When you walk through the doors of Fernhill House Hotel, you don’t just enter a venue, you step into a family story that has been unfolding for generations. “We are a family-run business,” said Neil O’Neill, assistant general manager. “But it’s more than that, our staff are like family too, and the couples who get married here often come back time and again. They also become part of the Fernhill family.”
Neil explained that Fernhill’s history as a hotel dates back to the 1960s, when his grandparents first opened it as a small bed and breakfast. “Then my parents developed it further and started running cabarets and showbands in the 80s,” he said. “They really started focusing on weddings in the 90s and drove it forward with expansions and upgrades.”
Reflecting on his grandmother’s influence, Neil continued: “If my grandmother could see what’s here now, she would have a massive sense of pride in what has been accomplished. I never met my grandfather, he passed away in his 50s from a heart attack, but my grandmother lived into her 80s and I was very close to her. I can see the pride my parents have in it, but I’d love to see the pride my grandmother would have if she could see what Fernhill has become.”
Beyond its family story, Fernhill itself carries deep historical roots. “The mansion house was built in the early 1800s. It was the grandest house in the Clonakilty area, and the centre of an enormous estate,” Neil explained.
He added: “The house was a soup kitchen during the potato famine, and during World War II ammunition was kept here in case of invasion. In earlier years Michael Collins visited Fernhill House . At the reception desk today, we have a large print that tells the history of the house and if my brother Michael is around he is a mine of information on the history of the estate”
The name Fernhill carries a symbolism that fits its role as a wedding venue perfectly. “In ancient Ireland, the fern, or raithneach, represented love, marriage, and commitment,” Neil explained. “The slow unfurling of the fern was seen as the gradual blooming of love. That symbolism ties in beautifully with who we are: a family-run venue that has hosted weddings for generations.”
Set across 14 acres, Fernhill’s gardens are beautifully restored by award-winning designer Mary Reynolds and are continuously developed by expert gardeners, Ann Daly & Ryan Crowley.
They are naturally enchanting in every season and proudly part of the West Cork Garden Trail. By day or beneath the glow of fairy-lit bridges, gazebos, and cascading pergola lights, they create a magical backdrop for any unforgettable special occasion.
When asked about Fernhill’s wedding ceremony spaces, Neil’s pride was obvious. “We have two main areas for ceremonies. One is outdoors, in gardens that were once tennis lawns for the gentry, later a pitch and putt course until 2007. When we landscaped it, we realised it was perfect for weddings. There’s a handcrafted gazebo, a beautiful stone moongate, and the gardens are all designed with photography in mind. We paved the centre with a soft red stone, which acts as an aisle. It’s in a sheltered part of the gardens and it is spectacular.”
He continued: “We also opened a new space this year called the Ferenery. It’s surrounded by glass bay windows, and one side can open completely to the gardens, so it brings the outside in. There’s a handcrafted bar inside for drinks receptions, and we tiled it with off-white tiles up the centre which doubles as an indoor aisle. Both options are in the gardens, so whether the weather is good or not, couples have a beautiful setting.”
Neil added that about half of all weddings now choose to have their ceremonies on site, while the other half take place in local churches.
Day-to-day life at Fernhill is very much a family affair. “My mother Teresa, is general manager, I’m assistant general manager, Michael looks after finance and marketing, Gearoid is bar manager, and my father Michael is PR for the hotel. He’s a real character, a people person,” Neil said. He added that family life is very much intertwined with the hotel: “I’m married to Trina and we have two girls, Millie and Isabella. Michael is married to Freda and they have three children, MJ, Fionn, and Aida while Gearoid is still a bachelor.”
He went on to describe his own path in hospitality: “I started working here when I was 11 or 12, being drafted in when things got busy. I studied business at the University of Limerick, worked summers in Spain, then went to Australia to work at Conrad Jupiters on the Gold Coast. I came back in 2007 and started as floor staff, working my way up to operations manager. Now I’m assistant general manager.”
Neil also credits their wider team. “We have about 140 staff now. Many have been with us for years, our head chef Lukasz Tomaszewicz has been here 12 years. We have a very low staff turnover. It’s a professionally run business, but at the same time it’s like a family. Everyone has their role and responsibility, like our wedding co- ordinator Ellie Quinn, operations managers Laura Clancy and Jennifer Calnan, accommodation manager Tracey Mitchell, night Manager Michael Murphy and maintenance manager Mariusz Kucia. Weddings are such important days, enormous attention to detail is required so communication and teamwork are everything. It makes things work so much better, having more of us in the family involved, it means we will never really be stretched on these big days.”
Neil highlighted Fernhill’s role in the community. “We’ve sponsored local sports teams and events, but the big one is the annual Pink Ribbon Walk. My mother, Teresa, started it with Therese Hayes & Liz O’Regan, after she was treated for breast cancer in 2007. Over the years they’ve raised over €100,000. Around 800 people take part each October, and when they come back, we feed them with finger food.”
Sustainability also plays a role. “We used to invite couples who got married here to plant an apple tree on Valentine’s Day,” Neil said. “We’d then use those apples in our tarts and crumbles. It’s another way of tying connection, family, and growth into what we do.”
With around 100 weddings each year, how do the O’Neills keep each one special? Neil explained: “We’ve got it down to a fine art. No two weddings are the same. Every couple wants something different, whether it’s the food, the décor, or the atmosphere. We listen, we adapt, and we make sure it feels unique. Asked what he hopes couples take away from their wedding, Neil concluded: “I’d hope they see Fernhill as part of their life experience, a place they’ll always return to. Whether it’s a christening, a naming ceremony, or an anniversary, we want Fernhill to be that ‘special place’ for their family, just as it has been for ours.”
For Neil, the pride in Fernhill is deeply personal. “I was never tempted to stay in Australia. I love hospitality and I love Fernhill. Being part of something that has been in the family so long makes it extra special. It’s a privilege. The only downside is the unsociable hours, but with three of us brothers in the business, we can cover each other so we still have balance. The same goes for our staff, there are no split shifts, they have good rosters and everyone gets their time off and holidays . Recently we recruited staff and gave them every second weekend off. We were able to do that because we have excellent part time staff, who are willing to work weekends. It’s about quality of life.”
Even at Christmas, Fernhill is at the centre of family life. “We actually have our Christmas dinner here,” Neil said. “The hotel closes for a few days to give staff time off, and then we reopen for post-Christmas weddings. On Christmas Day it’s just us. My dad does the cooking, he is a chef. We usually have a rib of beef from MJ O’Neill’s butchers in Clonakilty, owned by our uncle Haulie where we get a lot of our meat. ( Haulie is also the father of author Louise O’Neill, who can often be seen in the hotel) Our cousins join us on Christmas day, and we stay overnight at the hotel.”
As for whether there will be another generation of O’Neills running Fernhill, Neil said: “I wouldn’t rule it out. It was ingrained in the three of us, we grew up here . We’d let the kids find their own path, but if they wanted to carry on the Fernhill tradition, we’d support them.”
