President’s Report – November 2026

A chairde, dia daoibh agus fáilte chuig Nuachtlitir mhí na Samhna.

Dear friends, hello and welcome to the November Newsletter.

Is móran onóir dom a bheith i m’Uachtarán ar Chumann Bialann na hÉireann.

Last month, at the Druids Glen Hotel, I had the great pleasure and honour of taking on the role of President of the Restaurants Association of Ireland for the next two years.

I would like to sincerely thank Seán Collender for his considerable time, dedication and work over the past two years. In particular, his leadership in campaigning for the return of the 9% VAT rate and helping to secure a renewed focus on culinary tourism, ensuring that food is recognised as a central part of Ireland’s tourism offering.

Hospitality has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. From working in Ryan’s pub in Ratoath, Co. Meath as a teenager, to studying Hotel Management in Cathal Brugha St., to working in hotels & restaurants across the country from Wexford to Dublin to Clare and finally landing in the county I always wanted to call home, Galway, where I meet my husband and now we both own Builín Blasta Cafe & retail in Spiddal, in the Connemara Gaeltacht. My career & life has been truly shaped by this industry.

I know the commitment that Adrian Cummins and the team bring to representing our sector every day, and I look forward to working alongside them over the coming two years.

As I begin my term as President, supporting businesses through the ongoing cost of doing business crisis will remain a key priority of the Association. Rising costs continue to put pressure on businesses, forcing difficult decisions about how to remain open, retain staff and serve our communities. I know these challenges personally, and I know that behind every business is a person, a family, a team and a community.

The 9% VAT rate has provided much-needed breathing space for businesses like mine at a time when our sector continues to face significant pressures. I am delighted, too, to continue the work on culinary tourism and build on the progress already made.

But I also want my presidency to be about more than the challenges we face. Hospitality is fundamentally about people.

We often talk about the famous Céad Míle Fáilte, and our sector delivers that welcome every single day. But I believe we must also look at how we support and collaborate with each other within our own industry and build on the strong connection between the Association and its members. It is therefore crucial to engage constructively with the Restaurants Association of Ireland by attending meetings, including our next branch meeting in Galway on 11th November at the Galmont Hotel, and by sharing your thoughts and concerns. This helps inform our work and ensures that our voices are heard when decisions affecting our industry are made.

I look forward to meeting many of you over the next two years.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.

Eimear Killian,
President