Francis Brennan

Francis Brennan chats to Rachel Spillane about the release of his latest Homekeepers Diary, and shares advice for stress-free travel.

“It just arrived in the warehouse this morning, would you believe?”

Francis Brennan is delighted that The Homekeeper’s Diary 2023 has finally landed. “[The Diary] is in its third year, and it’s a desk dairy. You wouldn’t carry it around that much really as it’s a good size.”

Because “it’s designed to be a seven-day look”, readers can use the diary to organise their weeks and months and be inspired to transform their home life with Francis’ tips for impeccable housekeeping. With advice on cleaning, getting organised, gardening, cooking and all other aspects of household management, The Homekeeper’s Diary is packed with simple ideas and tasks to make your life easier. “At the beginning, we have [a guide for] cups, imperials, gallons and litres so if you’re baking with an American recipe you can just open the page and the equivalent will be there in grams and pounds,” says Francis. “There are all sorts of funny stories in there as well.”

If you were lucky enough to snag The Homekeeper’s Diary from the previous two years, which quickly sold out, you’ll see a slight difference in this year’s release. Francis said “given the state of the nation”, he was aware of being more sustainable and environmentally-friendly when giving tips and tricks. One is simply learning “how to be sensible”.

“I pass houses and every light is on. My father would kill us if we walked out of the room, or out of the bathroom, and left the light on,” Francis laughs. “And he was way ahead of his time because he’s right.”

“[The Homekeeper’s Diary] is also very seasonal. We tell you what to do in the spring with planting and vegetables and in the autumn, when the blackberries come, to make jam.”

It’s obvious Francis has a passion for housekeeping and being organised, but where did this passion stem from?

“My father. He was very cautious and wouldn’t waste anything. He would buy vegetables and be very careful to use them the days before they got too old. He never knew what a banana looked like when it was yellow.”

Francis believes young people aren’t as sensitive as his parents were when times were tough, and there’s one thing that he says drives him “mad” above all else. “On a Sunday morning after mass in Kenmare, I go out to get the paper. And I see people passing, who were at mass, also going to get the paper like me and then they’re going home. But then they buy a cup of coffee!”

“In the name of God, what are they doing buying a cup of coffee in the local garage when they’re going home?,” says Francis, laughing.

Travel Tips

Everybody in Ireland seemed to be bitten by the travel bug this summer, and after two long years of staycations and restrictions, you can’t blame them. Stress levels became ferocious and you couldn’t utter the words ‘Dublin Airport’ for fear of chaos ensuing, but Francis has a couple of tips up his sleeve for keeping things stress-free. When you’re heading on your holidays, Francis is a firm believer in “rolling clothes” into the suitcase.

“You can fit so much more into your bag,” he explains. 

And unlike this writer, who strategically ‘forgets’ to unpack until a week after coming home, Francis gets stuck in straight away. “The very first thing I do is put the washing machine on when I come home. If you leave it there, you start thinking ‘oh God’ and obsessing about the fact you didn’t do it,” he says.

“Save yourself all the stress and get the laundry done the minute you come home.”

Francis also points out a lot of resorts have laundry facilities. He says a great thing to do is go to the laundrette in the hotel the day before leaving and “wash all the undies, socks and t-shirts” so when you get home, it’s all clean. “It takes the stress out of laundry.”

Looking Forward

With the upcoming release of The Homekeeper’s Diary and season 12 of At Your Service, which aired over the summer, things have been busy for Francis. But does he have anything in the pipeline for the new season? 

The Homekeeper’s Diary 2023 by Francis Brennan is published by Gill Books. Available now. Priced at €15.99.

“I have a very busy autumn,” he begins. “We’re back on the road with the hotel and I’m in America and France doing sales. Then,I’ve also got a family wedding in October and I have a cruise booked as well. There’s everything to look forward to.”

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