Gala ceremony for Irish Independent Reader Travel Awards in Dublin’s Mansion House
RENOWNED Irish Chef Neven Maguire and Amelda of McNean House & Restaurant in County Cavan, Ireland secured one of the Irish Independent’s top Reader Travel Awards 2020 earlier this month at a ceremony in Mansion House, Dublin, Ireland.
Broadcaster Sinead Ryan, Amelda Maguire, renowned broadcaster Pat Kenny, Chef Neven Maguire, Pol Conghaile
The Reader Travel Awards, sponsored by Iarnród Éireann were the result of thousands of nominations across 16 categories, the winners announced at a gala luncheon on Friday, 17th January.
Stefanna Gatta, travel editor Edward Finn, Italian Embassy Deputy Head Donato Scioscioli, Italia Manager Flavio Zappacosta
Chef Maguire and wife Amelda earned this year’s title for Ireland’s Favourite Small Stay for their 19-bed establishment.
Renowned broadcaster Pat Kenny opened the Irish Independent reader travel awards in Mansion House, Dublin, Ireland
“The awards are hugely important to the industry in general,” said renowned Irish broadcaster Pat Kenny, who opened the awards presentations. “It is what the people like. The people who gathered to be recipients of the awards are to be feted and celebrated because the readers of the Irish Independent have said they are excellence personified.”
Guinness staff Tommy Hannon, Lily Kileen, Fiona Herald, Sarah Fleury, Amber Brown, Gillian Herlihy, Neil Cullen
Ireland’s Favourite Hotel was Adare Manor, the 104-bed resort in County Limerick, Ireland owned by JP McManus and family, and managed by Paul Heery.
Rebecca Kingston, Aileen O’Brien and Emma Tringle of O’Brien PR
The Favourite Home Holiday in Ireland went to Galway, the European Capital of Culture for 2020 for its lively city filled with solitary pursuits and adventures by day and great evening nightlife.
Italy clinched Ireland’s Favourite Overseas Holiday when readers said it is a country that is “good for the soul” that “wraps itself around you”.
Sinead Grace, Tourism Ireland and Michael Leonard, Irish Hotels Federation President
New York was named as Ireland’s favourite city break, Aer Lingus the nation’s favourite airline and the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, the favourite visitor attraction while the country’s Best Breakfast was the bistro-style Liberty Grill in County Cork’s Washington Street.
Spanish Tourism’s Ruben Lopez, Sara Rivero, Imma Bernaben, Kathryn MacDonnell
“You saw words like ‘value’, which doesn’t mean cheap,” said Irish Independent travel editor Pól Ó Conghaile, who presented the awards with broadcaster Sinéad Ryan, “Sustainability and hundreds of times, ‘craic’.
Irish Independent editor Cormac Bourke presents the top hotel award to Adare Manor’s Paul Heery with Sinead Ryan, left and Pol Conghaile
The Greystones Cliff Walk in Bray, County Wicklow won Ireland’s Favourite Local Attraction while Curracloe in County Wexford was Ireland’s Favourite Beach.
More than 250 people attended the Irish Independent reader travel awards at Mansion House, Dublin, Ireland
Finalists nominated by readers were judged by Pól Ó Conghaile, Irish Independent Weekend Editor Rachel Dugan, renowned hoteliers and lifestyle designers Francis and John Brennan, Faílte Ireland’s Niall Tracey and food writer Katy McGuinness.
