Irish Hotels Federation
The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) is the national representative body of the hotel and guesthouse sector in Ireland. Our membership ranges from small family run hotels and guesthouses to large international hotel groups including all categories from budget to luxury hotels throughout the country. The IHF represents almost 900 hotels and guesthouses nationwide, employing over 60,000 people and is a key stakeholder in the Irish tourism sector.
As a national organisation the main function of the IHF is to represent the interests of the Irish hotel sector and we do this by working very closely and engaging with Government, industry partners, education & training authorities, key policy makers and other industry stakeholders. We are the voice of the industry and work to improve the trading environment whilst providing assistance and support services to our members.
Michael Magner
President, Irish Hotels Federation
Michael Magner is the 40th President of the Irish Hotels Federation and owner of the historic Cork's Vienna Woods Hotel. A native of Kileedy, Co. Limerick, Michael has been an active branch member of the IHF since 2006 and has served as Chair of the Cork branch, a two-year term as National Vice President, and as a member of the National Council and Management Committee. He currently sits as Chair of Cobh Heritage Trust and a Director of the Board of Visit Cork.
Paul Gallagher
CEO, Irish Hotels Federation
As Chief Executive, Paul oversees the strategic direction and operation of the IHF, working closely with industry partners, Government and State agencies on behalf of the hotels sector to ensure the right conditions are in place to support the growth and development of Irish tourism and hospitality.
A past President of the IHF and former Chair of the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC), Paul was previously General Manager of Buswells Hotel, Dublin for 27 years. He is a Government appointee to Tourism Ireland as a Non-Executive Director and has previously served on numerous Government taskforces, including the Tourism Recovery Oversight Group, the Brexit Taskforce, the Advisory Group on Small Business, the Tourism Recovery Taskforce and Grow Dublin Taskforce.
Paul is a fellow of the Irish Hospitality Institute and holds a Master's Degree in Business and Hospitality as a graduate of the University of Galway and Shannon College of Hotel Management.
