Top restaurants in Ireland announced

Top restaurants in Ireland announced at the Santa Rita Irish Restaurant Awards 2012

Comeragh Mountain Lamb scoops 'Local Food Hero' award L-R Brian Fallon RAI president, Minister Joan Burton with Aidan Dunwoody and Willie Drohal.

Comeragh Mountain Lamb has scooped the 'Local Food Hero' award at the Santa Rita Irish Restaurant Awards 2012 in the Burlington Hotel recently.

Almost 700 industry peers attended Ireland's leading Restaurant Awards where regional and All-Ireland winners were announced in the following categories:

Chapter One (Dublin) Best Restaurant 2012 Sponsored by Santa Rita

Garrett Byrne for Campagne (Kilkenny) Best Chef 2012 Sponsored by Tipperary Water

The Long Room @ Doonbeg (Clare) Best Hotel Restaurant 2012 Sponsored By Pallas Foods

The Chop House (Dublin) Best Gastro Pub 2012 Sponsored by Faustino

O'Connells (Dublin) Best Casual Dining 2012 Sponsored By Joseph Drouhin

Harveys Point Hotel (Donegal) Best Customer Service 2012 Sponsored by Miele

West @ The Twelve Hotel (Galway) Best Wine Experience 2012 Sponsored by Thomas Barton

Ely Gastro Pub (Dublin) Best Kids Size Me Menu 2012 Sponsored by Heinz

Comeragh Mountain Lamb (Waterford) Local Food Hero 2012 Sponsored by Life Magazine

Brian Fallon, President, Restaurants Association of Ireland said: "Since their inception, the Irish Restaurant Awards have cast a spotlight on Irelands hottest restaurants and chefs. They have become a byword for quality, class and achievement… The awards everyone wants to win. As a testament to their success, the entries have doubled since last year, with 6,000 nominations made for Ireland's favourite Restaurants, Chefs, Gastro Pubs, Hotel Restaurants and Local Food Heroes throughout the Country. We celebrate the award winning cuisines and the great restaurateurs and chefs who have brought international recognition and accolades to the Irish restaurant scene. We are the economic engine rooms in every town in Ireland, creating and maintaining much needed local employment. Our industry has annual sales in excess of €2 billion and we employ 64,000 people. In fact, we are the largest employer within the Irish Tourism Sector."

Sally Anne Cooney - General Manager, Gleeson's incorporating Gilbey's, sponsor of this year's awards said: "Santa Rita, the number one Chilean wine brand in Ireland, is delighted to be associated with these prestigious awards and their acknowledgement and recognition of excellence in the restaurant and hospitality industry throughout Ireland. As the established hospitality industry Chilean wine, we are delighted to be in a position to reward this ongoing achievement of these nominated chefs and restaurants who themselves, in these tough economic times, have created, built and sustained something that is quite unique but delivers the right ingredients to their customers. A heartfelt congratulations to all the winners and finalists from this year's awards from all at Santa Rita."