When it comes to the daily commute, some people have to contend with a red cow (the Dublin roundabout), but for the ladies in Delphi Resort, it’s black sheep that are the problem.

“They really don’t care if you have a 9am meeting,” laughs sales manager Sabina Cox. “They will just keep staring at you. You get over it though, because often that’s the only traffic you’ll meet on the road.”

And you certainly couldn’t ask for a more beautiful commute. The Killary fjord is nothing short of breathtaking and the rugged mountains are stunning as the barren purple scenery breaks through the fog.

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Connemara beauty

With no mobile phone reception, visitors feel like they’ve escaped reality. However, behind the scenes, a busy team of over 100 people work at this unique Connemara visitor offering during peak season.

And unique it certainly is. Let’s face it, the Delphi name is well known mostly because half the schools in the country have gone there on a school tour to coasteer, abseil or run about in a bog. But with luxurious lodges, a plush spa and a restaurant run by award-winning chef Stefan Matz, Delphi also has a lavish offering for couples and families. There aren’t many other resorts in Ireland that can offer such diversity.

Going corporate

“We do have over 100 acres to play with,” says marketing manager Aly Mofatt.

“Some days, you could have a corporate team from a high-tech company in Dublin having a team-building day, while a school tour is ziplining. At the same time, a couple could be relaxing in the spa and not once will these guests meet. It definitely requires some logistical coordination but it means we really do have a diverse offering. We even have a new hostel being built for students.”

Such coordination requires true professionals and Delphi isn’t just providing employment for Connemara locals, it is also attracting professionals from across the country and beyond.

Far from home

While Aly moved from Sligo, Grainne McNally (duty manager and activity instructor) ventured from Donegal and Karina Quinlan (chef de partie) is far from her native home of Waterville in Co Kerry. Not quite as far as Sandra Frazer though (spa manager) who is from Sydney in Australia. Sabina Cox, however, is right back where her family roots started.

She says: “I grew up in London and spent years living in Dublin after that, but my parents are originally from Connemara and that’s where I’ve ended up with my husband and three children.”

“I was a bit nervous leaving Leixlip for Louisberg. I’m a city girl and thought I would miss all that good stuff, but I really love it here. You really appreciate walking on the beach with the dogs on a Saturday rather than heading into town. I feel my mindset is more relaxed.”

Job satisfaction

Achieving this work-life balance is certainly helped by the fact that Sabina seems to get real satisfaction from her job.

“I work on the elite team-building package for companies. So we have businesses from across the country coming here for team-building days, especially now that they’ve been through a few tough years and want to reward their staff. And the best thing is seeing people’s reactions after doing a day’s activities that they never thought they would tackle.

“We ask them beforehand how they feel about the trip. Some are excited, others are scared. When you get a corporate group, you are inevitably dealing with people of different ages and fitness, who may be sitting at a desk all day. You see them go through the programme and enjoy things they didn’t think they would be able to do, breaking through their own mental barriers.

“The guys are so experienced, they know what you’re capable of and what you can do. Afterwards, they are on an absolute high, it really builds their self-esteem and confidence. Recently, we had a gentleman who was 76 years old and at the end of the day, he said: ‘If you had told me this morning that I would do what I did today, I wouldn’t have believed you in a million years.’ It’s fantastic to see.”

Excellent experience

Karina says the experience she is getting as a chef in Connemara is on par with anywhere else in the country.

“I worked under Neven Maguire in Blacklion, which was great experience, but my plan was always to head back to Dublin afterwards to continue working in fine dining. However, the opportunity came up here to work with Stefan Matz. I’ve been here with him since he set up the Chef’s Table, literally from the building of the concrete blocks. You have to work just as hard but I’ve learned so much.

“One day I could be preparing a five-course tasting menu while the next afternoon it’s bangers and mash for 200 students. But what remains consistent is the quality of produce.

“McHughs, a local craft butcher, provides our meat, whether it’s for the restaurant or the school tours. If the kids want chicken nuggets, they are told we don’t do them but we do have chicken goujons that we prep and bread ourselves. No preservatives, just good, nutritious food. Everybody works together and this diversification is really unique.

“I did love working in Dublin but it was very intense and a bit cut-throat. Cheffing here is so exciting, the quality of produce is unbelievable and I really feel my career is progressing just as rapidly. It proves you don’t have to be in the big cities to get excellent experience.”

Adventure side of life

Aly Mofatt had originally planned to progress her career in the adventure resorts of New Zealand.

“I lived in Australia for a few years. I came home and had my visa all sorted for New Zealand but the job came up in Delphi and I realised it had everything I was looking for and I didn’t need to move to the other side of the world.

“It’s easy to sell a package you genuinely want to do yourself. I’ve organised birthday parties and family weekends away here and people think I am mad celebrating these milestones at the place I work, but the truth is that this is where I would go on a break away.”

Moving west

When Aly starts talking about her favourite part of the job, we’re just about ready to pack up the bags and head west.

“In the evenings, I can go for a kayak with the adventure guys or, during the summer, I would drive home via Old Head where we do the coasterering and just jump in the water. You feel amazing. In fact, when we were making the promotional video for Delphi Resort, I nearly had a starring role, purely by accident. I was always the one who would jump off the highest cliff or be the first to volunteer to zipline. I just love the adventure side of life.”