Articles

Feargal O’Donnell and his wife, Fiona, chose well when they took over a pub in the charming almost-waterside village of Glasson, near Athlone – immortalised by the 18th century poet Oliver Goldsmith as the ‘village of the roses’, it’s a name that’s still well-earned today. The O’Donnells’ informal style, with food that offers a timely combination of gastro-pub and contemporary fine dining in a family-friendly atmosphere, is bang on the nail – and this new venture is already very successful.
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Visitors to Ireland often seek simple traditional food based on local ingredients, as it has a real sense of place - and, although this kind of food has been out of favour with many Irish residents in recent years (and therefore harder to find than it should be), it is now deservedly enjoying renewed popularity.
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One of the unsung heroes of the Irish food scene, oats are widely grown, inexpensive, nutritious and extremely versatile. There’s much more to oats than breakfast but, whether in porridge or other oat-based dishes like granola, their slow-release energy means they’re pretty much the perfect start to the day.
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Apples have been grown in Ireland for at least 3000 years. Indeed, St. Patrick is said to have planted a number of apple trees in Ireland, including one at Ceangoba, a settlement close to where Armagh is now situated. Early monastic records tell us that the monks were given apples with their meals, especially at festival times. The Brehon laws (originating between 2000 and 1000BC) stipulated that anyone cutting down an apple tree would be subject to a severe penalty; namely a fine of five cows, and even removing a limb or branch would warrant a fine of some sort.
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Georgina Campbell Guides is yet again at the forefront of technological development in the hospitality guide market in Ireland. Following the unprecedented success of our first IrelandGuide App, one year later sees the launch of the all new Georgina Campbell's IrelandGuide iPhone Application (v2.0).
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Everything the food lover in Ireland needs to know...
Food tourism in Ireland enters an exciting new phase with this new book, the first to offer a complete user guide to finding and buying the best Irish foods - and how to enjoy them at their best, both when eating out and at home.
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Raising a Toast to Those who Survive – and Thrive! At the 2011 Georgina Campbell Awards.

Representatives of the very best of Irish hospitality gathered at Bord Bia in Dublin today (12th October 2010), for the announcement of the 2011 Georgina Campbell Awards, associated with the respected Georgina Campbell’s Ireland independent hospitality guides, and Ireland’s most popular independent hospitality and travel website www.ireland-guide.com. Unlike most other award schemes, the Georgina Campbell Awards are completely independent, and in no way affiliated with trade associations or marketing groups; it is this independence which has earned them special respect in the industry, and public trust.
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The Winding Stair has been in the news a lot of late and, following the well-publicised problems of the previous owners, the Thomas Read group, Dubliners were delighted when the highly regarded former manager, Elaine Murphy, emerged earlier this year as the new proprietor-manager of this delightfully characterful restaurant overlooking the Liffey. This was great news for everyone who had come to love the real Irish feel of the restaurant, including the way it was expressed through simply cooked local Irish and artisan food – a real ‘good home cooking’ style that was at odds with the cheffy tall food fashions of the day when the restaurant opened in 2006, but is widely appreciated now.
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At this time of year, chefs and beef connoisseurs begin to get excited about the new autumn beef which is just coming in from local farmers. Beef may be available all year – and many consumers are unaware of it as a seasonal food, in the way that lamb is – but those in the know keenly anticipate the meaty treats which will only be available for a couple of months during the autumn. In north Dublin, for example, Howth butcher Ray Collier stocks the local Baily beef – finished each summer on a nearby farm ...
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Thinking back on it, it’s amazing how farming has changed in the last half century or so - for anyone growing up more than 50 or 60 years ago, organic farming was the norm; it didn’t need a label, it was just traditional farming. Then, after World War Two all that changed with the drive to increase yields dramatically and – crucially - to produce cheap food. Now we’re coming full cycle and seeing the damage that intensive production can bring with it, so good traditionally produced food (mainly, but not necessarily, ‘organic’) is regaining its well-deserved status.
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