Right Place, Right Time – How I Started in Spirit

I was offered full time hours in Faithlegg House Hotels’ leisure centre, The Estuary Club, once I finished my Fitness and Health course in May 2008. I was working one evening in October with a colleague of mine, Robbie, when he got a phone call from an old friend of his. They chatted about old times and random stuff for a little while until the conversation, at least the side I could hear, got more serious.

Robbie said he was happy where he was but that there was a young chap next to him who’d love a new job. Rob handed me the phone and, tentatively, I said hello. I didn’t know him then but Padraig O’Halloran was on the line. He asked if I was looking for full-time work in a brand new leisure centre in town and I replied that I was.

Faithlegg was a nice place to work but I had been asking for free weights and a bench in the gym for months and it wasn’t going to happen. I wanted to spread my wings. Paudi was manager in Spirit Leisure Centre, a new build at Treacy’s Hotel Waterford with an entrance on O’Connell Street. I was offered an interview the next day and was delighted to have this random opportunity.

Anybody that knows Paudi well will understand when I say it was the most “Paudi” interview ever. He rocked up a few minutes late wearing a hard hat, hi-vis jacket and green wellies! About as informal as interviewers get! That settled the nerves and we just chatted from there. He asked what was the one thing I didn’t like about working in a leisure centre? I said the cleaning, but that it was part and parcel and would be done. Still hate that part!

Then he brought me on a whistle-stop tour of a half built leisure centre. Tradesmen everywhere, all the machines in boxes, the pool half full with green dirty water and not even a lick of paint on the walls. The wood floor was still in the boxes and Spirit was due to open in the next 2 weeks!!!

I walked away about as excited as I could get. Two days later I was offered the job and I couldn’t say no! Needless to say once all the staff were on board we hustled big time! Those weeks are still some of the best I’ve had in there. Throwing rubbish from windows, mopping the floor every 20 minutes, leaflet drops with cheeky dinners in Paddy Brownes when we should have been in Ferrybank!!!

At time of writing that was 7 years ago next week and I’m still working with Paudi and still in Spirit! All because I was working with Robbie and he said no. Talk about being in the right place at the right time!!

Poser ⬆️⬆️

So youthful in 2008 ⬆️⬆️

Helping Chris to stretch ⬆️⬆️

P.S. Had to put in the photos, they’re too good, sorry lads!