Doing Our Part...

Castlemartyr Resort are dedicated to ensuring we operate in a socially and environmentally responsible way.

With this in mind, we have focused on three main areas as part of our corporate social responsibility initiatives: the environment, charity work and the community.

The following are some of the steps that we have taken as part of our CSR initiatives.

Castlemartyr Resort are delighted to announce a new partnership with the reforestation non-profit One Tree Planted, with the goal of further increasing the Resort’s commitment to operating in a socially and environmentally responsible way. The partnership will see Castlemartyr Resort aid in thousands of trees planted around the world.

We continue to work towards more sustainable and eco-friendly solutions to our needs. 2019 saw the establishment of our ‘Green Team’ to further improve and focus our environmental efforts.

• Recycling: our team have a target of diverting 85% of waste generated by the Resort away from landfills, with each department making the changes necessary to reach this goal.
• 2019 saw our plastic water bottles substituted for glass, saving over 95,000 bottles throughout the Resort.
• Our Grounds and Maintenance teams have replaced almost all traditional lighting across the Resort, Grounds, Offices and Lodges with environmentally friendly LEDs.
• We continue to improve our heating and gas consumption, with new monitored equipment installed and aggressive targets in place.
• New power-saving LED televisions were fitted in all hotel rooms in 2019.
• 2019 saw the introduction of beehives to the Resort grounds. These bees not only help to pollinate the flowers and trees on our grounds and the local area but also provide a source of fresh honey for use in our kitchens.
• In keeping with reducing the environmental impact of our kitchens, we are currently expanding our onsite herb and vegetable gardens.
• Grass and other cuttings generated on-site are baled and given to local farmers for use as fodder and bedding.
• Our Grounds Team work daily on the conservation of the 13th-century Castlemartyr Castle. This conservation includes continuous investment in the structural integrity of the Castle’s walls, in order to maintain it for future generations.
• A rare species of freshwater mussel was discovered in 2018 while work was being carried out on the Resort’s lake and river. These mussels are now being monitored and protected for further study.

We take great pride in supporting charitable causes both locally, and throughout Ireland.

• Our official charity partner is the incredible Ronald McDonald House and recently completed a 490km virtual run raising over €1,000.
• Currently committed to supporting over 100 local charities, associations, teams and communities throughout Ireland each year through sponsorship, donations and prize-givings
• Our kitchen team help the Simon Community to feed members of the homeless community in Cork during the Christmas season. We have also recently seen donations go to the 96FM radiothon and the Castlemartyr Carer’s Group.

We pride ourselves on our relationship with the local community, with a number of our longest-serving team members hailing from Castlemartyr and the surrounding area. 2019 saw us win the ‘Overall East Cork Business of the Year’ at the inaugural East Cork Business & Tourism Awards, going on to represent East Cork in the finals.

• Our grounds and woodlands are open to the local community for walking and leisure activities.
• Supporting our cultural heritage – we demonstrate our national sport hurling to visiting tour groups from the US, China and beyond, with groups taking a hurley or sliotar as a parting gift.
• Castlemartyr Resort has very strong ties with the Saul Family, hosting an annual gathering of his descendants and local historians to celebrate John Saul’s impact and legacy on Castlemartyr and his work in the US.
• Supporting our local history: we are currently in the process of bringing the rich history of our grounds and the local area to life with a new ‘Manor House Experience’. Once complete this will allow guests from Ireland and all over the world, to learn more about Castlemartyr, the Resort and the local area as a whole.
• Our concierge team bring guests from the Resort to a number of local businesses, restaurants and attractions, allowing them to experience the best that East Cork has to offer.
• We regularly host & facilitate local town council meetings.
• We support young literacy programmes by providing bookshop gift vouchers to children for their confirmations and special occasions.