Charlotte & Co

Charlotte & Co

BY Dromoland Castle 19-09-2024

To help us take the next steps in our green journey, we are proud to appoint our own full-time Sustainability Officer, Arek Gduliński.

Arek joined our team at Dromoland Castle six years ago and we are excited to back him all the way in his new role as he carves out the future of our estate, protecting it for generations to come.

“When I was 6 years old my grandfather moved back to Poland from America where he lived in Connecticut. I got close to him and spent all my free time in his summer house where a small farm at the back was. He called it a ranch. The summer house is located next to a forest and inside the forest, you could spend hours foraging wild mushrooms and looking at wildlife. We had a small vineyard to the back of the house where white and red grapes were grown. He used to produce his wines and tonics and I have always helped him in the process. I suppose that is where my passion for nature was born.

We have a family tree dating back to the 16th century and at the back of the “ranch,” my grandfather built a log house and called it the great grandfather’s museum where old photographs and items were placed on a display. My great grandfather was a carpenter and old carpentry tools were also displayed. This is where my inspiration for the walled garden comes from in a way. We could have a small form of museum informing the guests of the beautiful history of the Walled Garden.

Dromoland Castle

I moved to Ireland as a 13-year-old boy a few years after my father got promoted and Lufthansa shifted him over from Germany, where he was working at the time to Shannon in 1998. I went to St. Patrick’s Comprehensive school and have done the Leaving Certificate there. I got my first CEO choice and started studying civil engineering at LIT Limerick. After two years in college, my father passed away and unfortunately, I have stopped going to college.

I decided to take a year out and applied for a full-time job within the Castle and the rest is history. I have worked in Dromoland Castle for the past six years now. I have started my journey as a Commis Waiter in the Earl of Thomond Restaurant. Working in the restaurant and room service department at the beginning, really made me passionate about Dromoland Castle and inspired me to learn more about Hotel Industry and providing a unique experience to our guests through the maintenance of the highest 5-star standards of product and service

Dromoland Castle

The restaurant manager at the time was Tony Frisby who was a true inspiration for me and after 18months of training, I have applied for the TMDP- Trainee Manager Development Programme with Dromoland. During my recent training in IT Tralee and several departments and positions within the Castle and the Inn at Dromoland, I have learned critical skills and gained the necessary knowledge to allow me to progress with the career and improve even more. I could not have dreamed about a better place to grow your skills and passion and have gotten great mentoring from Mark Nolan, Simon Hodgson, Nico Hernandez, and the rest of the team.

My past time hobbies are hiking, cycling, fishing, swimming, foraging mushrooms, but also recently started an unusual new hobby which is magnet fishing, and I can help the environment by removing old scrap metal from canals and rivers/lakes.

I am a member of the Shannon allotments club and help with the gardens there, I am also a member of the Shannon Archaeological Society and have a great interest in the local history. I met my fiancée while doing the junior cert. Jessica is a great support and we spent our free time discovering county Clare’s wild walks, hikes etc.”

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