‘This is not the Ireland I want to remember,’ says irate Irish-born chef

AN IRISH-BORN chef who has catered at Ascot and at 10 Downing Street says he’ll never forget the past week and his holiday from hell.

Richard Corrigan owns and runs the exclusive Lynsey House in Soho, regarded as one of the top six restaurants in London. The Meath-born father of three also owns the English Garden in Chelsea.

Yesterday, he and his family packed their bags and raced out of Clonakilty Lodge, a four star, deluxe, self-catering holiday complex. It was a holiday from hell, he says, which cost them 600 for accommodation alone.

It is not the way he wants to remember his native Ireland, the top chef said. “We’ve always holidayed in the south west of France. But since foot and mouth, we’ve holidayed in Ireland and Britain. We saw an advert for Clonakilty Lodge and jumped at the chance to spend a week here, relaxing.

and getting away from the stress and strain of running two businesses.

“When we came in here though, the tumble dryer wasn’t working, there wasn’t as much as a bin liner or a dish cloth in our home and the rubbish was already piling up outside. The litter has been terrible and we’ve even seen nappies thrown around.

“The centre here seems to be staffed by three or four Spanish students and they have little or no English. The

office doesn’t open until 4pm and the mobile number we were given to contact is switched on to an answering machine. It’s more like a caravan site than a four star complex,” an annoyed Mr Corrigan said.

His wife, Maria, and three children, Robert-Emmett, 2, Jessica, 7, and Richard, 12, have abandoned Clonakilty for Crookhaven. “We feel like we need another holiday to get away from the stress of the past week.

Can you just imagine what its been like trying to dry clothes for three kids and ourselves over the past week?

“The company running this place is a reputable one and someone should be held accountable. Ireland is expensive enough without being treated like this. I spoke to an English man this morning and he asked why I was taking photos of the rubbish outside. He was as sick of it as us but he didn’t have the heart to complain.

Mr Corrigan is constantly trying to promote Ireland abroad. He’s done a lot of work for free for the Irish Food Board.

“This holiday has been like the nightmare holiday we all heard of in Spain in the 1970s. I couldn’t give this place two stars, never mind four. I’m very proud of my native Ireland and I use every opportunity I possibly can to promote Ireland.

“But this is not the Ireland I want to remember.”

Do Not cut these comments Mr Corrigan’s complaints are being addressed, director of management company Ireland Explored John French, said. “We are trying to find out why things were as they were. It sounds like a nightmare situation and it is totally unacceptable.

“We have reimbursed Mr Corrigan in full and are paying for him to stay elsewhere. Some of the problems raised are out of our control. Others are not. But we will be putting things right.”