Michael Vaughan

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Dynasties either inspire you, or destroy you.
For Michael Vaughan, of the brilliant Vaughan Lodge in Lahinch, a life lived in the world of hospitality has also meant a life lived within the Vaughan dynasty, for his father, Micheal, was one of the most important figures in the world of Irish hospitality.
But the younger Michael has allowed the older Micheal to inspire him all along the way and, along with the day-to-day drama of running a top-class hotel and restaurant, the business and the family have created one of the most dynamic figures in Irish food.
And we mean dynamic: Mr Vaughan has an energy that makes him seem ever youthful. A decade on from the day when they opened the doors of Vaughan Lodge, and Mr Vaughan has a volubility that would put a 20-year-old to shame. He is in thrall to the business, the business of running a great hotel, the business of serving great food – and the cooking in the Lodge has never been better than it is today, with chef Dan O'Brien serving some of the best food on the West Coast.
Wh's his secret? Michael Vaughan is always looking ahead. There is a story we like, about a meeting with some of the west coast guys to talk about future tourism developments. And at the meeting Michael Vaughan talked about and later wrote about the idea of marketing the West Coast as an entity, as a coherent, inclusive destination, and he reckoned it might be called The Atlantic Way. Just another one of his good ideas

Vaughan Lodge, Lahinch, County Clare
http://vaughanlodge.ie