Mayo takeaway wins best Fish & Chips in Ireland

Danolla’s Diner & Takeaway in Castlebar, Mayo, has been named Best Fish & Chips in Ireland at the Irish Takeaway Awards 2026.

The Irish Takeaway Awards are widely recognised within the hospitality industry as a credibility-led, independently judged awards programme, with winners determined through anonymous mystery diner assessments rather than public voting or popularity campaigns. 

For Danolla’s, this national title represents the culmination of years of incremental improvement and external validation. The Castlebar takeaway has previously earned Gold awards for Best Fresh Chicken Fillet (2025), along with Best in Connacht and Bronze at the national level for Fish & Chips, coming close to the top honour before securing it in 2026. 

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“Out of all the awards, this one means a huge amount to us,” Patjoe said. “It’s not voted for, it’s not campaigned for — you’re judged anonymously, on a normal day, doing what you always do. To be recognised at a national level for fish and chips, after years of refining and improving, is incredibly rewarding for the whole team.” 

“There’s a huge amount of work behind the scenes,” Patjoe added. 

“It really is a labour of love — and that’s why this award is so special. It belongs to the entire team who put the standards first, every day.” 

The O’Connell family has been part of the Irish takeaway industry for more than 50 years, witnessing first-hand how the sector has evolved. While expectations and standards have changed dramatically over time, the focus at Danolla’s has remained the same — prioritising quality, freshness, and doing things properly, in line with the modern Irish takeaway’s shift away from shortcuts and towards craftsmanship. 

“We don’t see ourselves as fast food — we focus on quality food, prepared properly and served as fast as we can,” Patjoe said.