Ray Byrne

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Ray & his wife Jane created Wineport Lodge “Ireland’s first Wine Hotel“ situated on the shores of Lough Ree in 1993. The business is consistently successful and has garnered many accolades and positive reviews.

He has an energy which goes way beyond the shores of Lough Ree. His wide-ranging experience has made him sought-after as a provider of hands-on management, advice and information for developers & investors looking to enter a niche market sector of the leisure industry in Ireland.

Ray has held presidencies of such prestigious bodies as Irelands Blue Book, the Restaurants Association of Ireland and the Midlands Gateway Chamber of Commerce.

Ray is a Dad to two socially active teenage boys, and has made a pact with them not to follow each other on any app whatsoever for fear of mortal embarrassment. He is known to talk the ‘legs off a table’ and is a qualified expert on everything, courtesy of Google.

Ray Hingston

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Ray was introduced to the world of hospitality through his Dad, Pierce, who was an Executive Chef under P.V. Doyle, Ireland’s legendary hotelier.

His industry training included postings in The Shelbourne Hotel, St. Stephen’s Green, Michelin starred L’Ecrivain Restaurant and a solid management career with Radisson Hotels in Ireland and the U.K.

Ray is a hands-on practitioner in the industry. He is at his most comfortable in a busy environment and manages from the front with a relentless focus on guest expectations, and inspiring staff to always give their best. He is always available, day or night, seven days a week, to ensure that businesses under his remit are successful.

Ray’s persistence stands out in his success at running the Dublin Marathon. He has crossed that finishing line on many occasions, and the prospect of achieving a personal best still keeps him focussed on the challenge. His quirky sense of humour ensures that if he ever gets tired of the hotel scene he can try his hand at a stand-up comedian.

Malcolm Martyn

Accountant & Analyst

Malcolm has 20 years accounting experience, almost all of which is in the hospitality sector. During this time, he has worked on all aspects of the financial control function in upwards of 30 companies. Nothing gives him greater satisfaction than to present a set of ‘healthy’ management accounts. 

Growing up on a farm in county Laois, he learned from an early age the value of hard graft along with an ability to use his own initiative and multi-task different activities at the same time. During his school years his best subjects were, Business, Accounting and Draughtsmanship. For practical purposes he chose to concentrate on accounting, believing it would offer better opportunities.

After school, at nineteen he secured a Green Card Visa and worked in the United States. Eventually, he started to miss the Emerald Isle and returned home to study for his chartered accounting qualification and qualified with an ACCA at Griffith College.

Lorcan O’Rourke

Finance Director

Lorcan honed his financial accounting skills in Farrell Grant Sparks, one of Irelands leading audit, tax and advisory firms, where he gained extensive experience in audit and advisory with particular emphasis in the hospitality and leisure sector.

Lorcan plays a pivotal role in the project management of a number of assignments.  Specifically, he provides monthly management accounts, along with budgets and forecasts to aid business planning. His audit background ensures there are strong internal controls in place in each trading unit and his Management Accountancy expertise ensures financial data is reported both timely and accurately to all relevant stakeholders.

He has an honours Degree in Business Studies from Dublin City University and is also a Qualified Accountant and Trained Auditor (FCCA).

When Lorcan’s not crunching numbers (which is very rare) he enjoys spending quality time with his wife and 3 young children in lovely Longford.

Eamonn Fleming

Projects Manager

Eamonn has a Higher Diploma in Hotel & Catering Management and is a member of the Institute of Account Technicians in Ireland.

Eamonn is the “go-to-guy” for all the important, sometimes tedious, administrative tasks; drawing on his operational, financial and managerial experience to keep the organisation on track and ship-shape. His County Cavan heritage has served him well when leveraging significant purchasing power to deliver strong gross profit margins to the businesses we operate.

Outside of work, this “new-age” father of two, football coach and keen music fan finds relaxation in the simplest of pleasures; a country hike or a good book! Not the electronic form but the good old paperback.

Eoin Doyle

Director

Eoin Doyle is co-owner of the BrookLodge Hotel & Macreddin Village in County Wicklow, Ireland, a ground breaking 4 star, 86 bedroom destination resort 70 kms south of Dublin. Eoin also co-owns a number of hospitality businesses in Ireland. As part of a European Tourism Research and Education initiative involving The Smurfit Business School in Ireland, Eoin has guest lectured on Branding & Marketing in the hospitality business, as well as guest speaking at the annual Irish Hotels Federation Conference.

With a BSc in Marketing and an MSc in Digital Marketing, Shannon brings a dynamic blend of creativity and strategy to her role.

Her journey in hospitality started early through her family’s event catering and equipment hire business. After exploring other industries, Shannon has returned to hospitality, the industry she loves.

In her free time, Shannon is a passionate singer, with dreams of recording an album one day.

Saoirse Flynn

Group Marketing EXECUTIVE

Saoirse holds a BSc in Commerce with a specialization in marketing in her final year and is pursuing a Marketing Master's at Smurfit Business School. She has a strong background in marketing, social media management, and market research.

Growing up working in her family's B&B in Galway, Saoirse developed a passion for the hospitality industry. She is eager to continue learning and exploring opportunities in both hospitality and marketing.

In her free time, Saoirse enjoys photography and expanding her skills in the field. She also has a passion for sports and has joined a Gaelic team in Dublin.