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DOHERTY HOSPITALITY GROUP
Our
Story
A new chapter built on generations of welcome
From over 100 years of McGrory's to more than 260 years of The Queens, Doherty Hospitality brings together three coastal venues and a shared tradition of Irish welcome.
1924
Who we are
A family business built around places with history and character.
Doherty Hospitality began with The Eagle in 2024, bringing together a collection of much-loved coastal venues including McGrory’s in Culdaff, welcoming guests since 1924, and The Queens in Dalkey, serving its community for more than 260 years.
Today, the group spans three distinctive venues and a whiskey brand shaped by the same coastal spirit that connects them all. No two places are alike. The welcome is always the same.
"We never set out to build a group. We set out to build places you would want to come back to."
3
Distinctive Venues
From the Wild Atlantic Way to the Dublin coastline - each venue its own world, connected by the same warmth.
100+
Years of Hospitality
McGrory's of Culdaff has welcomed guests since 1924. A century of good food, live music, and genuine Irish welcome.
1
Whiskey Brand
Doherty Irish Whiskey - a 5-year and 12-year single malt distilled on the Donegal coast. Smoky, warm, and made without compromise.
Our hISTORY
Places worth
seeking out
One hundred years of Irish hospitality does not happen by accident. It happens one guest at a time, one venue at a time, one decision at a time. Here is the story so far.
November
2025
Introducing Doherty Irish Whiskey
Launching of Doherty Irish Whiskey.
Doherty Irish Whiskey launches, inspired by the character, coastline, and storytelling that connect all three venues.
July
2025
Reopening The Queens
The Queens reopens in Dalkey.
The Queens reopens in Dalkey, bringing fresh life, warmth, and vibrancy back to one of the village’s best-known gathering places.
May
2025
The Return of McGrory’s
McGrory's reopens in Culdaff.
Restoring new energy to one of Donegal’s most iconic hospitality venues and a place woven into the life of Inishowen for over a century.
March
2024
A New Chapter
The purchase of The Eagle in Glasthule.
The journey begins with the purchase of The Eagle in Glasthule, a much-loved neighbourhood pub brought back to the heart of the local community.
What We Believe
The values that shape
everything we do
These are not mission statement words. They are the decisions we make every day, in every venue, with every guest.
Food is the most honest form of hospitality.
A good meal, cooked with care and served without pretence, tells a guest everything about how a venue thinks about them. We cook with Irish produce, support local suppliers, and put pride into every plate. No shortcuts.
Warmth is not a style. It is a standard.
Every guest deserves to feel genuinely welcome — not processed, not managed, but welcomed. That standard applies whether you are a regular or visiting for the first time, whether you are spending a hundred euro or ordering a pint.
Community is the point, not the by-product.
Our venues exist because of the communities around them. We employ locally, source locally, and try to give more than we take. Being a good neighbour is not a marketing position. It is an obligation we take seriously.
THE PEOPLE
The faces behind
the welcome
Doherty Hospitality Group is run by a small, dedicated team who share a common belief: that the best hospitality comes from people who genuinely care. These are some of the people who make the group what it is.
Founder & CEO
Alice Johnson
McGrory's has fed and sheltered Inishowen visitors since 1924. Steps from Culdaff's Blue Flag beach, beside Malin Head and the Wild Atlantic Way - the kind of place Donegal does better than anywhere else on earth.
Group Operations
Bob Smith
McGrory's has fed and sheltered Inishowen visitors since 1924. Steps from Culdaff's Blue Flag beach, beside Malin Head and the Wild Atlantic Way - the kind of place Donegal does better than anywhere else on earth.
Head of Hospitality
Carol White
McGrory's has fed and sheltered Inishowen visitors since 1924. Steps from Culdaff's Blue Flag beach, beside Malin Head and the Wild Atlantic Way - the kind of place Donegal does better than anywhere else on earth.
The Eagle Manager
David Lee
McGrory's has fed and sheltered Inishowen visitors since 1924. Steps from Culdaff's Blue Flag beach, beside Malin Head and the Wild Atlantic Way - the kind of place Donegal does better than anywhere else on earth.
The Queens Manager
Eve Brown
McGrory's has fed and sheltered Inishowen visitors since 1924. Steps from Culdaff's Blue Flag beach, beside Malin Head and the Wild Atlantic Way - the kind of place Donegal does better than anywhere else on earth.
dorothy Irish whiskey
The spirit of Donegal
in a bottle
Born from the rugged coastline of County Donegal, every bottle carries the weight of its landscape - the Atlantic winds, the unhurried seasons, and a family that has never once mistaken speed for quality.
Doherty Irish Whiskey's are a single malt distilled on the Donegal Coast, aged in hand-selected bourbon and sherry casks, and bottled with nothing but time. Smoky, warm, no fillers and no shortcuts.
Named with intention. Made without compromise.
Community and Responsibility
Good neighbours.
Always.
We are not a hospitality group that arrived from somewhere else. We grew from the places we are in. That comes with a responsibility we take seriously.
Every venue employs locally. Every kitchen sources from local producers wherever possible.
