Dublin’s Northside was the place to be on Monday, 12th January. The Honourable Society of King’s Inns had rarely seen such excitement as over three hundred members of the Irish off-trade gathered to celebrate the National Off-Licence of the Year Awards for 2009. Master of Ceremonies for the evening, RTE broadcaster, John Creedon, entertained the revellers and supervised the announcement and presentation of the awards. Not only was this celebration of excellence taking place on Dublin’s northside, but three of the four top awards went to outlets on that side of the capital city!
The winner of the Off-Licence of the Year Award 2009 is Gibney’s of Malahide and Siobhan Gibney received the award for the second time, having done so previously in 2005 and was the Wine Specialist of the Year in 2005. Siobhan Gibney’s passion for the off-trade first found expression ten years after she married Tony Gibney, whose primary interest lies with the on-trade where he has been the proprietor of Gibneys of Malahide for over thirty years. Although new to the off-trade when she took over the outlet in 1995, Siobhan had been managing Gibney’s “Video Bar” in the premises next door and had, prior to her marriage, been the manager of the Marine Hotel in Sutton. The Gibney family have a long history of association with the licensed trade in north county Dublin. The pub in Malahide is now in its fifth generation of family ownership, whilst a previous generation had a hotel in Howth.