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Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen, in Dublin 1, is Ireland’s restaurant of the year in the Georgina Campbell Irish food and hospitality awards 2021. Damien Grey, of the Michelin-starred Liath in Blackrock, Co Dublin, was named chef of the year in the annual awards, now in their 23rd year.
The Park Hotel in Kenmare, which reopened this summer after a €1 million makeover by international designer Bryan O’Sullivan, took the award for best five-star hotel. Cliff at Lyons, where bedrooms and facilities have also been upgraded this year, was named best four-star hotel. The three-star winner is the Station House Hotel in Kilmessan, Co Meath.

Francis and John Brennan’s Park Hotel, five-star hotel of the year


Describing this year’s awards as “a kind of love letter to Irish food and hospitality,” editor and publisher Georgina Campbell paid tribute to those who work in the industry. “I am lost in admiration for all of the brave and dedicated people in the sector who have stretched themselves to the limit to keep their businesses (many of them family owned) going, keep their staff together if at all possible, and provide incredibly creative alternative services to customers.”
She also commended the creativity and resilence of restaurateurs and their staff. “Despite the early worries about mass closures, the most surprising thing about the last couple of years is the number of new openings, especially restaurants, cafes and, of course, food trucks, alongside some superb pivoting and diversification, notably the excellent retail operations that many restaurants have developed alongside, or sometimes to replace, the core business.”

Ashford Castle received an award for activity breaks.


Campbell acknowledged the changing face of hospitality during the pandemic by introducing new awards for best pivot, best collaboration and best street food, while also rebuffing suggestions of the demise of fine dining. “While there is undoubtedly a swing towards more casual styles, and the pandemic has emphasised that, you have only to look at our restaurant of the year and chef of the year to see that the very finest of fine dining is very much alive and doing extremely well, thank you. And it is providing a strong foundation for the food tourism which will undoubtedly blossom as the pandemic recedes.”

Hideaway of the year: Barrow House, Tralee, Co Kerry


GEORGINA CAMPBELL IRISH FOOD & HOSPITALITY AWARDS 2021
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen, Dublin
CHEF OF THE YEAR Damien Grey, Liath, Blackrock, Co Dublin
SEAFOOD CHEF OF THE YEAR Denis Vaughan, Vaughans, Liscannor and Lahinch, Co Clare
‘MOVERS & SHAKERS’ AWARD Alex and Carina Conyngham, Slane Castle and Rock Farm, Slane, Co Meath
PUB OF THE YEAR The Olde Glen Carrigart Co Donegal
HOTEL OF THE YEAR Five-star hotel: Park Hotel, Kenmare, Co Kerry Four-star hotel: Cliff at Lyons, Celbridge, Co Kildare Three-star hotel: The Station House Hotel, Kilmessan, Co Meath

Community award winner Claire Nash of Nash 19 in Cork city


BEST ACTIVITY BREAKS Five-star hotel: Ashford Castle Estate, Cong, Co Mayo Four-star hotel: Mulranny Park Hotel, Westport, Co Mayo Three-star hotel: Arnolds Hotel Dunfanaghy Co Donegal
COUNTRY HOUSE OF THE YEAR Enniscoe House, Ballina, Co Mayo
GUESTHOUSE OF THE YEAR Castlewood House, Dingle, Co Kerry
B&B OF THE YEAR Hazelwood Lodge, Ballyvaughan, Co Clare
BEST GARDENS & GARDEN STAYS Visitor attraction: Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden, Connemara, Co Galway Country house and heritage gardens: Kilmokea Country Manor & Gardens, Great Island, Campile, Co Wexford Historic garden stay and dine: Burtown House & Garden, Athy, Co Kildare Boutique hotel and gardens: Marlfield House, Gorey, Co Wexford
OUTDOOR DINING AWARD  Historic house: Butler House & Garden, Kilkenny, Co Kilkenny Guesthouse: Gleesons, Roscommon, Co Roscommon Restaurant: Old Street Restaurant, Malahide, Co Dublin
‘HAPPY PLACE’ AWARD Hotel: Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort, Ballymena, Co Antrim Restaurant: An Port Mór , Westport, Co Mayo Cafe: Good Day Deli, Cork Pub: Blairs Inn, Cloghroe, Co Cork Radio: Neven Maguire, MacNean House & Restaurant, Blacklion, Co Cavan (Marty Whelan’s breakfast show on RTE LyricFM)
BUSINESS HOTEL OF THE YEAR InterContinental Dublin, Ballsbridge, Dublin
FAMILY FRIENDLY HOTEL OF THE YEAR Fitzgeralds Woodlands House Hotel & Spa, Adare, Co Limerick
PET FRIENDLY HOTEL OF THE YEAR The Twelve Hotel, Barna, Co Galway
BEST PIVOT Restaurant: Dough Bros, Galway Chef: Gráinne Mullins , Grá Chocolates, Kilchreest, Co Galway Person: Kevin Aherne, Sage, Midleton, Co Cork Producer: Ballymakenny Farm, Ballymakenny, Co Louth
BEST COLLABORATIONS Gaz Smith Michaels, Mount Merrion & Higgins Family Butchers, Sutton Whelehans Wines & China Sichuan, Dublin
STREET FOOD OF THE YEAR Bites by Kwanghi, Dublin
COMMUNITY AWARDS Person: Claire Nash, Nash 19 Restaurant & Food Shop, Cork Restaurant: Cyprus Avenue, Belfast Event: Food on the Edge Hotel: No. 1 Pery Square Hotel, Limerick
GLOBAL CUISINE AWARD Rasam Restaurant, Glasthule, Co Dublin
DRINKS AWARD Boann Distillery, Drogheda, Co Louth
MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE The Wicklow Escape, Donard, Co Wicklow
HIDEAWAY OF THE YEAR Barrow House, Tralee, Co Kerry
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR 2021 Camus Farm Field Kitchen, Clonakilty, Co Cork
SUSTAINABILITY AWARD Hotel: Gregans Castle Hotel, Ballyvaughan, Co Clare Restaurant: BuJo, Sandymount, Dublin Producer: Seagull Bakery, Tramore, Co Waterford Food truck: The Salty Buoy by Niall Sabongi, Dublin
THE LITTLE THINGS AWARD Housekeeping: Mary Bourke, The Mustard Seed, Ballingarry, Co Limerick Toiletries: The Handmade Soap Company, Slane, Co Meath Flowers: Flower Farmers of Ireland Tableware: Fermoyle Pottery, Ballinskelligs, Co Kerry Soft furnishings: Magee 1866, Donegal Town, Co Donegal
TASTE OF THE WATERWAYS AWARD Hotel: Keenans of Tarmonbarry, Co Roscommon Restaurant: The Red Bank Restaurant, Carrick-on-Shannon Co Leitrim Pub: Larkins Bar & Restaurant, Garrykennedy, Co Tipperary
IRISH BREAKFAST AWARD Hotel: The Mariner, Westport, Co Mayo Guesthouse: The Wild Honey Inn, Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare B&B: Bervie, Achill, Co Mayo