Continue your culinary trail across Cork and Limerick
See the landscapes that have created some of the most prestigious food on the island of Ireland, from outstanding mozzarella to award-winning black pudding.
Durrus and Macroom
Durrus, a pretty village on the wild, rugged and remote Sheep’s Head Peninsula is home to the Good Things Café and Cookery School. Sample the fish soup or let Carmel Somers teach you how to cook a lobster first-hand. Just outside Macroom, in the heart of the Cork countryside, you’ll find a dairy making Ireland’s first buffalo mozzarella cheese. Toons Bridge Dairy produces a deliciously milky mozzarella, as well as a range of other cheeses, all of which you can sample at their shop and café.
IF YOU HAVE MORE TIME
On the way from Durrus to Macroom, stop off in the buzzing town of Bantry, which is famous for its great seafood restaurants and excellent Friday Food Market.
A foodie hero in a town called Kanturk
Nestled between two hills, and the rivers Allow and Dallow, the town of Kanturk is surrounded by the type of countryside that has made West Cork such an exceptional producer of cheese. But in Kanturk, the local delicacy is Cork's other famous food hero – black pudding. At McCarthy's traditional butchers in town, Jack McCarthy has created a black pudding that is so exceptional it has won the prestigious old medal from the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Blackpudding.
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The gracious Longueville House Hotel in Mallow is well known for its cuisine and its cider, but it also produces a wonderful apple brandy from apples grown on the estate. Pick up a bottle and stick around for afternoon tea in the drawing room.
A little village in the Limerick heartlands
It's hard not to fall for the charms of the village of Adare. Lined with rows of gorgeous thatched cottages, Adare draws loyal locals and curious foodies alike. The pretty restaurant of 1826 Adare is a favourite, thanks to the rustic cottage interior and a menu that is packed with local produce and creative flair. The cottage theme continues at the excellent Wild Geese Restaurant, while you can surround yourself in the atmosphere of an old Irish home at Miss Crumpet's Tea Rooms with tea and scones served in the traditional style.
IF YOU HAVE MORE TIME
Set your sights on the The Mustard Seed restaurant at Echo Lodge in Ballingarry. Set within a gracious country house, this award-winning restaurant is a delightful place for an evening of creative Irish cooking. Our pick? The Ballinwillin loin of lamb with sweet breads, nasturtiam vegal and a sugar snap, baby carrot and elderflower gel!
Living it up in Limerick city
You're arrived in Limerick city, so head straight to the Milk Market. There’s all manner of artisan produce under the hi-tech roof covering this 150-year-old Limerick institution. You’ll find everything from Pete Nibbering’s creamy handmade Kilshanny Gouda, to pickled herrings from Silver Darlings and rustic breads from Vi Russell of the Sunflower Bakery. Sample one of the tasty range of savory pies from Brid Ni Mathuna’s Piog Pies – the salmon and haddock is highly recommended. After a spot of city sightseeing (don’t miss the formidable King John’s Castle), you’ll have earned your Dingle crab linguine at Freddy’s Bistro.
DON'T MISS
Tuck into a dish of green eggs and ham at Canteen in Limerick city. Chef Paul Williams obviously picked up a thing or two during his time in Heston Blumenthal’s kitchens, but he brings his own magic twist to this modest little spot on Mallow Street.
Perfect produce in Tipperary
The rich and fertile landscape of County Tipperary ensures that the goods it produces are of the finest quality – and it's certainly reflected in the mouthwatering food on offer.
It's not such a long way to Tipperary
Heading in to the Golden Vale of Tipperary, you'll find the landscapes stretch out in vast undulating hills of green. Of course, no trip to Tipperary would be complete without mentioning the world-famous Cashel Blue cheese. The Grubb family have been making it at their farm since 1984, and it’s now available everywhere from New Zealand to New York. In its home town of Cashel, though keep an eye out for this blue cows' milk cheese on menus and cheese boards at eateries like Chez Hans, which serves up great modern flavours in a converted Victorian Gothic church.
IF YOU HAVE MORE TIME
For over 30 years, Peter and Mary Ward have been promoting the pleasures of good, wholesome cooking at Country Choice delicatessen and café in Nenagh. A must-visit while in the area...
Cahir cares about its cuisine
You'll get a great sense of local produce at the apple farm just outside the town of Cahir. This is where Con Traas produces his award-winning Karmine Apple Juice, a blend of Karmijn de Sonnaville and Bramley Seedling apples. Stock up on some of Con’s produce at the farm shop, including cider vinegar and various jams made from fruit grown on the farm. For something delightfully delectable, pop into the Old Convent in Clogheen, a small village outside Cahir. Chef Dermot Gannon’s Irish artisan tasting menu is a love letter to the produce of this region. Savor the Aga Roast Nenagh Hereford Beef Filet or go veggie with Ballyhoura Mushroom Puff Pastry, fondant potato and parsnip purée. Finish off your food trip with a visit to Cahir Castle, one of the largest castles in Ireland. And afterwards? Carry on exploring Ireland's Ancient East, for even more adventure...