Aoife Kenny has the secret to surviving Ladies Day at the Galway Races.

“Aloe vera gel,” laughs the Headford native. “It numbs your feet.”

Except in duty manager Aoife’s case it’s not blisters from Ballybrit she’s worried about, but staving off any potential suffering as she dashes up and down the pink carpet at The G Hotel on one of their busiest days of the year.

Indeed, over the seven-day festival, over 1,000 pairs of heels will click down the same carpet, up to 1,600 breakfasts served, over 1,000 cocktails poured, 34 hours of live music performed, 101 bedrooms booked each night, and 140 staff to make sure it goes like clockwork.

(We even learn that they have been furiously freezing ice cubes and lemon slices for the last four weeks in preparation.)

But while The G – which celebrates 10 years in business in 2015 – might stand for glamour or simply Galway, it also represents girl power as almost every senior management position is occupied by a woman.

Going the extra mile

General manager Tríona Gannon joined the staff in 2005 as personal assistant to the then manager.

“Definitely not,” she smiles when asked if she ever envisioned taking the top job, but says the right attitude will bring you a long way.

“You can spot the individual who is really eager, who really wants to learn, who is dedicated, and who will go the extra mile for the guest,” she says.

Going the extra mile – or miles – is par for the course during race week, whether it’s arranging last-minute appointments when a guest forgets their suit, to whisking away a gúna for emergency stain removal on ladies day.

One of Tríona’s more glamorous jobs, however, is choosing a Philip Treacy headpiece for The G Hotel’s best hat competition, which takes place this year after ladies day on Thursday 30 July, with a “beret in parisisal with extended ornate buntal ribbons” worth €3,500 up for grabs. (Needless to say, there will be selfies all round with it in the office before it is handed over to the winner.)

However, in the interests of fair play, the hotel is also introducing a most dapper gent competition, judged by GAA star Ollie Canning and Connacht rugby player Michael Swift, with a Louis Copeland suit and tickets to an Irish international rugby match for the winner.

“The men now are putting so much effort into their look,” says Tríona.

“Beards are all in, braces, bow ties, arm braces, walking sticks, and the odd hat as well.”

But let’s get back to the ladies. Molly Jordan trained as a secondary school teacher, but discovered she preferred hotels and worked in various roles, from pot washer to receptionist, before joining The g, where she is reservations and revenue manager.

“It’s the week that will tell you how your year is going,” she says about the significance of the Galway Races, adding that a good night’s sleep, and caffeine, are key to working through it.

“And keep smiling,” she laughs.

While staff like Molly are office-based during the year, during the races it’s all hands and heels on the hotel floor.

“One year I was parking cars,” says payroll and HR manager Maura O’Donnell, who, like Molly, initially pursued a different career path, studying microbiology and biochemistry.

She has worked at The g for nine years and part of her role is ensuring there is enough staff to meet demand during race week, from glass washers to “lobby lizards” to look after guests.

Winning gold

Central to maintaining those standards is the accommodation team, headed up by Christine Schneider.

At 45, the French native found herself facing unemployment, so she packed up her camper van and toured Ireland for seven weeks before finding a job in a cafe in Cork to learn English, while studying HR and management by night.

Fast-forward 13 years, and Christine heads up a team of 28 at The g, maintaining the high standards that saw them win the gold medal at the inaugural Accommodation Olympics in 2012.

Needless to say, attention to detail is key. Whether it’s polishing a guest’s iPad screen, leaving a surprise for young guests and making sure there is not so much as a smudge on a shower door.

To this end, Christine is a big believer in elbow grease.

“Nothing works better than warm water,” she emphasises. (Though she also swears by her microfiber cloth.)

Precision is also the name of the game for Aoife Kenny whose roles as duty manager during race week range from doing sound checks for live music and tracking traffic to Ballybrit to making sure that guests are looked after, from their fascinators to their toes.

“You have to have the slippers on standby,” she laughs.

Turf tipster brunch

On Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30 July, The G Hotel will host its Stars of the Turf Tipster Brunch, with National Hunt jockey Davy Russell and race horse trainer Gordon Elliott, from 10.30am-12.30pm.

Open to non-residents, tickets are €29 and include a breakfast cocktail on arrival, a full Irish breakfast buffet with tea/coffee and a return coach direct to the Galway Races. Pre-booking essential. The best hat and most dapper gent competitions take place on Thursday 30 July.

For further information, read more here