The 2024 Murphia List, unveiled yearly before St Patrick’s Day to honour Irish contributions to London’s hospitality sphere, features 16 fresh entrants. Serving as a commemoration of its 10th year, this year’s list is the largest since its inception, curated by Catherine and Gavin Hanly, the sibling team behind food and dining website Hot Dinners, with the backing of Bord Bia.
Amongst the 67 individuals acknowledged in the list are chefs, restaurant owners, customer service staff, bar owners, food business proprietors, and those in the media field.
Three new additions to the list are chefs. Luke Ahearne, a native of Clonmel, Co Tipperary, is the former head chef at Corrigan’s Mayfair and has taken the reins in the kitchen at the soon-to-open restaurant Lita in Marylebone. Kate O’Sullivan, originally from Greystones, Co Wicklow, who demonstrated her expertise as a head pastry chef at Noble Rot wine bar, has now become the head chef at the recently launched Baudry Greene in Covent Garden. From Co Meath, Paddy Maher, former head chef at Row Wines in Dublin, took up the mantle of head chef at Pearly Queen in Shoreditch upon his move to London.
Also included in the list for the first time are three entrepreneurs who have successfully brought Irish snacks to London, thanks to their venture, Emerald Eats. This Irish snack food business, founded by Emma Moran, Henry Spellmen, and Niall Morrissey, provide hot chicken fillet rolls, spice bags, and curry chips from their stalls in two London markets.
Other notable new entrants include Ross Culligan, currently managing the bar at Soho’s latest establishment, The Devonshire, after serving at Dublin establishments Kehoes and The Stag’s Head, and Oisin Rogers, the landlord of The Devonshire. Galway native Nicola McDonagh also features, who climbed the ranks to become the general manager of The George pub in Fitzrovia. Hotel staff have also been recognised, with Sean Devoren, former employee at Claridges and The Savoy and currently director of butlers at The Dorchester, named amongst the new entrants.
Today marks the launch of the 2024 Murphia List at Sea Containers Events, overlooking London’s iconic River Thames. “It’s quite astonishing to think it’s been a full decade since we first introduced the list,” expresses Catherine Hanly, co-founder of Hot dinners, and herself of Irish ancestry. “The list has consistently been a timely tribute to the influence Ireland has on what makes London such an attractive city. We’re thrilled to be celebrating the 10th anniversary with our most comprehensive list to date.”
The Murphia List 2024:
Chefs
– NEWMEMBER: Luke Ahearne, Executive Chef at Lita
– NEWMEMBER: Kate O’Sullivan, Executive Chef at Baudry Greene
– NEWMEMBER: Paddy Maher, Executive Chef at Pearly Queen
– Finn Flood, Executive Chef at The Chelsea Pig
– Diarmuid Goodwin, Executive Chef at Sager + Wilde
– Conor Gadd, Chef/owner of Trullo
– Kenneth Culhane, Executive Chef of The Dysart
– Nick Fitzgerald, Chef/proprietor at Tacos Padre
– Fiona Hannon, Executive Chef at Bentley’s
– Anna Haugh, Chef proprietor at Myrtle Restaurant
– Colin Kelly, Executive Chef at The Twenty Two
– Marguerite Keogh, Executive Chef at The Five Fields
– Niamh Larkin, Executive Pastry Chef at 45 Park Lane
– Dave McCarthy, Executive Chef at Scott’s Mayfair
– Patrick Powell, Executive Chef at Allegra and the Midland Grand Dining Room
– Max Rocha, Chef/owner at Café Cecilia
– Clare Smyth MBE, Chef proprietor at Core by Clare Smyth
– Richard Corrigan, Chef proprietor of the Corrigan Collection
Restaurateurs
– NEWMEMBER: Eoghan Shankey, Co-owner of Shankeys
– NEWMEMBER: Patrick Frawley, Co-owner of 65A Spitalfields
– NEWMEMBER: Ian Duignan and Jay Bradley, Co-owners of Boha
– John Devitt, Owner of Koya
– Robin and Sarah Gill, Restaurateurs and Chef at Sorella, Darby’s and Bottle & Rye
– Brian Hannon, Restaurateur at Super 8 Restaurants
– David Moore, Founding Director at Pied à Terre
– John Nugent, CEO of the Green & Fortune
– Mark and Alan Wogan, Directors of Homeslice
Pubs, bars, cafes and bakeries
– NEWMEMBER Ross Culligan, Bar Manager at The Devonshire
– NEWMEMBER: Nicola McDonagh, General Manager at The George.
The following individuals have recently taken up new positions: Emma Moran, Niall Morrissey, Henry Spellmen, and Emerald Eats. From the pub industry we have Colin Maher, bar manager at JKS Pubs; Oisin Rogers, pub landlord and co-owner of The Devonshire; Cormac Gibney, bar manager for Gibney’s London; and Ciara O’Shea and Ken Nally, proprietors of F. Mondays. Other names in hospitality include Gearoid Devane, The Black Book’s founder; James Hennebry, co-creator of Rosslyn Coffee; Aaron Wall, owner of Homeboy; Ciaran Smith, proprietor of The Bottle Cocktail Shop & Bar; and Dee Rettali, owner of Fortitude Bakehouse.
In the front of house roles, we have some fresh faces: Sean Devoren, head butler at The Dorchester; Niall Harte, general manager at Lyles; and Sean McDermott, head doorman at Scott’s. Their peers include Fergal Lee, head of operations at The Wolseley, and Michael Lynch, head butler at Claridge’s. In addition, Olivia McGowan serves as Assistant GM at Niju.
In the backstage roles, key players include Jessica Garland Blake, founder of Bash Studios; Richie Corrigan, managing director of the Corrigan Collection; Conor Daly from JKS Pubs, serving as operations manager; Darren McHugh, head of operations for restaurants by chef Tom Sellers; and Shayne Brady of BradyWilliams, where he is cofounder and director of hospitality. Others include Shane McHugh, group wine buyer at Goodman Restaurant Holdings; Joe Warwick, a freelancer; Fiona Leahy, founder of Fiona Leahy Design; James Goggin, Barrel Aged Consultancy’s founder; and Sinead Mallozzi, CEO of Sketch.
In the producers and retail sector, individuals include Darragh O’Shea, director of O’Shea’s Butchers; Steve Ryan, food photographer, the mind behind Root + Bone and 40FT Brewery and a director at Acme Fire Cult; and Simon Lamont, owner of Rocks Oysters.
In the media sector, we have Jessica Corrigan, co-creator of Crab Communications; author Diana Henry; Molly Hutchinson, founder of MIAM Management and event director of Meatopia; and Niamh Shields, Editor of Bia Duit.