The sale last week of Ireland’s best hotel prompted me to recall a combination of stories, both hilarious and sad, that I wrote about its most famous guest.
I must visit his grave which is in the hotel grounds before the new owners take over.
Harvey’s Point outside Donegal town had a party to celebrate its 30th birthday 10 days ago.
Owners Deirdre McGlone and her husband Mark Gysling were so secretive, unusually for them, that they didn’t even give a hint to their celebration guests that they were selling.
Three days later came the sale announcement.
I haven’t a clue what they sold it for, but you can be sure it was for many millions.
That’s quite an achievement for what started when Mark’s older brother Jody paid 27,000 old pounds for a lakeside cottage and 27 acres of bog at Lough Eske.
Jody then reclaimed the land by transporting stone on daily trips from a quarry in Laghey 20 kilometres away for four years.
Finally, he built his dream holiday guest house home which his friends from Switzerland regularly visited.
Then one day, he realised the tourism potential if he could get a bar licence.
Eventually that was arranged and thus began the development of Harvey’s Point with local receptionist Deirdre McGlone and her husband Mark buying it from Jody.
On Tripadvisor, it became the top hotel in Ireland and among the top 20 in the world.
But I have been digressing!
Back to its most famous guest and the grave I have promised to visit.
It belongs to Harvey – a gander that lived in the hotel garden for 27 years until his death three years ago.
Harvey was loved so much by staff and guests that he avoided ending as most geese do, on the dinner plate!
I first encountered Harvey when I was told his loud cackling from outside the dining room drowned the sound of music from the dinner band and interrupted guests’ conversations.
Another time, an emergency alarm was raised when Harvey became stuck in frozen Lough Eske one Christmas.
He was spotted 50 metres offshore as guests were having breakfast, and staff rowed out to cut the gander free with axes.
Harvey’s favourite pastime was chasing brides around the grounds, probably attracted by their flowing white gowns which he often attempted to sample with his beak.
ll-health finally forced Harvey to waddle into retirement and he was cared for in a specially-built compound complete with its own swimming pool.
Harvey now lies in a grave beneath a tree beside the boathouse.
The new owners should ensure the grave is kept tidy. After all it’s the resting place of the guest who resided longest in the hotel grounds.
