B&B Ireland celebrates 50 years of welcoming guests from all over the world

As the representative for B&B operators on the island of Ireland, our organisation is responsible for bringing half a million tourists a year to the Irish Bed and Breakfast sector through our global promotion of the Authentic Irish B&B Experience.

50th Anniversary

We feel honoured to have reached our 50^th Anniversary of welcoming guests to our beautiful and friendly island. We believe in the Irish B&B Experience and are proud to represent 100s of Bed and Breakfast properties in town, city, farm and countryside locations.

B&B Ireland have many milestones to look back on and are proud to have helped the B&B sector to become one of the main providers of holiday accommodation on the island of Ireland. Our organisation began in 1972 as the Town and Country Homes Association. In 2010 we amalgamated with Irish Farm House Holidays and was renamed B&B Ireland. As part of our 50th anniversary, we are celebrating what makes Irish Bed and Breakfasts so unique.

We have evolved into a global business that guarantees guests quality accommodation with B&B hosts that offer a friendly, welcoming and value for money holiday. Our B&B hosts genuinely love meeting people from all over the world and providing a unique cultural experience.

Here's to another 50 years!

Helena Healy, CEO of B&B Ireland said the future of the organisation is bright and is encouraging more hosts to become members; “We’ve been around for 50 years and we intend to be around for the next 50 years. I think that the Irish B&B experience is so unique that it is not going anywhere. There will always be people who want to welcome guests into their homes because it is part of the Irish charm. Thankfully there is still huge demand for the authentic Irish B&B experience from the international market and at home.”

Failte Ireland CEO Paul Kelly joined B&B Ireland to celebrate the organisation’s 50th anniversary, “Staying in a B&B is a special experience that allows visitors to immerse themselves in Irish life and culture. B&B Ireland and its members across the country are renowned for their hospitality and quality-assured high standards and are an integral part of the Irish tourism industry. Today we got to meet a fantastic host who has been welcoming guests into her family home for 50 years. Her passion and love for her local area shines through and it is clear to see why she has been in operation for so many years.”

Host Mary Spillane opened Greenacres B&B in Rathcoole, Co Dublin in 1972, she said, “It all started when two people arrived at the door looking for accommodation and I couldn’t turn them away. It was hard work at times but I’ve really enjoyed it and had wonderful guests over the years. These days we open from March until the end of September and we get all our business through B&B Ireland. We mostly have international visitors, from America and Europe, because of our proximity to the airport. People love to stay in Irish B&Bs because they’re not just a number. Where else could you come in, have a chat over a cup of tea and find out everything about the local area and recommendations about where to go and what to do?”