THE McKeever family is celebrating 25 years at the helm of Corrs Corner Hotel in Newtownabbey.
Seen as the catalyst from which the McKeever Hotel Group began, Eugene and Catherine McKeever have invested approximately £6 million in transforming the original road house into a 68-bedroom hotel, restaurant, public bar, banqueting suite and conference room venue.
Eugene McKeever started working at Corrs Corner in 1966, before working his way up to head chef in 1974, a position he held for 11 years.
“Corrs Corner will always remain the special one to me; it is where I have spent 52 years of my life," he said.
Purchasing the hotel from John Corr in 1993, Eugene described it as a "huge risk", but one that has ultimately paid off.
“It was a huge risk and at the time it seemed a huge premises, I just didn’t know whether I would be able to continue to make it a success.”
“John Corr was a great mentor to me and gave me the opportunity to get my chef qualifications which set me on the path to where I am today. Sadly he passed away at the start of the year and he is missed dearly. I try to carry on the ethos and kindness he showed me and today the company continues to invest in employee training and development. I hope some day that people will look to me as a mentor.”
Speaking about what makes Corrs Corner so special, general manager, Martin Toner added:
“Ultimately Corrs Corner Hotel is a building with walls and a roof; it is the people who make it special, which extends to not only the team, but the loyal customers and long term dedicated suppliers," he said.
The McKeever Hotel Group portfolio includes: the Dunsilly Hotel; Adair Arms Hotel in Ballymena; Dillons Hotel in Letterkenny and the Dunadry Hotel.
