Edward Kilcullen,owner of Kilcullen Seaweed Baths in Enniscrone, Co Sligo in conversation with
SANDRA O'CONNELL
MY GRANDFATHER started the business in June 1912 and we’ve been going ever since.
He was a farmer, as was my father, and this was their summer job. We have opened year-round since 2000.
During term time I work in NUI Galway and in the holidays I work here. Two half-jobs, you might say.
We do the same things every day here, only the times change. It’s true what they say about time and tide waiting for no man. We have to wait for low tide to harvest the seaweed, which could be anything from 5am to 10am.
This morning, my son Cain and I were down collecting seaweed at 7am and putting it in bags. He’s 25 and a surfer by profession, but he helps me out, as does my grandson, who is three and the fifth generation of the family to work in the baths.
We then have to wait for the tide to come in to get the water to power the baths.
When our baths opened, seaweed baths were by no means a new concept. There were baths dotted around the coast.
In Ireland, we don’t have the mineral waters or muds for spas, so this was our alternative and they were seen as a way to ease aches and pains.
Thankfully, when we took over here the whole health and wellness concept was taking off and we became part of that. People come to us now really for the feel-good factor, plus the moisturising benefits of seaweed.
People are surprised at the oiliness of the seaweed, though in fact it forms a gel, because there’s no residue when you get out, just a really clean feeling.
It’s very relaxing. We don’t take bookings and there is no time limit on the rooms, so people can take their time.
We have loads of regulars and then lots of adventurous tourists from overseas.
Enniscrone is one of those places you have to make a point to get to, we’re not really on the tourist trail, but we get lots of Germans, Dutch and French. The French especially love it.
We get a lot of “Mamls” – middle-aged men in Lycra – here too.
I get calls from cyclists or runners who are stiff and want to relieve aches and pains.
During the day I’ll be meeting and greeting and drawing baths and cleaning up afterwards.
There is loads of laundry to be done and towels to hang out. The men in our family are all domesticated from a very young age.
I’ll nip upstairs for lunch.
We are the first generation to live over the shop and the view is terrific, right on the beach.
The earliest we close is 8pm but in summer that could be 10pm or later. It’s like a pub, there’s always a surge just before closing.
The days are long and it’s physically tiring but I can always have a bath to rejuvenate me at the end of it.
* Edward Kilcullen is owner of Kilcullen Seaweed Baths in Enniscrone, Co Sligo