The Gourmet’s Guide to Ireland

Varied rural landscapes, the natural friendliness of the people, the tradition of hospitality and the unique quality of the food experience make Ireland a wonderful place for a holiday.

The island is small enough to reach any point within a few hours and you’ll be surprised at the amount of terrain you can cover over a short period of time. For such a small island, you’ll also be pleasantly surprised at how much there is to see and do.

Dublin, for instance, has a multitude of historic buildings, art galleries and museums, not forgetting the Guinness Storehouse, where you can learn how the country’s world-famous stout is produced. County Antrim justifiably boasts the historic Bushmills Distillery, and is also a perfect base for exploring the Causeway Coast – including breathtaking seafront walks and the internationally celebrated Giant’s Causeway. Cork, meanwhile, is a certified food-lover’s destination – visit the fascinating Butter Museum, and experience the hustle and bustle of the city’s historic English Market, which specialises in regional and artisan foods, and also sells everything a food connoisseur could ever need, from traditional Irish food to the downright exotic at times.

The unique food experience in Ireland is far more than just tasting regional foods, such as air-dried hill lamb from Connemara, eels from Lough Neagh and blaas (a floury bread roll) from Waterford. Visit specialist shops and food markets to meet with farmers, artisan food producers and farmhouse cheesemakers – all of these highly skilled people have a passion for food that has been passed down through generations. And travelling through Ireland, you will quickly appreciate the healthy, verdant landscape as the source of these fine food ingredients.

Today, Ireland produces and exports grass-fed meat (beef, lamb, pork, wild boar and venison); while dairy produce is also an important industry, selling milk, butter and creamery-produced cheese around the world. You only have to stand at the piers in Killybegs, County Donegal, Kilkeel, County Down and Dunmore, County Waterford, to watch foreign buyers frantically trying to outbid each other for the day's catch to understand the importance of Irish fish and seafoods.

Irish whiskeys Bushmills and Jameson have also travelled well; likewise, there are few who wouldn’t instantly recognise an Irish stout in the guise of Guinness, Beamish or Murphy's; while Irish ciders, Bulmers, Magners, and cream liqueurs, such as Bailey's Irish Cream, are as familiar worldwide as they are at home. The history of Irish Whiskey can be traced on guided tours through any of the Irish whiskey visitors centres - The Irish Whiskey Corner in Dublin, Bushmills Distillery County Antrim and The Jameson Heritage Centre in Midleton County Cork, 12 miles east of Cork City.

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Learning to cook in Ireland

There are few things more enjoyable than whiling away an afternoon up to your elbows in flour, baking a loaf of soda bread, or learning to combine kale, scallions, potatoes and butter to make the perfect dish of colcannon. Plentiful in Ireland, cookery schools allow visitors to combine a holiday with a short cookery course. Those with a serious interest could take an intensive short course, or even a three-month certificate course aimed at giving students the skills to cook professionally.

Complementing this expert tuition are the idyllic locations of some of these cookery schools: the Belle Isle School of Cookery near Enniskillen is deep in the heart of the lush Fermanagh lakelands; while Ballynocken House and Cookery School is nestled in the hills of the Garden of Ireland, County Wicklow.

If hands-on seems like too much hard work, then why not try a thoroughly satisfying afternoon demonstration by celebrity chef Darina Allen at the Ballymaloe Cookery School in Shanagarry, East Cork. Here – and, indeed, in most Irish cookery schools – you can investigate the kitchen garden where much of the food used is grown using traditional or organic farming methods.

For a full listing of cookery schools in Ireland, visit www.discoverireland.com

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Northern Ireland

The variety of rural landscapes in the Northern part of the country is breathtaking – mountains, glens, lakes, sea loughs and caves are all waiting to be explored.

If you want the buzz of city life, Belfast and Londonderry provide all you’d expect from modern vibrant centres. With a wide range of accommodation options and the renowned friendliness of the people, you’ll soon discover Northern Ireland is an ideal holiday destination.

