Meet the Longford man who is the driving force behind Aer Lingus College Football Classic

Longford businessman Padraic O'Kane who runs two restaurants and is the driving force behind the Aer Lingus College Football Classic speaks to Seamus Morris

Longford town native Padraic O’Kane has built up a significant portfolio of hospitality businesses in Dublin. He now has another string to his bow, having been selected as a nominee in the Established Business Category of the EY Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.

The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year programme is a global recognition programme run in 145 cities in more than 60 countries.

Currently in its 27th year in Ireland, the programme works to recognise, promote, and build a supportive community around Ireland’s high-growth entrepreneurs and is considered one of the strongest programmes globally.

“It is an honour to be selected as a finalist in these awards. There is a great alumni and network in these awards. This recognition will expose me to another level of networking,” he explained.

He added that “you cannot buy into” such a programme. Being nominated is testament to the enduring quality of Padraic’s business offerings.

“On the first day that finalists met, there were 27 of us in a room. It was a bit like the first day in school!” he remarked.
“I believe that there is no such thing as a stupid question,” Padraic added, in relation to the networking that will be provided from the programme.

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Padraic also met one of his old neighbours in the programme. “Andrea Reynolds grew up beside me on the Dublin Road. Her company, Swoop (a tech company), is nominated in the emerging category,” he remarked.

“It is good to represent the agriculture and hospitality industry,” he commented.

Padraic is passionate about the many challenges that face his industry at present. “While we have a cost of living crisis in the country, we also have a business crisis. There is a quagmire in the hospitality industry in relation to costs such as the increase in the VAT rate, the increase in the minimum wage and sick pay,” he stated.

Addressing the wider tourism industry, Padraic asserts that the cost pressures could undermine the flagship tourism initiatives in the country.

“The Wild Atlantic Way could be affected, for example. You might struggle to get either a B n B or a petrol station along this west coast route. In Co. Clare, 33% of tourism beds are now unavailable,” he explained.

“If the larger multi-nationals leave the country, I am of the strong view that you cannot afford to lose the farmer or the restaurant,” he added.

Padraic set up his first business, Fire restaurant (based in Dawson St. Dublin) in 2002.

He has since added Sole seafood & grill, near the city centre, and the Round Room (a large scale events centre) to his portfolio.

He is also a driving force behind the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. Last year, this event attracted 40,000 US tourists to this country.

In 2018, he started the Sole restaurant, which specialises in seafood.

“Some corporate visitors to Dublin who stay in Dublin for a few nights go to Fire one night and Sole another night,” he explained.

“Tastes have changed in Ireland, although people are still slow to eat seafood,” Padraic remarked.

The Round Room, based in the Mansion House Dublin, caters for large scale events in Dublin. It can host conferences for up to 700 and dinner for up to 500 people.

“We hold diverse events. We will be hosting UEFA when they come over the Europa League Final,” he explained.

However, Dublin is struggling generally in relation to this large scale corporate socialising.

“Dublin is losing this type of corporate business to countries such as Italy,” he commented.

“Dublin is not holding conferences much, partly because of hotel prices. There is also somewhat of an adjustment since Covid. There are less physical meetings with the likes of zoom,” he added.

Padraic speaks with great enthusiasm about the US College Classic. This year’s instalment sees Georgia Tech and Florida State University compete in the Aviva Stadium this Saturday, August 24.

“We got a baptism of fire with this event,” he recalled. “One of our clients, Glen Dimplex, asked us to work at the event in 2012. Following that first event, I realised the potential of the series for Dublin,” he stated.

“I went to a college football game in Indiana. There were 80,000 spectators,” he remembered.

“This has been a brilliant event for Dublin,” he stated.

This event has seen a number of heavy hitting state agencies involved. “Academic and business figures are involved in events on the periphery of the game. There have also been meetings between Irish and US legislators. The economy of Dublin and Ireland benefits greatly from this event. It is not just a Dublin event. The visitors from the US for the game stay all over the country,” Padraic explained.

An audience of up to five million watch the game annually in the US. “We have great partners for this event. It is much more than just a football game,” Padraic commented.

Padraic’s mother ran a B n B on the Dublin Road in Longford and his father ran a farm. Both of these occupations, farming and hospitality, were to have a huge influence on his life.

“I went to Portrush to study Hospitality when I left St Mel’s College. I found myself interested in working in the nightclub,” he recalled.

He speaks with great enthusiasm about the hospitality trade and he believes that there are great career opportunities for young people in this sector.

“If you are General Manager of a hotel, then you are very multi-skilled. The industry is not for the faint hearted, but not everyone will be suited to an academic route,” he stated.

Padraic employs 185 people across his companies. For events that he manages, he also employs sub-contractors.

Padraic is proof that a career in hospitality can be very rewarding and successful.

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