Mr Aldo Vinaccia

MR Aldo Vinaccia, who has died aged 80, was an Italian man who made his home in Ardglass and established the renowned restaurant which bears his name.

Aldo was born on April 27, 1939, in a small village near Sorrento. He was the eighth of nine children.

At the age of 17 he left home and travelled to Switzerland to find work in the catering trade. During the summer he worked around Lake Geneva and in the winter in the ski resorts in the Alps.

Moving to England, he spent time in hotels in the Lake District before settling in London where he met his future wife, Dolores. After they had their first two children the couple decided to move to Belfast where Aldo secured a job in the Wellington Park Hotel.

He spent many happy years there before seeing a building for sale overlooking the sea in Ardglass. By this stage he and his wife had six children and wanted to move from the city, so in 1973 Aldo’s restaurant was opened.

In the following years, Aldo’s became famous for its excellent food and outstanding hospitality. At the same time its owner became a popular and much loved member of the Ardglass community.

Aldo passed away on Wednesday, April 1, after a long illness. He was the dearly beloved husband of Dolores and much loved father of Maria, Paula, Marco, Fionnuala, Claudio and Niall, a dear father-in-law and loving grandfather of Ciaran, Aaron, Charis, Catherine, Daniel, Rebecca, Rogan, Mia and Sofia. The sympathy of the community is extended to them all.