Tom Doyle (b. 1931)

Track 1: Tom Doyle grew up in Beaufort near Killarney and he explains that his education finished at the age of fourteen when he began to work with local farmers. In 1951, he took the mailcar to Parknasilla to begin work at the Great Southern Hotel. Track 2: He describes his position as Junior Porter and he displays his diary from those early days in which he had written the names of the long-term guests at the hotel. He also explains that the hotel management was quite selective about the guests who stayed there. The leisure activities available at the hotel for the enjoyment of guests are described. Track 3: His future wife, Kathleen O’Reilly from Sneem, also worked at the hotel and he recalls that in early days, during the off season at the hotel, he would go to England on the beet scheme and work there in a beet processing factory from October to February annually, earning two shillings sixpence halfpenny per hour. Track 4: In 1958, Tom was appointed to the position of Head Porter, and he held that position until his retirement in 1996. He points out that one of his fondest memories of his working life in the hotel is his greeting of Princess Grace and her family when they came to stay. He explains that following his retirement he became involved in leading historical walks organised by the hotel.