When Loughlann Quinn, businessman
and joint-owner of Dublin’s Merrion Hotel
bought four Georgian town houses in 1992,
the decision was made to demolish the ugly
office block to the rear. The terrace of four
was originally built in the 1760’s as homes for
wealthy Irish merchants and nobility. The first
of the four houses, Mornington House, is the
reputed birthplace of Arthur Wellesley, the 1st
Duke of Wellington. The houses are directly
opposite Leinster House (Dáil Éireann), the
Irish parliament buildings and for many years
were used by Irish civil servants as state
offices. All four houses are Grade 1 listed with
An Taisce (The Irish National Trust).
Loughlann Quinn and his business partner
Martin Naughton purchased the properties with
a view to restoring them to develop the site as a
landmark five star hotel. They decided to replace
the former civil servant offices with a garden.
Twenty years on, the hotel is an Irish institution
and a brand new restaurant overlooking the
garden has been added. the garden room
is a 100 seater all day restaurant, where guests
can meet for a light snack, a convivial lunch, or a
relaxed dinner.
ed Cooney is Executive Chef at the Merrion
Hotel, having lived and worked abroad for 14
years he was head-hunted by Peter McCann,
General Manager at The Merrion when it
opened in 1997 and has been there ever since.
Ed is very down to earth and understands the
hotel business in a very pragmatic way.
Ed was born in Cork, having finished school
he studied at Rockwell Catering College, an
Irish institution, renowned for turning out
some of Ireland’s best chefs during its 25 year
existence. After graduation, Ed like many other
Irish at the time, felt the future lay abroad,
so he headed for Trust House Forte’s Albany
Hotel, in Glasgow. He initially didn’t have
the confidence to go to London, but during
his time in Glasgow he built his reputation
and that lead him eventually Mayfair and a
few years working in the Michelin starred
restaurant at the Grosvenor House Hotel.
Like many young Chef’s he dreamed of his
own restaurant, so he returned to Glasgow
to open his own. The Triangle was voted
Restaurant of the Year in Scotland in 1990. By
this stage he was settling down and starting a
family and felt a more secure future lay in the
hotel sector, so he moved to Royal Deeside to
Craigendarroch Hotel.
Back working in London by the late
1990’s at the Four Seasons as Executive
Chocolate and salted caramel tart with Popcorn ice-cream, see recipe on page 67
38 area focus dubLin: by Jean smuLLen