Rural Galway restaurant owner elected President of the Restaurants Association of Ireland
The Galway woman described it as 'a great honour' to become the first Galway woman to hold the title
The owner of Builín Blasta Café and Retail in Spiddal has been elected President of the Restaurants Association of Ireland - the first President to represent Galway and the Gaeltacht region.
Eimear Killian succeeds outgoing President Seán Collender, who was warmly recognised for his contribution to the Association – particularly his work on the campaign to restore the 9% VAT rate for food-led hospitality businesses and the promotion of culinary tourism.
The Galway woman described it as 'a great honour' to become President of the Restaurants Association of Ireland.
"Having worked in hospitality throughout my career and now running my own business in Spiddal, I understand first-hand the challenges facing our members," she said.
"Supporting businesses through the ongoing cost of doing business crisis will be a key priority during my presidency.
"I also want to strengthen connections across our industry, champion rural hospitality and ensure that our members’ voices remain at the heart of the Association’s work,” she added.
She was joined by many of her friends and family members for what was a special occasion for all of them at Druids Glen Hotel in Wicklow.
Her fellow Galwegian Adrian Cummins, the Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, said that Eimear brought 'valuable experience as a hospitality business owner and a strong understanding of the challenges facing our members'.
"I look forward to working with her over the coming term to support our sector and advance the priorities of the Association,” said the Portumna native.
During the President’s Dinner, the 2026 Mike Butt Award was presented to Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke in recognition of his support for the hospitality and tourism sector.
The award honours the legacy of Mike Butt, who opened Ireland’s first Indian restaurant, the Golden Orient, in 1956.
He went on to became the founding President of the Irish Restaurant Owners Association, now the Restaurants Association of Ireland.
In his address, Seán Collender praised Minister Burke’s engagement with the sector and his understanding of the vital role hospitality plays in tourism and communities throughout Ireland.
With 3,000 members, the Restaurants Association of Ireland is the representative body for restaurants, cafés, gastropubs and other food-led businesses right across Ireland.