Francis Brennan, the renowned hotelier who co-owns the Park Hotel in Kenmare and presents the RTÉ TV series “At Your Service”, has just written a new book on how etiquette – simple good manners – can make the world a better place and “add an extra sprinkling of sparkle dust” to any situation.
The book is called: It’s the Little Things: Francis Brennan’s Guide to Life. It’s published by Gill & MacMillan and is for sale at €14.99.
It’s a timely little book for those dreading the festive season, often a time of forced social gatherings with people you wouldn’t normally choose to spend time with.
HIS PRINCIPLES
Manners aren’t a rigid set of rules; they’re more like guiding principles. Brennan abides by the three C’s – caring, consideration, community. He says his own life has been happy and successful based on the foundations of respect he was taught by his parents.
SURVIVING CHRISTMAS and other claustrophobic family gatherings
- Don’t revert to your ten-year-old self; if siblings start teasing you about embarrassing childhood incidents, or how messy you were, bring conversation around to what you’re doing these days
- Set limits on the visits of unpopular guests, by offering to drop them home
- Set limits on your own stay if you’re going somewhere under obligation
- Remember that it’s just one day...grin and bear the in-laws
- Don’t overdo the drink
- Don’t make children wait to open their presents; Christmas is all about them
- Be realistic; it doesn’t have to be an ecstatically happy day, you just have to negotiate it
OTHER TALKING POINTS for Christmas etiquette
- Dinner-party seating arrangements to ensure that conversation flows smoothly
- How to pick the perfect gift
- How not to get fluthered...and what to do if you find yourself suddenly drunk
- How to be the perfect host (warm house; fresh tea, coffee, bed-linen; loo rules)
- How to be a dream guest (never stay longer than three days)....as Benjamin Franklin said, “Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days”
- How to tell people “the party’s over, go home”
- How to look your best: grooming for Christmas
- Negotiating office parties