Good food is also an intrinsic part of life in Northern Ireland. A mild climate, extensive pastureland and a pride in animal husbandry produce excellent quality beef, sheep, pigs and poultry. You will also encounter a living baking tradition, through which you can enjoy afternoon tea in numerous home-bakeries, cafés and teashops.

There has long been a heritage of apple-growing in Armagh and Portadown, and the glorious sight of the apple blossom in season is one not to be missed. The vast waterways and Irish sea play a huge part in the cuisine, with the sheltered waters of Strangford and Carlingford Loughs being rich with seafood, and the lakes and rivers filled with sumptuous freshwater fish – especially Lough Neagh eels, a local delicacy, prawns from the pretty village of Portavogie or a creamy pint of Guinness with a plate of superb Dundrum oysters.

Northern Ireland is a gastronome’s hot spot, with a great choice of options from fine-dining, enticing seafood bars and dozens of attractive, casual restaurants, cafés and pubs.

Discover the flavours of Northern Ireland

The flavours of Northern Ireland are plentiful and delicious. Tender beef and lamb is produced to high quality assurance standards, while fresh and smoked eels are a local tradition.

Other local fish produce areas include the rocky shores of the Ards Peninsula and glistening Carlingford Lough, which provide the perfect environment for oysters, scallops, mussels and crabs; and the Antrim coast, where award-winning Glenarm Salmon is farmed. Of course, the perfect indigenous accompaniment to fish dishes has to be champ, a mouthwatering blend of floury potatoes, scallions and butter.

Local Specialties

• Ditty’s Bakery of Magherafelt, County Londonderry, specialises in a range of handcrafted traditional oat cakes
• McCartney’s Butchers of Moira, County Down, make an exciting range of award-winning specialty sausages.
• O’Doherty’s of Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, is a creative craft butcher who developed award-winning products, such as dry-cured black bacon and smoked lamb.
  Drumgooland Smokehouse, Downpatrick, County Down, where smoked duck makes the perfect starter to a meal.
• Finnebrogue Venison, reared on the extensive Finnebrogue estate, Downpatrick County Down, is a true taste experience.
• Moyallon Foods of Craigavon, County Armagh, suppliers of speciality sausages and dry-cured bacon. Produced from rare breeds, this classic cure is delicious.
• Bushmills Whiskey, County Antrim, produces a wonderful range of whiskeys. Enjoy a guided tour of the distillery, learn the history from 1608 to the present day and sample the varieties on offer.
• Irwin’s Bakery of Portadown, County Armagh, specializes in a range of Irish breads. Irwin’s in association with Guinness has recently created new Guinness bread made with 17% real Guinness beer.

Food Festivals

Festivals and events are perfect ways in which to sample Northern Ireland’s acclaimed gastronomic culture. Feast your eyes on these fabulous festivals, from bold and bright apple blossoms to succulent seafood:

• Apple Blossom Festival, Co. Armagh, May
  Celebrate the beautiful apple blossom season in the Orchard County.
• The Festival of Fish and Seafood Trail, August-September
  Seafood tasting, competitions and festive menus - family fun based in the four County Down fishing villages of Kilkeel, Annalong, Ardglass and Portavogie.
• The Hillsborough Oyster International Festival, August -September
  Held in the historic village of Hillsborough, County Down, the festival features local food and light-hearted events such as the World Oyster Eating Championship.

Cookery schools

Whether you prefer hands-on or watching demonstrations by the experts, Ireland’s cookery schools are guaranteed to be an entertaining and informative way to discover the delights of Irish produce. Create some culinary delights at these cookery schools in the heart of the countryside:

• Belle Isle Castle and Cookery School, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh
  Enjoy a wide selection of hands-on cookery and wine courses in the Fermanagh lakelands.
• Grange Lodge Cookery School, Dungannon, County Tyrone
  Entertaining and family food made easy at one of a range of classes on offer.
  

