As the youngest of nine children growing up in Two-Mile-Borris, Co Tipperary, Sean Moriarty learned self-reliance early. As a 13-year-old, he didn’t want to ask his parents for money so he got on his bike and cycled to a nearby farm and cheese factory and secured a part-time job, working weekends and summer holidays.
That strong work ethic has been a feature of his career, which has seen him working in management roles in Tesco, Dairygold, 4HomeSuperstore and forecourt operator Topaz, before moving to his latest challenge in Portugal.
His time at Topaz saw him rise to retail director. After the Denis O’Brien-owned firm was sold to a Canadian retailer Couche Tard in late 2015 and rebranded as Circle K, Moriarty considered various options within the multinational group that would have seen him move abroad, but hankered for a more entrepreneurial role.
“I’m very much driven on the operational side of things,” he says. “I like to see how things work from A-Z, how you start projects, how you see them through and how you market them.”
When an opportunity to move to Portugal to run and expand Denis O’Brien’s Quinta do Lago resort arose the following year, he jumped at the chance.
The resort, which was established in the early 1970s, has long been popular with golfers and had hosted the Portuguese Open several times over the years, but its owner had a vision to expand its appeal as a wider luxury lifestyle resort, with a wide range of new facilities, catering for everyone from elite sports stars to families.
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Quinta do Lago is about 15 minutes from Faro airport.
“We are located beside one of one of Europe’s largest nature reserves, part of an area that has been referred to as the golden triangle. It’s a beautiful place to be. Once you sit on your flight in Dublin and everything goes on time, you can be in our resort in about three hours.”
One of the standout features of the resort is called The Campus. This features start-of-the-art sports training facilities with close attention paid to the fine details. Top professional clubs that want to use the facility can replicate the condition of a playing pitch down to grass height, pitch grip and bounce level, with three days’ notice, for example, while chefs can customise meals for team members who need to build muscle or gain or lose weight.
“The Campus is a fly-to destination in itself. We built it to be good enough for elite athletes to train in but it is open to everyone. Our tagline is ‘Be elite, whatever your level’.
“It also opens the gates to other people living in the area as somewhere great to go and socialise in a sporting environment to have coffee or a meal and drinks. It has created a great community.”
While golf remains a big draw for the resort, those who want a relaxing break can also take advantage of 14 distinct restaurants, bars and a beautiful beach in an area known for its pleasant-all-year-round climate. The resort recently completed the acquisition of the adjoining Conrad Hotel to expand its accommodation options.
Quinta do Lago is also increasingly focusing on a residential building programme, for those who wish to own their own properties at the resort.
Moriarty moved to Portugal with a young family. Any concerns he and his wife may have had about how their family would acclimatise have long been allayed, with excellent schools and an emphasis on sport and the outdoor lifestyle.
An initial plan to stay for just two years has turned into an eight-year experience and the family have no plans to leave now. The climate is among the attractions. “We don’t have to wake up in the morning and open the curtains to know if the weather will be nice.”
The Portuguese are very nice people to be around, to work with and to socialise with
As chief executive of Quinta do Lago, Moriarty works long hours. “People sometimes like to just say that, but I bring it upon myself as I enjoy it. I like going out in the evening and talking about the resort, be it with residents or others. The challenge we have here is continuous improvement and bringing people on that journey with you.”
When he is not working, Moriarty takes advantage of the opportunity to play golf and padel, the fast-growing and popular sport racket at the resort.
He finds the Portuguese culture and temperament easy to relate to. “The Portuguese are very nice people to be around, to work with and to socialise with.
“They are very like the Irish in many ways. Family is very important. They like to gather for big meals. They might not sit at the bar drinking their pints like we would, but they do enjoy socialising in groups.”
There is a strong expat community in the area. “The beauty is that you can be as involved in the community – or as uninvolved in the community – as you wish, and nobody will bother you.”
Regular trips home to Ireland allow him to catch up with family and friends and to take in an occasional hurling match but while he does miss some aspects of Ireland, for the foreseeable future the Algarve is very much home.
