Two Clare hotels scoop major hospitality awards

Celebrating Ireland’s gold standard champions of the food and hospitality industries, the winners of the Georgina Campbell Food & Hospitality Awards 2024 were announced last week with two of the top awards going back to county Clare.

Renowned hotelier Mark Nolan of Dromoland Castle was awarded Georgina Campbell’s Hospitality Hero Award for 2024 while Gregans Hotel in Ballyvaughan won the much-coveted Georgina Campbell Ireland’s best hotel breakfast award.

Ireland’s longest running food and hospitality awards, the selections are the result of independent all-year assessments by a team of anonymous experts.

This year, the great benefits of regional collaborations in creating hubs of excellence around the country are especially recognised, along with the increased importance placed by the food and hospitality sector on sustainability and supporting Irish producers - who are celebrated in a special category of the awards as providing the foundation of all of our good food.

Georgina Campbell with Mark Nolan Dromoland Castle, Host of the Year 2024 PIC:Paul Sherwood Photography

A dedicated hospitality professional to his fingertips and a respected mentor, Mark Nolan’s obvious love of Dromoland and its
heritage, his adopted region, and of everything to do with hospitality is an inspiration to those thinking of joining industry – at a time when finding ways to activate the hospitality gene in young people is more.

Since being appointed General Manager in 1989 (and becoming Managing Director in 1996) the Dublin native and Hospitality Hero Award recipient is seemingly synonymous with Dromoland Castle Resort and - having overseen the development of this wonderful property for over 30 years.

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One of Ireland’s top food destinations for many years, Simon and Freddie Haden’s quietly luxurious and restorative Gregans Hotel in Ballyvaughan offers simple West of Ireland joys like warming turf fires and views across the Burren landscape - and there is a long tradition of taking pride in showcasing the wonderful foods of the locality in memorable dining experiences.

For many first time guests the biggest - and possibly unexpected – pleasure may come at breakfast time. A short, carefully considered menu offers half a dozen equally desirable hot dishes, but the star of the menu is the wonderful suppliers list which makes as cheering a start to the day as anyone could wish.

The prestigious ceremony featured an engaging panel discussion and a lively Q&A with special guest and award-winning Irish chef, Richard Corrigan, who is a great ambassador for Irish food and an inspiration for young people considering a career in hospitality.

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