Farmers’ markets

Not only are these wonderfully atmospheric places to browse, they’re also ideal for sampling the finest local, organic and artisan produce around. Tuck into splendid local produce at these city and country markets:

• St George’s City Food and Garden Market in Belfast was voted the third best food market in the UK by the Observer Food Monthly. On Friday and Saturday mornings, this is the place to meet and talk with food producers.
• Lisburn, Castlewellan and Newry Markets are just a few of the Farmers’ Markets to be found around Northern Ireland offering mouthwatering baked goods, plus the freshest fruit and veg.

Local Food Hero

Robert Ditty
Ditty’s Home Bakery, Magherafelt, County Londonderry.

For 45 years the Ditty family has been baking handcrafted traditional breads, biscuits and cakes. The exceptional quality of their baking has won them six Great Taste Awards, a coveted Irish Food Writers Guild Good Food Award and Robert has been judged a Super Food Hero by Rick Stein. Founded by Robert and Margaret, the present owner, son Robert, has been joined by nephew Clifford Brimley.
Tradition balanced with innovation is the way to succeed. They produce a range of stunning plain oatcakes, and cooperating with other Irish artisans, flavoured oatcakes with dillisk from Dingle, Gubeen smoked cheese, and oats smoked by Frank Hederman in East Cork. Breads and cakes may be bought in their three shops while oatcakes and shortbread are available in speciality food shops, airport shops, and are widely exported.

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Ireland’s West Coast

Ireland’s West Coast has a charm, cultural heritage and geographical variety all of its own, with mountain scenery, a unique lunar landscape and long stretches of golden sands arresting the senses with their invigorating appeal.

From the misty mountains of Donegal in the north-west, south through the wild wilderness of Connemara, and down to the mouth of the River Shannon where it greets the Atlantic Ocean, seafood, unsurprisingly, is the constant theme.

Sea vegetables are gathered and dried as a local delicacy and sumptuous shellfish are in plentiful supply wherever you go. While the Galway Oyster Festivals are world famous, there are many seafood festivals up and down the crashing Atlantic Coastline, along with plenty of great places in which to enjoy a meal and soak up the atmosphere – from medieval banquets in restored castles (Bunratty and Knappogue) to award-winning restaurants and pretty country pubs. In Connemara, however, a specialty not to be missed is hill lamb.

In bustling Galway and Limerick, and in towns like Donegal, Sligo, Ballina and Carrick-on-Shannon, you’ll find award-winning restaurants and welcoming pubs, where the whole family can enjoy hearty lunches, or relax to the infectious rhythm of Irish traditional music in the evenings.

For more information, log onto www.discoverireland.com/west

Discover the flavours of Ireland’s West Coast

The flavours of the West Coast are wide ranging. From Sligo’s edible seaweeds carrageen and dillisk, native oysters and the Burren’s distinctive flora-scented honey to Connemara hill lamb, delectable farmhouse cheeses, such as Oisin organic goats’ and cow cheeses, St Tola Goats’ Cheese and Cratloe Hills Sheep Cheese.

The pristine Atlantic shores give rise to glistening fresh fish and shellfish; while the unique landscape of the Burren delivers preserves made from wild harvests of hazelnuts, sloes, rowanberries, fraughans and blackberries.

You’ll also delight at the unique Irish drinks, including porter, stout, ales and beers from local microbreweries. Meanwhile, these idyllic rural counties also produce a huge selection of dry cured bacon, ham, oak-smoked lamb, turf-smoked beef, plus cured sausages and salami.

Local Specialities

• Seaweed flavoured sausages from LoTide Fine Foods, County Mayo.
  
• Fish and shellfish from the Atlantic waters, including Clare Island organic fresh salmon; Kinvara smoked salmon; Kinvara smoked eel; mackerel and trout.
• Mead and Poitín from Bunratty Castle winery, County Clare.
• Burren Smokehouse, County Clare, and the Connemara Smokehouse, County Galway, where you can learn all about the ancient legend of the Salmon of Knowledge and how fish is smoked, before tasting a sample.
• Biddy Early Brewery, Ennis, County Clare, Ireland’s first microbrewery, produces a beer made from Craiggeen Moss (seaweed) and Bog Myrtle. The brewing techniques and resulting tastes are unique and highly revered.

