “It’s a totally different mindset to your Sunseekers and Princesses. It’s a proper, no-nonsense tractor of a boat.”
Like viewers, they’ll be tuning in to At Your Service this weekend, for the 100th episode. Aside from Hill House, other premises featured include a boutique hostel, Walsh’s, in Cappoquin in Co Waterford, the elegant Shanbally House & Gardens in Nenagh, Co Tipperary and Cornamucklagh House in Omeath, Co Louth.
“We often forget what we have done in places, then you see the final programme and understand why the producer has kept certain things in,” John says. “There’s an enormous amount of footage.”
When we meet they’ve just completed the final voiceovers. “There’s no script. We get headings to keep us in the right direction but you can’t put words in our mouths. It doesn’t sound natural. And the first take is always the best one.”
At Your Service returns to RTÉ One on Sunday at 6.30pm.
Book a staycation inspired by At Your Service
For bucolic blissBurtown House & Gardens, Co Kildare
Day-trip heaven as featured in series nine. Owner James Fennell met the Brennans when he was transitioning from a small cottage industry, and a gallery cafe, to a thriving business enterprise. They took him to see Cotswolds institutions such as The Wild Rabbit, The Pig and Petersham Nurseries, which served as blueprints for expansion at Burtown House. The Green Barn restaurant overlooking the walled kitchen garden is an ideal spot for a long leisurely lunch. This month The Stream Barn opens for private parties, launches and corporate events. There are plans to add a pantry and shop selling the enviable interiors aesthetic guests enjoy in the Stable Yard accommodation. A new wellness spa with sauna, yoga space and treatments is on the horizon. burtownhouse.ie
For hiking and bikingBarnahown, Co Cork
Businesswoman Ciara O’Brien impressed the Brennans with her luxurious low-impact guesthouse – a restored 1800s farmhouse – in series 13. If you’re into lowland walks, upland hikes or adrenaline-filled downhill mountain biking, Barnahown couldn’t be better situated in the Golden Vale surrounded by the Galtee, Knockmealdown and Ballyhoura mountains. Interesting local businesses to visit include Galtee Honey Farm, Praline Chocolate & Pastry School and Eight Degrees craft brewery. This year O’Brien opened additional courtyard rooms, which are wheelchair accessible and dog-friendly. Such is her enthusiasm for hospitality she now leads Run Your Own B&B courses. Her tip: don’t leave without dining in O’Mahony’s in Watergrasshill. barnahown.com
For arty breaksThe Strand Inn, Dunmore East, Co Waterford
This coastal charmer won fans in series four for its poignancy. After the death of her husband, Edwina Foyle and her children, Clifden and Louise Foyle, needed help to sustain the fourth-generation business. “Having experts like John and Francis come in with a fresh pair of eyes was invaluable. We started putting more emphasis on our bedrooms and gradually moved away from thinking of ourselves as a pub with a restaurant towards becoming a small boutique property. They encouraged us to look at weddings, which has brought a new dimension to our business.” Since then they opened Artform, an art school. Bernadette Kiely and Amelia Caulfield lead a watercolour and acrylics course from September 12th-13th for all levels, while John Short will lead a watercolour course for intermediate and advanced painters from November 13th-15th. It’s also a great spot for year-round sea swimming. “Mornings have a lovely buzz with people coming in after a swim for breakfast or a coffee,” says Clifden. thestrandinn.com
For an upbeat weekendThe James Hotel, Tralee, Co Kerry
This newbuild townhouse hotel is managed by brothers Anthony and Paul O’Carroll. Featured in series 13, their story straddled the pandemic. After a five-year construction period, they opened the strikingly modern hotel in 2024. Design details include a custom quartz staircase, abstract wall features and custom-made bed frames. The hotel is especially popular for its live music and entertainment. Anthony says, “Business has been very good since the series aired and we have a number of repeat guests. We have opened Cellar 45 restaurant, which provides a more intimate setting for dinner and is very popular at weekends.” thejames.ie
For a resetThe Jewel Lodge & Spa, Glengarriff, Co Cork
This adults-only retreat owned by sisters Aiveen Casey and Keelin Fitzgerald featured in series 13. It comprises three Scandi-style apartments that can be booked individually or together for larger gatherings. Aiveen says, “John and Francis had a very clear vision for what the business should become: luxurious yet understated accommodation, paired with a relaxing outdoor spa where the river is the focal point. They were absolutely right. Guests often comment on the quality of the apartments, but what really surprises them is the sense of peace they experience.” Its Riverside Spa has a natural river plunge pool in addition to hot tub and sauna pods. thejewel.ie
For families and forest bathersCABÜ by the Lakes, Co Cavan
One essential element of At Your Service is matching participants with existing properties to inspire them and show best practice. CABÜ by the Lakes features in series 14. Its one- to three-bedroom, self-catering woodland cabins excel at open-plan living, with floor-to-ceiling windows and private terraces. The new, light-filled Barnhouse with its own hot tub is the standout property, sleeping six. Days here are spent exploring the forest trails and lake – boats, kayaks and paddleboards can be hired from the boathouse. The communal chill-out area, The Sitooterie, has a central wood burner and griddle tables for toasting marshmallows, while the Cabin Club Bar is a stylish spot for drinks and snacks. Adults can unwind further in the Nature Spa with Japanese baths. A complimentary hot tub and sauna session is offered with each booking. holidays.cabu.co.uk
For a gourmet getawayPerryville House, Kinsale
John and Francis took Veronica and Ray Vere Hunt to the elegant Perryville House, a longstanding member of Ireland’s Blue Book. Rooms overlook the harbour and are decorated with a deft mix of antique furniture and Colefax & Fowler fabrics. Breakfast is a highlight, while coffee, afternoon tea and predinner drinks are served in its garden or drawingrooms. There’s no shortage of restaurants to book for dinner, from the Michelin-starred Bastion to Indian-inspired Rare. Small plates are a forte at The Black Pig and St Francis Provisions. End the evening at Prim’s Bookshop – this second-hand bookshop turns into a wine bar at night. Don’t leave without visiting destination shop Granny’s Bottom Drawer, photographer Giles Norman’s gallery and La Bougie workshop at Barrack Hill. perryvillehouse.com
For history buffsRosnaree, Co Meath
Owned by Aisling Law, this rather eccentric, five-bedroom Italianate villa overlooking Newgrange and Knowth was featured in series 5. Peacocks wander the grounds, a friendly dog greets guests on arrival and its extraordinary history is something you feel the moment you step inside. Rossnaree is where the legend of the Salmon of Knowledge is set. King Cormac, the first Christian king of Ireland, resided here, and the Battle of the Boyne concluded at Rossnaree. Law’s mother was the sculptor Imogen Stuart and her great-grandmother was Maud Gonne. The focus is on weeklong stays or long weekends, when activities such as fishing, qi gong classes, art and ceramic lessons can be arranged. A further highlight: the feasts served by Aisling’s daughter, Iseult, in the diningroom. rossnaree.ie