A new glamping development has opened on the Cooley Peninsula in County Louth, with John Brennan and Francis Brennan officially cutting the ribbon at Narrow Water Lodges in Cornamucklagh, Omeath.
The project, developed by the King family, represents an expansion of their existing hospitality offering at Cornamucklagh House and is expected to feature in an upcoming autumn series of the RTÉ television program At Your Service.
The launch event brought together local stakeholders, customers, and representatives from regional organizations, including Louth County Council, Fáilte Ireland, and the Louth Local Community Development Committee.
Funding support for the project was provided through the LEADER Programme. The development comes ahead of the anticipated opening of the Narrow Water Bridge next year, an infrastructure project expected to improve cross-border connectivity and potentially increase visitor traffic to the area.
“It was a great day and the rain lifted for the official opening,” says Conor King, who worked on the project alongside his parents, John and Marion King. He noted that the family had kept their involvement with At Your Service confidential until the launch.
“There was a real good buzz around the place for the opening,” Cormac told the Irish Independent. “It was great to have so many people who have supported us and our customers come along to celebrate.”
Planning permission has been granted for 14 lodges, with six currently operational and two additional units expected to open before the end of the year. The lodges are designed to accommodate either three adults or two adults with two children, targeting both couples and small families seeking short-stay accommodations in a rural setting.
Cormac King described the division of responsibilities within the family-led project. “The dynamic of the project saw my Dad in charge of the outside, my Mum in charge of the inside, and me working in between.” He credited his mother for the interior design, which draws on the surrounding landscape.
“Mum really surpassed herself with the whole interior design. Her theme for the color scheme was to take the colors from outside, the greens and blues, the taupes and browns.” He also highlighted his father’s engineering background as a factor in the construction quality.
“It’s resulted in a mix of luxury finishes and stylish interiors and landscaping that fits will with the stone walls and trees. You get the feeling of coming here to escape and reset from the pressures of everyday life.”
Speaking about the involvement of the Brennan brothers, he added, “The two of them have such an understanding of the hospitality industry, and they were so helpful. They were very understanding of our intentions with the project.”
He said they had visited multiple times during development and reacted positively to the finished lodges. “They were very excited at seeing the finished lodges and were so impressed. It really surpassed their expections.”
For outdoor hospitality operators, the phased rollout of accommodations at Narrow Water Lodges reflects a measured approach to capital investment, allowing demand to be tested while maintaining flexibility for expansion.
The integration of public funding, media exposure through television, and alignment with upcoming infrastructure improvements illustrates how smaller operators can leverage multiple channels to build visibility and support long-term viability in regional tourism markets.