Food Festivals

Every region has its own specialty festivals with local, fresh and organic produce showcased in all their splendour. Enjoy seafood trails and fabulous farm walks at these great festivals in the West:

• Donegal Bay Food and Wine Experience, June
  Lectures, historical tours, food fairs, street theatre and banquets of both the formal and informal kind.
• Killybegs Seafood Festival, June-July
  A diverse seafood trail, with demonstrations and a mouthwatering barbecue.
• The Galway International Oyster Festival, September
  One of the top ten festivals in the world – whet your appetite with tastings, competitions and banquets in Galway city.
• Clarenbridge Oyster Festival, September
  "County Galway, the world is your oyster.” Great oysters and great craic (fun) in large doses.
• Harvest Feast, Drumshanbo, County Leitrim, September
  Slow food events, talks, demonstrations, and a fascinating bio-diversity farm walk.
  

Cookery Schools

Whether you prefer hands-on or watching demonstrations by the experts, Ireland’s cookery schools are guaranteed to be an entertaining and informative way to discover the delights of Irish produce. Breathtaking scenery and first-rate culinary skills are par for the course at these cookery schools:

• Pangur Bán, Letterfrack, County Galway
  Personalised, weekend courses to suit a wide range of interests located in an idyllic part of the countryside.
• Berry Lodge in Miltown Malbay, County Clare
  Excellent food and cookery tuition in the heart of picturesque County Clare; Berry Lodge’s Rita Meade offers a wide selection of courses.

Farmers’ Markets

Local food and farmers’ markets are now a regular fixture on the food calendar and offer the perfect chance to meet with producers from around the country. Sample some jewels of the Atlantic Ocean and fine rural produce at these farmers’ markets:

• Galway City Market
  A joyful way to spend a Saturday, this weekly market in the heart of Galway city will arrest your senses and inspire your culinary creativity.
• Ennis Town Farmers’ Market, County Clare
  Friday mornings, this market is a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach!
• Donegal Town Market
  One Saturday every month, the heart of Donegal Town lights up with the displays of fine, fresh and locally produced food.

Farm visits

Farm visits are an essential and highly enjoyable part of the Irish food experience. They also make a great treat for families. Tantalising tours and organic trails will whet the appetite at those local farms:

• The Organic Centre, Rossinver, County Leitrim
  Showcasing crops nurtured in tune with nature, plus demonstrations including slow food days, tours and short courses.
• Tourism Taste Trail
  A four-day tour with visits to artisan producers around the dramatic County Galway landscape and coastline.

Local Food Hero

James McGeough, Oughterard, County Galway

Inspired by his training in Germany, James McGeough returned to the family butchery and began handcrafting salamis and sausages. Soon he began making a more exciting range, with modern interpretations of the ancient crafts of curing and smoking meats. McGeough also began winning awards – from the Irish Craft Butchers for his specialty meats and from the Irish Food Writer’s Guild for his air-dried Connemara hill lamb.

A young man of great energy (he supplied 25,000 servings of this delicacy to the Ryder Cup Banquet in 2006), he is happiest when developing new ideas. And his range is certainly a connoisseur’s delight, as it includes air-dried and lightly-smoked ham, turf-smoked beef, air-dried pork cured in red wine and flavoured with local wild juniper berries and orange rind; whiskey salami; cured sausages with Mossfield organic cheese; and a range of pâtés and fresh specialty sausages. His fantastically diverse products, unsurprisingly, are used by many leading restaurants all over the country.

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Ireland’s South Coast

Spectacular ragged coastlines, wind-twisted landscapes, whitewashed houses, culture, history, heritage and award-winning beaches – Ireland’s South Coast has it all.

The many charms of the region stretch from the beaches of Wexford to the mountains of Kerry. The attractive heritage city of Kilkenny and nearby Carlow are a joy to tour; while Wexford’s narrow streets buzz in the autumn when the world-renowned opera festival descends; see why Waterford City is so proud of its Viking heritage; linger for a while in cool cafés; or listen to traditional music in the character-filled pubs of Cork and Kerry.

