Our Story
Maturing like a fine wine…
‘Wineport’. The name echoes an ancient story that stretches back nearly 1500 years.
It’s said that St Ciaran first established a monastery on Hare Island in Lough Ree. Clearly, the religious life wasn’t one of complete hardship. The monks regularly landed wine from France at ‘Poirt an Fhíona’. In English, this means ‘Wine Port’ and the name stuck.
Fast forward fifteen centuries to husband and wife team Ray Byrne and Jane English opening a small restaurant here in 1993. At first this was part of a sailing centre but it soon established its own reputation. As time passed, new ideas were tried: bedrooms were added followed by a stunning spa. With each addition, Wineport Lodge’s success story added another chapter.
So what makes Wineport Lodge so special? We can thank nature for our stunning lakeside location. But keeping an eye on every detail, every day plays a huge part too.
Along with manager Norma Wilson, Ray and Jane know that small touches can have the biggest impact.
Maybe it’s the right word of welcome. It could be making a birthday boy or girl feel extra special. Or perhaps it’s sprinkling some extra magic dust when an important question is being popped…
So what does all this mean? Simply that the warm Wineport welcome will always be as personal as your reason for visiting…