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 specializes 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 seafood.
Irish whiskeys Bushmills and Jameson have also travelled well; likewise, there are few who wouldn’t instantly recognize 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 centers - The Irish Whiskey Corner in Dublin, Bushmills Distillery County Antrim and The Jameson Heritage Centre in Middleton County Cork, 12 miles east of Cork City.