Daniel Mullane

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It was Gerry Galvin who taught Dan Mullane about food but, along with his studies in dining, he learnt about design thanks to Dermot and Margaret Lovett and their “love for their old house”, in Cork, whilst from Gerrie and Marie McCloskey of Bunratty he imbibed how to create “great restaurant style and interiors”. The design bit is important, and has been important to the success of Mullane's Mustard Seed restaurant ever since he opened in Adare in 1985, when he was still a precocious twentysomething.

Dan Mullane understands feng shui. He knows how to put the right thing in exactly the right place. He can dress a room, a table, like few others, and it's fair to say that on this implicit understanding of design has been built his splendid restaurants and his country house, Echo Lodge, in both Adare and Ballingarry. Mullane understands our need to feel special, our need to have someone pay us attention. As a host, he is one of the very best – selfless; astute; calm; wise, quite the incarnation of the Buddha of Hospitality. He has that extra sense that the great restaurateurs and hoteliers have, a heightened cognition, an ability to predict, the ringmaster's whip and megaphone part of his armoury, always under his control. And he has a sense of humour, which is droll and cultured, so much so that you wish to be part of his company.

 

The Mustard Seed, Echo Lodge, Ballingarry, County Limerick
069 68508
www.mustardseed.ie