Our People

Since becoming GM in 2022, Laura has modernised Ballymaloe House Hotel and enhanced its luxury, all while preserving its historic charm. She has also overseen the hotel joining Small Luxury Hotels of the World and becoming the first Irish member of the Considerate Collection, which recognising hotels for their sustainability.

Fern is the youngest daughter of founders Myrtle and Ivan Allen and the heart of the welcoming culture Ballymaloe House Hotel is famous for. Fern can always be found throughout the hotel greeting guests with her warm smile and ensuring their every need is looked after at dinner. Fern is also your guide during the Ballymaloe History Tour.

Since joining Ballymaloe House Hotel in 2022, Matthew has always treasured engaging with guests, hearing their stories of Ballymaloe over the years and watching the excitement of first-time visitors. For him, working in a place with such a rich history and deep connections to its guests, is a source of great personal pride.

Ballymaloe House has been like a second home for Daphne throughout most of her working life. Starting out as a young hospitality trainee, she discovered her true calling in guest services. Daphne’s unique ability to make guests feel special, has fostered enduring relationships, with returning guests always looking forward to seeing her.

Sean brings the sharpest of eyes for detail and a strategic approach to budgeting, forecasting and financial planning. Since arriving in 2023, he has played a key role in the modernisation of our internal systems, implementing smarter digital solutions that enhance efficiency and support the business through a period of growth.

Suzy has been part of the Ballymaloe House Hotel family for over 25 years, working her way up to take on the whole of F&B in 2024. The hotel holds a special place for both her and her grandparents, who worked here for the previous owners, lived on the estate and even have “Griffins Field” named in their honour.

Dervilla studied at the renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School for a summer and ended up staying as a teacher for four years. Unwavering in her commitment to using fresh, high-quality ingredients and adhering to farm-to-table principles, she returned to Ballymaloe House Hotel in 2017 to take the helm in our famous kitchen.

JR has worked in Ballymaloe House Hotel since he was a teenager. He learned his trade working directly under Myrtle Allen, becoming the head of the pastry team at just twenty-one years of age. In 2022, he published his first book; Ballymaloe Desserts and won Food & Wine’s “Pastry Chef of the Year.”

Half French, half Italian and all passion when it comes to natural and biodynamic wines, Samuel has been with Ballymaloe House Hotel since 2006. Having started out as an assistant sommelier, his love of great wines has only ever been topped by the enjoyment he gets from interacting with and serving his customers.

Born in Little Island, County Cork, Sandy moved to the UK after school to start a 30-year career in hospitality. She calls that time her “university,” gaining hands-on experience and a deep love for guest service. Returning to Ireland in 2019, she had planned to retire early but found the chance to join the iconic Ballymaloe House Hotel, too good to resist.

Since joining in 2023, Sabrina has always been about perfecting the little details that make the big difference. From the cleanliness of the rooms, to the fluffiness of the towels, she takes great pride in creating a special stay for our guests. Having entered the hospitality industry “by accident”, she now loves it as much as she does East Cork.

Tobias is an expert in sustainable land management and looks after all our ecosystems and sensitive initiatives such as wilding plantations, pollinator planting, owl breeding boxes and beehives. You can join bi-weekly guided tours with Tobias to learn more about biodiversity and the efforts we take to preserve it.

When she lost her job in the economic crash of 2008, Mags decided to cycle from Canada to Mexico and re-evaluate life. The journey eventually led her to her dream job, volunteering in the gardens at Ballymaloe Cookery School. After six months on site, she signed to become an apprentice gardener, where she worked her way up to Head Gardener.