ABOUT US:

Ireland's success with its Bed & Breakfast industry lies in the natural gregarious personality of its people combined with their reputation for hospitality, which makes staying Bed and Breakfast a must for visitors to Ireland.

The Family Homes of Ireland was established in 1994 by Edmond and Dóirín Hickey, who concentrated their efforts on the smaller, more personal, B&Bs of Ireland, whose homes offered a friendly welcome but with excellent quality accommodation and operators who take time to sit and chat with their guests.

Today Family Homes of Ireland is a very familiar logo throughout the length and breadth of Ireland. 2006 marks the publication of the 12th issue of the Family Homes of Ireland Bed and Breakfast Accommodation Guide. The Organisation has nearly 500 homes registered with them and is a major contributor to Irish tourism

The Family Homes of Ireland brand of Bed and Breakfast is geared towards the needs of the visitor, ensuring they get an insight into the Irish family while on holidays in Ireland.

When Family Homes of Ireland introduced their first 32-county guide in 1994 it was subsequently awarded Runners-up in the Best Business Ideas Award 1994 - a great start to any project. Our Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, was the presenter of the Award and since then he has always shown an interest in our efforts, as evidenced by his letter of Welcome in our 2006 guide.

In 1995 we made our initial approaches to Bord Fáilte (Failte Ireland) with a view to being sanctioned as an accredited B&B approvals body, however, it took another ten years before this came about. Today all our B&B homes are inspected by the Fáilte Ireland's contractors, T.A.A. (Tourism Accommodation Approvals) and only when they are approved can they be registered with Family Homes of Ireland.

Dóirín and Edmond Hickey have a deep personal involvement with Bed & Breakfast and take strong pride in their Homes and the operators who do such a fantastic job - many of whom have been with Family Homes of Ireland since its inception.

Our offices are based in Oughterard, Co. Galway and we can be contacted by telephone - +353 (0)91 552000 or by e-mail: bandb@familyhomes.ie

Thank you for taking time to read about us.

Let's hear from you - feedback is always appreciated.

Dóirín & Edmond J. Hickey
Directors, Family Homes of Ireland