After 30 years of creating something special at Harvey’s Point, Deirdre McGlone and her husband Marc Gysling took a step back from the Donegal hotel in 2019. Looking ahead to the New Year, Deirdre talks about the concept of time, and how she plans to make the most of it in 2020:
I have always been inspired by the seasons and I believe that the various stages of our lives can be compared to the changing of the seasons. Like the seasons, there is a time to sow, a time to grow, a time to reap.
Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
“To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven”
Looking ahead to the dawn of a New Year, when soon winter will give way to spring, it’s a great time to reflect on the past and look forward to the future. It has been over nine months since Marc and I announced to the world that we had sold our beloved Harvey’s Point. This was and is a life changing, lifestyle decision. Having enjoyed thirty years of happy hotel-keeping, of building our business, the time and opportunity came for us to focus on putting our family first. On reflection now, many months later, the decision still feels right. It was the right decision at the right time and for the right reasons. We are immensely proud of what we achieved in Harvey’s Point and it gives me great pleasure to see that the hotel is going from strength to strength, thanks to the incredible work and high standards of customer care extended by the Harvey’s Point team and to the planned continued investment in the hotel. While a piece of my heart will always be in Harvey’s Point, I am so happy that it is in safe hands.
March 2019: Mark Gysling and Deirdre McGlone announce the sale of Harvey’s Point
I am enjoying this new chapter in my life. It’s about having time, time to live in the moment, time to simply be. The entire world is busy rushing around and sometimes we get lost in the noise and clutter of it all.
I am often asked the question, “how are you enjoying retirement?” And the truth is that I have never considered retiring because I know that there is so much more that I would like to do in my life. I just want to do things at a different pace. And I want to do things that I love doing and that are meaningful to me. Firstly, I want to be a good Mammy to Carl, James and Christina and of course be ‘the good wife’ and best friend of Marc. I am also keen to continue to promote Donegal and Ireland through my involvement in Donegal Tourism and Tourism Ireland. I really enjoy being president of the Donegal Women in Business Network – a dynamic group of like-minded women giving a voice to business women in Donegal. Being a Lead Entrepreneur in ACORNS affords me a great opportunity to give back, to share my insights into business for early stage female entrepreneurs in the North West. 2020 will be the year in which I develop my new business as a Hospitality and Tourism Advisor – deirdremcglone.com. All of this, in addition to being on a few boards, there is no time to be bored!
Donegal Women in Business Network PRO Evelyn Mc Glynn, Secretary Trish McGinley and President Deirdre McGlone. Photo by SON Photography
However, there is time to live life to the full, to enjoy every moment and to be the best person I can be. For this, I feel forever grateful.
This quote from Mindfulness Ireland sums up my approach to life and my vision for 2020.
“Happiness is the new rich,
Inner peace is the new success
Health is the new wealth
Kindness is the new cool”
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