Have you met Gary and Hugh?
Many residents may already know Gary and Hugh O Keeffe, of Ireland, due to their frequent and extended visits to Catalina Island. The father and son have become frequent contributors of photos to the Catalina Islander, so we asked them if they’d be willing to share a little bit about themselves for those who may not know them.
Their first visit to Catalina was in 2010 and they fell in love with the island. Since then, they have tried to make it back twice a year or so. They were here in September for three weeks and recently they found a great deal on flights, so they booked a December trip. They headed home on Dec. 6, with a couple of days in West Hollywood.
Over the years they have stayed at many different homes, including Tom Mix’s old house on Maiden Lane. They originally came to Catalina on a home exchange, where they stayed at the home of David Renton up on the steps.
“It’s a fantastic historic house and we were lucky to stay there many times,” Gary said.
The O Keeffe men are from Dublin and live in the historic Ring of Kerry area. Gary was a lawyer and politician for many years. He was also the Director of Tourism for Ireland. Hugh recently graduated with a degree in marketing and works for a leading marketing firm in Dublin.
Over the years, the Dubliners have made many friends on the island and they have taken advantage of the many things to do here.
They are avid golfers and like to play both the regular course and the miniature version. They also love to hike the island trails and swim, even on their winter trips.
“We like to swim at Step Beach with Surfer Bob and on this trip we are still swimming,” Gary said of the recent visit.
He said they take advantage of the prepped meals at Vons to dine at home. Gary said they like to “experiment with locally caught seafood and Mexican dishes such as queso fundido,” but they also love eating at the local restaurants, with the Lobster Trap being one of their favorites. And Gary loves playing foosball at the Marlin Club.
But in the end, the activities have become entertainment on their trips back to visit with friends they have made while enjoying their home away from home.
“One of the great delights in Avalon is just meeting on the streets some super local characters and having a chat,” Gary said.
