'We've had the run of our lives' - iconic Co Waterford restaurant to close after 30 years

""Hospitality has thrown everything at us over the years and we've always managed to dodge most of it," Mr Flynn said. "Navigating storms is our superpower. "But 30 years feels like a good, round number, and we'd like to scale back on our own terms before I'm wheeled out of the kitchen. "This last year is about enjoying these last months properly, cooking for the lovely people who've kept us going, having the kind of fun we were probably too busy to have the first time around.""

""If someone had handed us a crystal ball in 1997 and said, 'You'll still be at this in 30 years', we'd have bitten their hand off," Mr Flynn said. "We've had the run of our lives. We're closing because we can, not because we have to, and that's a great position to be in.""

Paul and Máire Flynn opened The Tannery restaurant in 1997 after returning to their hometown from London, where Paul had been head chef at Simply Nico with two Michelin stars. The couple expanded the business to include a wine bar, cookery school and boutique accommodation, and developed a reputation for modern Irish cooking. The restaurant will close from 1 January 2027, while the Tannery Townhouse and the Cookery School will continue operating seasonally, welcoming guests from spring through autumn. The decision is presented as a voluntary, considered reshaping so the couple can scale back on their own terms and enjoy their final year.

Read at Irish Independent