The region has many exciting visitor attractions and offers the chance to sample fabulous food in hundreds of first-class restaurants to suit every budget. The vibrant food culture of the South – where traditional farming methods reign supreme – gives the region a distinctive and appealing identity.

Culinary treats of the region include mountain lamb, farmhouse cheeses and fruit. And, of course, the stunningly long coastline is a haven for seafood fans. Food lovers’ should especially make a beeline for Wexford, Cork, Kinsale, Dingle and Kenmare to sample the smoked and cured fish and poultry from the region.

For more information, log onto www.discoverireland.com/south

Discover the flavours of Ireland’s South Coast

You can smell and taste the flavours all year round – it’s little wonder that some of Ireland’s best-loved fruits, vegetables and cheeses are made here.

In summer, Wexford strawberries come into their own, while the region’s honey – regarded by many as the world’s best – is aromatic and heavy with flavour. Topping it off is authentic Tipperary organic ice cream – sinful but entirely necessary!

Wild seafood, meanwhile, is abundant all round the South Coast – be sure to sample lobster, crab, scallops, prawns and the huge variety of fish. And that’s not all; the rich grazing of the ‘Golden Vale’ (Tipperary and North Cork) produces mouth-watering beef.

Local Specialities

• Sample a Waterford Blaa, a light-as-air bread roll unique to the city.
• Cork favours delicacies, such as Clonakilty black and white puddings, drisheen, tripe and onions.
• Popular in Ireland’s South Coast are crubeens (cured and cooked pigs feet) eaten with bread and butter.
• Kerry mountain lamb develops complex flavours from the varied herbage.
• Enjoy handmade Skelligs chocolates and Dingle ice cream.
• Cheese lovers can choose from 20 or more farmhouse cheeses, including award-winning Milleens, Mine-Gabhar, Ardrahan, Gubbeen, Durrus, Cashel and Crozier Blue, Lavistown and Knockanore.
• Clonmel is the centre of Ireland’s cider industry. Bulmers (known as Magners outside Ireland) is made by Bulmers Ireland and is a famous and distinctive Irish cider. Irish ales, such as Smithwicks, are also unique – made from grains, they have a pronounced flavour of hops.
• Fresh apple juice is an artisan specialty of the region.
• Beamish, a distinctive stout made in Cork.

Food Festivals

With Ireland’s South Coast being home to the gourmet county of Cork, a stunning coastline, plus lush green pasturelands, it’s well worth taking a peek at the region’s food festivals! Traditional fare of juicy fruit, fresh seafood and gastronomic delights can be savoured at these food festivals:

• Enniscorthy Strawberry Fair, County Wexford, June-July
  Immerse yourself in Enniscorthy to sample the juiciest strawberries and cracking family entertainment.
• Taste of West Cork, Skibbereen, September
  Fantastic food, gourmet goodies and a chance to sample some of the best local produce in the land.
• Kinsale International Gourmet Festival, East Cork, October
  A celebration of amazing gastronomic delights from Kinsale and its surrounds.
• Kenmare Appetite for Life, County Kerry, October
  Kenmare becomes a haven of tranquility, with its glorious vistas and great gourmet food.
• Listowel Food Fair, County Kerry, November
  Food lovers gather in this bustling Kerry town to celebrate the real taste of the Kingdom of Kerry.

Cookery schools

Sign up for a cookery course and engage with those who have an intimate knowledge of Ireland’s finest local produce. Let the true masters of the trade unearth your hidden talent at some of the finest schools in the region:

• Ballymaloe Cookery School, Shanagarry, Midleton, County Cork:
  Possibly Ireland’s most famous cookery school overseen by Darina Allen, the school offers courses for all levels and abilities.
• Dunbrody Abbey Cookery School, New Ross, County Wexford: Long established, exclusive, cookery school, in the idyllic surroundings of Dunbrody Abbey, County Wexford. Chef/Proprietors – Pierce & Valerie McAuliffe.
• Dunbrody Country House Hotel and Cookery School, Arthurstown, County Wexford: Set in 20 acres of gardens right on the edge of the Hook Peninsula, this is one of the country’s most stylish cookery schools.

