Roscommon man's Hot Tub Boat makes a splash on Late Late!
On last Friday's Late Late Show a local man received invaluable exposure for his start-up business, which gives the people an opportunity to soak in a hot tub while they're enjoying a cruise on Lough Ree!
South Roscommon native Shane McCormack is behind the Hot Tub Boat business, which brings couples and groups out on the lake from Coosan Point, Hodson Bay and Athlone town.
His novel enterprise was the first to be featured on last Friday night's Late Late Show, a 'Taking Care of Business' special showcasing small and medium-sized Irish companies.
The segment on the show required the Hot Tub Boat itself to be transported from Portaneena Marina to Donneybrook on Friday.
Host Ryan Tubridy then interviewed Shane on board the boat, next to the hot tub in which two models were sitting and sipping glasses of wine.
Speaking to the Westmeath Independent on Tuesday, Shane said taking part in the show had been a great experience.
"They did the (Late Late Show) promo and everything on the boat itself, so the exposure I got from it was unbelievable. I don't know if I'd ever get that again," he said.
The interview on the boat was pre-recorded on Friday evening, so Shane and his boat were already starting to make their way back to Athlone when it was being broadcast to the nation on RTE One.
"I didn't get to bed until 2am that night, by the time we got back and took the boat off the trailer, so I didn't actually see (the programme as it went out).
"But the response to it has been unreal, between social media, people ringing me and people texting me. It was unbelievable. The support and well-wishes that I got meant a huge amount."
In addition to his business, Shane is a helm with the Lough Ree RNLI Lifeboat, and has been volunteering with the service since its inception in 2012.
He came up with the idea for The Hot Tub Boat a couple of years ago, and said it's the first business of its kind in Ireland.
Shane purchased the boat itself in Ballycastle, County Antrim. "I had to get a passenger licence first, and then had to get it passed out with a hot tub on it, which complicated things a bit more because it was the first one to be done in Ireland," he explained.
His customer base so far has spanned a wide variety of age groups. "I'm getting groups, couples, couples meeting together, and bridal parties where people are bringing their bridesmaids out on the boat either before the wedding or after the wedding to say thanks."
He said the business started to take off between March and August of this year, and bookings have continued coming in even after the evenings started to get shorter.
"We have bookings in for December as well, with Christmas parties and stuff, which is really good," he said.