The 1998-99 Club Orange/Licensing World Pub Lunch Awards were distributed to pubs the length and breadth of the country to mark their commitment to cooking serious food. While some of the pubs already have a considerable reputation for food, such as Aherne's of Youghal, or Matt the Thresher of Birdhill, awards also went to pubs as far apart as Rossnowlagh in Donegal and the stylish new Dwan's Brewery in Thurles. The 10 winners were: Matt the Thresher, Birdhill, Co Tipperary; The Sky, the Ground, Wexford town; Rumm's D4, Shelbourne Road, Dublin; The Brogmaker, Castlecomer Road, Kilkenny; Madden's Bar, Lismore, Co Waterford; Aherne's, Youghal, Co Cork; M.J. Finnegan's, Annacotty, Dublin Road, Limerick; The Wander Inn, Kenmare, Co Kerry; Smuggler's Creek Inn, Rossknowlagh, Co Donegal; Dwan's Brewery, Thurles, Co Tipperary.
All the winners received a specially commissioned copper wall-mounted plate by Derek McGarry, a lecturer in metalwork at the National College of Art and Design, Dublin.