Farmers’ Markets

In this region alone, there are approximately 50 thriving farmers’ markets, featuring fine local and speciality produce. Discover a world of choice at a city centre market, or venture into the rural idyll for sumptuous seafood:

• The English Market, Cork City
  Historic covered market that’s filled to the brim with gastronomic delights.
• Enniscorthy Farmers’ Market, County Wexford
  Sample a slice of the sunny South East at this bustling food market on Saturday mornings.
• Dingle, County Kerry
  Open on Fridays, enjoy fresh fish and seafood, plus excellent local produce in this beautiful coastal town market.

Farm Visits

As well as getting to know the food producers, a visit to a working farm is also an ideal opportunity to stock up on sauces, pastes and rare wines.

• Apple Farm (and shop), Moorestown, County Tipperary:
  Walk trails through orchards of apples, plums, pears and cherries.
• Wexford Organic Centre, Folksmills:
  Learn about organic production, explore the growing beds, or take a short course.

Local Food Hero

The Burns Family, Duhallow, County Cork

The Burns family founded the Ardrahan herd of pedigree Friesian cattle 80 years ago in Duhallow, County Cork. Twenty-five years ago, another generation began using their milk to make yoghurt and cheese – in doing so, one of Ireland's most highly-regarded and widely-exported farmhouse cheeses was created.

Mary Burns and her son Gerald continue to breed all replacement stock for the herd, producing milk all year round to make this aromatic washed-rind, buttery-textured, semi-soft cheese – indisputably one of the great flavours of Ireland.

They also produce Duhallow, a mild semi-soft cheese, and an innovative product, Lullabye milk: cows milked before daybreak have naturally high levels of Melatonin, a natural substance that regulates the human sleep/wake cycles. Lullabye milk is said to be one of the most natural sleeping draughts in the world.

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Ireland’s East Coast

Rich farming land, a magnet for history, culture and comfort – with Ireland’s East Coast you can experience cultural diversity, breathtaking coastline, city life and some of the country’s most pastoral countryside.

In truth, this is a region of contrasts: to the north, gently rolling hills and rich grazing lands, to the south the scenic vistas that surround Dublin merge into the wild beauty of the Wicklow Mountains. A spell in Dublin city will introduce you to a variety of attractions, including the Guinness Storehouse and the Jameson Distillery, as well as a wealth of restaurants to match any taste and pocket; while the coastline boasts superb sandy beaches and picturesque small harbours.

The area is ripe with farmers’ markets, country markets, organic farms, fisheries and cheesemakers. Brimming over with quality chefs, Ireland’s East Coast offers a vast array of top food from pub fare to the gourmet experience. In the unspoilt medieval County Louth village of Carlingford, 9 fine restaurants have come together to form a Good Food Circle – each featuring local food and wonderful sea produce. Inland, some of the best agricultural land in the country produces excellent, mouthwatering beef.

For more information, log onto www.discoverierland.com/east

Discover the flavours of Ireland’s East Coast

The richness of the region’s landscape is reflected in the quality and choice on offer, including succulent Wicklow lamb; furred and feathered wild game from the Wicklow mountains; delicious organic vegetables and fresh fruit from the extensive market gardens and glasshouses of North County Dublin; along with an excellent selection of locally caught fish and seafood.

Also valued for its great flavour and well-marbled flesh is the beef from Irish Hereford and Irish Angus, along with corned beef and spiced beef, which has become a speciality at Christmas time. Pork is a major player, too, with undoubtedly tasty dry cured bacon, sausages and black and white puddings. And, lest we forget, Dublin coddle – a scrumptious dish made from the finest sausages, streaky bacon, potatoes and onion!

