You only need to look at the year that's passed to truly assess the impact of Irish talent within London's hospitality industry. Guinness is everywhere – we can't seem to get enough of the black gold – and without a doubt the city's hottest opening of 2023 was the packed-out Devonshire. This phenomenon is hardly new, though. For decades some of the industry's best talent have hailed from across the pond, with chefs, restaurateurs and PR mavens alike making the jump from the Emerald Isle to the English capital to enrich our dining scene with some good, proper Irish hospitality.
Launched a decade ago by Hot Dinners in collaboration with with Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, The Murphia List was designed to shine a spotlight on this talent in advance of St Patrick's Day every year. 2024 sees the longest list yet, with 16 new additions bringing the total to 67 talented hospitalitarians across chefs, restaurateurs, front of house, PR legends and behind the scenes superstars who keep everything ticking along. This year's new entries include Ross Culligan, bar manager at The Devonshire and the man behind the most in demand pint of Guinness in town; Emma Moran, Henry Spellmen and Niall Morrissey of Emerald Eats, the street food hotspot bringing Irish favourites to London's markets; Sean Devoren, the new head of butlers at The Dorchester hotel; and Patrick Frawley, the founder of 65a, Spitalfield's new French bistro.
List mainstays include not one but three members of the Corrigan family – chef Richard Corrigan, his daughter Jessica Corrigan, co-owner of successful PR agency Crab Communications, and his son Richie Corrigan, Managing Director of the Corrigan collection – alongside three-Michelin-starred chef Clare Smyth, restaurateurs Robin and Sarah Gill and author Diana Henry.
"We can't quite believe it's been ten years since we launched the list," says Catherine Hanly, co-founder of Hot Dinners. "It's always been a very timely celebration of the Irish contribution to what makes London a great city to go out in and it's great to herald the list's 10th birthday with it's biggest one to date."
The full Murphia List for 2024
Chefs
NEW: Luke Ahearne - head chef Lita
NEW: Kate O'Sullivan - Head Chef, Baudry Greene
NEW: Paddy Maher - head chef Pearly Queen
Finn Flood - Head Chef at The Chelsea Pig
Diarmuid Goodwin - Head Chef Sager + Wilde
Conor Gadd - Chef/owner Trullo
Kenneth Culhane - Head Chef: The Dysart
Nick Fitzgerald - Chef/Patron: Tacos Padre
Fiona Hannon - Head Chef: Bentley's
Anna Haugh - Chef Patron: Myrtle Restaurant
Colin Kelly - Head Chef: The Twenty Two
Marguerite Keogh - Head Chef: The Five Fields
Niamh Larkin - Executive Pastry Chef - 45 Park Lane
Dave McCarthy - Head Chef: Scott's Mayfair
Patrick Powell - Head chef: Allegra and Midland Grand Dining Room
Max Rocha - Chef Owner of Café Cecilia
Clare Smyth MBE - Chef Patron: Core by Clare Smyth
Richard Corrigan - Chef Patron of Corrigan Collection
Restaurateurs
NEW: Eoghan Shankey - Co-owner Shankeys
NEW: Patrick Frawley - co-owner 65A Spitalfields
NEW: Ian Duignan and Jay Bradley - Co-owners of Boha
John Devitt - Owner: Koya
Robin and Sarah Gill - Restaurateurs and chef: Sorella, Darby's and Bottle & Rye
Brian Hannon - Restaurateur: Super 8 Restaurants
David Moore - Founding Director: Pied à Terre
John Nugent - CEO: Green & Fortune
Mark and Alan Wogan - Directors: Homeslice
Pubs, bars, cafes and bakeries
NEW: Ross Culligan - Bar Manager, The Devonshire
NEW: Nicola McDonagh - GM, The George
NEW: Emerald Eats - Emma Moran, Niall Morrissey, Henry Spellmen
Colin Maher - Bar Manager, JKS Pubs
Oisin Rogers - co-owner and pub Landlord at The Devonshire
Cormac Gibney - Bar Manager: Gibney's London
Ciara O'Shea and Ken Nally - Owners: F. Mondays
Gearoid Devane - Founder: The Black Book
James Hennebry - Co-founder Rosslyn Coffee
Aaron Wall - Owner: Homeboy
Ciaran Smith - Owner: The Bottle Cocktail Shop & Bar
Dee Rettali - Owner - Fortitude Bakehouse
Front of House
NEW: Sean Devoren - Head Butler, The Dorchester
NEW: Niall Harte – GM of Lyles
NEW: Sean McDermott - Head Doorman, Scott's
Fergal Lee - Head of Operations, The Wolseley
Michael Lynch - head butler Claridge's
Olivia McGowan - Assistant GM, Niju
Behind the scenes
NEW: Jessica Garland Blake - founder Bash Studios
Richie Corrigan - MD Corrigan Collection
Conor Daly - Operations Manager JKS Pubs
Darren McHugh - Head of Operations, Chef Tom Sellers’ restaurants
Shayne Brady - Co-founder and Director of Hospitality- BradyWilliams
Shane McHugh - Group Wine Buyer - Goodman Restaurant Holdings Ltd
Joe Warwick – Freelance Front of House
Fiona Leahy - Founder: Fiona Leahy Design
James Goggin - Founder: Barrel Aged Consultancy
Sinead Mallozzi - CEO: sketch
Producers & Retailers
Darragh O'Shea - Director: O’Shea’s Butchers
Steve Ryan - Food Photographer - Founder of Root + Bone and 40FT Brewery and Director at Acme Fire Cult.
Simon Lamont - Owner: Rocks Oysters
Media
Jessica Corrigan – Co-Founder, Crab Communications
Diana Henry - Author
Molly Hutchinson - Founder - MIAM Management, Event Director of Meatopia
Niamh Shields - Editor - Bia Duit
