Seasonal Guide Information Officer
- Location
- Castletown House and Parklands
- Rate of pay
- €14.64 (Entry Level) – Please refer to booklet for pay scale
- Job Type
- Fixed Term Contracts
Submissions: Closed
What we do
Our key job is to manage and maintain the most important of Ireland’s historic buildings and heritage. We take meticulous care of the 780 heritage sites in our charge and at the 70 sites with visitor services, we work hard to present them to their best potential, making sure that we give visitors from Ireland and abroad the best experience we possibly can.
Would you like to work to promote and present our heritage sites to the public? Visitor Services of the Office of Public Works currently seek enthusiastic people to join their dedicated Guide Team.
Testimonials
Our Guides represent the public face of the OPW, showcasing Ireland’s most important heritage sites. The Guide Service plays a vital role in conserving and presenting selected sites and ensuring the safety and enjoyment of the visitors.
Heritage Guides provide unique and memorable experiences for visitors from all over the world. It is a rewarding and enjoyable job for those who enjoy sharing their expertise and enthusiasm with others.
About the location
Castletown is set amongst beautiful eighteenth-century parklands on the banks of the Liffey in Celbridge, County Kildare.
The house was built around 1722 for the speaker of the Irish House of Commons, William Conolly, to designs by several renowned architects. It was intended to reflect Conolly’s power and to serve as a venue for political entertaining on a grand scale. At the time Castletown was built, commentators expected it to be ‘the epitome of the Kingdom, and all the rarities she can afford’.
The estate flourished under William Conolly’s great-nephew Thomas and his wife, Lady Louisa, who devoted much of her life to improving her home.
Today, Castletown is home to a significant collection of paintings, furnishings and objets d’art. Highlights include three eighteenth-century Murano-glass chandeliers and the only fully intact eighteenth-century print room in the country.
It is still the most splendid Palladian-style country house in Ireland.
About the position
The role of the seasonal guide/information officer will include:
• Protection of the site
• Ensuring that any rules for visitor are observed
• Being responsible for security and safety at the site
• Visitor reception & related issues
• Welcoming visitors to the site
• Introducing visitors to the site and its facilities
• Administering admission tickets and receipts
• Counting money and reconciling receipts
• Keeping reception area and other site facilities clean and tidy
• Dealing with phone enquiries
• Handling bookings for the site
• Promotion and interpretation of the Site
• Familiarisation with all aspects of the importance and story of the site
• Developing own tour commentary in conjunction with supervisor and other guides
• Giving guided tours
• Adapting a guided tour to suit a particular group
• Event Management
• Dealing with detailed enquiries about particular features of the site
• Invigilating duties.
In addition, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.
Essential Requirements
Candidates must have:
- Fluency in English is essential
- Heritage awareness and an appreciation and interest in history
- An understanding of historical reasoning and research methodology
- Ability to engage with a programme for diverse audiences, individuals and communities, on-site and on-line.
- Candidates must be at least 18 years of age on 1st January 2025. Retirement is compulsory on reaching 70 years of age. Candidates will be required to provide an original birth certificate or Passport for age verification purposes as part of the pre-employment process. No appointment to the position will be made to those candidates who do not meet the age criteria
Relevant work experience:
- The ability to work as part of a team and interact with colleagues, managers and the public in a tactful, courteous and professional manner.
- The ability to contribute to and maintain a good team spirit
- The willingness to take direction
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills including confidence and an ability to address groups
- Sound judgement and decision making ability, especially in emergency situations
- Concern for clarity and work quality
- Experience of working with ICT systems and procedures
- Thorough awareness of health and safety procedures. Work must be performed in an efficient and safe manner, in accordance with the directions of the supervisor / manager, with regard to self, colleagues and the public through understanding, observance and application of Health and Safety requirements
- Awareness of the need to protect the site
- Commitment to Quality Customer Service
Interviews will most likely take place in person during the month of January.
Contracts will vary in length from 3 to 9 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
As positions become available, we will advertise them, we expect to advertise our next batch of sites in January.
Yes, you can apply. Should you be out of the country at the time of interview, we can facilitate an online interview for you if your application is successful.
All candidates will be contacted by email within 1 month of the closing date, you will either be invited for interview or receive a letter to state that your application was not shortlisted for interview on this occasion.
You should not submit more than one application form.
You will be requested to pick two site choices on your application form. Candidates will be considered for interview for their first choice site.
Only in cases where positions fail to be filled will a candidate’s second choice be considered.
However, a candidate who is unsuccessful at interview for their first choice site will be eliminated from consideration for appointment at their second choice site.
Yes, each competition is treated separately, however, if successful in one competition and offered a position, no further offers can be made.
