While in more recent years these type of articles are usually reserved for Kilkenny’s senior hurlers’ near-annual pilgrimage to Croke Park at the end of the senior hurling championship, when it comes to matters food, Kilkenny continues to punch above its weight on the national stage.
With the All-Ireland finals of the Irish Restaurant Awards for 2024 taking place in Dublin on Monday night, Kilkenny was well represented again with Nóinín (Leinster Innovator of the Year) in the city, the Edward Hayden School of Cookery (Cookery School of the Year, national), Ristorante Rinuccini (Leinster, Best Wine Experience), Tabú in Thomastown (Best Newcomer), Leinster, Statham’s by Pembroke (Leinster, Best Contemporary Irish Cuisine), Arán Bakery & Bistro (Best Casual Dining, Leinster), John Kelly of Lady Helen Restaurant at Mount Juliet (Best Chef, Leinster) and more walking away with regional and national titles.
The night brings together all of the county winners across 17 categories to choose overall provincial winners, one of those winners then picking up the All-Ireland award. Alongside the 17 categories with local hopefuls in each category, six additional awards were presented on Monday night.
including Best Cocktail Experience, Best Learning & Development, Best Cookery School, Best Private Dining & Club Restaurant, this year’s Outstanding Achievement Award and Food Truck of the Year. Those winners included
Best Private Dining and Club Restaurant: Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club, Ranelagh, Co. Dublin
Best Cookery School: The Edward Hayden School of Cookery, Kilkenny
Best Learning & Development: Fota Island Resort, Cork
Food Truck of the Year: Misunderstood Heron, Leenane, Co. Galway
Best Cocktail Experience: Adrian McFadden, The Garden Room at the Merrion Hotel, Dublin
With almost 1,200 in attendance and a lot of winners to get through, here’s how it all panned out, in order of delivery on the night.
Local Food Hero
- Leinster: Pauline Dunne, Killowen Farm, Wexford
- Ulster: Johnny McDowell, Indie Fude, Co. Down
- Munster: Siobhán Ní Gháirbhith, St. Tola Goat Cheese farm, Clare
- Connaught: Patrick J. Rigney, The Shed Distillery, Leitrim
- Dublin & All-Ireland: Lorraine O’Connor, Muslim Sisters of Éire
Innovator of the Year
- Ulster: The Blue Goat, Donegal
- Connaught: Builín Blasta Café & Bakery, Galway
- Dublin: Amuri
- Leinster: Nóinín, Kilkenny
- Munster & All-Ireland: Rare 1784, Cork
Best Sustainable Practices
- Leinster: Mueller & O’Connell Bakery, Laois
- Dublin: Bread 41
- Munster: Killarney Park & Ross Hotel, Kerry
- Ulster: No 14 at the Georgian House, Down
- Connaught & All Ireland: Kai Restaurant, Galway
Best World Cuisine
- Dublin: 3 Leaves, Blackrock
- Ulster: Chandpur Restaurant, Donegal
- Leinster: Sanjay’s Kitchen, Offaly
- Connaught: Funké – Afro Caribbean Restaurant, Sligo
- Munster & All-Ireland: Ichigo Ichie, Cork
Best Café
- Munster: La Alegria Café, Waterford
- Connaught: Rogue & Co Café, Roscommon
- Ulster: Ursa Minor, Antrim
- Leinster: Bowe’s Foodhall & Café, Laois
- Dublin & All-Ireland: Happy Out x Together Academy, Dun Laoghaire
Best Customer Service
- Ulster: Noble, Down
- Leinster: Gralinn, Wexford
- Munster: Aileen’s at Armada Hotel, Clare
- Dublin: Kicky’s
- Connaught & All-Ireland: Rusheenduff Restaurant at Renvyle House Hotel & Resort
Best Wine Experience
- Dublin: Ely Wine Bar
- Ulster: Ora Wine & Tapas, Antrim
- Leinster: Ristorante Rinuccini, Kilkenny
- Munster: The Dining Room at Park Hotel Kenmare, Kerry
- Connaught & All-Ireland: Daróg Wine Bar, Galway
Best Newcomer Award
- Munster: Homestead Cottage, Clare
- Connaught: Otto Pizza, Sligo
- Ulster: Salumeria Marluccia, Derry
- Leinster: Tabú, Kilkenny
- Dublin & All-Ireland: La Gordita
Best Contemporary Irish Cuisine
- Connaught: Owenmore Restaurant at Ballynahinch Castle Hotel, Galway
- Dublin: Potager, Skerries
- Ulster: 28 at The Hollow, Fermanagh
- Leinster: Statham’s by Pembroke, Kilkenny
- Munster & All-Ireland: Lagom Restaurant, Kenmare
Best Gastro Pub
- Dublin: Gleesons, Booterstown
- Munster: Vaughan’s Anchor Inn, Clare
- Connaught: The Huntsman Inn, Galway
- Leinster: The Strand Cahore, Wexford
- Ulster & All-Ireland: The Olde Glen Bar Restaurant & Bia Box, Donegal
Best Casual Dining
- Dublin: Osteria Lucio
- Connaught: The Selkie
- Leinster: Arán Bakery & Bistro, Kilkenny
- Munster: Elbow Lane Brew & Smokehouse, Cork
- Ulster & All-Ireland: The Square Bistro, Antrim
Pub of the Year
- Ulster: The Garrick, Antrim
- Munster: Levi’s Corner House, Cork
- Dublin: Anseo
- Connaught: Freeney’s Bar, Galway
- Leinster & All-Ireland: Begley’s Bar, Longford
Best Hotel & Guesthouse Restaurant
- Leinster: The Morrison Room at Carton House, Kildare
- Connaught: George V at Ashford Castle Estate, Galway
- Dublin: The Saddle Room at the Shelbourne
- Ulster: Catalina Restaurant, Lough Erne Resort, Fermanagh
- Munster & All-Ireland: The Bishop’s Buttery at Cashel Palace Hotel, Tipperary
Employee Excellence
- Munster: Shane Gater, Mezze
- Dublin: Lisa Freeley, Roly’s Bistro & café
- Connaught: Catalina Gabriela Caltun, 56 Central Restaurant Café, Galway
- Ulster: Liam McKenna, Armagh City Hotel
- Leinster & All-Ireland: Sophie Hogan, Hogan’s Farm Show & Café
Best Restaurant Manager
- Ulster: Anne Cannon, La Bella Donna
- Leinster: Kasia Urban, Bramley, Abbeyleix, Co. Laois
- Munster: Dermot Fretton, Earl of Thomaand Restaurant, Dromoland Castle, Co. Clare
- Connaught: Gabriel Camburu, Buffalo Boy, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim
- Dublin & All-Ireland: Prateek Vikram, China Sichuan Restaurant
Outstanding Achievement Award: TJ O’Connor, senior lecturer at Culinary Arts, Munster Technological University
Best Chef
- Connaught: Danny Africano, Lignum, Galway
- Leinster: John Kelly, Lady Helen Restaurant at Mount Juliet Estate, Kilkenny
- Dublin: Eric Matthews, Kicky’s
- Ulster: Ciaran Sweeney, The Olde Glen Bar Restaurant & Bia Box
- Munster & All-Ireland: Aishling Moore, Goldie
Best Restaurant
- Dublin: Chapter One
- Ulster: Macnean House & Restaurant, Cavan
- Connaught: Eala Bhán, Sligo
- Leinster: Clashganny House Restaurant, Carlow
- Munster & All-Ireland: Dede at the Custom House Baltimore, Cork
You can read more and find photos this week at irishrestaurantawards.com.
