THERE can be few hotels that are so intrinsically linked to their owners or the world of the horse as The Dunraven Arms in Adare, Co Limerick. Once you enter that famed revolving door, you are struck by the quiet elegance and you won’t have gone too far before you will meet one of the Murphy brothers, Louis or Bryan and more latterly, Bryan’s son Hugh.

Bryan and Louis were born and brought up in Athenry, Co Galway, where their father PF (Paddy) was a veterinary surgeon and a keen hunting and racing man. He bred and produced many useful horses such as Orient War and Fredcoteri who went on to win the Sweeps Hurdle.

As they came of age (around seven), they started hunting with the ‘Blazers’, then hunted by the brilliant Brian Fanshawe, not only a superb huntsman but also a top-class jockey riding the 1973 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner The Dikler to success in his earlier races. Not only was Lady Hemphill field-master but she set up Galway Pony club where the lads started. Their younger brother Noel enjoyed considerable success on Tulira Rocket, owned by the Hemphills. He now runs the very successful Castle Park stud farm in Kentucky.

They came from a family steeped in the hotel business. Their uncle Rory was the general manager of beautiful Ashford Castle in Cong, Co Mayo, and a generation back, their grandmother owned and ran The Railway Hotel, Athenry.

So it seemed a natural choice on leaving school for young Bryan to do hotel management in GMIT and like many aspiring hoteliers, he went abroad to gain experience.

The Dunraven Arms, at this stage, was still owned by the Dunraven family of Adare Manor and indeed, they would have owned most of the village as well. It had originally been built around the 1700s as a village inn with some rooms attached. On that momentous day, August 1st 1977, when young Bryan, aged 23, arrived to take up his role of assistant manager, the hotel had all of 15 rooms. In the interim, it has grown to 90 with a top of the range leisurecentre.

For all that, if Lady Nancy Dunraven were to return today, on first inspection, she would see very little difference from the hotel she knew as the style and layout of the public areas has been essentially maintained, even down to the exterior colour (Dunraven Yellow) which is the trademark colour of all the Dunraven properties.

In 1981, the Dunravens decided to sell and control passed to a still very young Bryan. All the while he was developing the hotel, horses remained a key part of his life. A very useful amateur, he ended up riding 100 point-to-point winners, mostly for nearby racehorse trainer Michael Hourigan, as well as 30 winners under the rules.

Amateur bumpers were usually the last race on the card and after weighing in, it was a quick dash back to the hotel, shower, change into his dress suit and be on duty into the early hours. He was the leading amateur in Limerick’s Green Park in 1988 when he won the hotly contested handicap hurdle on Tubber Telly, trained by Michael Hourigan. His morning regime was an early riser, ride out and school at Michael Hourigan’s, back in the hotel to supervise breakfast and serve lunch.

An afternoon nap would set him up for a late night, particularly at weekends when he would still be on his feet at two or three in the morning. They regularly buy 14 or 15 National Hunt foals which they sell as three-year-olds. Among the many successful horses that have found fame and fortune were Rith Dubh who won in Cheltenham, owned by JP, and ridden by the late JT McNamara.

Racing and hunting

When Bryan joined the hotel, wintertime meant the hotel almost closed and to develop business, he re-ignited his love of hunting and would make numerous trips to America, starting with the Los Altos hounds in California as the guest of Al Schreck.

As time went on, he went up-market by visiting Middelburg in Virginia and hunting with Randy Waterman of the Piedmont and the other smart packs with which Middleburg abounds. These trips were instrumental in Dunraven becoming a mecca for visiting foxhunters.

At breakfast it is not uncommon to see groups, in britches and boots with stocks already tied, breakfasting in preparation for a long day in the saddle. In the evening back in the dining room or the bar, you’ll find the group, with coats steaming on the backs of their chairs, as the tired but elated jockeys re-lived their day.

Bryan Murphy enjoying a day with the Co Limerick Foxhounds \ Catherine Power

As often as not, Bryan would accompany them and he recalls a special day out of Dromin, with Hugh Robards carrying the horn. He rode a roan mare of Gerard Hogan’s, “she was a dinger and we had an absolute miller of a day, hounds hunted non-stop all the way to Bruree over the biggest and best Limerick had to offer. It was easy to count the finishers.” Around 1990, young Louis joined Bryan having done hotel management in Shannon Hotel School where he studied under no less a tutor than Derry McMahon. He went on to become assistant manager of The Shelbourne, Ireland’s most historic and prestigious hotel. While not a jockey, he shared Bryan’s equestrian interests and joined his brother on their early morning forays to Michael Hourigan’s yard.

Commenting on the lads, no less an authority than PP Hogan used to say that while Bryan was the jockey, Louis was the horseman! Louis hunted as often as hotel duties allowed and very often hunting was hotel duty! He recalls a day from Ash Hill riding Andy Clohessy’s brilliant mare Speckles. It so happened it was New Year’s Day and Louis had barely been in bed as the hotel’s New Year’s Eve Ball had gone on until all hours. “We had a stormer of a day, but if hounds hadn’t stopped when they did, I would probably have fallen off from exhaustion.”

Perfect hosts

Anyone who is anyone in the horse world has passed through that famous revolving door. They have hosted three princesses: Princess Grace of Monaco, Princess Anne and Princess Haya. What were they like as guests? “Well, they were all superb and were thrilled with their stay.” They have now been joined in Adare by the uber smart Adare Manor, owned by JP McManus.

Louis Murphy carving his famous roast beef at The Dunraven Arms \ Catherine Power

JP is no stranger to Dunraven having held many of his celebratory dinners there in the past. Their famous pre-Cheltenham get togethers would regularly feature JP and Nicky Henderson on the panel. Do they feel overshadowed by their new neighbour? “Definitely not, it’s like being parked beside a Hermes shop,” added Bryan.

I have had the pleasure of hunting with both Bryan and Louis and more latterly, have hunted with Bryan’s daughter Slaney and Louis’s Emily, both crackers across the country. Louis’s youngest child, Charlie, while in college, is making a name for himself in the point-to-point world.

Of course I am biased as we have had some of our most important and enjoyable family occasions ranging from weddings to birthdays and book launches under their roof. Dinner in the Maigue Room is always a treat to be put aside for special occasions.

While the menu is wide-ranging, almost everyone (apart from those on diets or of a delicate constitution) has to have their very special roast beef, carved at the table by Louis. Service is seamless and your plate and glass keep getting refreshed as if by magic… but then this hotel is magic.

Never fear, these dark days won’t last forever and the magic will return.