Lignum in rural Galway near Loughrea, recently accorded Michelin status, received another accolade when it won the county Galway restaurant of the year at the Connacht finals of the Irish Restaurant Awards.
The 2025 Connacht provincial awards ceremony took place on Tuesday 8th April, Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Rosses Point, County Sligo
- Overall: Lignum, Bullaun, Loughrea
- Café: POTA
- Casual Dining: Guys Seafood Bar
- Chef: Alice Jary, Rúibín Bar & Restaurant
- Contemporary Irish Cuisine: Blackrock Cottage
- Customer Service: Frends Restaurant
- Employee Excellence Award: Jamie Farrell, The Connacht Hotel
- Gastro Pub: McSwiggans
- Hotel and Guesthouse Restaurant: Owenmore Restaurant at Ballynahinch Castle Hotel
- Innovator: Ugly D’s Pizza
- Local Food Hero: Margaret Leahy of Fable Tours
- Newcomer: Oifig An Fish
- Pub: Lowry’s Bar
- Restaurant Manager: Maude Heslin-Brick, Dela Restaurant
- Sustainable Practices: Kali Coffee Bar
- Use of Social Media: Urban Fire
- Wine Experience: Daróg Wine Bar
- World Cuisine: Mama Rich Woodquay
Restaurant awards
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
Galway:
Introduction – Adventure – Anthem – Archaeology – Attractions – Awards – Birdwatching – Camping – Castles – Churches – Contact list – Cycling – Dining – Equestrian – Festivals – Fishing – Folklore – Gardens – Golf – Graveyards – Happening – Haunted – Highest – Hiking – History – Holy Wells – Hotels – Hotels8 – Instagrammable – Itineraries – Largest town – Luxury – MICE – Movies – Musicians – Name – New – Novelists – Off the beaten track – Poets – Pubs – Quotes – Random Facts – Restaurant Awards – Sacred Places – Saints – Spas – Sports – Sunsets– Sustainable – Things to do – Towns – Video – Villages – Walking – Wanderlist – Weddings – Wild swimming – Writers – 1837 – 1846 – 1852 – 1909 – 1955 – 1980 –
Galway offers a delightful mix of cultural heritage and coastal beauty, with Galway City’s Latin Quarter showcasing historic streets and traditional music venues. The Connemara National Park provides hiking trails through rugged mountains and bogs, while the Aran Islands offer ancient stone forts like Dún Aonghasa. Other favourite stop is ithe Kylemore Abbey’s Victorian gardens and coastal cliffs. Galway is Ireland’s second largest county by size (5,939 sq km) and fifth largest by population (277,737). Population peaked at 440,198 in 1841 and reached its lowest point, 148,340 in 1966. In terms of hospitality, Galway is Ireland’s third most visited tourist county with around 1,028,000 international visitors per year.
Here is the link to the 2024 county Galway winners.
2025 Irish Restaurant awards by county:
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
2024 Irish Restaurant awards by county:
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
