IASI Celebrates 40 Years
Members of the Irish Accommodation Services Institute gathered at the Great Southern Hotel, Killarney, to celebrate 40 years of advancing the careers of accommodation staff in Irish hotels and health services.
Addressing 350 delegates to the annual Awards Ceremony, President Marian Murnane, accommodation services manager at the Armada Hotel, Spanish Point, Co. Clare, thanked the founders of the Association for their vision in bringing together accommodation professionals from hotels throughout the country, with a special mention for Dr. Tony Lenehan (then with CERT) and Frank Corr (then editor of Hotel and Catering Review) for their support and encouragement.
During the Gala Dinner, a ceremony honoured former President Agnes Keogh, Tony Lenehan, Teresa Keane, Liz Murphy, Mary Hall, Patricia Shanahan, Dorrie Fennell, Catherine Murray, Breda Murray, Margaret Morley, Angela Kennedy and Ines Guerra.
A panel of former presidents, including Mary Hall, Patricia Shanahan and Ines Guerra, recalled the early and recent days of the Association in discussion with hotelier Michael Vaughan and Jamie Power, general manager of the Great Southern Hotel, Killarney.
Originally called The Association of Hotel Accommodation Management (AHAM), the organisation changed its name to the Irish Accommodation Services Institute in 2001 to broaden its representation of accommodation professionals into the healthcare sector.
One of the Association’s earliest initiatives was to support the Hotel Accommodation Manager of the Year competition. This evolved into the Irish Accommodation Awards which continue to attract a very large entry. Winners of Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards were presented in Killarney. Awards were also presented to winners of the Accommodation Assistants competition, with Micheline Corr of The Firm presenting Alina Ruskiha of South Court Hotel, Limerick, with the Three Star Award. Other winners were: Five Star - Sylvester J.F. Fernandes (Dromoland Castle), and Four Star - Inga Svanenberga (Clanard Court Hotel).
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