Local Specialties

• Cooley Mountain lamb, which is so succulent and complex in flavour.
• Guinness, probably the best known brand of stout in the world.
• Cooley Whiskey from County Louth.
• Tullamore Dew and Irish Mist Liqueur from County Offaly.
• The range of Jameson whiskeys from the Jameson Distillery Centre in Dublin.
• Ales, beers and stouts from The Porterhouse microbrewery in Dublin.
• Farmhouse cheeses, such as Wicklow Blue and Wicklow Bawn.
• Dublin Bay Prawns
• The Stoneoven Bakery, County Wicklow, which produces pumpernickel, pure rye breads, organic spelt bread, 100% sourdoughs, and even ‘grey bread’.
• Wrights of Howth, an established firm of fishmongers selling a selection of fresh fish and other seafood. They also have an own brand range of smoked products.

Food Festivals

It was only a matter of time before the country became accustomed to hosting its own gastronomic food festivals. A gathering of masterchefs in the capital city, plus a celebration of local produce in County Louth:

• Taste of Dublin, June
  Perhaps the biggest food festival in the region is the recently inaugurated Taste of Dublin Food Festival, with chef-inspired tastings, dishes and demonstrations.
• Carlingford Oyster Festival, September
  A gourmet food fair giving you the opportunity to sample the deliciously wide range of seafood, beef, lamb and vegetable produce from the local area.
  

Cookery schools

With the increase of artisan products and farmers’ markets around the country, let the experts guide you towards culinary magnificence.

• Ballyknocken House Cookery School and Guest House, County Wicklow: Located in the old milking parlour of the farmhouse, this cookery school subtly boasts a superb range of courses for both groups and individuals.
• Ghan House and Cookery School, County Louth: Pride is taken in creating meals based on homegrown, home-made and largely local produce, such as Carlingford oysters, Ballagan lobsters, mussels and much more.

Farmers’ markets

There are around 40 markets in the region, with well organized markets becoming something of a national treasure. Sink your teeth into delicious local delights, including hand-made chocolates and the freshest organic produce:

• Macreddin Village, County Wicklow.
  A monthly organic farmers’ market offering a vast array of artisan foods and local produce.
• Temple Bar Food Market, Central Dublin
  Boasting hand-made chocolates, cakes and buns from Claudia’s, plus the aromatic scent from Sheridan’s Cheesemongers.
• Dun Laoghaire People’s Park, County Dublin
  Brimming with atmosphere, the stalls housed in this pretty coastal park offer delicious food from home and abroad.

Farm Visits

Take a trip to some of the region’s finest open farms to engage with local producers and sample speciality foods. Explore a farmyard oasis in the capital’s suburbs, plus taste mouthwatering organic ice cream in County Offaly:

• Airfield Gardens. Dundrum, Dublin 14
  An organic ‘farm in the city’ and pleasure garden – especially for the children.
• Mossfield Organic Farm, Birr, County Offaly
  Mossfield Organic Cheese range is the local speciality, with a must-taste Organic Ice-cream range.

Local Food Heroes

Liam Lahart and Oliver Hughes, Porterhouse Microbrewery and pubs.

Liam Lahart and Oliver Hughes opened their first pub in the seaside town of Bray, Co Wicklow, in 1989. In 1996, they realized their dream by opening their first microbrewery in Temple Bar in Dublin city centre. Hughes and Lahart were two young men with a simple mission: to revive the traditional Irish culture of small craft breweries producing a variety of ales, beers and their first love – traditional Irish stouts and porter.

Ahead of their time in embracing diversity, they found a huge interest in the concept of microbreweries. As the business has grown, so has a wider appreciation of the excellence of their products. In the World Beer Competition held in the UK, they were awarded the accolade Best Stout in the World.

The original Porterhouse has since been joined by others in Dublin’s Temple Bar, Nassau Street and Glasnevin, and one in London’s Covent Garden. With 9 different Porterhouse brews on offer, and the occasional seasonal brew, connoisseurs can sample a tasting tray selection of plain porter (a traditional light stout); Oyster stout (brewed with fresh oysters); Wrassllers 4X (based on a traditional recipe from Cork); Porterhouse red (a traditional ale); An Brain Blasta (strong); and Temple Brau.

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