Sheila McCarthy from Gardiners Hill in Cork celebrating her 100th birthday with afternoon tea delivered by Metropole Hotel General Manager Roger Russell. Photo: Brian Lougheed

Special birthday surprise for 100 year old Sheila

The daughter of the Metropole Hotel’s first ever concierge celebrated her 100th birthday this week with a special nod to Charlie Chaplin.

Hollywood legend Chaplin was one of many stars Sheila McCarthy’s father Cornelius welcomed during their stay at the famous hotel on MacCurtain Street.

Cornelius, whose encounter with Mr Chaplin was immortalised in photograph, worked at the Metropole for 44 years before retiring in 1946.

Metropole Hotel concierge Cornelius McCarthy and employee Ms O’Sullivan with Charlie Chaplin during his stay in Cork in the early/mid 1900s.

Sheila said: “My father always spoke so fondly of his time working at the Metropole. It was a big part of his life and he shared lots of wonderful memories from that time with us all.

“I have a photograph of him and Charlie Chaplin, one of the many stars he met, standing in front of the main door of the hotel and it’s something that my family and I will always treasure.”

To mark Shelia’s 100th birthday, current General Manager at The Metropole Hotel, Roger Russell delivered afternoon tea to her home at Gardiners Hill in the city.

He said: “We were delighted to visit Sheila on such a special day as she turns 100.

“Sheila and her family are very special to us here at the Metropole Hotel as her father was the very first concierge at the hotel.”

He added: “Sheila is a remarkable lady and we are so grateful to her for sharing her stories of the Metropole Hotel. We will be celebrating ourselves soon when we turn 124 years old this month.”