Fair City star Ciara O'Callaghan, who plays one of Carrigstown's best known characters, Yvonne Doyle, was in Westport for the recent opening of her friend's new restaurant, The Idle Wall at The Quay.
Ms O'Callaghan has been friends with Newport woman Áine Maguire for many years and the actress said it was a great pleasure to be in Mayo to see her friend fulfill her "long held dream" of opening her own restaurant.
"Good food and the pleasure to be had from a fine meal with well sourced ingredients are incredibly important to Áine, and I know it has been a long held dream of hers to return to her home turf and open a restaurant," enthused Ms O'Callaghan.
"I'm just delighted to be here to see the realising of Áine's dream. I am certain The Idle Wall is set to become a firm favourite with locals and tourists alike."
Ms Maguire is originally from Newport and brings a wealth of experience and expertise with her, having lived and worked in France, the Caribbean and Dublin.
She has worked in the well-known Dublin restaurant, The Winding Stair, which overlooks the famous Ha'penny Bridge, and also in the British Embassy.
Ms Maguire said she believes her food style will be a perfect fit with her new Wild Atlantic Way location, using select seasonal ingredients to create an individual twist on traditional fare.
The Idle Wall is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 5.30pm. Bookings are welcome on (098 ) 5069.
