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there, but we’d been invited to Noel’s older membered I hadn’t yet had Noel’s cheese-
brother and sister-in-law’s for lunch. They cake. That wasn’t a problem, because after
served us different salads and home-made driving to the Giant Causeway – one of Ire-
bread and they were so warm and welcom- land’s most unique natural wonders -- we’d
ing, I truly felt like a member of the family. I see Noel at the Ebrington Hotel & Spa in
suddenly understood Cead mile failte, the Derry. The hotel, a former army barracks
Gaelic greeting for "a hundred thousand converted into a new luxury hotel, is right
welcomes," because that’s exactly the way next to the Peace Bridge in the heart of
they welcome you in Ire- Derry.
land. We checked in,
And there was more: headed to the hy-
Noel has four older drotherapy pool, tried
brothers, and he wanted every water feature, hit
us to meet them all. He the steam room and
was disappointed that Arctic plunge shower
his oldest brother wasn’t and finally, a soothing
home, so we headed to- extraordinary massage.
wards a chapel in Mon- Hilary went off to ex-
eyglass which Noel said plore Derry, but my
his grandfather built. I walking is limited due to
figured it would be tiny, recent knee surgery, so
like a wedding chapel in I met Noel in the hotel’s
Vegas, but Our Lady of pub. I wanted to know
Lourdes Church was why he’d returned to
enormous, almost as Ireland ,when he’d
large as St. Patrick’s. worked for so many
Sunlight filtered through great chefs in America.
the hand-cut stained- He explained that after
glass windows. We were his sister passed, he
the only ones there. I sat in a pew and it wanted to be there for his parents and
was so peaceful and majestic that it felt like most of all, for Owen and John, whom he
meditating, something I’ve never been able visited once a week. “I’m so lucky to have
to do but did now. Noel then showed us the such a beautiful family,” he said.
outdoor grotto, a shrine which paid homage Wasn’t it difficult dealing with two dis-
to the Our Lady of Lourdes. abled brothers, I asked. “I am a firm believer
We were on our way to visit his two twin of give as much as you can to everyone,” he
brothers, born disabled and living in as- said. “Don't be a taker. It's a gift to give, and
sisted living, but first he stopped at a mar- not expect it back.” I was sure we’d see him
ket to bring their favorite things: Coke, ice at dinner, but he explained he had to present
cream, chips and candy. John was sick in at an agricultural exhibition near Belfast and
bed, but Owen waited for us in the lobby in assured me we were in good hands with
his wheelchair. I couldn’t recognize a word Head Chef Leigh Thurston, who would take
he said, but Noel understood everything, good care of us.
and the two spent the entire time kidding And that’s exactly what Chef Leigh did
each other. Their love was palpable. in Ebrington’s Oak room Restaurant. Chef
Our visit to Noel and Dessie flew by and Leigh came out to meet us. “Chef Noel’s a
we were back on the road just as I again re- legend in Northern Ireland,” he said. And
202 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE FALL 2024
