"If Covid taught us anything - it's that life is short and we should enjoy it." That's according to Michael Hanly of the Cavan Crystal Hotel who was recently crowned Hotel Manager of the Year at the Irish Hospitality Awards.
As the popular hotel enters yet another busy summer period, Michael says there is no sign of tourism and footfall slowing down across Cavan town as a whole.
Speaking to Northern Sound, the award-winning manager believes the Covid pandemic gave people a new perspective on what is available to them on their own door step.
He added that cross border trade is always something to be thankful for, and that the people of Cavan are "truly blessed" when it comes to the high quality of hospitality that is available to them. Mr Hanly also paid tribute to his staff, highlighting that the hotel also recently won the Trip Advisor Travelers' Choice award for the standard of comfort and care by staff.
"We're blessed in Cavan with the quality of hotels and restaurants with us being part of that scene," explained Michael. "People have started to come out again, they're not putting things off, they're having that party or event because Covid has remined everyone that life is short and you might not get that opportunity again.
"In Cavan in general we're absolutely blessed, there's nothing we don't have in the town, we have everything we could possibly want right on our door step. When people couldn't go abroad during Covid, it made them look back into Ireland to see what was available and Cavan came up very well when people started to look into all that we had to offer."
